"Mother!"
Archie whimpered as the memories of his mother when she was alive surfaced.
"Mother?" His sudden call confused Aurelia, who questioned him.
Aurelia sat beside him with her hands on his forehead, checking Archie's temperature.
"Your temperature seemed normal; did you have a dream of your mother?"
"Aurelia, please tell me what happened."
"Well, after I left you at the cliff, you encountered the vixen and the wraith."
"The vixen?"
"Yes, the female black fox. A mystical being that can hypnotize you with the person you were attracted to." Aurelia stopped; her eyes widened as she just realized what she had said.
"Where is the fox now?" Archie asked.
Aurelia didn't listen to him. The flashback of the incident where she shamelessly transformed into a phoenix and abandoned Archie to test if he was the chosen one.
Only to discover that the black fog appeared and the black vixen showed up to seduce him with her appearance.
The idea of the vixen using Aurelia's face to seduce Archie while he was defenseless made her shudder. She silently swore that she would not show him that face herself.
Back then, she knew Archie was in grave danger because a black vixen was known to shapeshift into the form of the person the victim was most attracted to, and it hypnotized him.
When Archie was in grave danger, Aurelia wanted to double back and save him, only to realize the black fog had transformed into her.
She froze at the revelation that Archie was physically attracted to her and blushed at the thought.
But Archie no longer thought about that incident; he desperately wanted to tap into his old memories.
"Aurelia."
"Huh?" Aurelia was knocked out of her reverie and answered a little too loudly.
"What's wrong with you? Why didn't you answer me? Are you planning to ditch me again?"
"No, I wasn't."
"I think I lost my past memories; is there any way for me to regain them?" Archie inquired desperately, seeking answers.
"What makes you think that you lost your memories?" Aurelia asked quickly, took advantage of the opportunity to change the subject immediately, before dwelling on the abandonment for too long.
"The wraith showed up with its demeanor, and its fog engulfed me and triggered my past memories. Perhaps that was how it activated my powers. But I have no idea how to consciously use my abilities."
"Hmm, but the wraith's fog only paralyzed you temporarily; it doesn't trigger memories or activate powers."
"So, can you help me figure it out? Since you are a phoenix and have healing powers, perhaps you can help me."
"I cannot."
"But-"
"Only a phoenix king has the healing power powerful enough to regain your memories. I certainly do not want to meddle with your memories after witnessing the mana cyclone display that nearly leveled this place."
Archie then realized that he was located far away from the forest where he once lived and was relocated to a room.
"Where is the place?"
"This," as Aurelia stood up to open the curtains beside his bed, "is Astral."
Archie looked to his right, where the curtain opened to reveal a civilization.
The first glance at the majestic scenery was unlike the surroundings that he had seen when he first set foot at Elysium.
There were architectures and structures built on top of the mountains with amazing heights that surrounded the valley and loomed like ancient sentinels.
The towers, though weathered, were magnificent, their turrets adorned with intricate carvings of phoenixes that looked ancient and artistic.
Each monument seemed to blend in seamlessly with the terrain, as if it were grown from the mountain itself.
Archie gazed at the sky as the sun painted the sky with hues of orange and pink, while flocks of vibrant birds took flight with their wings outstretched in a dazzling display of colours.
"Those were the phoenixes in my dreams." He muttered softly, but loud enough for Aurelia to hear as her eyebrows furrowed in bewilderment.
Reds, blues, greens and yellows danced through the air in echelon formation against the backdrop of the setting sun.
These majestic phoenixes and their graceful movements soaring across the skies enhanced the natural beauty of the oasis.
Together with the breathtaking architecture and the magnificent avian display, he looked down to see the creek meandering through the oasis like a silver ribbon, its clear waters shimmering in the sunlight.
Along the winding channels, small waterfalls cascaded down on the rugged rocky ledges, with frothy white foam against the rugged rocks, creating gentle torrents with a symphony of water splashing that echoed through the valley.
The water falling in graceful arcs created enough moisture and vapor in the air, and when the sun rays hit the droplets of water, they formed a dazzling miniature rainbow that appeared and disappeared from sight.
Moss and ferns clung to the damp rocks, which added lush greenery to the picturesque scenery.
While parts of the creek flowed, some areas of the water were captured, and the shallow area of the creek revealed the delicate lotus flowers of white, pink, and purple that bobbed on the surface of the water.
Its petals were unfurled like a delicate work of art, showing the symbol of purity, enlightenment and rebirth, just like the phoenixes.
As the water flowed onwards, it traveled through the channels into the dark cave at the other end of the terrain and into the other side beyond the valley, away from the oasis.
A phoenix broke its echelon formation and flew over towards Archie and Aurelia, where it transformed into an elderly man.
Archie saw him and said, "Grandfather!"