The roar of the waterfall was louder than Jessie expected, its mist chilling her skin as she stepped closer. She glanced back at Arthur, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.
"Are you serious?" she asked, raising her voice over the crashing water.
Arthur folded his arms, his expression firm yet encouraging. "Jane didn't bring me here for comfort. She brought me here to test me. And now, it's your turn."
Jessie hesitated, feeling the cold spray hit her face. "Test me for what?"
"To see what you're capable of," Arthur replied. "You think you know your limits, Jessie… but you don't. Not yet."
Taking a slow breath, Jessie stepped beneath the waterfall. The icy water cascaded over her head and shoulders, instantly forcing a gasp from her lips. It felt like a thousand needles pinning her in place.
"Arthur …." she choked out, "it's freezing!"
"That's the point," he said, stepping closer but not interfering. "Stay with it. Breathe. Let the shock fade."
Jessie clenched her fists, her muscles tensing against the biting cold. For a moment, she wanted to run, anything to escape the overwhelming force of the water, but then something shifted. Her breathing steadied. Her mind sharpened.
The cold didn't feel like an enemy anymore. It felt… cleansing.
Arthur watched her carefully. "Good," he murmured. "Jane always said the waterfall strips away fear first. When the body has nothing left to cling to, what remains is truth."
Jessie opened her eyes, water streaming down her face. "Truth about what?"
Arthur stepped forward, his voice quieter now, almost solemn.
"About what you were meant to become."
Jessie remained beneath the waterfall, the pounding water testing every muscle in her body. Arthur stepped onto the slippery rocks, circling her like an instructor assessing a recruit.
"Your body will scream first," he said. "Let it. What matters is what your mind does next."
Jessie's teeth chattered as she forced herself to stay steady. "How long… did Jane make you stand here?"
Arthur smirked faintly. "Half a day."
Jessie's eyes widened. "Half a…. Arthur, I'm not Jane!"
"No," he replied, "but you're Jessie. And that's exactly why you're here."
He motioned for her to step out from the waterfall. She stumbled onto the rocks, shivering, but there was a new fire in her eyes.
"Good," he said. "Now we start."
Arthur picked up two wooden staffs from a bundle by the rocks. He tossed one to her. Jessie barely caught it, the shock of the impact shooting through her cold-stiffened fingers.
"First lesson," Arthur said, raising his staff. "Balance. The waterfall knocks you off centre, your mind, your breath, your stance. If you don't control it, everything breaks."
He lunged suddenly.
Jessie barely reacted in time, her staff scraping against his with a sharp crack. The force pushed her backwards, her foot slipping dangerously close to the edge of the wet stones.
"Again," Arthur ordered.
He attacked faster this time. Jessie blocked, but the impact jolted up her arms. She gritted her teeth and pushed forward.
Arthur nodded, pleased. "Don't fight me with strength. Fight me with intention."
He swept his staff low. Jessie leapt back, heart pounding, water still dripping from her hair.
"Better," he said. "Now strike."
Jessie rushed in, swinging the staff. Arthur parried effortlessly.
"Too wide," he said. "You're thinking like someone who's trying not to break anything."
Jessie frowned. "And how should I think?"
Arthur leaned close, his voice steady and firm.
"Like someone who already survived the worst part."
Something sharpened in Jessie's expression. She tightened her grip… and this time, when she struck, the sound echoed through the gorge clean, direct, and strong.
Arthur smiled.
"There she is."
The following evening, Jessie followed Arthur up the narrow mountain path, her boots crunching softly against the frost-tipped stones. The air grew thinner as they ascended, but strangely warmer too, almost as if the mountain itself breathed heat.
When they reached a ridge, Jessie paused.
Before her stood an ancient stone platform carved into the slope, and at its centre, an enormous idol of a Fire Phoenix, its wings unfurled, flames frozen in red stone, eyes dark yet watchful.
"What kind of place is this?" Jessie asked, a shiver running through her, not from the cold, but awe.
Arthur stepped beside her. "This is where Jane prepared me," he said softly. "And now… this place will teach you."
Jessie tilted her head. "A statue is going to teach me?"
Arthur smiled. "Not a statue. A guardian. A forgotten one."
