KIHO blinked several times while looking at the face that resembled his a bit.

Only the man in front of him had long silver hair tied in a low ponytail, a pair of glowing red eyes, and skin as pale as the moon.

He looks like a Moonchester.

Aside from that, he also noticed that they were in a cold cave that was a little too dark for his liking.

But this place feels very familiar to me.

"Once again, we owe our lives to her," said the strange man. "You probably don't remember me so let me introduce myself again." He extended his hand to him. "I'm Kalel Nystrom."

Nystrom?

Hearing that familiar name gave a sharp pang in his head.

And then, he remembered the things that Tilly told her before he lost consciousness. His wife said he was born a god called Nystrom… then he was reborn as Kalel Moonchester… and they got married later… their first child was killed… the second was stolen… and lastly…

I killed Tilly in our previous life…

Goddammit.

"Do you finally remember who I am?" Kalel Nystrom asked, taking back his hand. "It's about time."

"Tilly told me in a rush the important things that happened between us in all our previous lifetimes," he said in a confused tone. "I still don't understand everything but I believe her."

"I like the faith that you and your wife have in each other," the other man said approvingly. "It was too late for my wife and I when we realized how important communication is between couples. But looking at you and your wife now, I'm relieved."

"Why did you kill her?"

To be honest, it felt awkward to face his previous self like this.

But he'd like to think that he was a different person from Kalel Nystrom. It wasn't that he didn't want to be associated with him because of the things that Kalel Nystrom did in the past. He just simply wanted to stay who he was without being affected of his past.

But I guess that's wishful thinking.

"You'll get the answer once you remember everything," Kalel Nystrom said. "You better remember the past after your wife took a huge risk to send me here, Kiho Nystrom."

His brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

"When your wife attacked the Moon God with her dagger and crab mallet, she had no intention of killing him," the strange guy explained. "A while ago, she melted the marble containing your memories and turned it into a lava-like liquid that she hid in her cute iron crab mallet. When she stabbed your body with the dagger, she hit the handle with her crab mallet. At the same time, she poured the lava-like liquid containing your memories into the blade of her dagger. And thus, I was able to enter your consciousness without the Moon God noticing."

"I don't understand a thing but that sounds like something that Tilly would come up with," he said proudly. "My wife is amazing."

Yes, he was genuinely proud and amazed of her wife.

But at that moment, he suddenly felt insignificant compared to hers.

"How long are you going to rely on your wife?"

That question made him flinch. He was just thinking about how useless he was so hearing another person agree with his thoughts hurt.

"In the past, I left my wife's side because I thought I was protecting her that way," Kalel Nystrom said in a solemn voice. "When I returned to her, she was already gone."

That made his heart thump against his chest painfully.

"I overestimated my wife's strength," the other man said in a voice filled with regret. "It never crossed my mind that she'd falter and fall because of me. So don't make the same mistake as I did, Kiho Nystrom."

He clenched his fists tight. "I won't leave Tilly. Never," he said firmly. "I can't. I will die if I get separated from her and our children."

Kalel Nystrom blinked in surprise. "You have… children?"

"Two boys," he answered proudly. "They're called Winter and Julian."

"Julian," he whispered in a sad voice. "Kiho Nystrom, be good to Julian, okay?"

"You don't have to remind me of my responsibility as a father."

Kalel Nystrom smiled at him. "I'm glad that you're so different from me."

He was about to say something but then, he hear his wife's loud and clear voice echoing in that strange cave.

"Kiho," Tilly said in an impatient tone. "Wake up or I'm divorcing you once I survived this."

Hearing that made him freeze on the spot.

Divorce…?

"`Looks like you're in trouble, Kiho Nystrom," the other man said. "If you don't want to lose your wife, you better remember every single memory from all the lifetimes that you had. And you better not lose yourself in the process."

He clenched his fists tight. "I won't. I'd rather die than divorce my Tilly.��

Honestly, he knew that his wife didn't give him an empty threat. Knowing Tilly, he was certain that she would divorce him even though he knew that she loved him. He was fully aware that his wife was a very strong and independent person.

