Shalienne

I just wanted a moment of peace. That's what I thought as I stepped into the quiet central garden of Phoenix Palace. The orange sky glowed behind the golden wings of the phoenixes perched high on the main tower. This is where I, Princess Zhizie, usually sat in silence, far from the bustling hall where my older siblings were busy with royal affairs.

“Princess Zhizie... are you hiding again?” Sister Pita’s gentle voice suddenly came from behind the red lily bushes.

I offered a weak smile. “Just need some time alone, Sister.”

She sat beside me, letting a sliver of twilight illuminate her perpetually warm face.

“If Sister Lutfi finds out you’ve skipped fire spell practice again, you might end up guarding the tower for a week,” Sister Pita teased.

I chuckled. “Better to guard the tower than to listen to another lecture about ‘the responsibility of the phoenix fire power heir’.”

In the distance, Alif and Arian were playing with wooden swords in the courtyard. Cintia and Hafizah were engrossed in ancient manuscripts in the open-air library, while Sister Ofi—the eldest and wisest—walked slowly among the stone pillars.

“Something feels off today,” Sister Pita murmured, suddenly serious. “Don’t you feel... a change in the palace’s winds?”

I raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, Sister?”

“The guards’ gazes. And our pet phoenixes this morning... they weren’t singing as they usually do.”

Before I could answer, a rumble shook the ground. We stood up simultaneously. From the north, a blue flash appeared in the sky. Soon after, a loud voice echoed:

“The Phoenix Palace’s protective shield has been breached!”

The palace atmosphere turned grim. The orange sky slowly faded to darkness, as if swallowed by dark clouds rolling in from the north.

Sister Ofi stood in the middle of the main courtyard, her gaze sharp, piercing the sky.

“Gather everyone in the main hall immediately! This is not a drill!” she cried.

We all ran inside, the sound of our footsteps mingling with the clanging of the alarm bells roaring throughout Phoenix Palace.

“What’s happening?” Hafizah asked, clutching a spellbook tightly to her chest.

“An external force has managed to breach our protective shield,” Sister Lutfi replied quickly. “And this is no ordinary power. I can feel it—cold and wild.”

Cintia turned to me. “Sister Zhizie, do you know anything about this?”

I shook my head quickly. “I don’t know anything. I was just...”

“...taking a moment to myself, yes, we know,” Alif interjected, catching his breath. “This time, you really picked a bad moment to seek solitude.”

“Enough!” Sister Ofi snapped. “Arguing won’t solve anything. We must unite. The eldest phoenix, Shaiel, has descended from the Fire Tower. That’s a sign... the end might be closer than we think.”

Everyone fell silent.

Arian, who had been clutching his wooden sword all this time, suddenly spoke, softly yet steadily, “So we’re going to fight, Sister?”

Sister Pita walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Not fight. Defend. We protect each other, no matter what comes.”

Just then, a scream tore through the air. A young phoenix perched on the eastern tower fell to the ground, consumed by strange blue flames.

“No! That’s... not our fire!” Sister Lutfi cried, her eyes wide.

I stared at the flames. Blue flames, cold, freezing, yet burning. And somehow, within their glow... I felt something familiar.

“Princess Zhizie...” Sister Ofi approached. “You must tell us whatever you’re feeling. This is no time for secrets, dear.”

I took a deep breath. “Last night... I had a dream, Sister.”

Everyone stared at me.

“In my dream, a phoenix with ice wings came to me. It spoke in a language I didn’t fully understand, but I knew one thing: it said my time to choose would come. And fire... was not the only legacy.”

Sister Pita looked at me deeply. “Are you sure it was just a dream?”

I remained silent.

Because in my heart, I knew—that phoenix was no dream. And those blue flames... they came from within me too.

“What do you mean, Sister, that the blue flames came from you?” Cintia asked, her steps faltering, as if disbelieving what she had just heard from my own mouth.

I looked at my hands—hot and cold at the same time. “I don’t know how to explain it. But every time those blue flames appear... I feel a part of myself awakening.”

Sister Ofi took over. “The ice-winged phoenix you saw in your dream... that is no ordinary creature. It is part of the balance that has long been maintained by the Northern Palace; they guard the ice, we guard the fire, Princess.”

Sister Lutfi looked at Sister Ofi, her brows furrowed. “You said they vanished long ago.”

“Yes,” Sister Ofi sighed. “But apparently, not entirely.”

Another scream echoed, this time closer. At the western gate, a massive figure appeared—a giant phoenix with bluish-white feathers, its eyes glowing coldly. On its back stood a girl cloaked in a grey robe.

“My name is Shalienne,” she declared. “And I have come to claim the legacy that has been hidden for too long.”

I stepped forward, my breath trembling. “What do you mean... legacy?”

Shalienne looked at me. “You, Princess Zhizie. You are the embodiment of two lines of heritage. Fire and ice. A balance that should never have been separated.”

Everyone fell silent. I could feel their gazes, especially Sister Pita’s, Sister Lutfi’s, even Arian’s and Hafizah’s. Their eyes held not just confusion, but a hint of pain.

“So... I should join your side?” I asked softly.

Shalienne nodded. “Or stay here and watch this palace be destroyed by a power you yourself cannot control.”

I turned to Sister Ofi. “Sister... what should I do?”

She approached, holding my shoulders tightly. “You choose, Princess Zhizie. Not because of blood. Not because of heritage. But because of who you truly are.”

The rumbling sound came again, the blue flames spreading wider. I knew... time was almost up.

“I...” My tongue felt thick, but my heart was clear. I turned my body to face my family.

“I, I will go with Shalienne.”

A stifled cry escaped Cintia’s lips. “Sister Zhizie, no!”

“Please trust me,” I whispered, looking at them one by one. “If I stay here, everything will burn. But if I go, maybe... maybe I can find a way to reunite fire and ice. Without destruction.”

Sister Pita hugged me tightly, her eyes wet. “You’ll come back, won’t you?”

I wanted to say yes. But I couldn’t promise something I didn’t know.

THE END...