"Wow, this place is beautiful. And also," Lyrate said as she stepped closer to the lake, "there is an incredible amount of life force concentrated in the water."
Then the surface of the lake rippled.
At first it was subtle, like a small disturbance spreading across the water. The ripples widened slowly before the entire center of the lake began glowing faintly with violet light.
I frowned slightly and stepped beside Lyrate.
"You’re right about the life force," I said quietly. "But there’s more."
The glow intensified.
A thin column of violet essence rose from the lake, swirling gently like smoke drifting upward. Within the shifting light a small shape began to form.
Then the essence burst outward.
A tiny bird emerged from the water.
Its wings spread slowly as it lifted into the air, violet essence flowing across its feathers like living fire. The creature was no larger than a palm, yet every movement it made left shimmering trails of light behind it.
The bird hovered above the lake for a moment before drifting toward us.
Its feathers were made entirely of flowing violet essence, burning softly like silent flames that did not produce heat. When it turned its head, two large beautiful eyes shimmered with gentle intelligence.
Ragnar blinked.
"...That’s a phoenix."
Lyrate tilted her head in surprise.
"A very small phoenix."
The tiny creature circled us once before stopping directly in front of me. Its wings beat slowly, keeping it suspended in the air.
Then it spoke.
Its voice was soft and clear, like that of a young girl.
"You finally came back."
Steve nearly laughed.
"It can talk as well."
The phoenix ignored him completely. Its glowing eyes remained fixed on me.
"I was wondering when you would return."
For a moment I simply watched the small creature hovering before me. The violet essence flowing through its wings felt deeply familiar.
"Were you the one controlling the planetary shields?" I asked.
The phoenix tilted its head proudly.
"Of course."
Aurora crossed her arms.
"So you’re the one who almost destroyed the portal."
The tiny phoenix puffed its chest slightly.
"I was protecting the planet."
Knight studied it carefully.
"And what exactly are you?"
The creature flapped its wings once and drifted closer to my shoulder.
"I am the voice of the world or more appropriately I am Vaythos."
Ragnar scratched his head.
"So the planet turned into a tiny bird."
The phoenix looked at him with mild annoyance.
"I chose this form."
Its gaze returned to me.
"And I’ve been waiting for you."
My eyes remained fixed on the small phoenix hovering before me. The violet essence that formed its body felt unmistakably familiar. Through the Sovereign Link I could sense it clearly, the same essence I had used when I first took control of the world core of Vaythos. The connection between us was undeniable, like a faint thread tying our energies together.
Yet something about it did not make sense. The world core was a vast, ancient concentration of planetary essence. It was powerful, aware in its own way, but it had never shown anything close to a physical manifestation before.
Certainly not a sentient creature.
"How did you..." I began, then paused, uncertain how to describe what I was seeing.
The tiny phoenix tilted its head slightly.
"How was I born?" it finished for me.
I nodded slowly.
A small laugh escaped the creature, light and clear like the voice of a child amused by a simple question.
"I do not know," it replied. "I was not there... and then suddenly I was."
It fluttered its wings once and drifted forward, landing lightly on my shoulder.
"I remember nothing before that moment," it continued thoughtfully. "But when I opened my eyes, I already knew things."
"What kind of things?" Aurora asked from nearby.
The phoenix turned its head slightly, its glowing eyes reflecting the violet essence drifting through the forest.
"I have memories," it said. "But they are not entirely mine."
My brow furrowed.
"Whose memories?"
"Yours."
For a moment I simply stared at it.
"My memories?"
"Yes. Some of them."
The phoenix’s voice remained soft, but there was a strange certainty behind its words.
"I know about your family," it said calmly. "I know the moment you awakened your powers. I know how you first touched essence, and how you struggled to understand it."
Steve blinked in surprise.
"That’s... unsettling."
The phoenix ignored him and continued.
"I remember how you discovered the world core," it said. "And the moment you claimed it as your own. I remember the changes that followed... and the day you left this world."
I felt really weird about that fact. I wondered if every world core I was taking control of were going through similar changes. I needed to check that out.
"And those are not the only ones," the phoenix added quietly.
"There are other memories as well."
"From where?" Lyrate asked.
"From Vaythos itself."
The phoenix spread its wings slightly, violet essence drifting like soft flames around its small body.
"I remember the early life of this world," it said slowly. "The growth of its forests. The rise of its oceans. The countless lives that have walked across its surface."
Its voice carried a strange mixture of wonder and familiarity.
"And then... the arrival of the System."
When it spoke that word, a faint note of dissatisfaction crept into its tone.
Aurora noticed it immediately.
"You don’t like the System?" she asked.
The phoenix gave a small shrug with its wings.
"It changed things."
Before anyone could ask further questions, Steve stepped forward slightly.
"Do you have memories of everyone who lives on Vaythos?" he asked curiously.
The phoenix shook its head.
"No."
It turned its glowing eyes toward me.
"Only him."
Steve looked between the two of us.
"That’s... oddly specific."
"Why were you waiting for me?" I asked.
The phoenix did not answer immediately.
It went quiet for several seconds, as if carefully considering the question.
Then it replied.
"Uhhh..."
Its wings fluttered awkwardly.
"I wanted some food."
I blinked.
"Food?"
"Yes."
The phoenix looked slightly embarrassed.
"Your essence."
It lifted one small wing and examined it critically.
"I need it to grow," it explained. "This form is very small. It is not very practical."
Its voice carried a faint note of disappointment.
For a moment I simply stared at the tiny creature perched on my shoulder.
Then I almost laughed.
"And here I was thinking it was something important."
The phoenix puffed its chest defensively.
"It is important for me."
I could understand that.
I closed my eyes and once again reached out with my perception, searching for the world core inside the pocket space where it had always resided before. For a moment my senses moved through the familiar pathways of essence, expecting to find that immense concentration of planetary energy waiting for me as it always had.
But there was nothing there.
The pocket space was empty. Instead, the connection that should have led to the world core curved strangely and returned... directly to the small bird perched on my shoulder.
My eyes opened slowly. The phoenix was staring at me with mild confusion.
"Why are you looking for me?" it asked, tilting its head to one side. "I am right here."
I blinked.
Then rubbed my forehead slightly.
"So you really are the world core," I muttered under my breath, unable to hide the surprise in my voice.
The tiny phoenix puffed up immediately.
"Of course," it replied proudly. "I already told you."
Then it paused for a moment before adding thoughtfully,
"From your memories I can tell you were a smart person. Did something go wrong when you were outside?"
For a second there was silence.
Then Steve burst into loud laughter behind me.
"Oh, there definitely was," he said. "There was a fight and someone hit his head a little too hard."
"Ohh."
The phoenix instantly lifted off my shoulder and floated directly in front of my face, examining me carefully. Its glowing violet eyes narrowed slightly as it leaned closer.
"Do you want me to heal you?" it asked seriously. "I have healing powers, you know."
I chuckled.
"It’s alright. I’m fine."
The bird hovered stubbornly in front of me.
"Are you sure?" it asked again. "I am really good at healing."
"I’m sure."
Around me the others were already trying to suppress their laughter.
Ragnar looked particularly amused.
"Let her try," he said. "Just in case."
I waved him off.
"I said I’m fine."
The phoenix studied me for another moment before finally accepting the answer. With a small flap of its glowing wings it drifted back toward my shoulder and landed there again.
Everyone around me was still smiling. Then Lyrate suddenly stepped forward slightly.
"Hey," she said, looking at the small bird with curiosity. "Do you have a name?"