Rebirth of the Crimson Phoenix

Blood.

It was everywhere—warm, sticky, and pooling around Feng Yan's broken body. She could feel it seeping into her clothes, spreading across the cold stone floor beneath her. Her vision blurred as she stared up at the two figures looming over her, their faces twisted in expressions of cruelty and contempt. The pain was unbearable, a burning, relentless agony that seemed to tear through every fiber of her being. But it was the pain in her heart, the searing ache of betrayal, that hurt the most.

"Why?" Her voice was weak, barely audible, but it carried all the desperation and sorrow that weighed down her soul. "Why are you doing this to me?"

Feng Yue's lips curled into a sneer, her beautiful face marred by an ugly expression of disdain. Her eyes, once so full of life, were now cold and merciless, reflecting only hatred. Feng Yan could see it now—how that hatred had festered, growing stronger over the years, until it had consumed her entirely.

"Why?" Feng Yue echoed mockingly, tilting her head as if pondering the question. "Because, dear sister, you've always been a thorn in my side. A reminder of everything I could never be. They brought you into our home to change my fate, but instead, you stole everything that was rightfully mine!"

Feng Yan's heart clenched painfully as she struggled to comprehend the depth of her sister's malice. She had always known that Feng Yue resented her, but she had never imagined it ran this deep. She had foolishly believed that beneath all the resentment, there was still a bond between them, a thread of sisterly affection that could never be severed. How wrong she had been.

"And you," Feng Yan whispered, turning her gaze to Jing Wei, the man she had once loved with all her heart. He stood beside Feng Yue, his expression unreadable, but his eyes—those eyes that had once looked at her with warmth and tenderness—were now cold and devoid of any emotion. "Why, Jing Wei? Why did you betray me?"

Jing Wei's lips twisted into a cruel smile as he knelt beside her, brushing a strand of blood-soaked hair away from her face. "You were always so naive, Feng Yan. So desperate for love and approval. It was almost too easy. Did you really think I could ever love someone like you?" His laughter echoed through the room, a harsh, grating sound that filled her with dread.

Feng Yan's heart shattered into a thousand pieces. She had been a fool, a blind, trusting fool. All the moments they had shared, the sweet words, the tender touches—it had all been a lie. A carefully crafted lie meant to manipulate and destroy her.

Anger surged within her, momentarily overpowering the pain. How could she have been so stupid? How could she have allowed herself to be deceived so completely? She had devoted her entire life to pleasing her adoptive family, to earning their love and approval. She had given them everything, sacrificed her own dreams and desires, all in the vain hope that they would one day see her as one of their own. And what had she gained in return? Nothing but betrayal, hatred, and now, death.

Feng Yue stepped closer, her eyes glinting with malice. "You were always too perfect, too beautiful for your own good. Do you know how much I hated you? Watching you, knowing that everyone admired you, even though you were nothing more than a worthless orphan? You disgust me, Feng Yan. You always have."

Feng Yan's body trembled with the force of her emotions—rage, despair, regret. She wanted to scream, to fight back, but she was too weak. Her life was slipping away, and she could feel it, like sand slipping through her fingers. Yet even in her fading moments, the anger refused to die. She wanted revenge. She needed it. The thought of dying here, without making them pay for what they had done, was unbearable.

"Jing Wei," Feng Yue continued, her voice dripping with venom, "you've done well. Now, let's finish this. I want to see her suffer before she dies. After all, we can't have her haunting us from the grave, can we?"

Jing Wei nodded, his eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. "Of course, my love. Whatever you desire."

He stood, pulling a gleaming knife from his coat. Feng Yan's heart pounded as she watched him approach. She wanted to scream, to beg for mercy, but pride kept her silent. She had been weak all her life, but she would not give them the satisfaction of seeing her beg in her final moments.

As Jing Wei knelt beside her again, Feng Yue leaned in close, her breath hot against Feng Yan's ear. "Do you know what I'm going to do after you're gone, dear sister?" she whispered, her voice low and menacing. "I'm going to cut that pretty face of yours into pieces. I'll make sure no one ever remembers you as the beautiful Feng Yan. You'll be nothing more than a mutilated corpse, a tragic, forgotten ghost."

Feng Yan's blood ran cold at her sister's words. The image of her own body, desecrated and defiled, filled her with a terror she had never known. But even in that terror, there was something else—something dark and primal, rising up from the depths of her soul. A need for vengeance so fierce it took her breath away.

"You… you won't win," Feng Yan whispered, her voice trembling but resolute. "I will come back. I will make you pay for this."

Feng Yue laughed, a harsh, cruel sound. "You? Come back? You're nothing, Feng Yan. A weak, pathetic girl who was never meant to be anything more than a pawn. You're going to die here, and no one will ever remember you."

Jing Wei raised the knife, his smile widening. "Goodbye, Feng Yan."

As the blade descended, time seemed to slow. Feng Yan closed her eyes, bracing herself for the final, excruciating blow. But just as the knife was about to pierce her flesh, something strange happened. A sudden warmth spread from the necklace tattoo on her neck, a warmth that quickly turned into a blazing heat.

Feng Yue and Jing Wei stepped back, startled. The room filled with a blinding light, emanating from Feng Yan's neck. The light grew brighter and brighter until it was impossible to see anything at all.

"What is this?" Feng Yue screamed, her voice panicked for the first time.

The light pulsed, growing in intensity, and then, with a deafening roar, it exploded outward. The force of the explosion was immense, sending Feng Yue and Jing Wei flying across the room. They hit the walls with bone-shattering force, the impact leaving cracks in the stone.

Feng Yan's vision began to blur as the pain in her chest intensified. But through the haze of her fading consciousness, she could see them—Feng Yue and Jing Wei—lying motionless on the floor, their bodies scorched and broken by the blast. The satisfaction of seeing them in pain, however brief, was the last emotion she felt before the darkness claimed her.