And if Tilly actually chose herself over him, he would understand why.

But of course, he would do everything to change her mind and convince her to choose him again.

"I like the resolve in your eyes," Kalel Nystrom said, then he opened his hand. Just a few moments later, the staff that he rarely used appeared in his hand. "Your memories will come in the form of water and they will literally flood this cave, Kiho Nystrom. Try not to die while retrieving them."

"I don't have any intention of dying especially when my wife needs me," Kiho said determinedly. "Bring on the flood, Kalel Nystrom."

***

TILLY felt so weak.

It didn't help that when she opened her eyes, she found herself in the middle of a hot dessert with black sand. The sky was orange, but its missing its sun. Still, the weather remained humid.

Worse, her whole body was soaked.

Since the rain that she got wet from came from the Moon God itself, it currently felt like a demon melting because of holy water.

Wait, why am I the demon?

Gosh, why did that evil father-in-law of hers had to have water for his dominant Mana?

"Hey, wake up."

Tilly immediately opened her eyes when she heard the voice of a little girl. When she got up, she was surprised to see a girl probably aged five squatting beside her. The child had jet-black hair that reached the sand, purple eyes…

… and little black wings.

"You look like me," Tilly commented in surprise. "Do Kiho and I have a secret daughter in the past?"

The little girl just smiled at her. "I'm Soleil Rosenberg."

"Oh."

"You're the future me, aren't you?"

"Huh?" she asked in confusion, then she nodded when she realized what the little girl meant. "Yeah. I was the reincarnation of Soleil Rosenberg."

"You're so weak."

She flinched not because of the child's insult. Something about the little girl's big, round eyes made her feel uncomfortable.

Why do I feel like I'm a prey being targeted by a predator?

"Your flame is so weak and your techniques are just imitation of Winchell's signature moves," little Soleil continued, then she put a finger on her forehead. She was shocked but she couldn't move away from the child. "And you can't even dry yourself from the Moon God's unholy blessing."

Was the "unholy blessing" she mentioned referring to the rainstorm that the Moon God created?

She was just about to ask question when all of a sudden, the child's finger released a shot of very warm energy that went through her whole body. In just a blink of the eye, she and her clothes were already dry. Plus, it seemed like she regained her energy.

"I have bad news and good news for you, my future self," little Soleil said, not giving her a chance to talk or even ask questions. "Which one do you want me to hear first?"

"The bad news," she said.

"Your red flame has almost run out," the child said while shaking her head. "You'd get in trouble if the flame in your heart completely extinguished. You are the life of the Keepers and the island that floats in the sky."

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "How did you know all of that?"

"I'm always with you," the child said in an amused tone. "I've watched you and the big Soleil Rosenberg grow up all these years. Both of you have never noticed me until this moment because I was locked up in the deepest, and darkest pit of your soul known as the 'Abyss.'" She paused for a while, then she snapped her little fingers. "Ah, right. I made my presence known to you when you almost awakened in the temple a few years ago. Unfortunately for me, Winchell was there and he locked me up again as soon as he felt my presence."

That was too much to take in.

But thankfully, she was already used to absorbing "bombs" of shocking revelations ever since she found out that she was the Supreme Fire Mage.

Still, the information she received this time confused her.

"Who are you?" she asked the child suspiciously. "Wixx loves his little sister a little too much. You said you're Soleil Rosenberg. I assume that you're a part of young Soleil's memory that Wixx didn't want her to remember. But if he didn't need you anymore, he wouldn't leave a trace of you in Soleil's soul."

The child's face lit up. "Brilliant. How did you figure that out?"

"A part of Soleil Rosenberg's memory was also embedded inside my soul to help me recover my flame in the past," she explained. "I figured it's the same case for you."

"I like you."

"Thanks," she said, her guard now completely up. "But I can't trust you. Wixx wouldn't have locked you up if you were good for Soleil Rosenberg."

The child just giggled. "Do you want to hear the good news now?"

"I'm not sure."

