Mimi led Adrian toward a section of the wall where faint text was carved into the stone. He squinted, reading slowly: “The seven braziers must be lit by flames of a divine essence so that the Spirit Walker may be reborn.”

Divine essence? Adrian wondered. Perhaps my blue flames can work, and if nothing else, it's worth a try.

He turned to the braziers and raised a hand, conjuring small wisps of his signature blue flames. One by one, he sent the flames darting into the hollow bowls of each brazier to ignite them.

But as the final brazier was lit up, nothing happened. Adrian frowned, glancing around, confusion mounting. Did I miss something?

A light tug at his pant leg snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked down to see Mimi, tugging at his pants insistently. She released him and then darted toward the braziers, skittering around them in a peculiar path.

Adrian watched as the small fox trotted from one brazier to the next, her gaze darted back at him every so often as if waiting for him to catch on. She circled them in a specific pattern, pausing at certain braziers before continuing.

“Wait… are you trying to tell me there’s a specific order I have to follow?” he asked.

Mimi paused and gave an eager nod, her flames flaring a little brighter. Adrian felt a surge of relief and quickly dispelled the flames he had already lit. He then focused, lighting the braziers again, this time in the order Mimi had shown him.

The moment the last brazier burst to life, a deep rumble echoed through the chamber. Adrian braced himself as greenish energy swirled from each brazier, spiraling through the air and gathering around the statue of the fox-masked woman. The energy pulsed, coalescing into a faint glow that surrounded her entire form.

Adrian’s heart pounded in his chest as the greenish energy thickened, filling the chamber with an almost tangible weight. The air felt heavy, vibrating with a power so intense it sent a shiver down his spine. He clenched his fists, sensing the surge of mana emanating from the statue.

Without warning, the statue cracked. Thin fissures raced across its surface, glowing with radiant green light. Adrian took a cautious step back, his breath caught in his throat. Such immense power.

The stone crumbled away, revealing a tall woman with long, flowing hair as dark as midnight cascading past her shoulders. Her fox-like ears twitched, and a long tail, wreathed in emerald flames, swayed behind her with an almost playful flick. Her luminous skin glowed softly, highlighting her striking features. She wore white robes that shimmered with every motion, the fabric clinging to her form as though alive. When she finally opened her eyes, they glowed with an intense, otherworldly light.

Mimi darted forward without hesitation, her green-flame tail flickering as she bounded toward the woman. The spirit fox trilled softly, leaping into the woman's waiting arms. She cradled Mimi gently, before gently stroking the fox’s ear. The glow in her eyes softened momentarily, and she murmured something that Adrian couldn’t quite hear.

Adrian’s muscles tensed, his senses on high alert. He took a step forward. “Who… who are you?”

The woman’s gaze shifted to him, and her lips curved into an amused smile. “Truly, I never expected to see the Godking reborn in the form of a child.”

Adrian blinked a few times. “Are you… referring to me?”

“Who else?” The woman said, lowering Mimi gently to the ground.

The fox scurried back to Adrian, her flames brightening as she climbed up his arm and nestled herself on his shoulder. Meanwhile, the woman took a graceful step closer, inclining her head in a formal greeting. “Welcome, God King. I am Kiyara, one of your four heavenly generals.”

Adrian’s eyes narrowed. “While I'm flattered, to be quite honest, I don’t… recognize you."

Kiyara’s expression shifted, her head tilting slightly to one side. “Ah, that is certainly problematic.”

She raised a hand, and green flames coiled around her fingers before coalescing into a long, elegant sword. The blade’s edges flickered with intense green flames as she slid into a fighting stance. “Then allow me to help you remember.”

“Wait!” Adrian called out, but the word had barely left his mouth before Kiyara vanished.

A rush of air swept past him, and suddenly she reappeared, her blazing green sword hovering just inches from his neck. He swallowed hard, eyes struggling to track her movements. How is she that fast?

“Blindspots everywhere,” Kiyara said, her tone light but tinged with disappointment.

She pulled back, vanishing and reappearing again in the blink of an eye, cutting through the air with precision. This time, she pressed the flat of the blade against his shoulder before disappearing once more. Adrian spun around, his blue flames sparking to life around his hands, but she was already behind him.

