burned ➷ stiles stilinski [1]

15. bardo

listen to: goodbye - chris hyson

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The water is thy enemy,

It hurts to the touch.

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Who ever thought that the Shadow Phoenix would meet her end in a pool of water?

It's ironic, I think, that the flame of life inside me would burn out. Over the 714 years I have existed, I've been beaten, stabbed, poisoned, shot, burned...but never drowned.

My fascination with fire was the beginning of my hatred towards water. It was the one and only thing that could kill the flame living inside of me.

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The final flame of this life slowly dies.

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I emerged from the dark and found myself running towards the light. I was tired of the cold and damp darkness. It had always been in my nature to deviate towards the liveliness and warmth of the light.

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The shadows creep closer in anticipation.

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There were no shadows hiding where I stood.

The Beacon Hills forest surrounded me, but it looked different than it had before. It was brighter; more beautiful than ever. Green, yellow and orange light came spilling through the tree branches and shone on my pale skin.

I looked down at my hands. They were no longer calloused from years of hand-to-hand combat, but the skin was silky smooth. The forest wasn't cold, like usual. In fact, I didn't feel anything at all.

A tall tree stood proudly next to me, its trunk about six feet in diameter. The aura that surrounded it was a mixture of lights and darks, like it didn't know quite what it wanted to be: a beacon of hope or a beacon for hell?

"Where am I?" I asked to no one in particular.

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The flame dances with the wind.

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"You are in Bardo, my dear."

The sudden voice frightened me. I wasn't expecting anyone to answer my question.

I turned around slowly to see who accompanied me.

The figure stood between two trees, but the light didn't shine on him like it shone on me. Bandages covered most of his body, but some of them were rotting and starting to fall off. At first, I wondered if it was Death coming to greet me, but I was completely wrong.

"I've been watching you, Shadow Phoenix," he said. His voice was deep and he had a slight lisp, and it sounded very familiar.

"Bardo?" I questioned. "Isn't that where dead people go?"

I could tell the man was smiling, even though dirty bandages covered most of his face. I squinted my eyes so I could try and see what he really looked like, but it was as if my supernatural sight was suddenly gone.

Then I started to panic. I was in Bardo.

"Oh my God," I said, my whole body trembling with fear and disbelief. "I'm dead, aren't I? That's why I'm here?" I looked at the man for an answer.

He stepped closer, a few of his loose bandages falling to the ground as he moved. "I do not believe you are dead yet, Phoenix, but your mind is ajar."