Water from the sink ran into a bowl filled with shrimp. He took one out, his big hands pulling apart the shell from the shrimp with practiced efficiency, and then he tossed it to another bowl next to him. He looked over to the clock on the wall behind him.

It was four. She would be home in an hour. No doubt tired from her work.

Work at the office took a lot out of her. She had complained to him about the project that had been thrust upon her by her supervisor. Earlier she had voiced confidence that they were nearing the end when she called him.

Kagami had closed his restaurant early and shopped. He bought cake from her current favorite cake shop, and he went to the supermarket to grab the ingredients of her favorite dish.

Paella.

He hoped to have it ready by the time she came home, but with the sound of the front door opening, he knew that she had come home earlier than usual.

Kagami rinsed off his hands and stepped out of the kitchen.

“Welcome home.” He smiled, wiping his hands on his apron.

She was tired. He could see that. She was wearing the same grey work clothes she had worn a couple of days ago. Her usual brilliant golden hair was frazzled and tied in a sloppy ponytail. Asa was pulling her heels off, and when she saw him, the tiredness of some sleepless nights melted away from her face. She leaned into his chest, and he embraced her.

“I’m home.”

“It’s been a while hasn’t it?” Kagami stroked her back. “It must have been tough.”

“It was!” She nuzzled into his chest. “Makes me want to return back to wet work. That was so much easier than a corporate job. My boss is such a pain!”

Kagami cracked his fist. “Do you want me to go and destroy the building?”

“Haha! If only.” She pulled her head up to meet his eyes. “You’re home early? How was the restaurant?”

“Closed it early,” Kagami said. “You worked hard. I wanted to surprise you with good food.”

“A surprise?” Her face lit up. They separated and she leaned her head up taking a good whiff of the air. Her face looked as if lightning had struck, a sliver of drool escaped the corner of her mouth. “Is it paella?”

“It is.” Kagami offered his sleeve for her to wipe her mouth. She looked embarrassed, but took his offer. “It’s a shame you came home early. If I had known, I would have drawn a bath for you.”

“That’s alright. Your feelings are what count!” She said with a brighter smile. “Good food, and thoughtful. What would I do without you?”

“What indeed?” Kagami rubbed his beard. “Probably buried under all of the manga and games you own.”

“Hey!” She smacked his shoulder playfully. “I take that personally! Those were my light in my darkest of hours.”

Kagami couldn’t help but laugh. He was so happy. His wife pouted but her lips turned to the sunny smile of a new morning. She went down the hall and Kagami went back to the kitchen.

#

“Sooo good!” Her hand pressed against her cheek in delight.

While Kagami was on his second bite, she held out her bowl for him to take.

“Seconds!”

He went to the kitchen and came back with another serving.

“Eat as much as you want.” He placed the paella in front of her.

“Thank you!” She took a generous scoop of paella, squealing in delight when it entered her mouth.

Watching her enjoy his food made his heart feel warm. He could watch her eat his food forever. There was nothing more satisfying than watching someone enjoy the food he cooked.

Then his gaze went to her chest and he frowned. The suit she had worn covered her scar well. The t-shirt she wore now, allowed him to see it clearly. It looked like a star.

“Pervert!” She held chest in mock jest.

“Does it still hurt?” Kagami asked.

She took a thoughtful bite, intentionally taking her time to chew so she wouldn’t have to answer so quickly. When she swallowed she told him.

“Sometimes.”

His chest tightened.

“See, that’s why I didn’t want to say anything.” She pointed at him with her spoon. “It wasn’t your fault.”

Kagami couldn’t help himself. His fist tightened as he thought about it. If only he could have…

“Enough!” She smacked her hand on the table. Her crimson eyes stared him down. “I’m not some weak little princess. This scar isn’t your burden to bear, it’s mine. It’s on my body.” Then her face softened. “Plus, if I were in a situation like that again, you would do anything for me.”

Kagami snorted at that.

“Of course I would. I would cross the seas and skies for you.”

“Oh, that’s a big promise.” She closed one of her eyes. “Well, I have to one up that now. I would cross time and space for you.”

And Kagami knew she meant it. It was why he broke into a joyful fit of laughter. Raising his head, and holding his gut.

