PHOENIX

When Phoenix woke up, her skin was radiating heat. Even with her layers stripped down to a chemise and a corset, her temperature rose, and sweat trickled down her forehead.

With a heavy breath, Phoenix stood up from the hard bed and surveyed her surroundings. The air was dry, as if sand mixed with air, scratching her throat whenever she inhaled. Her footsteps dragged and echoed through the corridor, her body still fatigued from that sneaky trick that asshole pulled on her.

She had to figure out where the fuck she was.

When she knocked out, Phoenix wasn’t pulled into Lilianna’s dream. Perhaps it was because Lilianna wasn’t asleep herself.

Phoenix leaned over the barred gate to get a better look from the outside. When her skin touched its surface, the bars erupted into an ember, blistering Phoenix’s fingers.

“Fuck!” she hissed. The reddish-orange hue glowed brighter before dimming back to an unsuspecting black. Phoenix sat back down on the bed, staring at her burnt fingers. The hot and dry air must have fried her ability to think because she couldn’t restrain herself from snickering.

“Hey, keep it down will ya?”

Phoenix stared at the cell in front of her. She had never been thrown in jail before, so she was a little surprised someone commented on what she was doing. The voice sounded raspy, belonging to a woman who likely had been smoking or had consumed something that permanently burnt her throat.

“Who are you?” Phoenix didn’t care for any formalities, obviously.

“Heh.” She could almost see a smirk from the silhouette of the woman on the other side.

“I’ve been here far longer than you have, young lady. That’s all you need to know.”

“Where are we?” Phoenix didn’t want to keep the useless chatter.

“For a delicate young lady, you seem very collected. Are you an assassin? Tell me.”

The woman’s laugh reverberated through the narrow hallway. She was the one who asked Phoenix to keep quiet, yet her cackling was a hundred times louder than Phoenix’s.

“...”

Phoenix stopped paying attention to the crazy woman.

This event, scenario, whatever was going on right now, Phoenix knew it wasn’t supposed to happen. At least not yet. Otherwise, Lilianna would have warned her about it already.

Phoenix retraced her steps.

The original Lily Bianca wouldn’t have gone to the shop to find a replica of the ring. She would have tried to find it with her magic and realized it was in Delbert’s hands. However, in this loop, because of Phoenix’s presence, the two never interacted. It didn’t make sense for the ring to disappear in the first place.

So instead of using magic to communicate with Delbert by connecting his brooch and the lost ring, Phoenix decided to buy a replica. Perhaps it would have similar properties as the original ring and allow her to communicate with Lilianna.

She held her hand out and observed the glimmer of the gem. Phoenix took a deep, scratchy breath as she closed her eyes and imagined Lilianna in her body, with her necklace. She visualized a part of her consciousness shooting out like a string to connect with Lilianna but was only met with silence.

“…”

Phoenix didn’t actively try to change the loop, so how had it turned into this mess? According to Lilianna, she hadn’t been able to control a single muscle of Lily Bianca’s body and repeated the same exact events every year.

How was it that Phoenix, who acted solely out of self-preservation, had the power to alter the course of events so significantly?

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

After a while, a series of footsteps drew closer to Phoenix’s cell. One individual strode at a steady pace while the others followed in a group. When this person’s steps halted, the others would too. Phoenix straightened her back and waited for them to reach her.

The candles on the walls erupted in flames with a click, and the hall illuminated along with the group’s movements. Phoenix had to squint to let her eyes get used to the brighter lighting. She glanced up and noticed something strange.

“Greetings, Lady Bianca.”

It was that prince from the Astor Kingdom. Phoenix remembered how grating he sounded, but her gaze landed on his chest. To be more precise, it landed on the necklace he was wearing. Around his neck, an amber ring hung from a silver chain like a pendant. Phoenix was completely sure that was Lily Bianca’s ring.

A deep, skull-numbing laughter echoed through the stone walls of her cell. Phoenix crossed her arms as she stared at the prince. His red eyes looked like flames ready to devour anything that hindered his path.

