Chapter 442: Sacrifice

Electra's POV

The creature let out a slow sigh after my question, and for a moment, it looked almost tired, like it had gone through this conversation before, or maybe like it already knew how I was going to react before I even said anything else. "I know what you're thinking," it began, its voice quieter now, less mocking than before, but still carrying that strange calm that I didn't like.

"You think that because your mother died, she must have been weak." It paused for a second, its eyes fixed on me in a way that made it feel like it was trying to read me, trying to see past the surface. "But the last thing Solara was… was weak." There was a firmness in its tone now, something that made it clear that this wasn't something it was willing to argue about. "And that is the same reason you are not weak either."

I rolled my eyes immediately, not even bothering to hide how unimpressed I was by that. "You keep saying that," I muttered, crossing my arms as I leaned slightly to one side, clearly not moved by whatever point it was trying to make.

It didn't matter how many times it repeated that she was strong or powerful or whatever else it wanted to call her. The truth was simple to me. She was dead, and no amount of words was going to change that. Still, the creature continued like my reaction didn't matter at all.

"Solara," it went on, "was the daughter of one of the most powerful deities in the entire realm." That made me raise a brow slightly, but I didn't interrupt. "She was not just meant to live as a phoenix. She was born to become a deity herself."

Its voice carried a strange intensity as it said that, like it was talking about something far bigger than I could fully understand. "She had the potential to become something greater than even the one who brought her into existence. She had powers that even he did not possess."

I let out a quiet scoff at that, shaking my head slightly as I looked away for a brief second before turning my attention back to it. "And yet, she's still dead," I said flatly, cutting through whatever grandeur it was trying to build around her. "So all of that doesn't really mean anything to me." My eyes narrowed slightly as I stared at it again, my patience already thinning. "If she was so powerful, then how did she die?" I asked again, my tone sharper now. "You keep talking around it, but you're not actually answering me."

I took a small step forward, my gaze locked on it as I continued, not giving it any chance to dodge the question again. "Was she murdered?" I asked bluntly. "Or did she just somehow fail to use all that power you keep praising her for?" There was a slight pause before I added, my voice colder now, "Just answer the question already."

For a moment, the creature didn't say anything. It just stood there, watching me, like it was deciding how much it wanted to say and how much it should keep to itself. Then, finally, it spoke.

"Solara never had a moment of weakness," it said slowly, its voice steady but carrying a weight that made me pay attention despite myself. "Not a single moment where she could be killed and not come back to life like any other phoenix would." It paused briefly before adding, "Except for one."

I frowned slightly at that, my confusion growing, but I didn't interrupt this time. I just stood there, waiting for it to continue.

"There was only one moment," it repeated, "one very specific moment when she was not able to defend herself and, more importantly, could not come back." Its eyes didn't leave mine as it spoke, and there was something about the way it said it that made my chest feel tight without me understanding why. "And someone knew about that moment."

I didn't like the way this was going.

"That moment," it continued, "was the moment you were born."

Everything in me stilled.

For a few seconds, I didn't move, didn't speak, didn't even blink. I just stood there, staring at it as its words settled in my mind, slowly, heavily, like something sinking to the bottom of deep water. I didn't interrupt, I didn't question him, I just listened.

"Your existence," it went on, its voice calm in a way that felt almost cruel, "was forbidden by all the gods of the earth. A phoenix and a human… creating life together was never something that was meant to happen." It tilted its head slightly, watching me carefully as it spoke. "The plan was simple. You were never supposed to be born alive. You were meant to be stillborn."

My jaw tightened slightly, but I still didn't say anything.

"But Solara…" it continued, and there was something softer in its voice now, something that almost sounded like respect, "refused to accept that." It let out a quiet breath before going on. "She protected you. She fought against everything that stood in her way, and she made sure that you were born alive." There was a brief pause before it added, "But it came at a cost."

I could feel it now, that heaviness in my chest, stronger than before.

"Giving birth to you," it said, "took everything she had. Every bit of strength, every bit of power, and by the time you were born, she was barely holding on." Its gaze didn't leave mine, like it wanted me to understand every single word. "She was so weak… that it would have taken her a long time to recover. Maybe not even fully."

My fingers curled slightly at my sides, but I stayed silent.

"And someone knew that," it continued, its voice lowering just a little. "Someone knew that this would be the only moment when Solara would be vulnerable." There was a pause, a brief moment where everything felt too quiet. "So they attacked."

My breath caught slightly, but I didn't let it show.

"They killed her," it said simply. "Right after you were born, at the one moment when she could not fight back. The one moment when she could not come back."

Silence filled the room after that, and it was both heavy and uncomfortable.

For a few seconds, I just stood there, my mind trying to process everything it had just said. It didn't make sense, or maybe it did, and I just didn't want it to. I stared at the creature, my expression unreadable, even though something inside me felt… off.

Then I let out a scoff. A dry, almost empty sound that broke the silence.

"So basically," I said slowly, my voice calm but carrying an edge that I didn't bother to hide, "I'm the reason she's dead."

The words felt strange in my mouth, but I said them anyway.

The creature didn't react immediately. It just watched me for a moment before finally responding. "I am not trying to hurt your feelings," it said, though its tone didn't sound apologetic at all. "But if Solara had chosen to give up on you…" It paused briefly before finishing, "She would still be alive today."

Something twisted in my chest at that, but I ignored it.

"She would have gone on to become the most powerful phoenix to have ever existed," it added, its voice steady. "She would have fulfilled the destiny she was born for."

I let out another scoff, louder this time, shaking my head slightly as I looked away for a brief second before turning back to it. "Well, that sounds like her problem, not mine," I said, my tone colder now, more defensive than before, even if I didn't want to admit it. "No one forced her to do anything." I crossed my arms tighter, my grip on myself almost unconscious. "She made her choice."

The creature didn't argue with me, but it didn't agree either. It just watched me, and for some reason, that annoyed me more than anything else.

"Don't look at me like that," I snapped suddenly, my eyes narrowing as I glared at it. "I didn't ask to be born. I didn't ask her to do any of that." My voice rose slightly. "So don't stand there and act like I owe her something."

Even as I said it, that heaviness in my chest didn't go away. If anything, it got worse, but I refused to acknowledge it. I refused to let it mean anything because as far as I was concerned, emotions like that were useless, and I didn't need them.