"Nooo!" I screamed and tightened my grip around her, not letting her go.

I knew something was not right.

I knew something was going to happen.

My heart, that weird feeling, her weird behavior after coming here, her emotional eyes that hated herself for being selfish, everything was wrong!

I once had a thought, then the scenarios in my mind shortened, and I searched all the information on the beings that I could in the library before just forgetting the thought.

It was already an absurd thought in the first place.

A Phoenix?

The same creatures that were thought to have the ability to bring back creatures to life with no condition?

Creatures that guided the souls of the dead on the path of the afterlife?

A bird of fire that burned so brightly it seemed like a sun?

A bird that actually was born from the sun?

But now..

Everything made sense and there was no need for me to not believe this grandma I had spent the last three years with.

She could be a God for all I cared, but death?

If she was selfish, I was selfish too.

I didn't want her to go. I won't let her go, even if she can die.

She was my master. I had countless things to learn from her. She was a grandma I wanted to be spoiled by. She was a mentor I wanted to talk with for as much as I wanted.

She had to be with me. I can't even go home without her, right?

She has to be with me!

"Eon. I'm a true divine beast born from mother nature herself.

I'm not human and still... I am your grandma.

Though it was just selfish of me to make you my successor at that time, as we lived, practiced, and studied together, you became an important part of me.

But... you already have taken the oath of origin, and there won't be any good time than now for us to part ways." She stopped for a moment and a silver light surrounded me while I was still hugging her.

I felt like I was frozen on the spot at that moment, remembering the oath I took to fulfill her last wish by those pure white flames.

"A phoenix in this world is different from the creatures of the books and stories that people know.

We do born from nature, but at that time, whatever form we first take differs from the magnificent picture everyone knows.

Maybe we are a small creature like a human child, a gigantic creature like that boar from before, or anything like that.

We do not have any powers other than the knowledge we possess about this world and ourselves.

Until the first awakening, we are nothing but a stronger version of those creatures.

And before the second awakening, we can not transform into our true form.

Having known about yourself and the powers you will soon possess, all that would last is survive until you reach that state.

Gain strength by whatever means you can and just... stay alive no matter what.

You will never be able to die, even if you do die in that body, anyway.

But, you will have to start again from the beginning.

It's not a blessing, gift, or anything good, Eon.

It's more of a curse than anything.

And even after that, when you do pass the stage when you get to your true form, you can't truly die that simply.

For the lucky ones, every time they die, they are reborn as a new being.

A new phoenix with new memories and a new persona altogether.

Those common bastards are the main creatures mortals know about.

Then there are us, the special cases who are reborn as the same being, with the same memories with unique power.

Trapped in an endless cycle of life and death where the only exit is giving birth to a new child that would start from zero as you had.

A newborn will have to start powerless, alone in this vast world with the only knowledge that their mother birthed them and what they are.

Though they will have the same mind and immense talent that could learn anything and will possess all the knowledge their mother had, they couldn't use anything.

No power, no knowledge, no nothing.

,m Aside from what their weak body allows, they couldn't use anything even while knowing everything.

[Restrictions of the world] as well as the truth that they already knew couldn't be shared with anyone.

In those circumstances, how can a mother leave their child to suffer the same fate they had for this long time?

I have met a few of my kind in these 21,369 years of human life, Eon.

most were normal, while some were like me.

Some of them just prepared places like this for their children, which wasn't as effective.

While some took inspiration from other divine beasts and chose special candidates that can be strong enough to protect their children.

That was an excellent thing, and I didn't disagree with their decisions.

But... some didn't actually like this method either.

Like me, every being had different thoughts and life, so the decisions would be different for every being.

Haaa... it's not time for you to know those bad things yet, Eon." She took a brief pause and sighed.

I was still hugging her, or at least that's what I wanted to believe, but her grip around me tightened, making my heart calm down completely.

I understood her better from what she said and her reasons were valid, too.

But there was one thing mistaken about them.

"Though you did it with something selfish like this in mind, I know your emotions were true, grandma.

I know how you feel but, I'm selfish too.

This chapter's initial release occurred on the N0v3l-B1n site.

How can you just... say you want to go and ask me to take care of your child?

I want to say many things.

Cry, scream, stop you will all my being.

But... this oath is absolute, isn't it?" I asked while feeling nothing aside from my head.

I knew this Origin oath would make me finish the thing I agreed on, even if I wanted to or not.

I had already been in the swamp, and there was no way I can do anything against this thing.

Not when even I wanted her to have her long-wished salvation.

But... why?

"Eon, my pretty boy.

I adore you like no other and even I do not know the reason for that.

You are... special. Like I have always said.

I would have loved to be with you more but, I know, this is the right time.

I'm hoping you will take care of the one that will come after me as your little sister.

Maybe she won't have a place like Anna in your heart but... make a special place that only belongs to her.

My death will mean the 'me' will no longer exist, but a part of my soul will be with you both.

She will be my child, the same age as you, so she will know all about you, too.

