<div> For Nent, finding Nefertiti was easy; she wasn’t trying to hide.
 Now, in the Tower of Babel, within one of the private chambers reserved for honored guests, two phoenixes sat across from each other. A complicated relationship bound them, and they realized the words were not coming easily.
 Nefertiti's hands trembled slightly as she held a cup of tea, the delicate porcelain reflecting the soft pink glow, tinged with gold, that emanated from her eyes.
 The transformation to King-rank had changed her in subtle ways—her presence felt heavier, more substantial, as if the world itself acknowledged her new station. Yet despite this newfound power, she felt smaller than ever before the woman sitting across from her.
 A bitter smile formed on her face. When she became a King, she faced many of her deep-seated traumas. Because of this, she initially thought that talking with Nent would be easy. Now they were both King-ranked, right?
 How naïve she had been. Years of trauma and indoctrination could not vanish this easily.
 “Nefertiti. Please, look at me.” Nent was the first one to break this uncomfortable silence.
 Nefertiti looked up and was surprised by what she saw.
𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂 Nent had always observed her Nefertiti with eyes filled with disappointment. Disappointment born from centuries of failures and rejection. In the past, Nefertiti was nothing more than another failure, the proof that she could never reach her goal.
 This time, things were different. The crimson-haired phoenix appeared as composed as always, her beauty unmarred by time, but there was something different in her gaze today, something softer.
 "Congratulations," Nent said finally, breaking the silence that had stretched between them. "You have accomplished what I worked seven hundred years to achieve. The first phoenix in ten thousand years to reach King-rank." She paused, swirling the wine in her glass. "Though we both know it wasn't my work that brought you here, was it?"
 Nefertiti's fingers tightened around her teacup. "No," she admitted quietly. "It wasn't."
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 </div> A rueful smile crossed Nent's lips. "I suppose I should have expected this. For all my careful planning, all my selective breeding, all my calculations..." She laughed, but there was no bitterness in it. "In the end, love proved to be the variable I for which could never account."
 "Lady Nent—"
 "Let me finish." Nent raised a hand, her voice gentle but firm. "I owe you an apology, Nefertiti. Several, in fact."
 Nefertiti's eyes widened in shock. In all her years, she had never heard Nent apologize to anyone. The matriarch of the Phoenix realm did not apologize. She commanded, she directed, she manipulated when necessary, but she never admitted fault.
 "I treated you as a piece on a game board," Nent continued, her gaze distant. "A beautiful, valuable piece, to be sure, but a piece‌. I selected your parents with the same care a jeweler uses to cut diamonds—calculating bloodlines, predicting outcomes, optimizing for specific traits." She set down her glass with a soft clink. "Your beauty was intentional. Your charm’s spirit heritage, deliberate. Even with your gentle, accommodating nature, I bred for that, believing it would make you the perfect political bride for whoever I deemed worthy."
 "I know," Nefertiti whispered. She had always known. For all her faults, Nent had been nothing but honest about her goals and means. Nefertiti had always understood what ‌the ultimate destination of her life was, and she had embraced and accepted that reality long before even meeting Sol.
 "But what I failed to account for," Nent's voice softened, "was that in creating someone so perfectly designed to love and serve, I created someone with a heart far purer than my own, someone capable of a devotion I had long forgotten existed." She met Nefertiti's gaze directly. "You, your parents and everyone else were not meant to be just tools. Somewhere along the way, I forgot myself. I forgot people were more than the sum of their genetics."
 Tears formed in the corners of Nefertiti's eyes, though she fought to keep them from falling. "You gave me life. You gave me purpose. Everything I am—"
 "Everything you ARE," Nent interrupted firmly, "is yours and yours alone. Yes, I gave you life, but you have taken that gift and transcended every limitation I tried to place upon it." She stood, moving to sit beside Nefertiti on the cushioned couch. "Tell me—when you awakened to your Truth, what did you see?"