He lowered himself onto one knee before the Phoenix Idol, placing his palm against the warm stone. Jessie's eyes widened, warm? At this height, nothing should be warm.
"She still listens," Arthur whispered. "Even after being abandoned by the old sorcerers."
Jessie watched him. The seriousness in his voice, the reverence in his posture—the way the early sun framed him in gold. Something in her chest tightened unexpectedly.
Arthur stood and turned to her.
"You'll feel its energy. Step closer."
Jessie hesitated but moved forward. As she reached the idol, a gentle heat wrapped around her like a soft embrace. It pulsed—alive.
"I… I can feel it," she murmured.
Arthur stepped behind her, close enough that she sensed his warmth even beyond the Phoenix's aura. His voice lowered, calm, encouraging.
"Magic responds to emotion. Focus on what you want to protect."
Jessie swallowed. "And if I don't know what that is yet?"
Arthur's breath brushed her ear as he leaned in slightly.
"Then focus on someone you trust."
She turned her head—just a little—finding him much closer than she expected. His eyes softened, surprise and something deeper flickering inside them.
Jessie looked away quickly, cheeks warm.
"You mean… like you?"
Arthur's lips curved into a slow, quiet smile. "If you want."
The Phoenix Idol glowed faintly, pulsing as if reacting to the moment between them.
Jessie raised her hand, placing it beside Arthur's on the stone. Their fingers brushed—light, accidental, but enough to make her heart stumble.
A ribbon of fiery energy rose from the idol, swirling around their hands like a living flame.
Jessie gasped. "Arthur… what is this?"
"It's resonance," he said, voice barely above a whisper. "The Phoenix is acknowledging you."
He paused, gaze steady on her.
"And us."
Jessie's breath hitched.
Us.
She wasn't sure what would happen next with her magic or with the strange, undeniable pull she felt toward him, but for the first time, she wasn't afraid of it.
Not with Arthur beside her.
For a long moment, Jessie and Arthur stood in silence, their hands resting against the living stone, the swirling flame threading around their fingers like a curious spirit deciding whether to trust them.
The resonance grew brighter.
Not harsh, not burning warm, like the first breath after a long winter.
Jessie felt it seep past her skin, into her veins, into something deeper. A soft hum vibrated in her chest, and before she could question it, a flicker of light flared just under her palm.
"Arthur…" she whispered, staring as the heat pooled beneath her hand. "I think it's ....."
The Phoenix Idol's eyes ignited.
Two molten embers snapped open.
Jessie jumped back with a gasp, stumbling, only for Arthur's hand to shoot out, catching her by the waist and pulling her against him.
"It's alright," he said, steady, his arm firm around her. "She's awake. She's acknowledging you."
"She?" Jessie echoed, breath quick, eyes wide.
"The Phoenix. One of the old guardians. The old sorcerers may have abandoned her, but she never stopped watching."
The idol's gaze followed Jessie. Heat radiated from those burning eyes, not threatening, but assessing, ancient, heavy with judgment.
Jessie swallowed. "She's… watching me now."
"She's deciding," Arthur corrected softly. "If you're worthy of her flame."
Jessie felt her stomach twist. "And what if I'm not?"
Arthur didn't hesitate. His hand tightened on her waist, grounding her. "You are."
The certainty in his voice, calm, unwavering, sent a different kind of warmth blooming in her chest.
The Phoenix Idol rumbled.
A low vibration rippled through the ground, through Jessie's bones. Flames lifted from the statue's wings, dissolving into swirling red-gold feathers of light that circled her.
Jessie's breath caught. "Is this supposed to happen?"
Arthur stepped closer, close enough that their shoulders brushed. "No," he murmured. "This is new."
The feathers spiralled faster, gathering around Jessie's hands. The heat intensified, not painful, but powerful, ancient searching her, testing her.
Jessie shut her eyes, letting instinct guide her breath.
The power surged.
A sudden flare burst outward, light exploding around her in a brilliant wave. Arthur shielded his eyes, but he didn't step away.
When the glow finally faded, Jessie opened her eyes.
Her right hand was covered in a faint pattern of delicate lines resembling feathers, glowing ember-red beneath her skin. A mark.
