Mike sat in his bed, thinking about the events of the previous night. Had it been real, or just a dream? He had been walking through the dark streets, feeling a chill run down his spine. Realizing how late it was, he quickened his pace, aware of the dangers lurking in the shadows. Many people got robbed at this hour, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
As he walked, a voice shouted from the darkness, "Hey! Give me everything you have, and I won't hurt you, kid!" Mike responded, "I'm sorry, but I have nothing on me, sir." The robber snarled, "You're a bold one, aren't you? Thinking you can just walk away from us?" Two more figures emerged from the darkness, their intentions clear. Mike took off in a sprint, but the robbers quickly caught up to him.
The leader, a muscular man with a menacing gaze, sneered, "Why did you run, mate? You know we could've caught up to you anyway?" They pinned Mike down, and the beating began. "Please, let me go! I'll give you whatever you want! Just don't hurt me anymore!" Mike begged. The robbers searched him, finding his phone, an empty wallet, and an old pendant made of pure emerald with an engraved phoenix on it.
"Hey, give it back! That pendant belonged to my grandma, and no one can have it except me!" Mike exclaimed. The leader robber sneered, "Well, you seem broke, and that old phone of yours isn't worth much. But lucky me, I found this valuable possession on a broke kid like you." The festival of the phoenix began, and the moon turned bright red. The pendant emitted a bright green light, and a figure emerged from it.
"Ha! I'm free! Is it really time? Is it really the festival of the phoenix? Humans and their beliefs are amusing," the phoenix said, its voice echoing through the night. The robbers stood frozen in terror as the phoenix turned to Mike and exclaimed, "Tell me, which one of you will fight alongside me for this world's freedom?" The robbers fled in fear, but Mike was too stunned to move.
The phoenix turned its fiery gaze on the robbers, and they were engulfed in flames. "Well, I guess you're the owner of the pendant, so let's get you home, kid. We have much to do," the phoenix said. In an instant, the phoenix merged with Mike, becoming one being. Mike felt an surge of energy and strength flow through him.
As Mike lay in bed, he wondered if it had all been just a dream. But the phoenix's voice echoed in his mind, "We are joined now, Mike. Together, we must prepare to face the Shadow Emperor, a darkness that threatens to consume the world." Mike's eyes widened in terror as he thought, "Am I going crazy? What's happening to me?" Suddenly, he felt himself being pulled through space and time, and he found himself standing on the rooftop of his building. The cool night air hit him like a slap in the face, and he stumbled backwards, gasping for breath. As he looked out over the city, he heard the distant sound of sirens and police radios. A news report drifted from a nearby window, "Three men found dead, burned beyond recognition. Police are investigating the bizarre incident..." Mike's heart skipped a beat as he realized that the robbers he had encountered were the ones found dead. He stumbled backwards, his mind reeling with questions. What was happening to him? What was the phoenix's true purpose? And what lay in store for him in this strange new world?