He wiped a tear. “I know you would. But that’s pretty hard to imagine. I’m pretty indestructible.” He patted his chest. “It would have to be some monster to stop me.”

“Like me?”

To that Kagami smiled even more brilliantly.

“You’re quite a beautiful monster to be chased by.”

#

The doorbell rang when Kagami was cleaning the dishes. They had finished dinner, and Asa was currently playing a game on the TV. Kagami wiped his hands on his apron and walked over to the door.

He looked through the peephole but saw nothing but blackness. As he turned the doorknob, he heard a yell from behind him.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Don’t open the door!” He saw Asa with a drawn blade rushing towards him.

The door opened.

Kagami turned to it.

Whatever was behind the door, Kagami knew it was what killed him.

#

“Weakling.” The Warden stood over him, wires dripping blood.

It had been the first time he had met the Warden. He had by some miraculous will made it to his home only to be soundly defeated.

Kagami tried to stand up, his body wouldn’t listen to him.

The next moment, he was cut into mincemeat and then fed to the spiders.

#

Once more, he had died and appeared in front of two towering gates that stretched up this white void. The first one to his right was chained by fire. The second to his left slowly creaked open and an eye stared back at him.

“So you have come here again. Was your death painful?”

He fell to his knees and held his thumping head.

“Who are you?”

“You’ve asked this question many times and I’ll repeat myself again. I have no reason to answer you.”

Memories flowed out like water from a spigot.

And then he remembered.

“You.” The hand on his head lowered from his head. “You’re that phoenix. The one that keeps on burning me alive when I die.”

“You have more of your memories this time. How wonderful. How should I torture you this time? Shall I burn you to death? Shall I pick at your guts? So many choices I have.”

“Torture?” The word made more memories rise from the depth of his mind. Cold sweat dripped from his face. This wasn’t the first time he had been standing here, having a discussion with him. He had been burnt to death many, many times.

The owner of the eyes, the great phoenix, screeched in glee.

“That’s right. I love that look on your face. Erasing your memories is a pain. I can’t let others know that you have two gates. Though, that masked bitch saw through it.”

The Queen’s face popped in his mind.

“You must really hate her.”

“I do!” The phoenix screeched. “Both you and that bitch is the reason why I’m here like this!” It’s smoldering eyes pierced Kagami.

This hadn’t been the first time the phoenix had told Kagami how much he despised the Queen, but for why he despised Kagami, he didn’t understand. He had no recollection of ever beating up a fire bird.

“Are you the one that killed me?”

There was surprise in its laughter. As the laughter reached its crescendo, the Gate swung open. The phoenix stretched its wings and screeched in joy. Like an open furnace, heat blew in his face. The blazing gust grew hotter and more violent with every second.

He combusted. Rainbow flames devoured him.

“Weakling!” It declared upon the heavens. “How does it feel not to have any of your former strength? To not have the body you are proud of? You must feel helpless!”

He-

Kagami pushed back against the force.

“Oh?” The phoenix seemed amused. “You’re resisting? That’s fine, my brother. I shall give everything to you. My rage and my hatred!”

His feet slid back a few steps and the flames grew even hotter. He couldn’t take it, he was going to lose and get devoured by the flames again. He-

“Already giving up?” The phoenix laughed. “So weak.”

That word, made something snap within Kagami.

When had it happened? When had his confidence been smashed? Why was he in such pain, being burnt so much that his flesh peeled from his bone like supple chicken wings?

Why did he have to endure this pain?

Even when he had been torn asunder by the Masked Queen, he still hadn’t lost his confidence. He had been tied up. If given the opportunity, he would be able to beat her.

No, if he had to rack his brain, it had been when he had the humilating defeat by the hands of the Warden. His confidence had been lost more and more when he lost to Luke and he was lit on fire by this crazy bird.

He…no longer wanted to do that.

He didn’t want to die again, because he had been scared. Scared that his wife would no longer recognize him if she met him.

But she wouldn’t recognize the pitiful self he had become.

For her…to see her once more…I’d become a monster.

The sound of knocking reverberated throughout the white space. Kagami couldn’t see, but he reached out his hand towards the direction of it.

The Phoenix’s shrill laugh filled the air.

