Why the hell did the flames have to be this brutal?
Elara Voss stumbled forward, tears blurring her vision.
She was slammed back by the scorching heat wave—so hot it singed her eyebrows.
"Ah!!!", Kael Voss roared frantically, his voice raw with agony.
The pale black flames suddenly darkened like ink.
Tongues of fire lashed a meter outward before his screams cut off with a choked gurgle.
He froze completely, as if time had hit pause.
Only the meter-long black flames twisted and flickered.
They gradually shrank to mere inches—weaving into a dark fire net that wrapped him airtight.
Elara stared in horror, her hands trembling as she reached out.
"Kael Voss... Can you hear me? Say something, damn it!"
It felt like a sharp knife had pierced her heart.
She clutched her chest, gasping for breath like a dying fish.
Tears streamed down her cheeks only to vanish the moment they hit the ground—evaporated by the heat.
"Kael Voss... Don't die. You can't die... No... How the fuck could this happen?"
She knelt weakly, the searing heat numbing her senses.
She gazed at the human-shaped flame before her, tears pouring relentlessly, mixing with sweat.
Everything flammable around them shrank and disappeared.
Curtains, carpets, even the wooden tabletop—swallowed by an invisible void, turning to ash in seconds.
Elara looked at the empty room, her heart breaking.
Absolute Fire burns everything—even Kael himself.
If she could, she'd trade his Superpower for a normal life.
As long as he stayed by her side, she'd protect him fiercely, just as he'd done for her in their past life...
But now, it was too late.
Silence settled over the room.
Elara sat like a statue, staring at the still-burning flame.
Her body was motionless—only her chest heaving with ragged breaths.
After what felt like an eternity, a faint purple glow enveloped her.
She stood slowly, walking toward the quiet flame.
"Fine," she whispered, her voice ethereal yet resolute.
"I was reborn to repay you. If you're gone, I'll follow—no matter where you go."
The closer she got, the brighter her purple aura grew.
Her Absolute Gold Superpower fought desperately against the black flames.
But she still felt the unbearable heat searing her skin.
Step by step, she advanced.
Her clothes soaked through with sweat, her skin red and stinging.
"Kael Voss, walk slowly," she smiled through her tears, a bitter, trembling curve.
"Otherwise, I won't be able to catch up."
Finally, she stood before him, sweat dripping from her chin.
Without hesitation, she opened her arms and hugged the flaming figure tightly.
She closed her eyes.
"Don't lose me again... Please."
Elara blinked in confusion.
Where the hell was this?
Sunshine Orphanage?
Why did this place feel so familiar?
How had she gotten here?
She should be—right! Kael was awakening his Superpower!
She'd been with him!
Why was she here?
Where was Kael?
Kael Voss... Something was wrong.
She'd forgotten.
Kael Voss was dead!
Burned to death by his Absolute Fire Superpower!
Elara clutched her chest, grief crashing over her like a tidal wave—so intense it made her dizzy.
Kael was dead, so why was she here?
How could she still be alive?
She should be dead too!
She'd promised to stay with him!
She'd already lost him once.
How could she lose him again in this life?
Elara gasped for breath, struggling to move.
But her body floated uncontrollably into the orphanage, landing on a lawn.
No! No! I don't want to be here!
She tried to scream and fight.
But no sound escaped her lips—her voice trapped in her throat.
Her body felt as light as a feather, completely beyond her control.
What was happening?
Was she dead?
This didn't look like the afterlife.
Could she be a ghost?
Did ghosts really exist?
And where was Kael's ghost?
Even in death, could they not be together?
Elara stared in shock and panic, her gaze darting wildly.
It landed on three figures entering the orphanage.
Specifically, an eight-year-old boy with a striking resemblance to Kael.
His small face was twisted with anxiety, his fists clenched.
He rushed forward like a cannonball.
Elara followed his gaze, freezing again.
A three-year-old girl, as delicate as a porcelain doll, sat on a small swing.
Curious, she tugged at a wooden plank.
She tipped over and fell off—her small body spinning in the air.
In the nick of time, the boy caught her.
Inertia sent them both crashing to the ground with a thud.
At that moment, the couple accompanying the boy hurried over.
"Is the little girl okay?" the father asked, helping his son and the girl up, his voice filled with concern.
The mother checked the boy first, brushing dust off his clothes.
"Kael, are you hurt?"
The boy pressed his lips into a thin line, shaking his head stubbornly.
"I'm fine, Mom. Check her—see if she's hurt."
The little girl looked up, her big eyes filled with curiosity, nibbling on her finger.
"Thank you, brother. Tongtong is okay."
"Tongtong?" The boy frowned, his small face scrunching up.
"That's ugly! You're as cute as cotton candy. From now on, your name is Elara—after cotton candy."
He turned to his parents, his tone firm for a child.
"Mom, Dad, let's take Elara home. When she grows up, she'll be my wife. That way, you can stop teasing me about being single!"
The mother chuckled, tapping his nose gently.
"It's your stubborn personality! Oh well... I've always wanted a daughter anyway."
The father nodded with a warm smile.
