The clan was alive with anticipation, buzzing with excitement as they prepared for their upcoming journey to China.
For weeks, their conversations had revolved around what awaited them: the sacred FireWing Ancestor's altar, the ancestral spirit that would choose the next Phoenix.
This pilgrimage was significant; their old altar in the Sahara had been destroyed by misguided hunters years ago.
With each passing day, the hash of hope grew stronger within them, knowing they were venturing to where their lineage thrived—a much-needed return to their roots.
This would be their first chance to witness the ceremony and feel the ancestral flames of their past. Such events occurred only once every five or six centuries, and everyone in the clan was eager to experience it firsthand.
"What if we fly to China just like our great-grandparents did?" Leon suggested one starlit evening. The clan gathered around the bonfire, the flames dancing merrily as the children huddled together in a feathered pile.
"Of course we'll fly," Irene, Leon's wife, replied with a playful smirk, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
Laughter erupted, washing away the shadows of doubt that hovered beneath their celebration. Yet, deep down, there lingered a sense of unfulfillment—the absence of a beloved figure who had vanished into work, leaving a void they were all eager to fill.
"I didn't mean flying in that way," Leon protested, his smile widening as good-natured banter continued.
"We know, but let's be honest—our little ones would be exhausted before the ceremony even began," Amina interjected wisely.
"Exactly," Irene agreed, nodding. "The strength of our ancestors isn't in our blood as it once was."
"So, are the other Phoenician tribes joining us?" Ninah inquired, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
"They won't arrive until later this year. Their ceremonies are quite different, but who cares? It's our time to shine," Amina shrugged, a confident smile lighting her face.
"Right," echoed the group, energy buzzing in the air.
"Mommy, nighty night!" Gregory exclaimed as Ninah tucked him into bed, and her heart swelled with warmth. His laughter had become a balm for her soul, a reminder that life still held joy, even amidst heartache.
"Nighty night, love," she replied, leaning down to press a kiss on his forehead.
"Call me Lucky!" he insisted, his pouty tone making her chuckle. Since that fateful day at the nursery, he had donned the name "Lucky" as a badge of gratitude for their bond, a declaration of their connection.
"Yes, you are lucky. I love you." Ninah whispered, brushing a stray hair from his brow.
"I love you too, Mommy."
"Promise me you'll never forget me," she said softly, her heart tightening with a sudden rush of emotion.
"I promise, Mama. I can never forget about you," he pledged.
With a light smile on her face, she left his room, only for her heart to plummet when she entered hers—a door she normally kept firmly shut now ajar. A shiver of anxiety coursed through her as she cast a quiet protection spell and stepped inside.
"Why are you spying in your own room?" a deep, familiar voice asked from the shadows, sending her heart into a frenzy. There, illuminated only by the soft moonlight, stood Plutonic—the love of her life, the man she had longed for during the agonizing months apart.
Tears sprang forth as she locked eyes with him, flooding her heart with a mix of anger and overwhelming affection. His presence was a comfort and a reminder of all that had been lost. He stood before her, clad in the sweatpants and tank tops she had meticulously washed, holding onto a piece of him as if it might ease her loneliness.
They remained silent, locked in an unspoken battle of emotions—one waiting for the other to break the stillness, an air thick with tension and unexpressed sentiments.
"Gaby told me you were at my office," Plutonic eventually stated, breathing heavily.
"Yeah, I was there," Ninah replied, her brow furrowing. Had he only learned this today, a week after the fact?
"I'm sorry. I've been caught up in back-to-back meetings," he admitted, taking a tentative step closer, only for her to instinctively back away.
He missed her, that much was clear, but his absence had created a chasm felt by them both. His heart ached to reach for her, to comfort her, but fear held him back.
"When's the meeting with the wolves?" he asked, only to stagger backward as the realization dawned—he didn't even know it had already passed.
Disbelief and despair washed over him, a crushing weight of guilt settling heavily on his shoulders.
Ninah's chest tightened at the sorrow that flickered across his face. In that moment, she recognized that they were both wounded, each carrying the scars of their separation.
Longing surged within her, and in a heartbeat, she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a soft, lingering kiss.
The warmth of their reunion ignited something deep within them both. Plutonic instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist, breathing her in, feeling whole for the first time in too long.
Perhaps they were both deserving of this moment—the love they had shared could be rekindled. It would take time, but together, they would fan the flames of hope and healing, one ember at a time.