 Nefertiti closed her eyes, remembering the moment of her enlightenment. "A world of mirrors. Thousands upon thousands of them, each reflecting a different moment of my life. From birth to the day I met him."
 "And what did you feel?"
 "I felt..." Nefertiti's voice caught. "I felt complete. For the first time in my life, I understood why I existed. Not because you made me, not because I was designed for a purpose, but because I chose it. I chose him. I chose this path. And in that choice, I found myself."
 Nent reached out, gently wiping away a tear that had escaped down Nefertiti's cheek. "That is the difference between us, little one. I have spent centuries trying to escape the chains of fate, fighting against the destiny that was written for me. I resented every limitation, every expectation; I wanted to show the world that the sacrifice of my friends was wrong, that the theory Hansel and Gretel established was right." She smiled sadly. "But you... You embraced fate. You looked at the threads binding you to Sol, and you didn't see chains—you saw a lifeline, a connection to something greater than yourself."
 "You must think I'm foolish," Nefertiti said. She knew very well that powerhouses generally despised the concept of Fate, but Nefertiti loved it. For it was Fate that brought him to her. But she did not bow down to Fate, because while Fate brought him to her, it was her own will and actions that helped her walk alongside him.
 "No." Nent's answer was immediate and absolute. "I think you're braver than I ever was. You know what true freedom is, and it isn't what I've been chasing all these centuries."
 Nefertiti turned to look at her Nent fully. Gone were the trembling, the fear, and the doubt. Now, only curiosity was present. "Then what is it?"
 "Freedom," Nent said slowly, as if testing each word, "is not the absence of bonds. It's the choice of which bonds to accept." She took Nefertiti's hand in hers. "I spent so long trying to break free from my mother, from the expectations of being a phoenix, from the weight of my bloodline. But you... You chose your chains. You wrapped them around yourself willingly, and in doing so, you flew higher than I ever could."
 Nent truly admired the way Nefertiti changed. It was not something she could do. Even though she was doing her best to become a better person.
 A comfortable silence fell between them, broken only by the soft sounds of breathing and the distant bustle of the tower below.
 "I love him," Nefertiti finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Not because you designed me to, not because fate bound us together, but because when I look at him, I see light in a world that always seemed gray to me. He makes me want to be more than I am. He makes me believe that even someone like me, born and raised as a tool rather than a person, has a value beyond my utility."
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 "You are right. The start of your relationship might have been far from romantic," Nent said softly. " But now, he sees you. Not just your beauty, nor your lineage. He sees Nefertiti. The woman who loves him so deeply that it transcends reason. The woman who achieved the impossible because her heart demanded it."
 Nent squeezed Nefertiti’s hand. "That is why you succeeded where I failed. Not because you're stronger or more talented, but because you had something worth fighting for beyond your own ambition."
 Nent felt cheesy even as she uttered those words, but she truly believed in them.
 Nefertiti, meanwhile, couldn't hold back the tears anymore. They flowed freely down her cheeks as she leaned into Nent's embrace, something she had never done before, not even as a child.
 Nent's arms wrapped around her, and for the first time in either of their long lives, there was no calculation in the gesture, just love and appreciation.
 "I'm sorry," Nent murmured into Nefertiti's hair. "I'm sorry I made you feel you needed to earn love. I'm sorry I taught you that others measured your worth in bloodlines and power rather than the content of your heart. I'm sorry I tried to control something that should have been yours to discover on your own."
 "You gave me the tools," Nefertiti said through her tears. "Even if you didn't mean to. You taught me discipline, you taught me observation, you taught me patience. And when I met Sol, I used all of those lessons not to trap him, but to understand him. To love him better."
 They sat like that for a long while, two phoenixes who had spent decades or centuries wearing masks finally allowing themselves to be vulnerable with each other.
 Eventually, Nent pulled back slightly, brushing the last tears from Nefertiti's face. "There's something I need to tell you. Something I should have told you long ago."
