Betrayed by My Own Child

The last male Phoenix had fallen to ash and memory, leaving the females of our kind to drink from the River of Genesis to continue our lineage.
And I, Elara, the one with the greatest potential to birth a Progenitor Phoenix of old, turned my back on the river. Before the disbelieving eyes of my entire clan, I chose instead to leap into the Pyre Abyss.
In my last life, I had poured my very soul, every last drop of my essence, into birthing the most noble of all fledglingsa Golden Phoenix. But on the Phoenix Dais, in my moment of triumph, he had shredded through my chest with a single claw, then fluttered into my stepsisters arms, chirping Mama with sickening affection.
My stepsister, Lyra, became the Phoenix Matriarch, revered by all and ascending to greatness. I was branded a child-thief, my feathers brutally torn from my body before I was cast into the Pyre Abyss to be incinerated in the living flames.
Even as I burned, a single question haunted me: The Golden Phoenix was mine. He was born of my blood and my pain. Why did he call my stepsister his mother?
Then I opened my eyes. I was back. Back to the day I was meant to drink from the River of Genesis.

1
The waters of the River of Genesis swirled before me, a silver ribbon of life. I was so lost in the phantom agony of plucked feathers and searing flames that I didn't even hear my stepsister, Lyra, until she called my name for the third time.
Elara, your essence is so powerful! I cant even imagine what kind of phoenix youll birth after drinking from the river. I bet I bet it will be the Golden Phoenix, the most noble of all the ancients!
Looking at Lyras deceptively sweet smile, a chill snaked down my spine, cold as graveyard dust. The memories were too raw: being robbed of my child, scorned as a thief by my own kind, the searing pain of my wings being torn apart before the fire consumed me.
I wouldnt let it happen again. Without a word, I stood and turned to leave.
If drinking from that river meant birthing the child who would betray me, then I would rather remain barren forever.
Lyras smile vanished. She darted in front of me, her voice rising in feigned alarm. Matriarch, come quickly! Look at my sister! Whats wrong? Why is she leaving?
The Matriarch appeared, blocking my path. Her smile was warm, motherly, but it never reached the frost in her eyes. Now, now, Elara, my sweet. This is no time for tantrums. Every phoenix must drink from the river to bear a child. It is the law of our clan. To defy it is to invite a curse upon us all.
The current Matriarch of the Phoenix clan was none other than Lyras mothermy stepmother, Morwenna.
My own mother, the radiant Prismatic Phoenix, was the previous Matriarch. She had fallen, they said, strayed into darkness shortly after my birth, leaving me to be raised by Morwenna. After my fathers passing, the few remaining male phoenixes withered away one by one, until none were left.
The law was absolute. Every female had sworn a blood oath: for the future of our people, we would bear children from the river, no matter our own strength. And only the one who birthed the most powerful fledgling would become the next Matriarch.
My stepsisters bloodline was diluted, her essence weak. She could drink the entire River of Genesis dry and never produce a phoenix of any true power.
But I was different.
My blood was pure, my generative essence the strongest in the entire clan.
In my previous life, I had been desperate to create the most magnificent phoenix imaginable, to become Matriarch and repay Morwenna for her years of kindness. Lyra and I drank from the river at the same time, conceived at the same time, and laid our eggs at the same time.
My stepmother gave me a secret tome, an ancient phoenix text. It spoke of a ritual: nourish the egg with your own hearts blood, sustain it with a forbidden art, and a Golden Phoenix shall be born.
I never questioned it. I did as the book commanded, pouring my essence and my blood into the egg until I was a hollow shell of myself. After ten days of excruciating agony, a crack appeared, and from it emerged the rarest of creatures: a Golden Phoenix.
Dragging my exhausted body to the Phoenix Dais, I cradled the tiny phoenix, my heart swelling with pride. I was moments away from being named the new Matriarch. But in a flash of unimaginable betrayal, while my guard was completely down, the fledgling in my arms lashed out. Its razor-sharp talons shredded through my chest, and with an arrogant cry, it flew directly into Lyras embrace, chirping Mama.
A fledgling instinctively bonds with its birth mother. No one would ever doubt the child was Lyras.
Lyra stroked the Golden Phoenixs head, her eyes filled with false pity as she looked at me. Sister, how could you be so cruel? To steal my egg and switch it with your own I want to forgive you, I truly do. But as the new Matriarch, I must uphold our laws. You must be punished.
Her words painted her as a selfless leader and me as a hideous monster. The clans disgust was a palpable wave that crashed over me. They swarmed the dais, tearing my feathers out with their bare hands.
I lay there, a bleeding, broken thing, drowning in their contempt.
Traitor! After all the Matriarch did for her, she repays her by stealing anothers child! Shameless!
Whoever said Elara was the powerful one was blind! Lyra birthed a Golden Phoenix! Her generative power is clearly stronger. Elara was just jealous and stole it, just as vile as her mother who fell to darkness. She should be cast out of the Aerie!
On the day of Lyras ascension, I was dragged from our home. As I struggled to my feet, someone shoved me from behind, sending me plummeting into the Pyre Abyss to burn.
Even in death, I couldnt understand how Lyra had done it. How had she stolen my child from me?
Now, watching the two of them blocking my path, their faces etched with a desperate urgency, a plan began to form in the ashes of my old life.
I just feel unwell, I murmured, feigning weakness. I want to rest. Ill come back another time.
My stepmothers shoulders sagged with relief. Then Ill have Lyra accompany you. You can return together next time.
I frowned. There were many other phoenixes drinking from the river, and they had all birthed perfectly normal fledglings. The water itself was pure, constantly flowing. The problem wasnt the river.
Could it be the timing? Was I forbidden from drinking at the same time as Lyra? Morwenna had been Matriarch for centuries; she knew secrets I couldnt fathom. Perhaps Lyra and I drinking together broke some ancient taboo.
No, its alright, I said, forcing a small smile. I think Im feeling better now.
Lyra and I walked to the riverbank. I watched as she took a deep drink. Then, shielding my face with my sleeve, I pretended to drink, but instead secretly funneled a small amount of the water into a hidden vial. I would drink it later, alone.
The heavens had granted me a second chance. This time, I would not miss a single detail.

