[SOLEIL ROSENBERG'S MEMORY]

"Soleil Rosenberg, Daughter of the Sun, the Supreme Fire Mage, and now the Beast Priestess," the Spirit of the Great Fire Tree said to her in a voice that sounded like a male's. "You are a special existence that stands above even among gods. Can't you show my poor daughter some mercy? I am willing to make amends with you."

"The only atonement that I will receive from the Spirit of the Great Fire Tree is the life of your shameless "daughter,"" Soleil said coldly, her purple eyes glowing threateningly. The "daughter" of the Spirit was the Guardian that had been protecting it for many years. "Hand over that woman called Nia to me, Spirit of the Great Fire Tree."

She couldn't see Nia but she could feel her presence behind the giant Great Fire Tree. Hah, the Guardian was literally hiding behind her "father." If she could, she would burn that woman along the Spirit.

But the Great Fire Tree was something that must be kept alive in order to protect the human race from the greedy gods who wanted to take over it.

"My daughter is innocent, Soleil Rosenberg," the Spirit tried to convince her. "She was simply seduced by the cunning Aku Moonchester. The only sin that Nia committed was falling in love with such a dangerous man."

"Your daughter shared the secrets of the gods to a mere human!" she snarled at the holy tree. "Because of her, Aku Moonchester gained the knowledge that gave him the power to toy with our lives!"

The Great Fire Tree was the "tree of truth." That meant the holy tree held the secrets of the world, even the weaknesses of each god.

Nia stole those secrets, allowing Aku Moonchester to gain the upperhand in the war. That blasted "moon" was able to learn the weaknesses that she and Lord Kalel had kept to protect themselves. Even the weakness of their unborn child��� the Moon Serpent.

Who knows what else Aku Moonchester gained from what Nia gave him?

"You saved the life of that young man in your past life, Soleil Rosenberg. He was reincarnated as Auro Moonchester because you didn't kill him back then," the Spirit reminded her in an accusing tone. "It was your responsibility to end his life but you failed to do so. Had you killed him before he met my daughter, none of this would have happened."

She laughed bitterly at what the stupid tree just said. "You have the audacity to blame me for this, huh? Spirit of the Great Fire Tree, have you gotten tired of your long life that you're practically asking me to burn you to death right now?"

"I'm not afraid of your flame anymore, Soleil Rosenberg," the tree said boldly. "Your Black Flame has been stolen. Most of all, you're dying. Ah, I shouldn't have mentioned that. After all, you're dying because of Kalel Nystrom, aren't you?"

She was pissed by the reminder but she didn't deny it.

To provide a safe place for the Fire Mages once she was gone, she used most of her Mana in creating an island that would float in the sky with the flame of her Keepers. Since the war was over and they lost to the Moonchesters, she knew that it was only a matter of time before they get to her.

But she decided to choose her death.

And so, she created a haven for her clan. It was incomplete because her Mana could no longer sustain the amount of flame the island needed. And so, she left her to her brother.

I had to put my Keepers into slumber or else, they'll never let me die alone.

"Don't get mistaken, Spirit of the Great Fire Tree," she said in a cold voice that made the holy tree's branches shake in fear. The fact that the orange leaves fell into the ground when it shook was proof that her wrath was felt by the earth where Great Fire Tree stood. "I'm not dying because of what Kalel Nystrom did to me. I chose my own death. I wouldn't let myself die by the hands of my dear husband."

"You… chose your own death?"

"You're known as the tree of truth but you can't store a piece of history that is yet to happen. That's why you don't know how I will die, do you?" she asked and when he didn't give a response, she smirked haughtily. "Spirit of the Greet Fire Tree, you know that Fire Mages are still mages, right? It just so happens that we could produce fire within our body. But that doesn't mean that we're not good at creating spells. I guess it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that our magical ability is close to what the witches of the Colorless Coven have."

"I am aware of that," the Spirit said. "But using spells will weaken your body. And thus, the Fire Mages chose to use their flame instead."

"I chose to use my remaining Mana on creating three different powerful spells," she said. "First, to create a safe place for my clan. Second, to create a spell that will protect my reincarnated spell from the Moonchesters. It was the kind of spell that will prevent the Moonchesters and all of my enemies in this lifetime to forget my face and my presence until my reincarnated self retrieved my memories as Soleil Rosenberg."

"That's foolish, Soleil Rosenberg," the Spirit said. "You can get reincarnated whenever you die because aside from the heart of the Red Phoenix, you are also the Black Phoenix yourself. What's more amazing is the fact that you won't lose the memories of your previous life when you get reincarnated. Gods and beings like you have that kind of privilege, you see."

"I know that," she said with a bitter smile. "But I'm also aware that I will lose that privilege once I performed a forbidden spell. Thus, I had to create a spell that would protect me in my next lifetime until I retrieved my past memories."

"A forbidden spell…?" the Spirit asked, then it made the ground shake by screaming. "Don't you dare touch my daughter, Soleil Rosenberg!"