“Your focus is shattered,” she said, her voice echoing from somewhere behind him.

Adrian twisted reflexively, only for her to appear at his side, tapping his ribs with the hilt of her blade. “Your stance is… sloppy at best.”

Adrian grit his teeth, his frustration mounting as she appeared once more directly in front of him, her sword's tip poised between his eyes. “Why aren’t you reacting, Godking?”

He forced himself to breathe steadily, meeting her gaze. “With all due respect, have you not considered the fact that I'm probably much weaker now because I'm still just a child?"

Kiyara paused, and the flames around her sword flickered and faded. She lowered her hand, the weapon de-manifesting into tendrils of green fire that dispersed into the air. “My sincere apologies, to be blunt, I am not used to seeing you… weak."

The word weak struck Adrian like a hammer against glass. A sudden, violent heat surged within him, but it wasn’t his own anger. Instead, it came from somewhere deeper, rising like a tidal wave from a place he didn’t recognize. This isn’t me. Why am I so angry?

Before he could wrest back control, his body moved of its own accord. A roar tore from his throat, primal and unbidden, as blue flames erupted around him in a violent torrent.

“Who are you calling weak?!”

His voice rang out like a thunderclap. It wasn’t his voice, at least, not entirely. It resonated with an ancient, commanding power that didn’t belong to him.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Adrian’s hands clenched into fists, trembling as the flames around him flared brighter, responding to the force of an emotion that wasn’t his. This… this isn’t me! I can’t stop it!

For a fleeting, terrifying moment, he was a passenger in his own body, consumed by a fury that wasn’t his own and powerless to break free. Mimi yelped, scrambling off his shoulder. Her emerald flames dimmed as she scurried over to Kiyara, who watched with wide eyes.

Kiyara held her ground, her expression shifting from surprise to something resembling recognition. “It seems that some things never change.”

Gradually, Adrian managed to regain control of his own body and calmed himself down, the bluish flames around him gradually receding. He let out a long breath, fatigue settling into his limbs. "I'm… not sure what came over me, sorry."

"There's no need to apologize, pride was always something near to your heart, My King."

"Really? Because I don't remember much about my past, let alone how I behaved before."

"Then tell me, what do you remember?"

“What I know is that I’m apparently the reincarnation of some king from the past. Beyond that, my memories are… foggy.”

"Hmm, that is unfortunate, because my memories are also far from perfect."

"Wait, but why? I thought you knew who I was?"

Kiyara nodded slowly, picking up Mimi and cradling the small fox in her arms. "Yes and no. Because the truth is… I suspect that my time as a statue may have affected what I can recall."

Adrian shook his head, then lowered himself to the floor, exhaling heavily. “I’ve only been in this world for a short time, but so much has happened already.”

Kiyara moved to sit across from him. She stroked Mimi gently, her eyes never leaving Adrian. “I expected nothing less from you, my King. I would be more surprised if your new life were uneventful.”

Adrian couldn’t help but smile. “Was my name in my past life also Adrian?”

Kiyara tilted her head thoughtfully. “That's hard for me to say, although I'm quite sure that I mostly called you ‘my King.’”

“Are you serious?”

“Half-serious, I'm sure that if I had my true memories, then I'd be able to remember. But unfortunately, we do not have that luxury today."

“Do you remember how you got to this chamber in the first place? Or why you were a statue?”

“I’m not entirely certain. For all I know, I could have been here for countless years or even centuries.”

"Then do you at least know what this place is exactly?"

"My apologies but I… I'm not sure. But tell you what, I do remember this much. You were once known as a god king. Ruthless, proud, and above all, powerful. Entire kingdoms would tremble at the mere mention of your name."

"Was I… really that powerful?"

Kiyara chuckled lightly. "The only thing that matched your power was your pride. I recall watching you stand against armies alone, leveling entire cities if it meant defending a single border village."

Adrian absorbed her words, feeling disbelief and revulsion swirling within him. Leveling entire kingdoms? Starting wars for border towns?

He forced himself to meet Kiyara’s gaze. “That sounds less like a king and more like a tyrant.”

Kiyara shrugged with an unbothered smile. “Many called you that, my King. You did rule with an iron fist, after all.”