“If you want your ring back, I suggest you listen to me obediently.”

“What do you want from me?” Phoenix asked.

The man leaned over, his gaze never leaving Phoenix, before whispering:

“Marry me.”

In the face of such a ridiculous request, Phoenix let out a reflexive ‘huh?’.

She remembered Lily Bianca’s father mentioned the Astor Kingdom needed her support.

Kidnapping someone was certainly a foolish way to ask for help. While it could be used as leverage to coerce Lily Bianca’s family into making an unfavorable decision, what sane strategy involved kidnapping the very person you needed help from? It was like shooting the only individual who could cure your poisoned body.

“If you want your freedom back, you’ll have to marry into my family.” His hand let go of the bar and his flowy, less restrictive clothing followed as he moved back a couple of steps.

“Spare the thought of forcing your way out. You don’t want to spark a widespread battle between the Astor and Chamillet kingdoms, do you?”

Frankly, she didn’t care about that.

“I’ll give you time to think about your answer. Until then, you won’t be hearing about my kingdom and you won't be getting back this ring. Choose wisely.”

“To me, choosing wisely means I get out of this cell by myself, forcibly take the ring back, and beat you up on the way. Should I still choose wisely?”

The Prince smirked. His eyes formed a pair of crescent bloody moons, shining fiercer than the candlelight. He instructed the people around him to serve her food. They whispered amongst themselves and urged a guard to open the barred gate.

Amongst the group were multiple guards. Even with the protective layers, they wore less clothing than residents of the Chamillet Kingdom. Their builds were larger and more muscular. Based on Phoenix’s limited knowledge of both kingdoms, the tallest individual from the Chamillet Kingdom was probably this kingdom’s average height.

Servants placed the food near her and locked up the cage once more.

Once the group disappeared from sight, the candlelights dissipated along with the traces of the prince. The woman on the other side of the cell spoke again.

“Huh. So you’re more of a guest than a prisoner.” Phoenix didn’t know how to respond. What kind of stupid host would lock up their guest in a dark, cramped cell? She must be joking.

Phoenix grabbed the tray of food given to her and inspected them for poison or any strange substance. Her stomach growled at the sight and scent of the plump meat, but she didn’t dare be careless and eat what that prince asked to be served to her.

“What? Willing to share information now?”

The woman snorted. “No. But I’m warning you not to eat anything they give you. You might end up brain-dead.”

“I’m not stupid.”

Phoenix retorted. Right after responding, she heard muffled sounds of munching from the other side of the hall.

“...” Maybe this food turned this lady crazy.

Phoenix chose to remain cautious. From her limited understanding, people from the Astor Kingdom appeared to embody a culture that valued straightforwardness and brute strength. However, they were also not afraid to be sly. Phoenix had already fallen for one of their little tricks. She didn’t want to make the same mistake again. She let the food turn cold.

Then, Phoenix started planning her escape.

Based on the difference in weather, humidity, and clothing, Phoenix had long understood she was likely trapped somewhere in the Astor Kingdom. Besides the gate, there was no other opening in the cell. Phoenix glanced at the barred entryway, wondering what it was made of. When people touched it from the outside, it didn't react at all, but when she did, it immediately scorched her fingers.

She laid on her back and glanced at the uneven ceiling, her body aching from pressing against the hard bed.

In a way, this turn of events worked in her favor. The world may not be the same, but being kidnapped was something she had experienced multiple times. Phoenix had encountered countless attempts to kidnap or end her life. This special inconvenience came with being the only daughter of a Mafia Family. Unlucky for those who wanted her dead, she had quite the talent for fighting and gaining an upper hand.

Phoenix clutched and relaxed her fingers as she recalled using Lily Bianca’s abilities. If she was able to understand how Lily Bianca’s magic worked, would it be easier for her to get out of this mess? She might just be able to generate a high-pressure wave against that gate and blast it open.

She could ask Lilianna herself. Phoenix shifted her position to where she felt the least pain, and she let herself drift off to sleep.