Chapter 215: King of Crimson Skies
[Melissia’s Past]
"Waaah... waaah..."
"Congratulations, Mrs. Ravencroft, it’s a girl."
The doctor in charge of the delivery gave the good news to the baby’s mother. Samantha Ravencroft looked perfectly fine even after giving birth, her breathing steady, her posture relaxed — one of the many benefits of being awakened. She had a beautiful and mature face, her silky black hair slightly damp but still shining under the light, and a smile that could make any man fall for her.
But no one would dare to fall for her... after all, her husband was a Saint.
The smile she wore now, however, was not her usual confident one. It was different... softer, warmer, the smile of a mother who had waited months just to hold her child in her arms. Taking the baby carefully with trembling hands, she looked at her tiny daughter, her eyes filling with a deep, indescribable emotion.
My baby...
While Samantha was still admiring her newborn, the door to the room opened slowly. Lucan Ravencroft stepped inside. His tall, athletic frame carried an air of power, his fiery red hair messy as if he had rushed here, and his face was filled with a rare mix of emotions — genuine happiness, excitement, disbelief, and awe all at once.
Laughing softly, Samantha said warmly, "You didn’t open the door with a bang this time... looks like you were being careful not to wake the baby."
But Lucan didn’t reply. His gaze was fixed entirely on the small figure in her arms. Slowly, he reached out his hands, and Samantha smiled as she passed Melissia to him without hesitation.
The moment Lucan held the baby—
BOOM!!!
The air trembled as flames erupted out of nowhere, filling the room in an instant. The fire surged wildly, threatening to consume everything, but Lucan reacted immediately. With precise control, he stopped the flames from spreading beyond the room and shielded Samantha completely.
"Th-This..."
Both Lucan and Samantha stared at Melissia’s tiny sleeping form. She was still fast asleep... but her body was wrapped in an aura of crimson fire.
The shock on Lucan’s face lasted only a second before it broke into a wide grin. Then, a deep laugh rumbled from his chest.
"Hahaha... hahaha haha!"
"Finally... Ancestors, our legacy can be revived again!"
"Hahah hahaa"
**
Five years later.
"Daddy, what is that?"
A young Melissia stood at the edge of a dimly lit underground chamber, her bright eyes fixed on the strange blue-and-red flame suspended in midair. It burned in complete silence, contained within a crystal-like barrier, and yet it seemed to pulse faintly, as though aware of their presence.
Lucan knelt beside her, his hand resting gently on her shoulder, his voice filled with pride. "This is our family’s legacy. You will inherit it when you grow up, my child. The most potent bloodline of our family runs through your veins."
"Bloodline...? What’s that? Can we eat it?" she asked innocently, tilting her head in thought.
Lucan chuckled, shaking his head. "No, you can’t eat it."
"Then it’s not fun." Melissia puffed her cheeks in a pout.
"My child, don’t say that. You like birds, don’t you?"
"Yeah... they’re cool."
"Then my little princess, you will have to inherit this flame and unlock the full potential of our bloodline. It is the duty of every head of the family to try. But until now, other than the second and third heads, no one has succeeded... not even me."
"Huh? But Daddy, I learned counting starts from one. Where’s one if you said two and three?"
"Oh, that... the progenitor of our bloodline — the first head — was the one who gave us this legacy. How could I dare to count him, silly girl?"
"Oooooo..."
"Yes, so you will have to grow strong, kiddo, and inherit this legacy in my stead... revive our bloodline."
"But Daddy... which bloodline do we have?"
Lucan’s smile deepened, his eyes shining with pride. "King of Crimson Skies."
The name alone carried the weight of an ancient legend — one spoken of in hushed tones by historians and sung about in half‑forgotten ballads.
It was said that the King of Crimson Skies once ruled the heavens with wings of blazing fire, each beat of those colossal wings capable of setting the clouds aflame. His cry could split storms apart, his shadow could eclipse the sun, and his flames... his flames could burn for eternity without ever fading.
A ruler unmatched, a sovereign of the boundless blue above — feared by gods, revered by mortals. To see him soar was to witness the wrath and beauty of the skies themselves.
A legend... and the blood of that legend — though thinned by time — flowed through Melissia’s veins.
---
[Present]
The plan Ash thought was nothing that drastic, he was just going to do something that would set certain events into motion earlier than they were supposed to happen.