2
Back in my chambers, my stepmother arrived, just as she had before. She brought a collection of rare spiritual herbs and that same secret tome on incubation.
I smiled and accepted them, but the moment I was alone, I summoned a brazier and tossed both the herbs and the book into the flames, watching them curl into ash.
I once believed Morwenna was the kindest soul alive. She had always treated me better than her own daughter. From childhood, the rarest treasures and most potent herbs were always given to me first. When Lyra would gaze at them with envious eyes and I, in my love for her, offered to share, Morwenna would fly into a rage, scolding Lyra for her greed.
Everyone praised her selflessness. Everyone trusted her.
And I I had truly loved her as my own mother. When she was injured gathering herbs, I, a mere child, had thrown myself in harms way to protect her. I treated Lyra like my own blood, depleting my own essence time and again to help her advance her meager powers.
Only now, after the betrayal, did I see the truth. Everything she did was a carefully constructed stage for Lyras ascent.
To them, I was nothing but a vessel. A tool for birthing a god.
So, even though I didnt yet understand the full extent of their treachery, I knew that book was poison.
I drank the water from the River of Genesis and waited.
The strange, wondrous feeling of life coalescing within me returned. I felt the waters warmth settle deep in my belly, glowing with a soft white light. This time, I didn't pour in my own essence. I didn't take a single herb to fortify the pregnancy. I released my obsession with birthing a Golden Phoenix.
Soon, my belly swelled, and I laid a single, perfectly white egg.
I didn't rush to incubate it. Instead, under the cloak of night, I slipped into the forbidden grounds of the clan.
This was where my mother had once lived. After she fell to darkness, the clan had deemed it a place of ill omen, barring anyone from entering. My memories of her were a complete blank. Morwenna had always told me my mother was a restless beauty who abandoned me, her own child, to run away with a demon lord. My father had always been distant.
Only Morwenna had showered me with unconditional love.
For years, I had suppressed any thought of my real mother, convincing myself Morwenna was all I needed.
But my death told me that Morwennas stories were lies.
My mothers chambers were sparse, but every item left behind was a testament to her love for me. My childhood toys, my favorite snacks, even the tiny nest I had slept in as a fledgling.
My eyes burned with unshed tears. How could she not have loved me? There had to be more to the story.
Amidst a pile of ancient scrolls, I found it: her personal manuscript on incubation.
Following my mothers true instructions, I began the hatching process. And from the shell emerged not a golden, but a Prismatic Phoenix!
A Prismatic Phoenix was even rarer than a golden one. And this fledgling its essence was incredibly strong. It was destined for greatness. My own mother had been a Prismatic Phoenix, a strain known for their gentle, intelligent nature. Compared to the arrogance of a Golden Phoenix, this would be a child who loved me.
Joy, pure and triumphant, surged through me. All my efforts had paid off. This child was mine, and mine alone. The Matriarchs seat would finally be mine!
Clutching the fledgling, its eyes still sealed, I headed for the Phoenix Dais. But along the way, I heard the whispers of the clan.
Did you hear? Someone stole Lyras fledgling!
My blood ran cold.
Lyra? Her bloodline is weak, her power pathetic. What kind of phoenix could she possibly produce thats worth stealing? If anyones child was a target, it would be Elaras. With her power, she might actually birth a Golden Phoenix!
And you know what Lyra is claiming? Shes telling everyone she hatched a Prismatic Phoenix! Can you believe the nerve? As if! Those are even rarer than the golden ones!
An icy dread gripped my heart. Lyras egg had also produced a Prismatic Phoenix?
This was no coincidence.
The gossiping phoenixes saw me and rushed over, their eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Elara! Has your egg hatched yet? What kind of phoenix is it?
Just then, I saw Morwenna and Lyra searching frantically nearby. When Morwennas eyes landed on me, they lit up with a terrifying recognition.