Soleil just laughed, then she summoned her flaming dagger. As soon as she grabbed the hilt of her weapon, she came at the holy tree and struck the blade into its body. Of course, the Great Fire Tree was soon engulfed in her red flame. "Don't worry, I will not kill you because you still have a use in the future," she said, then she stepped away from it and let it burn while screaming curses at her. She just laughed it off. "Watch me curse your daughter, Spirit of the Great Fire Tree."

***

SOLEIL grabbed Nia and threw her on the ground.

Before the Guardian could even move, she straddled her and pinned her to the ground by wrapping her arms around her delicate neck. She did that in front of the burning Great Fire Tree that was still screaming profanities at her.

"If you move, I'll kill you," Soleil warned Nia coldly. "I don't want you to die easily."

Nia started to sob right away. "What did Nia do wrong?

She rolled her eyes at the way Nia spoke.

Yes, she talked like a child even though she was probably as old as her.

Aku Moonchester, you have terrible taste in women.

"Nia just loved a man," the Guardian continued between sobs. "Nia just wanted to help Aku succeed. Why do you even hate a good man like Nia's Aku?"

Her ears hurt listening to her awful way of speaking.

But despite the Guardian's childlike behavior, she didn't let her guard down. After all, Nia wouldn't be entrusted with the protection of the Great Fire Tree if she didn't have the ability to do so. And Aku knew that very well.

"Nia, do you love Aku Moonchester?" she asked with a smile. "Do you want to spend eternity with him?"

Her face lit up. "Of course, Supreme. Nia would love to spend her life with Aku Moonchester!"

"You naïve little girl," she said, then she touched Nia's face with her other hand. "Aku seduced you to leave this land. But did you know what he did before he brought you to his kingdom?"

"Nia doesn't understand what you're saying."

"Aku Moonchester is known as Auro Moonchester in this lifetime," she began explaining to her. "He was born in this lifetime as Kalel's younger brother. But did you know that the two of them had a youngest sister? She was called Elaine Moonchester."

She noticed that the Guardian bit her lower lip.

"Aku killed Elaine Moonchester the moment he decided to bring you to the kingdom," she continued coldly. "Then, he gave his dead sister's identity to you. He did that so that his people would accept you as his bride. Because had he introduced you as the Guardian of the Great Fire Tree, they would have never accepted you. Isn't it strange that the citizens would rather accept Aku Moonchester's sister as his bride to keep the Moonchesters' blood "pure" instead of letting a non-human like you become the empress?"

"W-Why are you bringing that up?" Nia asked in tears. "Aku sacrificed Elaine for Nia. Nia doesn't blame him. Nia knows that he killed his sister because he loves Nia!"

She laughed softly at her childish reasoning. But then, she turned serious. The hand that was lightly choking Nia became warm as she began the spell that she'd cast on the Guardian. "Nia, Guardian of the Great Fire Tree who stole Elaine Moonchester's identity– I curse you," she said, making Nia scream "no" loudly. "I curse you to be born as Aku Moonchester's birth sister for all eternity."

"No!" Nia screamed while trying to get away from her but as soon as she strangled her neck hard, she choked. "Supreme, Nia begs for your mercy…"

"I have none to give," Soleil said coldly. "Your soul will be forever tied with Aku Moonchester as his little sister�� and only the flame of the Red Phoenix could burn it." She laughed when she remembered how much her brother hated the Moonchesters. "Not that my brother would help you escape your curse, Nia Moonchester."

***

"SOLEIL ROSENBERG, a being like you is forbidden to curse a human," the Spirit of the Great Fire Tree reminded her in a cold voice. "When Nia left the land to take Elaine Moonchester's place, she has already become a human."

Soleil turned to the holy tree, then she stood up and left the unconscious Nia on the ground. Now that her Mana was almost depleted, the fire that was burning it a while ago also vanished. The Great Fire Tree, despite losing its leaves that were burnt into ashes, remained standing. "I know that and I'm prepared for the consequence."

"As a being older and higher in position than you, I have the authority to punish you for cursing a human, Soleil Rosenberg."

She just smiled bitterly because like she said, she was prepared for that. Everyone knew that the Spirit of the Great Fire Tree was fond of its Guardian. Thus, she already expected that he would punish her for cursing his "daughter."

"As your punishment, I curse you to have a miserable life once you're reincarnated," the Spirit of the Great Fire Tree said. "I curse you to die alone and betrayed by your loved ones." When he spoke again, his voice made the ground shake. "I curse that Nia and Aku Moonchester get everything they want from you during your next lifetime."

"I don't mind suffering for one lifetime if it means Nia will spend every single lifetime stuck with Aku Moonchester as his real blood sister," Soleil said with a laugh, then she glared at the Great Fire Tree. "The next time we meet, I'll burn you to ashes, Spirit of the Great Fire Tree."

***

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