"Let's go handle the paperwork."
The four figures walked away—father with his arm around mother, boy holding the girl's hand tightly.
Their shadows, long and short, stretched harmoniously across the ground.
Tears streamed down Elara's face.
She tried to chase them, but her feet wouldn't move, as if rooted to the spot.
She shouted desperately.
But they vanished from sight, their laughter fading into the distance.
Cotton candy's "cotton"... Elara.
Kael Voss... So we were never blood-related?
And you gave me my name?
When did I forget all this?
If only I'd known in our past life.
Could we have both survived?
I wouldn't have hated you so much, spat on your kindness, treated you like dirt...
Now I know the truth, but you're still gone...
Elara choked up, squatting weakly, her shoulders shaking.
Why did she have to learn this now?
Why add salt to her already guilty wounds?
Did the gods despise how she'd treated Kael?
Were they punishing her, making her suffer as he once did?
But... She'd rather have never known.
Never.
"Elara!" A familiar voice called out, filled with panic—Kael's voice.
Elara looked up slowly, her blurry vision catching sight of Kael's familiar figure.
Somehow, she was standing on a hillside, the air thick with the scent of mulberries.
A beautiful fourteen-year-old girl stood on a rock.
She reached unsteadily for mulberries on a tall tree—her balance precarious.
"Elara, be careful!"
Elara watched as the girl lost her balance.
She screamed as she tumbled down the hillside, branches scratching her arms.
In an instant, the teenage Kael rushed out of nowhere, pouncing like a leopard.
He held the girl tightly in his arms, shielding her head as they rolled down the steep slope together.
His back took the brunt of the impact.
"Ah! Brother! I'm scared!" the girl cried in terror, clinging to his shirt.
"Don't be afraid," he grunted, his voice tight with pain.
"Brother's here. I'll protect you, Elara. You'll be okay!"
The teenage Kael used his body as a cushion.
He grunted every time they hit a rock, but never loosened his grip on her.
The girl huddled tightly in his arms, her small hands clutching his clothes for dear life.
Fear still lingered on her face, but there was also complete trust—she knew he'd keep her safe.
Elara struggled to follow.
But her body floated directly to a rock at the bottom of the slope.
She watched helplessly as they crashed into a boulder.
Kael's entire back absorbed the impact with a sickening crack.
He grunted, his arms loosening accidentally.
"Ah~ Brother! Help me!" the girl screamed.
Her body rolled further until she hit another rock, falling unconscious without a sound.
Bright red blood spread across the ground, staining the grass.
The young Kael was covered in cuts from stones and branches.
Several deep gashes marred his face.
His right arm bent unnaturally—obviously broken—and his body hunched in pain.
Yet he endured, calling Elara's name repeatedly as he crawled toward her.
His knees scraped on the rough ground.
When he saw the blood, his face turned ashen.
"Elara... Elara, please be okay... It's all my fault... Why did I let go! Wait for me—I'll get help right away!"
Kael's voice cracked with tears as he fumbled for his phone.
His hands shook so badly he could barely dial.
Then, scenes flashed by like a movie—ambulances wailing, hospital corridors, doctors in white coats, hospital rooms filled with the smell of antiseptic.
She saw Kael begging the doctors to save his sister first, to cure her no matter what.
Even if it meant using his own body for experiments!
Finally, the scene froze on the doctor informing the family, his voice grave.
"She's suffered severe head trauma. The patient may have permanent amnesia!"
Elara stood outside the hospital room, completely frozen—her blood turning to ice.
Amnesia! That's why she couldn't remember anything!
But why had Kael never told her?
If he'd revealed they weren't blood-related when she'd sensed his feelings shifting, when she'd hated him for "ruining" her first love, things would have turned out differently...
Even if she couldn't have loved him in their past life, she wouldn't have hated him so fiercely.
She wouldn't have spat on his gifts, mocked his devotion, treated him like a brute...
Through the open door, Elara watched the young Kael kneel beside the heavily bandaged girl.
His head bowed, his shoulders shaking.
His hands clung to hers, his face twisted in agony and remorse.
She knew he blamed himself for failing to protect her—for that split second he'd let go.
She wanted to hug him, to tell him she didn't blame him.
But a sudden suction pulled her downward.
She plunged into an abyss, falling and falling into darkness...
Elara's eyes snapped open!
She was in a chaotic room—empty, with charred floors and several bowl-sized holes still smoking.
The air thick with the smell of burnt wood.
This was the room at Champs-Élysées Hotel!
Kael Voss! She sat up abruptly, looking beside her.
She plunged into the depths of despair.
On the floor, next to her, was a pile of human-shaped ashes—fine, gray, and still warm.
Next Chapter Highlight:
The ashes of "death" are just an illusion! Kael's Absolute Fire Superpower completes its evolution, but the awakened truth of their non-blood bond pushes Elara into an even more tangled dilemma. When the brutal Kael pins her down and growls, "You're mine—now and forever!", will Elara accept this twisted love born from rebirth? And the mysterious Beast Core hidden in the ashes—will it become the key to breaking the doomsday crisis?