 Nefertiti waited, her newly awakened King-ranked senses detecting the shift in Nent's demeanor. It was nervousness, something she had never witnessed in the ancient phoenix before.
 "I love him, too," Nent admitted quietly. "Perhaps not as deeply or as purely as you do. But when I shared my secret with him in the Phoenix realm, when I allowed myself to be vulnerable for the first time in centuries... he didn't use it against me. He didn't see a weakness to exploit. He saw someone who needed understanding." She met Nefertiti's eyes. "That night we spent together, you and Sol and I—I told myself it was strategy, a way to bind him to our interests. But the truth is, I wanted to be close to someone who made me feel like I could be more than what Gabriel created me to be."
 "I know," Nefertiti said gently with a cheeky smile. "I've always known. Falling for my wonderful lord is normal. Even the goddesses would fall for him if he so wished.”
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 </div> “You truly are a fanatic.” Nent chortled.
 They laughed together, and the sound was light and genuine.
 As their laughter faded, Nefertiti's expression grew more serious. "Lady Nent, can I ask you something?"
 "Just call me Nent; you are a King now. And you can ask me anything. I will do my best to answer."
 Nefertiti hesitated a moment but eventually nodded. "Do you regret it? The seven hundred years of planning, the careful breeding programs, all of it? Now that you know I would have reached King-rank anyway, through love rather than genetics?"
 Nent pondered the question, her gaze drifting to the window, where the sun painted the sky in shades of gold and crimson. "No," she said finally. "I don't regret it. Even if my methods were flawed, even if my motivations were selfish, they led to you. And you, my dear, have become something far greater than anything I could have designed."
 She turned back to face Nefertiti. "My only regret is that I almost missed seeing it. That I was so focused on my plans, my goals, my need for freedom, that I nearly failed to recognize the miracle standing right in front of me."
 "The miracle?" Nefertiti asked softly.
 "A woman who knows exactly who she is and what she wants, who isn't afraid to devote herself completely to something greater. A woman who achieved the impossible not through birthright or breeding, but through the sheer force of her will and the purity of her heart." Nent's voice was thick with emotion. "You are my greatest achievement, Nefertiti. Not because I made you, but because you surpassed everything I ever dreamed you could be."
 Fresh tears spilled down Nefertiti's cheeks once again. She never thought that she was so emotionally fragile. But how she had longed for such words from Nent. Receiving ‌recognition from the one she had admired all her life was simply wonderful.
 "I need to tell you something as well," Nefertiti said, her voice steady despite the tears. "About my awakening, and what it means for the future."
 Nent straightened, her attention fully focused. "Go on."
 "My True Name is Theia. The concept I've awakened to..." Nefertiti paused, choosing her words carefully. "It's not just servitude, though that's part of it. It's deeper than that. I've become the embodiment of devotional love—the incarnation of Faith. Every prayer spoken in Sol's name, every act of faith, every moment of genuine reverence—it all feeds into my power."
 Nent's eyes widened in understanding. "You're building a foundation for his godhood."
 "Yes," Nefertiti confirmed. "And I need your help. Not as my creator or my superior, but as..." She hesitated, then smiled. "As my partner. My collaborator and an advisor."
 "What do you need from me?"
 "I need your knowledge, your experience. I need your understanding of how the divine beasts and the goddesses maintain their power through faith." Nefertiti's eyes gleamed with determination. "Together, we can create something unprecedented. Not a religion based on fear or obligation, but one built on genuine love and devotion. One that will elevate Sol to heights even the current goddesses cannot imagine."
 Nent studied her granddaughter for a long moment, then slowly smiled. It was a smile full of pride and affection, but also one filled with ambition. She understood what Nefertiti was asking for. "You want me to influence my progeny? Do you wish to control everything from the shadows?"
 "No. Faith should not be sneaky. I'm asking you to walk beside me," Nefertiti corrected. "As equals, as family. As two phoenixes who both love the same man, for different reasons but with equal sincerity."