3
I didnt answer anyone. I turned and fled, sprinting back to my chambers and slamming the door shut.
My heart hammered against my ribs. I had to know. Would this child know me as its mother? I drew a single drop of my heart's blood and let it fall onto the fledglings sealed eyes.
It blinked them open. And stared at me with eyes as empty and cold as a winter sky.
A voice called from outside my door. It was Lyra.
Elara, why did you run off like that? Have you seen my baby? I hatched a little Prismatic Phoenix, you see. I was thinking maybe it wandered over to you?
At the sound of Lyras voice, the fledgling in my arms stirred. It heard its mothers call. It arched its neck, preparing to cry out.
My hand clamped around its throat. Tears streamed down my face as I snuffed out its life force with a wave of my own essence.
Im sorry, I thought, my heart breaking. But I cannot let the past repeat itself. If I am destined only to birth the knife that will be plunged into my own heart, then it is better you were never born at all.
The door burst open. Morwenna and Lyra stood there, their faces masks of fury.
Elara, where is the phoenix you hatched? Where is it?
I wiped my tears away, my expression turning to stone. I shook my head. It was a failure. The egg was empty.
Morwenna and Lyra exchanged a look, their disappointment a palpable thing.
Suddenly, Lyra changed her tune. Oh, I must have been mistaken. I failed too. There was no Prismatic Phoenix. I was just so anxious, I must have imagined it. Its alright, sister. Well just go to the River of Genesis again.
Once more to the river. Once more, I brought the water back in secret.
I wracked my brain, trying to find the flaw in their plan. If it wasnt the water, and it wasnt the incubation method then the problem had to be with me.
I gathered everything I had ever usedmy clothes, my tools, my jewelryand sealed them all away with a powerful enchantment. I meticulously checked my own body against my mothers notes, searching for any abnormality, but found nothing.
I looked around the room I had lived in for centuries. It was no longer safe.
I locked the door, and that night, I took my new, unlaid egg and hid myself away in my mothers forbidden chambers.
Her incubation manuscript contained other techniques, including a dangerous ritual that involved channeling the raw power of wind, rain, thunder, and snow into the egg. The fledgling that emerged would be infused with one of these elemental attributes. No one, not even with the most powerful scrying magic, could possibly guess what lay inside.
And I would hatch it in front of the entire clan.
After days of channeling raw elemental power, I walked toward the Phoenix Dais, cradling an egg that shimmered with captured lightning and swirling frost.
The Aerie was buzzing with excitement.
Did you hear? That failure Lyra is going to hatch her egg in public today. What a joke.
A familiar, hopeless despair washed over me.
Why? Why was Lyra doing the same thing as me, again? What was the point of all my effort? Why couldn't I escape the chains of my past life?
I stood at the foot of the dais, a bitter smile on my lips. Morwenna and Lyra sat enthroned at the top. Before them was an egg, shrouded by a red cloth. As long as it remained covered, no one could see what it truly was.
The closer I got to the dais, the more the egg in my hands thrashed, a stark contrast to its calm when we were alone.
Did it already sense that Lyra was its true mother?
And then, the horrifying truth hit me like a physical blow. I was wrong. Utterly, completely, devastatingly wrong.
It didn't matter what kind of phoenix I hatched. It never mattered. No matter what I created, Lyra could somehow claim it as her own. The egg under that cloth could be a common stone, but once my fledgling flew to her and called her Mama, she could simply claim I had switched them.
Lyra looked down at me from the dais, and her lips curled into the exact same triumphant smile she had worn in my past life.
"Well, well, sister Elara. What a beautiful egg you have there. Weren't you planning on hatching it for all to see? What a coincidence, so was I. You're the elder sister. Why don't you go first?"

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