The weight of her words pressed down on Adrian’s shoulders. He stared at the stone beneath him. Was that truly who I was? Is that the destiny I’m meant to live up to? Or avoid?

He pushed some of the darker thoughts aside, trying to focus. “Do you know why I… why I reincarnated as a child, with no memories?”

“You were always secretive about your most important plans. Not even I knew every scheme you set into motion.”

“After hearing all this, if I could meet my past self, I’d slap him.”

Kiyara’s laugh filled the chamber. “That is a sentiment I wholeheartedly support. But take heart, we are reunited. That must count for something.”

Adrian released a deep sigh, a small smile tugging at his lips. “You’re right. At least now we can leave this place together and figure things out."

Kiyara’s smile faltered, her demeanor shifting in an instant. “Unfortunately, I’m afraid I cannot leave this place."

Adrian's eyes widened. "What do you mean you can't leave?"

Kiyara stood up slowly and then pointed to her tail. Adrian's breath caught as he noticed it for the first time: sections of the brilliant green flames had begun to dissipate, fading into thin wisps. “I suspect I’ve spent far too long as that statue. My body… it’s slowly unraveling, returning to nature.”

Mimi let out a mournful sound, pressing closer to Kiyara’s side. Kiyara’s hand moved gently, stroking the spirit fox. “It’s alright, little one. Everything will be fine."

Adrian pushed himself to his feet. “Returning to nature? What does that even mean?”

Kiyara turned her gaze to him, the glow in her eyes dimmer than before. “My green flames are born from my ties to nature magic. Unlike most magic users who draw mana from their own core, I draw mine from the world around me."

“Doesn’t that come with drawbacks?”

“It does, because I’ve been weakened so much, my own essence is being reabsorbed by the world."

“Hold on, how long do you have?”

“A few days at most, possibly less."

Adrian froze, the weight of her words slamming into him like a physical blow. His hands balled into fists at his sides, trembling as he tried to process what she had just said. A few days? She’s… fading? Just like that?

"Kiyara, is there nothing that can be done about you disappearing?"

"Unfortunately, even if such a method existed, I am not aware of it. But worry not, My King, I am content with my fate."

"How can you be so nonchalant about this?"

"Because there is no use dwelling in the inevitable,"

Mimi let out another sad noise, pressing closer to Kiyara. Kiyara stroked her ear again, a faint smile playing at her lips. “You’ll be fine, little one. It’s time for you to get used to being with Adrian.”

Reluctantly, Mimi scampered down to the floor, her flames dimming slightly. She darted toward Adrian and climbed back up to her place on his shoulder, curling close against his neck. Adrian’s hand instinctively reached up to steady her. “What… exactly is Mimi?”

"Mimi? Is that what you call her?"

"It is, does... she has another name that I should have known about?"

Kiyara tilted her head slightly. "No, it's fine, if Mimi is what you call her, then that is what her name shall be. And to answer your previous question, she is a familiar spirit I conjured long ago.”

Adrian’s brow furrowed. “Will she disappear when… when you do?”

“No, Mimi is her own entity now. She’ll stay.”

A heavy silence settled between them. Adrian struggled to process everything before he finally exhaled and admitted, “I don’t know what to do now.”

"Don't worry about me. Instead, why don't you tell me what happened to you before you arrived here, My King?"

“I… was ambushed and then separated from people I care about.”

Kiyara almost laughed, a wry smile tugging at her lips. “That line sounds more fitting for a hero, not a Godking.”

Adrian’s eyes narrowed slightly. “My circumstances are different now."

“My apologies. To make it up to you, perhaps I can help you regain some of your old strength.”

“But how?”

“I can sense that your mana core is incomplete. In your past life, you wielded all seven magical affinities. Now… you’re limited to just one.”

He nodded slowly. “Evocation.”

“Precisely, I can help forcefully open your mana channels. It may awaken another of your affinities.”

“That… sounds risky at best."

Kiyara shrugged nonchalantly. “It probably is. But you’ll be fine. Probably."

"Is 'probably' the best guarantee you can give me?"

"My King, I won’t force you. But remember… our time together is short.”

Adrian took a moment to absorb her words. The risks were real, but so was the urgency. She’s right. There’s no time to waste.

Finally, he nodded. “Okay, I trust you."