As more of Emma's blood entered Lucien's veins, his reactions grew increasingly violent. Silas watched the monitors closely, eyes narrowing as the readings spiked higher and higher. When the energy curve finally hit its limit, he hurried over, pulled the needle from Emma's arm, pressed down on the puncture, and helped her to her feet. "He's about to enter Pyreborn. We need to get out." Already?! Emma's eyes widened, but she nodded quickly. "Okay!" They had just turned to leave when a low, resonant hum filled the pod. A powerful surge of energy exploded outward from Lucien's body, rippling through the air like a shockwave. A faint golden glow flickered to life at the center of his chest, weak at first—like a candle in the wind—then began to burn brighter, rising into a steady flame. The temperature in the recovery pod shot up in an instant. "Marcus!" Silas called, supporting Emma as heat licked at their skin."On it!" The door burst open, and a gust of freezing air swept inside. Marcus strode in quickly, his sharp eyes scanning Emma first. Seeing she was unharmed, he exhaled and said gently, "Ms. Tibarn, step outside. Leave this to me." Looks like all that blood she gave didn't harm her after all. He didn't know how she'd managed it, but as long as she was fine, that was all that mattered. "Be careful," Emma said quietly, glancing once more at Lucien—his body now engulfed in fire—before leaving the pod with Silas. The moment they exited, Marcus released his ability. A wave of frost swept across the room, freezing everything solid except for Lucien's bed. The flames around Lucien roared higher, blazing into a furious inferno that devoured the ice around it. Every drop of melted water evaporated instantly, leaving nothing behind. Marcus fought to keep the frost regenerating fast enough to contain it, spreading layers of ice across the pod's surface to prevent the fire from bursting through. Gradually, the flames began to shrink.But just as they seemed about to die out—shriek! A piercing phoenix cry split the heavens. It was sharp and haunting, echoing through the very soul, shaking the entire Central Planet. A blinding burst of energy detonated from within, hurling Marcus backward like a rag doll. The recovery pod disintegrated in a flash, reduced to ash. From the wreckage rose a colossal golden phoenix, its wings blazing with divine fire that burned brighter than the sun. Each beat of its wings scattered torrents of golden flame, raining down in incandescent streams that turned everything they touched into scorched earth. "Drake, I need you here—now!" Marcus roared, his form blurring as he shifted into a massive white wolf and launched himself skyward. "Rrraaaagh!" A gale of icy wind erupted around him, clashing against the blazing phoenix in midair. Drake—who had already sensed the cataclysmic surge—shed his human form. Midnight scales rippled across his body as he transformed into a mighty dragon and ascended with a roar that rolled like thunder."Coming!" Drake's voice boomed across the sky as he summoned torrents of water. Vast cascades poured down like waterfalls, surrounding the golden phoenix in a spiraling vortex. Marcus froze the torrents midair, forging towering ice walls around Lucien's raging form. Boom! Boom! Boom! Golden fireballs slammed into the barrier, exploding in deafening bursts. Massive craters formed across the ice walls, their edges beginning to melt despite the relentless cold. Above them, the phoenix flailed wildly, consumed by divine flame and madness. Each powerful flap of its wings sent another storm of blazing meteors crashing down—a rain of fire that lit up the sky like the end of days. Silas had already evacuated Emma and the others aboard the warship, retreating beyond the manor's perimeter. "The ice walls won't hold much longer!" Marcus shouted, his power burning low under the relentless heat. "Hold them steady!" Drake bellowed, channeling his ability once more. Rivers of water poured from the heavens as the dragon and the wolf fought side by side, sealing the gaps as fast as they appeared. They couldn't attack Lucien—not without killing him—and they couldn't fight him here on Central Planet. All they could do was defend. White frost and black scales gleamed together in the chaos, their combined strength reinforcing the crumbling walls. Aboard the warship, Emma watched the live feed on the monitor, her expression tight with alarm. "So this is what a phoenix's Pyreborn looks like?" she murmured. "It's terrifying…" "At this rate, Marcus and Drake won't be able to hold much longer," she said, her voice low. "I've already contacted Calum," Silas replied, his own gaze fixed grimly on the screen. The massive golden phoenix filled the sky, its radiance almost too bright to look at. Something's wrong… Aurelian Pyreborn shouldn't look like this. As the thought crossed his mind, a blinding flash of silver tore through the clouds. In the blink of an eye, a tall figure appeared on the warship's deck—Calum, straight-backed and sharp-eyed, radiating cold authority. He looked up at the frenzied phoenix thrashing against the heavens, his brows knitting into a dark frown. Then, unable to hold back, he cursed under his breath.