Chapter 5: Phoenix

Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Phoenix Betty gently touched the phoenix’s beak with her fingertips. In an instant, her entire body vanished, leaving only her clothes fluttering behind, like a ghost had slipped out of them. The next thing she knew, she was staring up at a bright blue sky. "Huh...? Where am I?" she muttered, blinking in confusion. Then her eyes widened in shock. "W-What?! I can speak?! My voice!" She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and scanned her surroundings. Her jaw dropped. Before her lay a stunning, surreal paradise—a crystal-clear waterfall cascading from a jagged mountain, lush forest trees bearing glowing purple fruits, and peaceful animals grazing without fear. A gentle breeze swept through, and Betty shivered as it kissed her skin. Then, she froze. Looking down, her face turned pale. "E-Eh...?!"She was completely naked. "AHHH! Who’s the bastard that dared to strip me?!" She jumped up, crouching while frantically covering her chest and lower half with her arms. Her fierce eyes scanned the peaceful paradise—but there was only the sound of water and rustling leaves in response. "H-Hello, Master." A soft, childlike voice echoed in the air. Betty’s lips twitched. She looked around nervously. "G-Girl, don’t come out! Wherever you are, just—"She snatched some large leaves and clumsily wrapped them around herself like a jungle dress."—Just tell me where I am!" "Master, this is a space created by the Immortal Phoenix, and I’m one of its descendants." Still adjusting the large leaves around herself, Betty looked around with a skeptical expression. "Immortal Phoenix? Girl, are you joking with me? Because it’s not funny." "Eh?! No! I’m a real Phoenix!" the childlike voice huffed."And also the owner of this space. I chose you as my master—you should be thankful." Betty blinked, surprised by the sudden shift from timid to arrogant. "Oye, kid—where are you? And what do you mean, ’owner of this space’?" A spark flared in the air—and out of thin air, a small, fiery red bird appeared. Its feathers shimmered like molten gold, and its eyes sparkled with intelligence. "I am the Phoenix! And while you’re the master, I still own this space, hmph!" Betty stared at the tiny, proud creature for a beat... then casually reached out and picked it up with one hand. "Waaah! What are you doing?! Let me go!" Betty held the bird up, spinning it and studying it with amusement. ’Did I... just get my golden finger cheat code? Hehehe...’A bit of drool sparkled at the corner of her lips. The phoenix began to panic. "D-Don’t eat me, please! If you eat me, you’ll lose access to the space!" Betty blinked and frowned. ’When did I say I was going to eat him? What’s with this dramatic bird?’ She smiled sweetly."Relax. I’m not gonna eat you, cutie." She poked its round cheek gently."Now, will you tell me—this space is really mine?" The phoenix huffed, wings fluttering. "Yes, yes! This space is now linked to you, and I’m its guardian. I chose you as my master because you carry ********. In this space, you can store anything—food, weapons, items—and it won’t rot or decay." Betty’s eyes sparkled with excitement. not noticing she didn’t understand the reason she is chosen She let the bird go, and it flapped up to perch on a nearby tree branch. ’With this... I won’t starve during the apocalypse!’ "So, how do I enter and leave this space?" she asked, eyes locked on the phoenix. "Outside, just rub the mark on your hand. Inside, just think about leaving." Before she could say another word, Betty vanished. The phoenix blinked in confusion."Eh? She left so fast... we didn’t even introduce ourselves yet..."He sighed dramatically. Back in the real world, Betty’s eyes opened as she found herself sitting on the floor again. She immediately touched her arm, checking herself—and let out a sigh of relief. "Ah... ah..." (Thank God I’m not naked out here...) A tick mark formed on her forehead. ’Tch. Outside, I still can’t talk, huh...’ Getting up, Betty quietly walked toward Sophia’s room. Seeing the little girl already awake, she scooped her into her arms. Sophia leaned lazily against her shoulder, still half-asleep as they headed downstairs. ’I need to find a way to speak... Maybe that space can help me. I have to go in again soon.’ She gently placed Sophia on the sofa and headed into the kitchen to prepare something to eat. "Click." The front door opened. Betty froze. Heart racing, she darted back into the living room and held Sophia tightly in her arms. "Mommy? What’s wrong?" Betty shook her head and placed a finger on her lips, signaling silence. She peeked cautiously around the corner—and spotted a man in a sleek business suit standing at the doorway. Her brow arched slightly. He looked composed... but cold. His presence screamed arrogance. "Betty, where are you?" he called out. His voice was laced with irritation rather than concern. Betty put Sophia back on the chair and walked toward the front door, notebook clutched in her arms. He looked at her, eyes narrowing. "So I was right. You didn’t get kidnapped."His voice was cold, his gaze filled with disdain. Betty didn’t flinch. Instead, she calmly wrote and held up the notebook: {What are you doing here? And who are you to decide whether I was kidnapped or not?} The man frowned, his jaw tightening as his hands curled into fists. This wasn’t the Betty he remembered. "What do you mean, ’who am I’? I’m your brother, Betty. I have that right." Betty smiled coldly. ’Brother, huh? If I hadn’t read that novel, I wouldn’t have known what kind of beast you really are.’ She calmly scribbled again and held it up with a blank expression: {Sorry, Mr. Damien Thomas. I have no family. Please kindly get the hell out of here.}