-----
Zephyrus had to summon a great deal of courage to ask Celica for a private conversation.
He had endured far more than he had anticipated. What was meant to be two years in the trial had stretched into six long years inside the dream-like space of the inheritance.
The conditions had been absurdly difficult, and only after all that time had he finally succeeded.
The Celestial Matriarch had assured him back then that he need not worry about aging. Though his body had grown older, his lifespan remained untouched.
That, however, was not his true concern. He had experienced a sudden growth spurt and now stood taller than his own big sister!
Although he had successfully helped his Golden Phoenix hatch and evolve into a powerful young adult form, one that aided in suppressing the darkness within him and the formidable entity residing there, he still had a long path ahead.
