Rebirth of the Phoenix\_-Chapter 55: Spread

This was a familiar sensation. He had felt this in the dream when the Phoenix first sensed the flames blooming from its petals and learned they were not destruction but extension of itself.

Luis’s smiled slightly.

Aunt Sera had expected this to take time.

He could tell.

If not for that dream no, that memory, he might not have understood aura this intimately.

Within his mind, he sent a quiet thought outward.

Thank you.

Whether the Phoenix heard him or not, he did not know.

But the gratitude was real. Then Luis returned to the present.

Shadow chains still bound his ankles. Luis assessed quickly. Aunt Sera never created situations beyond his capability. Which meant these chains were breakable. He could already feel that she had calibrated the force precisely to his level.

But she didn’t know about his water control.

Luis began layering blessings after reinforcing his body with aura through his limbs.

First the Phantom Leather blessing activated, strengthening durability.

Second the Tempest Flow blessing enhanced Luis’s speed.

Third the Autonomous clone blessing.

Two clones formed silently beside him underwater, each identical, their presence muted by the lake’s glow.

Each clone moved to a chain. One per ankle.

Luis summoned water aura specifically from the fourth core. The moment he let the first core contribute to the Phantom leather blessing he felt a faint stab of discomfort in his chest.

But it was manageable he endured it.

One breathless second of perfect synchronization. Clones tightened their grips.

Luis directed a focused upward current beneath his feet, compressing water into a dense vertical stream.

"Now." Luis thought mentally.

All three struck simultaneously. The clones attacked the chains at weak points. Luis kicked upward as the water current exploded beneath him.

Crack. The chains shattered into dissolving shadow.

Freedom.

Luis surged upward.

And froze as he got jump scared.

A figure stood directly in front of him

underwater.

Close.

Too close.

Aunt Sera.

Her eyes were wide with concern?

The sudden proximity jolted Luis’s nerves.

His mouth opened in reflex.

Water rushed in and panic flickered.

Before he could react, Sera’s expression changed.

She laughed.

Underwater.

No bubbles escaped her lips.

Somehow, the water parted around her mouth as if unwilling to intrude.

She grabbed him by the collar and the world blurred.

The lake vanished beneath them in an instant as she rocketed upward. It wasn’t swimming.

It wasn’t movement. It was so fast it was near instant teleportation.

They broke through the surface, Sera flicked her wrist and Gravity shifted.

Luis felt his momentum slow unnaturally as she hurled him toward the grassy shore.

He tumbled once, twice and, rolled to a stop. Luis immediately spat out the water he had swallowed and started coughing and gasping.

Above him, Sera landed lightly.

She looked down at him. Half amused and half impressed.

Luis coughed violently, rolling onto his side as water poured from his mouth.

His chest burned.

Not from lack of air the aura circulating through his body had compensated for that earlier but from the sudden shock of inhaling water.

He spat again, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Ghk"

More coughing.

Above him, leaves rustled softly in the breeze.

Then a voice spoke.

"Well... that explains it."

Luis froze.

Aunt Sera’s tone held clear amusement.

He slowly looked up.

She stood a few steps away on the grassy shore, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised.

"You know," she continued casually, "I was actually worried."

Luis coughed once more before managing to sit upright.

"W-worried?" he rasped.

Sera nodded.

"I thought you had been attacked."

Luis blinked.

"Attacked?"

She gestured vaguely toward the lake behind him.

"I sensed the chains breaking way faster than they should have. I assumed something had interfered." Her eyes narrowed slightly, studying him. "Turns out you just broke the chains."

Luis rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Um.. yes."

A small smile formed on Sera’s face

"That’s good."

She stepped forward, crouching slightly so they were at eye level

"That means we can increase the speed of your training."

Luis wasn’t sure whether that was good news.

Before he could respond, Sera straightened.

"For now," she continued, "your next step will be forming weapons out of water."

"Weapons?"

"Yes."

She gestured toward the lake again.

"You’ve already felt the element. That means the next stage is shaping it."

Luis glanced back at the glowing water.

Shaping it...

That sounded harder than just moving it.

Sera seemed to read his thoughts immediately.

"Don’t worry," she said lightly. "You’ll fail quite a lot before succeeding."

Luis groaned quietly.

She smirked.

"But that training can wait for later today."

Luis looked back at her.

"Wait?

Sera turned toward the distant treeline.

"For now, let’s go meet your uncle."

Luis blinked.

"Uncle Raine?"

"Yes."

Sera began walking toward the nearby stone archway where the portal shimmered faintly in the air.

"He’ll take a look at your cores."

Luis stood up quickly and followed.

"To see what?"

"To see the pain."

Luis frowned slightly.

The pain...

He glanced down at his chest subconsciously, remembering the faint stabbing sensation that had appeared whenever the first core’s aura mixed with the fourth.

It hadn’t been unbearable. But this was just the start, the Phoenix essence was still weak.

Sera stepped through the portal without hesitation.

Luis followed immediately.

The world folded.

For a brief moment everything stretched into colorless light.

Then the air snapped back into place.

They emerged on the other side.

The forest greeted them with familiar calm.

Towering trees surrounded them. They walked through the city until they reached the branch of one of tree’s where uncle Raine’s house was.

Moments later, they found him.

Luis’s uncle sat casually on a thick tree branch extending from one of the branches on the branch of the tree which the house was on.

He glanced at them as they approached.

"You’re back early."

Raine’s eyes moved toward him.

A quiet smile appeared.

"So," he said calmly, "You got the water blessing."

Luis scratched his cheek.

"Yeah."