Chapter 50 – Return To The Flame
Solmara Galaxy: Hale Headquarters
The teleportation chamber at Hale Clan's intergalactic headquarters flickered to life. In a flash of bright blue energy, three figures stepped out of the glowing Teleporter.
A uniformed guard stood stiffly at the edge of the teleportation platform, posture perfect, a red helmet tucked under one arm and a polished set of keys glinting in the other. But when his eyes landed on the girl stepping out of the portal, his expression shifted—just slightly. A flicker of recognition. Then disbelief.
Jet-black hair. Crimson-red eyes.
He knew instantly who she was.
Ruby Hale.
No one else could be.
Because in the Hale Clan—one of the most ancient and pure-blooded lineages of Phoenix descent—every member without exception eventually awakens to flame-touched red hair. Even if a child is born blonde, brown, or raven-haired, the moment their phoenix blood stirs, their hair ignites into shades of molten red. It was considered a sacred sign, a rite of passage. A mark of legitimacy.
Except her.
Ruby was the only known exception.
She hadn't always been like this. As a child, her hair had turned the same brilliant red as the rest—wild, luminous, and alive. But then came the accident. No one spoke of it openly. All that was known was that something had happened—something violent, something devastating. And when she awoke days later, her hair had darkened into black. Not the dark crimson of controlled flame—but absolute black, like scorched ash. Like a fire that had burned itself out.
To some, it was considered a disgrace. To others, a curse.
Dormant. Pressurized. Waiting.
And now, after all these years, she was back—walking like a storm wrapped in human skin, with black hair flowing behind her like a shadow trailing a flame.
Behind her walked a silver-haired girl—Minji—and a slightly shorter boy with calm yet observant eyes—James.
The guard approached swiftly, lowered his head in respect, and spoke clearly, "Ma'am Ruby Hale, I'm Jeff. I've been sent by the Elders to receive the three of you. This," he raised the keys reverently, "is for your super bike."
Ruby blinked, caught off guard. She hadn't expected such a formal greeting, let alone someone calling her "ma'am" right at the gate.
Still, she gave a soft nod, murmured, "Thanks," and took the keys with grace.
Without another word, she turned and made her way into the garage. Her eyes immediately locked onto the machine of her dreams—
A sleek obsidian-red pyro bike.
Flame-like patterns danced across its frame. Phoenix-wing exhausts flared with emberlight. Golden accents highlighted its aggressive curves. A glowing, molten core pulsed at its center, radiating not just heat—but dominance. Spiked tires gripped the floor like talons of a god-beast. The bike exuded power.
Her breath hitched.
Eyes glinting with anticipation, Ruby swung her leg over the obsidian-red pyro bike, her fingers tightening around the handlebars like a long-lost lover finally returned. The machine pulsed beneath her—alive, breathing, waiting. She slid the helmet onto her head, the sleek glass visor reflecting a flash of her crimson gaze before it sealed shut.
Then—with a sharp flick of her wrist—
SCREECH.
The rear wheel whipped around in a burning drift, flames erupting beneath the tires as molten sparks danced across the garage floor. The air shimmered with heat, and the scent of ionized fuel and searing rubber filled the space.
And then—
BOOM.
The bike exploded forward like a beast unchained, disappearing down the tunnel in a searing blaze of light and fire.
1 kilometer per second.
She vanished into the headquarters corridors in a literal blur, nothing but streaks of red flame and the echo of raw power trailing behind her.
And yet—
That wasn't even her full speed.
Not even close.
Back in the glowing silence of the teleportation chamber, James and Minji remained where they were, unfazed. They didn't flinch, didn't react.
They just… watched.
Minji let out a breath, brushing her silver hair back.
James gave a small, tired grin. "Yeah… that's Ruby."
Minji shook her head slowly, arms crossed.
"She sees that bike and forgets the world exists."
Jeff approached them hurriedly and gestured to a sleek hover car nearby.
"Please follow me. I've been instructed to escort you both."
Meanwhile, Ruby was still tearing across the obsidian-black highway, her pyro bike roaring beneath her like a phoenix mid-flight. The flaming trail she left behind shimmered in the air, painting the lanes with streaks of fire and molten light.
Wind whipped past her. The engine thrummed like a heartbeat synced to her own.
But then—the road began to change.
The wild, open stretch of outer headquarters gave way to something far more structured. The true heart of the Hale territory—the Inner Sanctum—rose before her like a city of light and silence.
She gently eased off the throttle.
Not because she wanted to.
Because she had to.
This wasn't a place for speed.
The road narrowed into a single platinum-lined path, flanked on both sides by polished white towers that stretched skyward like frozen flame. Sleek drones hovered silently above, tracking movement with unblinking eyes. The air itself grew calmer, cooler—laced with an almost divine pressure. An unspoken rule lingered in the atmosphere:
Only the worthy ride here.
Ruby took a sharp left turn, her bike hugging the curve effortlessly, and continued forward—now at a controlled pace. The path was lined with golden lampposts, each glowing softly with phoenix sigils etched into their base. It was quiet. Serene.