Again, the little girl laughed. "The good news is you have your own flame," she said anyway. "A huge part of it was stolen. But a decent amount is left and it's enough to fuel the flame in your heart. You need to strengthen it for your Keepers. Even though they were born out of Winchell's flame, their life forces are now connected to your flame. Do you want to save them?"

"Of course," she said, still cautious. "But like I said, I don't want to trust you."

"Both of your sons have your flame, too," the little girl said seriously. "If you heart "dies" because your red flame is extinguished, their lives will be put in danger as well."

Her eyes widened in shock. "What?"

"That's the reason why powerful Fire Mages transfers a part of their flame to their offspring," the child explained. "So in case they died, their children will still live. But the flame that you transferred to the Moon Serpent when you were still Soleil Rosenberg was stolen. And you didn't have the chance to give a part of your flame to your second child because you didn't physically give birth to him. In short, your sons are currently relying on the weak flame in your heart now. If it dies, they might die with you."

"No," she said in a desperate voice. "I can't let my children die with me!"

"Then trust me," the little girl said seriously. "I can only come out of this Abyss if you accept me– the childhood memory of yours that Winchell doesn't want you to remember."

"But why doesn't Wixx want me to remember you?"

"I can tell you why," she said with a shrug. "But do you have the luxury to waste time?"

Dammit.

"Then, I guess I just have to have faith in myself that whatever happens, my mind will remain clear," Tilly said firmly. "Little Soleil, come back and light up my heart with my "real flame" that you're talking about."

"As you wish, Supreme," little Soleil said with a strange, bright smile. "Let me say this in advance: welcome back, Black Phoenix."

Black Phoenix?!

***

KYRO was on his knees, trying hard to fight back his son who was getting in control of his body again.

He didn't expect that Kiho would "wake up" so soon. This had never happened in the past before. He was used to having full control of his son's body so now that Kiho was fighting back,

"Not yet, Kiho," Kyro snarled at his son. "Be a good son and listen to your father."

"'Father?'" Kiho asked in a mocking tone. "It's funny how you can call yourself my father when you have done nothing but take everything away from me in all lifetimes that I had."

In all lifetimes…?"

He hissed when he realized what that meant. "Did you retrieve all your memories, son?"

"If it means remembering all the crimes you committed against me and the heavens, and then yes," his son said coldly. "Let me say the thing that I should have said a long time ago, "Father." I am disowning you and Mother so leave me the f*ck alone."

He laughed bitterly at that. "Make me, Kiho Nystrom."

"Then, watch me kick you out, Kyro."

He would admit that he was underestimating his son because in the past, he had never successfully took back his body from his control.

But much to Kyro's shock, he felt his presence– a part of his soul that he was using to take over his son's body– started to feel very cold. And in just the span of a few seconds, he felt his entire presence freeze. His son was using his ice Mana against him and it was working.

Kiho, when did you get this strong?

He was proud of his son, but also worried for himself.

His thoughts were cut-off when he heard his wife's agonizing scream.

Yumi!

When he turned to his precious wife, he was shocked to see her floating in the air while her whole body was engulfed in black flame.

The Black Flame…

He was even more shocked to see the Supreme standing right behind his wife with a wide smile on her face. She was obviously having fun watching Yumi burn to a crisp. Thankfully, his wife had hard as steel scales to protect herself.

But he knew that her scales wouldn't last long from the Black Flame.

"Stop it!" Kyro snarled at the Supreme angrily. He couldn't move because his son was already succeeding in taking back his body. To save his wife, he had no choice but to leave Kiho's body that he couldn't control anymore. "I guess I should apologize to Elis Ripperton."

Even though he was only in his "spirit form," he knew that the Supreme could see him.

His daughter-in-law looked at him straight in the eye with a smile.

"Father, thank you for helping me awaken my real flame," the Supreme told him. When she moved her shoulders, her flaming black wings appeared. They weren't as big as the red wings that she had a while ago. But he could tell that her black wing were stronger. "As a token of gratitude, let me serve you a roasted White Snake."

"Insolent child!" Kyro snarled, completely losing his cool now. "Let me show you why you shouldn't anger an ancient god, my dear daughter-in-law."

***

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