 "Equals," Nent repeated, tasting the word. "My mother would be horrified. Her daughter, one of the four King-ranked phoenixes, agreed to deviate from the faith that should be reserved for the goddesses just to help my mate."
 "Are you declining?" Nefertiti asked, though there was a playful glint in her eye.
 "Absolutely not," Nent said firmly. She extended her hand. "I would be honored to work with you, Nefertiti. Let's spread a new faith in the Phoenix’s Realm."
 Nefertiti took her hand. They stayed like this for a moment, savoring this new relationship.
 "There's one more thing," Nefertiti said as they released their grip. "About Sol's last fight..."
 "You're nervous," Nent observed.
 "Terrified," Nefertiti admitted. "He nearly died. He pushed himself beyond his limits, fighting that ancient god. Yet I was of no help to him. I hate that. I hate this feeling of helplessness.”
 Nent placed both hands on Nefertiti's shoulders, her gaze fierce and unwavering. "Listen to me carefully, little one. That boy loves you. Not because you're useful, not because you're powerful, but because you're you."
 "How can you be sure?"
 "Because," Nent said with absolute certainty, " I've seen how he looks at you." She smiled gently. "He sees your worth, Nefertiti. He always has. The only one who ever doubted it was you."
 Nefertiti took a deep breath, then nodded. "You're right. I know you're right. I just..." She laughed weakly. "I just love him so much that the thought of disappointing him terrifies me more than facing any enemy ever could."
 "That's what makes your love real," Nent said softly. "If you weren't afraid of losing it, it wouldn't mean anything."
 Nefertiti nodded and stood up. Now that she was calmer, she faced Nent and gave a bow.
 "Thank you," she said simply. "For everything. For creating me, for raising me, for finally seeing me. For becoming more than my creator—for becoming my family."
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 </div> Nent's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "The thanks should be mine. You've given me something I thought I'd lost forever."
 "What's that?"
 "Hope," Nent replied. "Hope that even someone as calculating and cold as I've become can still learn, still change, still love."
 She squeezed Nefertiti's arm. "You've taught me that freedom isn't about escaping bonds. It's about choosing which ones to cherish. And I chose this one. I choose you, and I choose him, and I choose this strange, imperfect family we're building together."
 If they were ever to create a genealogical tree, it would be one that was so twisted it would look grotesque, yet she would never give up this feeling.
 Nefertiti laughed, understanding full well what Nent meant.
 With the air now clear between them, they opened the door together and stepped into the corridor, walking side-by-side toward their chambers. Behind them, the tea and wine sat forgotten, symbols of a conversation that had changed everything.
 As they walked, Nent spoke quietly, just loud enough for Nefertiti to hear. "You know, when I conceived of this project seven hundred years ago, I imagined creating the perfect hybrid. Someone who could reach King-rank through pure genetic superiority."
 "And instead?" Nefertiti prompted.
 "Instead, I created you. Someone who reached King-rank not through genetics, but through grace. Not through breeding, but through love and Faith. The very things I rejected." Nent smiled. "I suppose the universe has a sense of humor. I tried to play god; instead, I helped create someone who will genuinely help make one."
 They shared a quiet laugh as they left while preparing plans for the future, one of which involved something quite naughty.
 Nent hoped Sol would appreciate the surprise.</div>
 

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Special 34: Two Phoenix

For Nent, finding Nefertiti was easy; she wasn’t trying to hide. Now, in the Tower of Babel, within one of the private chambers reserved for honored guests, two phoenixes sat across from each other. A complicated relationship bound them, and they realized the words were not coming easily. Nefertiti's hands trembled slightly as she held a cup of tea, the delicate porcelain reflecting the soft pink glow, tinged with gold, that emanated from her eyes. The transformation to King-rank had changed...

Son of the Hero King

Special 34: Two Phoenix

Son of the Hero King - Special 34: Two Phoenix