680 Maya's Nightmare

For many, immortality is a coveted prize, but for Maya, it has always been a punishment, more curse than blessing.

If her family and tribe were still alive, things might have been different. However, as the last of the Phoenixes, her eternal life has been marked by a haunting solitude and profound sadness.

She'd learned through bitter experience that forging bonds with mortal beings only invited inevitable pain when they departed. Given her life on the run, those close to her often met gruesome ends.

Yet, individuals tend to repeat their past mistakes, a fact Maya is confronted with now. As she gazes upon Layla, helpless and confined like a sacrificial animal, her heart aches with a familiar agony.

"My little girl..." Crimson tears cascade down Maya's lovely face, their heat akin to living flames.

Basking in Maya's torment, Tyrion flashes a cruel smile. "You will do as I command, foolish creature!"