Destiny.

Phoenix's POV.

Destiny. The word tasted bitter in my mouth, like ash left behind from a flame that had long since burned out. It was the excuse they clung to, the justification for every wrong turn, every ruined life. It was the banner under which they rallied, blissfully ignorant of the scars it left behind.

Donovan stood tall despite his weariness, his gaze steady as it bore into mine. "The Serene Star does not make mistakes. You were chosen for a reason, Phoenix."

"A reason?" I scoffed, my voice dripping with disdain. "Tell me, Elder, what reason could possibly justify dragging me into this farce? What reason could justify throwing me into a role I never asked for?"

The crowd around us grew uneasy, their murmurs rising and falling like waves. I didn't care. Let them talk. Let them stare. They couldn't possibly understand what it was like to be me, to live with the weight of my own existence.