“You wish for power? I have sealed your Gate.”

The Flames fizzled out because the Phoenix stopped. Cold winds prickled Kagami’s burnt self like the first snow of winter. Relief and unending pain mixed together, creating a delicate balance that threatened to break him if not for his strong will.

“You wish for it don’t you?” The Phoenix overshadowed him like a sky scraper. It’s malice clearly felt through its voice. “Strength to punch that puppet you fought. To crush him.”

Kagami tried to form words, but he found he had no jaw.

“If you bow down, and plead to me to open the Gate, I shall allow it just this once.” Its eyes flared.

He didn’t want to do that. Every fiber in his being screamed for him not to do that. Because if he did, he felt that everything he endured would have been for nothing. The Phoenix knew that and desired nothing but to crush the last of his pride.

“Do it. You know if I revive you, all you will be is but a punching bag. Bow down and plead to me for power, and I shall grant it to you.”

He gargled his attempts to say ‘never.’

The Phoenix still sensed his intentions, and laughed.

“Is that all? Do you not wish to meet your wife? You will continue to stay down here for all eternity. If what Aria says is true, then she shall die.”

Those words, which were wickedly said by the Phoenix, was the last thing that broke Kagami.

For her he would do anything.

The question hadn’t been if he’d become a monster. No, that was something he could easily become. The real question was if he could bare his heart for this monster in front of him to trample on? To allow his last shred of pride to be destroyed.

His knees snapped like dried twigs as he knelt down. His blackened face pressed against the white void of a ground. In its triumph the Phoenix laughed.

“That’s not enough.” It blew out flames. “You must beg me with your words.”

His burnt body was healed in an instant and Kagami shook not from the cold but from his pride being broken.

“Please, give me pow-”

“No. Tell me you are weak. Because you are weak. You no longer have the strength that you once had.”

Kagami immediately lifted his head. He sucked in a breath. He hated this bird with every fiber of his being. Yet, the Phoenix waited patiently, for he knew Kagami would do it. There was no other option for him.

The once proclaimed strongest man of Earth pressed his head against the ground and bore his heart for the Phoenix to see.

“I am weak. Please, grant me power.”

And no more could he say he was strong. For the Phoenix drunk that in his pathetic self as if it were the sweetest and most sublime liquor. It closed its eyes, taking it in.

“Yes. You are weak. For that I shall grant you power for a small moment.”

The lock made of flame disappeared as if it blown out like a candle. The Gate slowly opened and power that Kagami had wanted surged through him.

No longer did he want it. The power that went inside of him stained and stuck to him like oil. A poison that that killed the man he had been.

#

Oberon held Cedar in his hand. His other, pierced through him like a spear. His interest in the prince had waned in this fight. He was weak. His punches were quite strong, but they were nothing but child’s punch against his barrier.

The former Oswell waited to see the current Oswell revive. He was at least interested in that. An ability that allowed one to come back from death was at least, if nothing else, rare.

Cedar’s gripped his arm. It surprised Oberon to see that the prince was not dead, but still alive.

“You’re like a cockaroach…” He stopped, surprised as tears streamed from the Prince’s blue eyes and down the his bloodied face. It confused him. He shook his head to free himself from his befuddlement. “If nothing, you are persistent. You-”

Aura exploded from within him.

The Prince crushed his arm as if it were a rotten apple. Oberon yelled and kicked the Prince aside, but he took the rest of his arm with him.

Oberon looked to his shoulder. Threads, gears, and splintered wood was exposed from the stump. Cedar dropped the arm and looked like a lost boy separated from his mother.

“Wha-what is this?” Oberon’s voice grew strong when he asked again. “What is this, Cedar?!”

He vanished. Oberon threw up his three layered barrier in response. Cedar reappeared in front of him, throwing a punch.

This fool. His punch would not work-

His fist tore through his barrier like paper and cracked his core.

The force of his punch made him fly in an arc, crashing through the stone wall and into the vault that he protected. His body was broken and in shreds. His core was bleeding blue light. He could not move. The only thing he could do was watch in horror as Cedar Oswell stepped into the vault.

“Why?” Oberon asked. “Why are you crying?”

To which, the Prince replied.

“Because I lost.”