And for you, my beloved grandchild I love so dearly..." she stopped and looked at me lovingly.

Our faces were already too close, and... she kissed me on the forehead.

"Don't worry. A part of me will always be with you as a part of yourself.

So, it will also mean my daughter and you will be connected in a way." She smirked at me in this chaotic moment, and a colorful light appeared on my forehead, where she kissed me.

I felt weird and once again; I felt the same thing I felt when breaking through to <Intermediate-mastery> and (Stage-2) of my Origin skill.

And suddenly, many status windows with strange numbers, words, information in different languages, arrays, and things I couldn't even see passed on in them appeared before us.

And with that, a strange voice that felt like the one she spoke before the blue chains appeared entered my mind, but I couldn't understand it either.

[[< Oh? You chose a special one such as yourself, little one. Hmmm. I approve of this one, so if fate allows it, let us have the chance to have a sweet talk, cutie~. >]]

I didn't understand those words, but I felt them deep inside my soul.

The owner of this female voice that seemed... unknown by all other means, was happy.

Happy and excited, that looked forward to seeing things.

I didn't understand this one so, I just stored it on a side of my mind and looked at all these countless colorful status windows that were different from other and looked as if processing some kind of data.

My origin, which I can only feel when focusing deeply, was now clear as if I was getting closer to something.

And though this was being forced, it wasn't harming me in any way.

I couldn't see it but, I could feel the heat of a bird-like mark being engraved on the place she kissed.

This was a strange feeling, and I knew something unbelievable was happening to me.

What was this part of her soul she talked about? I could only think of one answer to that question.

But she was walking away from me right now as the windows started to slowly close down and my head started to hurt a little.

Her eyes were locked on me, still warm and filled with sadness and love.

"So, Eon. Ready to see my true form? I know you will like that one. It's colorful~! Ah!

I sealed Celes in her mark. She should come out now." She smiled at me and Celes flew out from her mark restlessly.

[[ Master!? What just happened?! H-how did I suddenly...?! ]]

She was shocked, and she didn't know what was happening.

Looks like grandma sealed her to protect from my integration with Ronna.

She sure was the one made for me and I knew when I will be able to use it, Asta and she will like each other.

Well, this dear butterfly of mine was quite scared by this one.

"Celes, don't worry. Let me show you what happened while you were gone so, don't be afraid and cool down.

You might kill some weak ones with that kind of energy."

I couldn't feel what energy she was talking about but, from the way she said it, it was definitely something special that I wasn't aware of.

Master blinked with a purple glow in her eyes and Celes calmed down within moments and... started crying.

[[ N-nooooo... how can you suddenly leave us like this?! We haven't even played much~.

H-how could youuuuu~?! ]]

Celes being Celes, started crying and flew to her.

She knew this would also happen as soon as Celes was out so she just sighed.

Master comforted her and said something I can't hear.

Maybe that was something important but, she managed to calm her down and Celes returned after receiving a kiss from her.

[[ I-I will protect master, don't worry! I-I'm strong now! A-and I will be stronger and protect master so you can... leave him to me.

I will... definitely... I-I won't cry so, don't... don't worry about us~. ]]

I didn't know what they talked but, but this was just like Celes.

I could feel her mixed emotions and I knew she could feel mine, too.

My tears had stopped, and I was now calm but, this was still too much to bear.

I could never forget this twilight, this setting sun, that blue moon that was crying at this scenario, and the stars that shared the moon's feelings.

I wanted to cry, break down in tears and stop her from... going far away but, I didn't at the same time.

My contradicting emotions were fucked up so thinking too deeply of this thing was...

"Ok, you two~. This might be a little bright so, be prepared!" She shouted, and we prepared ourselves.

My mom and dad had seen a unicorn in their old days, but... it wasn't its true self.

I know it's impossible for a mere mortal like me to even be near a true body of a divine being and if she had lived for that long; it meant she could be older than some gods.

She was definitely more than a god or a simple divine being and I was sure she knew that, too.

So, I wasn't worried about my safety at all.

But...

Seeing a godly being's true form?

And one that is and will forever be my grandma, no less.

This may be a plot hole or something like that but, if I was some actual main character, I would know this definitely was one.

This day... I didn't want it.

I-I did not want to part ways with the person that took care of a bad person like me.

Even though I was an adult inside, I was still a child, a newborn, in front of someone like her.

And even though I might meet different beings older than me but younger in human age, I knew I can be myself and act however I wanted with only her.

I would never find anyone like her... and I won't need to.

I could feel something new inside me, something warm and something that reminded me of her.

My life was going to change from this moment so... I wanted to at least smile at this end and say my goodbyes and thanks for everything, every happiness, and every other thing she bestowed upon this grandson of hers.

So, I smiled.

I smiled and nodded at her.

And she understood all this.. and smiled in defeat.

I could move my body now that I had accepted this... fatal flow of fate.

Her alluring body I have been admiring these past years disintegrated in her white flames, and these new flames few up, shining like a sun in this perfect night sky.