BACK TO PARADISE HIGH
The battlefield was a mess of scorched flesh and smoldering corpses. The stench of burnt vampires filled the air, the blackened remains of their bodies still oozing with a sickly, molten substance. Ava stood at the center of it all, gripping the Phoenix Stone tightly in her palm, her expression unreadable. Her green flames flickered around her like ghostly sentinels, their eerie glow casting long shadows over the blood-soaked ground.
Ares took a slow, deliberate step forward, his expression dark with realization. His suspicions had finally been confirmed—Ava was no mere divine being. She was a goddess. Not just any goddess, but Avery, the Flame of Death reborn. He had assumed they had been hunting the divine being all this while, but it was never just Ava. Someone else was still out there—the true divine being they had yet to find. That only made his fury burn hotter.
His fists clenched, magic vibrating under his skin. Enough. He had hidden his strength long enough. The world had always assumed he was merely a half-vampire, half-werewolf hybrid, but that was a lie. His true power had always remained locked away, waiting for the right moment. And now, here stood an 18-year-old girl, a child who had no idea the depth of what she had just unleashed upon herself.
Lyon Gonzalez, watching from the shadows, observed Ava with interest. His sharp crystallin eyes narrowed as he processed what had just occurred. The Flame of Death. He had heard of it in ancient texts—an ability so rare that not even the mightiest supernaturals, either socereses, mages and witches had ever harnessed it. Yet, here she stood, his daughter, displaying something that defied even the legacy of their ancestors.
For years, he had planned to bestow the power of the sea upon Rowan, his son. But now, witnessing Ava's raw potential, a thought crept into his mind—With her, we would be unstoppable. A slow, almost imperceptible smile formed on his lips.
Rowan, standing behind his father, felt his chest tighten at the look in Lyon's eyes. He wasn't foolish. He saw it—the hunger, the realization. He had been raised as Lyon's heir, his father's prized son. Yet, in a matter of moments, Ava had eclipsed him. The ground beneath him suddenly felt unsteady.
But there was no time for doubts.
The surviving vampires growled in rage. Their eyes burned with hatred, and their bodies trembled with suppressed fury. The deaths of their brethren would not go unavenged.
Ares, sensing their wrath, embraced it. His body crackled with dark energy as he took another step forward, his gaze locking onto Ava.
"Give us the Phoenix Stone," the vampires' leader snarled. "Or die a miserable, brutal death."
Ava remained silent. The green flames around her danced in response, licking the air like hungry serpents.
Ares smirked.
So be it.
Without warning, Ares thrust his hand forward, and a surge of dark energy erupted from his fingertips. The ground split apart, sharp, jagged spikes of obsidian shooting toward Ava. She barely had time to react before the first one lunged for her chest. With a flick of her wrist, a green inferno exploded outward, disintegrating the spikes into dust before they could touch her.
Ares didn't stop. His eyes turned pitch black, his veins glowing with an eerie purple light as he conjured a storm of darkness, twisting and curling like a beast hungry for destruction.
Ava didn't flinch. Instead, she closed her eyes, inhaling deeply.
The air around her thickened. The temperature dropped. The moment her eyes snapped open again, green fire shot forth, clashing violently against Ares' black magic.
The collision sent shockwaves rippling across the battlefield.
The vampires and sirens watching from the sidelines staggered, some even falling to their knees as the sheer force of the clash rattled their bones. Lyon's sharp gaze flickered with interest. She's holding her own against Ares?
Ares, however, was only getting started. He lifted his hands, summoning a vortex of energy, his power manifesting into a dark sphere that pulsed with pure destruction.
Then, with a roar, he hurled it forward.
The orb tore through the air, expanding as it moved, growing so large that it blotted out the sky. It crackled violently, distorting everything in its path.
And then—
BOOM.
The explosion obliterated everything.
The force ripped apart the battlefield, sending debris and fire in all directions. The very air shook. The vampires howled as they were thrown back. Even Lyon, standing safely in the distance, narrowed his eyes as the shockwave reached him.
As the dust settled, Lyon let out a dark chuckle. There was no way she survived that.
But then—
A figure emerged.
Ava stood amidst the wreckage, untouched.
Her body was covered in dirt and blackened soot, but her posture was unshaken. Her green flames still flickered, her grip on the Phoenix Stone unwavering.
Ares' expression twisted into pure rage. He bared his teeth, his entire body trembling with fury.
Then—
A glow.
A soft, silver shimmer appeared in the distance.
The wind howled as Slyvia stepped forward, dragging Harlan by the throat like a wounded dog. Her silver hair flowed in the breeze, her eyes gleaming with deadly determination.
"Oh, Ares," she said mockingly, tightening her grip on Harlan. "You're not taking the stone."
Ares' eyes darkened further, his jaw clenching.
Slyvia didn't waste time. She lifted her hands and began chanting.
The air vibrated. The earth trembled.
Then—
A massive tidal wave erupted from the nearby river.
Water rushed forth, crashing into the battlefield with devastating force. The surviving vampires were engulfed, their screams swallowed by the surge. Ares himself was slammed against the ground, the force momentarily pinning him down.
Slyvia didn't stop. She rushed toward Ava, reaching out.
Their fingers brushed against the Phoenix Stone.
Then, with a final whisper, Slyvia spoke:
"Time to awaken the Red Oak Tree."
At that moment—
The sky turned crimson.
Lyon's eyes bulged.
Ares' face went pale.
And the air around them vibrated with ancient power.
Something deadly was coming for all supernaturals.