And then she saw it.
Up ahead, rising like a monument of legacy and pride—
The Hale Residency.
A sprawling compound of ethereal white stone and shimmering scarlet-glass domes. Wards pulsed gently in the air around it, forming layered domes of protection and presence. This wasn't just a mansion.
It was the sanctum.
The place where only the highest-ranking Hale bloodline members resided—the Elders, the Core Heads, the Clan's Heart. The closer she got, the heavier the air felt. Not suffocating—but ancestral. As if the land itself was watching her.
And yet, she didn't flinch.
Because this wasn't just some sacred building.
To Ruby…
This... was home.
The towering villa loomed before her—white marble kissed with gold, rooftops shaped like rising phoenix wings, and the old family crest still carved above the gate.
Ruby slowed to a stop and parked her bike just outside the main entrance. The engine hummed softly as it cooled, like a beast finally tamed. She swung her leg over, removed the helmet, and held it in one hand.
Then she walked.
Each step toward the door felt heavier than the last—not from fear, but from the weight of memory. Familiar tiles beneath her boots. The faint scent of emberwood trees in the garden. The silence of a place that had once echoed with her childhood laughter.
She stood at the door.
Hesitated.
Her fingers hovered over the glowing bell. For a second, she simply stared—face still, breath quiet.
Then—press.
The bell chimed, soft and melodic.
Silence followed.
Her crimson eyes shimmered. She blinked fast—twice—forcing the tears back. Her jaw clenched. She took a breath and straightened her posture.
She wouldn't cry. Not yet.
The door opened.
A woman in her fifties stood there, dressed in a well-worn but perfectly ironed maid uniform. Her graying hair was tied back in a neat bun. Wrinkles marked her face—but not from age. From kindness. From waiting.
The moment Ruby saw her—
Something broke.
Her voice cracked.
"Aunt Nina…"
Before the woman could speak, Ruby surged forward and threw her arms around her—helmet forgotten, clattering to the floor.
The maid gasped, staggered back a step from the force of the hug. Her arms fluttered in confusion—then wrapped around Ruby with trembling strength. Her eyes brimmed instantly.
"R-Ruby?" she whispered, voice shaking. "Oh my god… is that really you?"
She gently pulled back, cupping Ruby's face in both hands. Her thumbs brushed away the tear that had escaped.
"You've grown so thin... you used to be such a chubby little ball of fire," she laughed softly through the tears. "And now... you're absolutely stunning."
Her voice caught again.
"Fifteen years…"
Fifteen years without this girl.
Without her laughter. Her stubbornness. Her fire.
Nina gently took Ruby's hand and led her inside.
"Come. Sit. You must be exhausted."
She hurried to the kitchen, returning moments later with a glass of cold water, her hands still trembling from the rush of emotion.
Ruby sat quietly on the edge of the velvet-cushioned chair. Her fingers curled around the glass, but her eyes wandered across the room—tracing every memory like faded sketches on a canvas.
The silence between them wasn't awkward.
It was full.
Full of all the things they couldn't say fast enough.
Moments later, the sound of an engine cut through the quiet.
A hovercar parked just outside. James and Minji stepped out and entered the villa.
"Aunt Nina!" James called out with a smile.
Minji followed, waving.
Just as Ruby took another sip of water, the gentle hum of an approaching vehicle echoed outside. The front door buzzed softly.
Nina glanced up, curious.
Moments later, James and Minji stepped through, the evening light catching the edges of their formal jackets. Minji gave a small wave, and James offered a sheepish smile.
Nina blinked in surprise, still wiping the corner of her eyes with the edge of her sleeve.
"What are you two doing here?" she asked, half-laughing, half-confused.
Then she paused, realization dawning.
"Wait—don't tell me…" Her voice dropped. "There's a meeting, isn't there?"
James scratched the back of his neck with a guilty smile.
"You really didn't know?"
Nina rolled her eyes and chuckled, warmth flooding her voice. "No, I didn't, you forgot that I am just a maid of one of the multiple house of hales . But who cares about meetings right now?" She opened her arms. "Come on, come in! Sit, eat—tell me everything."
The tension in the air broke like glass under sunlight.
Laughter followed.
Old stories resurfaced. New ones were shared. The kitchen buzzed with chatter and clinking cutlery. The food was warm, simple, but comforting—flavored with years of familiarity and care. For a while, the weight of bloodlines, expectations, and duty melted into the background.
By nightfall, James stood up from his seat, stretching lightly.
"Gotta go," he said. "Dad's summoned me—probably something official."
Nina patted his arm as he headed out. "Don't keep Steve waiting. He gets dramatic."
And just like that, he was gone.
Minji remained a while longer, lost in a light-hearted debate with Nina over who used to sneak sweets in the middle of the night when they were kids.
But Ruby…
She stayed mostly quiet now, listening. Watching. Letting it all sink in.
As the evening settled into calm…
She leaned back just a little in her chair, letting her shoulders drop.
The light was dim, warm. Familiar.
And for the first time in what felt like a lifetime—
She felt safe.
To the continued …