Arthur stared, astonished. "The Phoenix's Crest…" He stepped closer, his voice barely a whisper. "Jessie, do you understand what this means?"
Jessie looked down at her hand, jaw tight, heart pounding. "No. But I'm guessing it's not normal."
"It means," Arthur said, meeting her gaze proudly, amazed, almost reverent", that she didn't just acknowledge you."
He took her hand gently, turning it so the glowing crest caught the morning light.
"She chose you."
Jessie's thoughts spun fear, awe, confusion, excitement, all clashing in her chest. "Choose me for what?"
Arthur exhaled slowly. "For power. For responsibility. For a destiny even Jane couldn't foresee."
He brushed his thumb lightly along the glowing lines on her hand.
"And for a bond," he added quietly, "that involves more than just magic."
Jessie's breath trembled.
The Phoenix's eyes still glowed behind them, watching… waiting.
Jessie looked from the idol to Arthur, her voice small but steady.
"Then what happens now?"
Arthur didn't look away.
"Now," he said, his hand still holding hers, "we find out what you're meant to become.
The air shifted.
Not a breeze.
Not the mountain wind.
Something deeper, like the world inhaled sharply, waiting.
The glowing feathers circling Jessie slowly dissolved into sparks, sinking into her skin. Heat flooded her chest, her spine, her palms. Her heart thudded once a hard like a drum being struck by a giant.
Jessie staggered. "Arthur!!"
"I've got you."
His hands caught her shoulders before she collapsed, steadying her.
But Jessie barely heard him.
Because suddenly, she felt everything.
The cracks in the ancient stone under her boots.
The pulse of the Phoenix Idol is steady, ancient.
Even Arthur's heartbeat, close, warm, grounding.
The light on her hand flared too bright.
Arthur's eyes widened. "Jessie, something's ..."
Fire erupted around her.
A circle of flame burst from her feet, spiralling upward like a flaming vortex—but it didn't burn her. It wrapped around her like a shield, responding to her breath, her fear, her focus.
Jessie gasped, staring at her hands. "Arthur… I'm not doing this!"
"Yes, you are."
His voice held awe, not fear. "This is your magic responding."
The flames thickened, coiling like a living creature, almost protective.
Arthur stepped closer, slowly, palms raised. "Jessie, listen to me. The Phoenix's power is awakening in you. It's raw. Untamed. But it isn't dangerous… unless you lose control."
Jessie's fear spiked. The flames surged higher.
Arthur immediately grabbed her hands. "Hey! Look at me."
Her eyes snapped to his.
The flames stilled.
"Breathe," Arthur said softly. "Just like the waterfall. You remember?"
Jessie inhaled shakily. Exhaled.
The flames softened, swirling like embers in a slow wind, no longer violent, almost beautiful.
Arthur smiled faintly. "Good… good. That's it."
Jessie felt the heat gather in her palms, dense, powerful, whole.
The symbol on her hand glowed fiercely.
Then something ignited.
A flame sparked to life above her palm.
Not a normal fire.
Golden, feather-shaped fire.
It hovered, weightless. Pulsing in time with her heartbeat.
Jessie stared, breathless. "What… what is this?"
Arthur stepped back, giving her space, but his eyes glowed with amazement.
"That," he whispered, "is your first ability."
Jessie swallowed hard. "What do I do with it?"
Arthur smiled slowly, proud and a little stunned.
"You just forged a Phoenix Ember, a living flame. It listens to you. Protects you. And in time…" He glanced at the hovering ember, humbled.
"…it will evolve with you."
Jessie lifted her hand. The ember followed, obedient.
A laugh, half disbelief, half exhilaration escaped her. "I… I made this."
"You did," Arthur said, voice full of something she wasn't ready to name.
The Phoenix Idol glowed brighter, as if approving.
Jessie watched the ember dance around her wrist like a tiny guardian. Her pulse steadied. Her fear melted into wonder.
"So, what does this mean?" she whispered.
Arthur stepped beside her, looking at the ember's glow reflecting in her eyes.
"It means," he said softly, "you're no longer just training."
His gaze deepened.
"You've begun."