I glanced at Blazewing, who was curled up tightly beside me.

Poor Blazewing. From the moment he hatched, he'd been trembling nonstop. He only calmed down a little when Raven said she wanted Snowviper instead.

I didn't bother wasting words on Snowviper or Raven. I just took Blazewing and headed out the door.

"Megan, are you sure you want me?"

I reached out, wanting to pat his head, but Blazewing flinched back instinctively. His wide, frightened eyes were locked on me.

"I didn't mean to upset you! Please don't hit me."

Even as he said it, his body trembled uncontrollably. He forced himself to lean his head toward me, as if he was bracing for punishment.

"What are you talking about? Why would I ever hit you?"

Then it clicked. Blazewing had also been reborn.

"Did Raven—"

"N-no, don't mention her!"

His whole body spasmed as if I'd stabbed him, and he curled into himself, eyes streaming blood.

Seeing him like that, I understood. Raven had tortured him in his past life.

I pulled Blazewing into my arms, holding him gently and stroking his wings. "It's okay. It's over now. You're safe."

Little by little, his shaking quieted down.

I spoke gently, "Let's go home. The thing is… I live far away, and there aren't any cars around here. I'm afraid we'll have to walk."

I gave him an apologetic look. Compared to Raven, I had almost nothing.

She had forced our parents to buy her a house and a car, while I was just renting a tiny apartment.

Blazewing blinked, then whispered nervously, "If you don't mind, I can take you home."

He bent down, lowering his body so I could climb on.

I hesitated, not sure if this was a good idea.

But he said warmly, "It's okay. Get on. I'll fly you back."

There was no way to refuse him, so I climbed onto his back.

"I'll tell you which way to go."

"No need. I already know where you live."

That startled me. I opened my mouth to ask how, but before I could, he spoke again, "We're here."

"What? Already?"

I blinked in shock. His speed was unbelievable. "You're faster than a plane!"

Blazewing lifted his chin proudly. "Please. A plane's nothing. I'm a phoenix."

For the first time, I really looked at him. He had such a pure, innocent face, like a boy still figuring out the world. He was totally different from Snowviper, whose dark eyes always brimmed with malice.

"Aren't you gonna compliment me?"

His eyes shone with quiet hope.

I sighed softly. "You're amazing. I don't know why she'd do that to you."

The words slipped out before I realized. His expression dimmed instantly.

"I'm sorry, Blaze," I hurriedly said. "I didn't mean to bring her up."

Blazewing gave a faint, bitter smile. "Blaze, huh? That's a nice name. But… do you think I'm just a useless phoenix?"

Before I could answer, he kept going.

"Raven used to say I was worthless, and all I did was make her hotter and more miserable, unlike Snowviper.

"She said I ruined her life. She plucked out my feathers one by one. She stabbed me with needles, snapped my beak with pliers, and broke my wings. Then she threw me outside to die. Am I really nothing compared to Snowviper? Why did you choose me? Why would you want a useless phoenix like me?"

I had suspected Raven mistreated him, but not like this. I hadn't imagined she'd been so cruel.

She was the one who chose Blazewing in the first place. The heatwave apocalypse wasn't his fault, as no one could have predicted it. Yet she blamed him for everything.

"No, Blaze. She was wrong. You're amazing. You're so much better than Snowviper ever was."

"I know you're just trying to make me feel better. But it's fine. I'll be okay."

He forced a shaky smile, as if he didn't want me to worry.

I looked at him, my gaze firm. "I'm not just saying that. You really are better than Snowviper. A thousand times better. And… I'll tell you a secret.

"I've been reborn, too."

Blazewing's eyes lit up instantly.

I told him everything about my past life—the way Snowviper had tortured me, drained my blood every single day, and eventually killed me.

Blazewing looked stunned.

"No way. According to Beastfolk tradition, we're supposed to be completely loyal to the one who saved us. No matter how they treat us, we're bound to endure it. If we break that ancient rule, we'll face severe punishment. How could he do that to you?"

I gave a bitter smile and shook my head. "I don't know either. And what do you mean by 'severe punishment'?"

"I'm not sure. I only know it's really, really bad."

"I see. Forget it. No point thinking about it now."

I pulled Blazewing down with me onto the couch.

"The heatwave apocalypse is almost here. Shouldn't we be

preparing something?"

We thought about it. Air conditioners wouldn't help. Once the apocalypse started, the power and water systems would collapse.

In the end, I decided to go out to my family's old country house and dig a deep cellar. The underground was cool in summer and warm in winter, and best of all, it didn't need electricity.

Blazewing wasn't just fast—he was strong. In less than a week, he dug a cellar over 300 feet deep. Along the way, we even struck underground water. That solved both the heat and the water supply.

I rode on Blazewing's back all the way to the bottom. The moment we landed, a refreshing chill wrapped around me, the total opposite of the heat outside.

Blazewing noticed me shivering and quickly used his power to raise the temperature to something comfortable.

I smiled at him. "We've got water and temperature figured out. But what about food?"

"That's easy," he said. "I'll dig another chamber nearby, bigger than this one. We'll plant crops underground. With the sunlight we channel in and the water supply, the heat during the apocalypse will actually help things grow. We just need a month of food stored up until the crops start coming in."

We divided up the work and got everything ready just in time.

Tomorrow, the heatwave apocalypse would arrive.

That night, I curled up on the big bed in the cellar, holding Blazewing close while waiting for the apocalypse to begin.

When I woke up the next morning, I could already feel the difference. The cellar was warmer than yesterday, rising from damp and cold to a cozy, comfortable temperature.

Blazewing stretched on the bed with a groan. "Finally, I don't have to keep using my powers. I've been working them every single day, and it's exhausting. I swear, my phoenix blood is about to run dry."

"Wait. Are you saying using your powers costs you blood?"

"Of course. It's like when you humans play video games, you spend energy. For us, it's blood."

Guilt tugged at me. I looked at him, my chest tight.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner? I could've handled being cold for a while."

After a month together, he was no longer the timid, cowering boy I first met. He reached out and playfully pinched my cheeks.

"Well, if I told you, you'd just feel bad for me."

I stared at him, feeling a strange mix of emotions. Why were Snowviper and Blazewing so different?

In my last life, I never once complained to Snowviper about the unbearable heat. He was the one who couldn't stand it and insisted on using his powers. But his power came at my expense—by draining my blood.

The thought made me mutter under my breath, "I wonder how Raven's doing right now."

If things were repeating the same as before, today should be the first day Snowviper fed on her. Too bad I couldn't see it with my own eyes.

Blazewing caught the look on my face and smirked. "Wanna see something fun?"

He pulled out a bronze mirror and handed it to me, all secretive.

"What's this? A mirror?"

I turned it over and over in my hands, but it looked completely ordinary.

Right then, Blazewing breathed fire across the surface, and the glass shimmered instantly, clearing to reveal an image.

Raven and Snowviper.

Still confused, I glanced at him. He explained, "This is a treasure of the Phoenix Clan. It works kind of like your human surveillance stuff, but better. No internet or power needed."

I nodded slowly, then fixed my eyes on the moving picture.

Raven was draped against Snowviper, sweat pouring down her face. She whined over and over, "It's so hot—I'm dying! Snowviper, aren't you supposed to have cooling powers? Use them already!"

As I saw Snowviper's mouth tighten, my heart sank. I knew that look of impatience. It always came right before he fed.

He gave her a twisted smile, his dark eyes glinting cruelly. "You're the one asking me to use my power. Don't regret it later."

"Just do it! I'm roasting alive here!"