Especially in the case of Melissia right now.
I will just have to make her inherit the Eternal Flames...
Yes, the blood that ran thick in the veins of the Ravencroft family was the blood of one of the mythical beasts thought to have vanished from the world long ago — the blood of a Phoenix.
And this was also something Ash had once considered using against Melissia and Nyra when they had caught him just before entering the academy, but he didn’t go through with it back then. After all, it was one of the most heavily guarded secrets of their lineage, a truth that could get him dragged into more trouble than he was willing to handle.
According to the novel, Melissia only attempted to inherit the flame much later, driven by her desire to gain the strength needed to follow Ray. She came close... so close to succeeding, but in the end the Eternal Flames rejected her.
If the blood running in their veins had been pure, they could have birthed their own eternal flames, but history told a different story. The King of Eternal Flame — the last true Phoenix — had fallen in love with a human woman. That union gave rise to the Ravencroft family, but also diluted the once‑perfect bloodline.
Their history stretched back so far that the earliest records spoke of them as sky‑sovereigns, yet after the time of the second and third heads of the family, no one had ever managed to unlock the bloodline’s full potential. They were missing something — a key component without which the flame would never truly awaken.
And the same was true for Melissia.
Ash, however, knew exactly what that missing key was.
From what he remembered, the third head of the Ravencroft family had lost it in battle against a powerful enemy, and ever since, the bloodline’s true awakening had been impossible.
That missing piece was none other than the Holy Relic of the Phoenix Clan, an artifact once carried by the King of Crimson Skies himself.
If everything went as he planned, Ash would set things right for Melissia and perhaps even for the Ravencroft family as a whole.
In the novel, the relic’s location had been discovered by Ray, who had then gifted it to Melissia. But the storyline has already been thrown into chaos, Ash had no illusions that such events would unfold naturally now.
I need to correct what I deviated... the things Ray was meant to set into motion, I have to do myself now.....
That was his simple plan, to show Melissia the location of that final missing piece. By doing so, he could turn her attention toward something that truly mattered to her... because her goal had always been to grow stronger and revive her bloodline.
It was the most Ash could help with... perhaps the only real way to give her a path forward without directly interfering too much in her life.
---
[Ethan POV]
What should I do? What should I do? What should I do?
Ethan paced around his room, his footsteps quick and restless, the same words echoing over and over in his mind like a chant he could not silence. His mind and heart were in conflict, pulling him in opposite directions. His heart whispered in a sharp, poisonous tone to get rid of Ash, to make him disappear forever.
Assassination... that was something his family had always specialized in. If he asked, they would handle it swiftly and silently, leaving nothing behind but the result he wanted.
But his mind was not so sure. His mind was gripped by a cold, deep fear.
He feared Ash.
It was not only because Ash had power, it was also the way he carried himself, that casual and almost indifferent air, as if nothing in the world could shake him. The way he had defeated Ray... it was not just a fight. It was a moment that had sent quiet ripples through the academy, ripples Ash himself might never even realize existed.
Logic told him to stay far away. Ash’s feelings were clearly for Elysia, not Melissia, and normally that should have been enough to keep Ethan calm. But Ethan knew the truth that mattered most to him... Melissia liked Ash.
That one fact poisoned every thought he had.
He stopped pacing, gripping his own hair in frustration.
What should he do... remove Ash completely? Or give up on the girl he loved?
Could he really throw away years of feelings, the dreams he had built in his heart?
No... no, I love her. How can I watch someone else be with her? I have imagined our future too many times... how can I let those dreams shatter before my eyes... my heart would not survive it.....
He tried to recall his father’s lessons.
Stay calm. Always observe. Analyze your opponent. Strike only when the time is right. An assassin must be patient.
But his patience was slipping away like water through cupped hands.
Damn it... I will just tell Father about this. I will tell him Melissia has feelings for another boy. Even if Ash is powerful, he has no backing, no real protection. He cannot stand against my father... can he?
His breathing slowed, but his expression grew darker, a strange mix of hesitation and determination curling on his face.
Do not blame me too much... Ash Burn. It is not my fault... I waited. I truly did wait for things to return to how they were. But you... you are standing in the way of my dreams...
I have no choice but to remove you... I cannot let anyone come between my feelings... even if you do not feel the same for Melissia...
***
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