Observing the Empress tearfully clinging to Elara, their reluctance to part palpable, I remained unmoved.
When informed of my death in a past life, the Empress had coldly remarked, "Phoebe was nothing but a cursed child, unworthy of being a queen. That Elara claimed her heart was only fitting."
"Her death was well-deserved. Let us speak no more of her; she brings misfortune."
Labeled as a misfortune, I vowed to no longer grovel for their paltry affection in this lifetime.
Raised in opulence, Elara had always been ensconced above the common fray, unaware of the harsh realities awaiting her among the beasts.
I left the mountain alone, unaccompanied and unmissed.
Fate, however, led me straight into the procession of the Beast King, coming to collect Elara.
He appeared in human form, his dark robes accentuating his unnaturally pale complexion, greeting me with a nobleman's bow.
"Excuse me, lady, might this be the abode of the Phoenix Palace?"
His smile was a warm breeze, yet it sent shivers of ice through me.
Despite rebirth, he was still the specter of my deepest fears, a perfect pretender to virtue.