Chapter 2

It was said that when the Demon Clan invaded, the whole world was thrown into turmoil. In order to maintain peace, the Mortal Clan and the Beast Clan joined forces and formed the Spirit Alliance.

Under the Spirit Alliance's rules, adult men were required to marry divine beasts and form a blood pact.

Those who were married would share divine power, and the stronger the human, the more power they could bring out. The exceptional human fighters went on to lead the fight against the Demon Clan, earning widespread reverence.

Conversely, any adult men who still couldn't form a contract with a divine beast would be banished to the Forsaken Reaches.

In my past life, Silas was strong and well-built, doted on by both Father and Mother. He was chosen to marry Ruby and became a celebrated hero of the Spirit Alliance.

I, on the other hand, had always been weak and sickly. I coughed up blood every day, was bullied by my siblings, and was despised even by the servants.

I would never forget the time Silas stepped on my head after a fight and said with a sneer, "You'd better remember this, Ryder. You're nothing but a sickly good-for-nothing! You don't deserve to compete with me for the throne!"

Having said that, Silas spat right in my face and walked away.

"How can Prince Ryder be such a loser? He's ridiculously weak!"

"I know, right? Prince Silas is the real deal! He'll be the one carrying the Spirit Alliance in the future!"

In that instant, the servants standing around all laughed mockingly at me.

I didn't blame them for their actions. After all, survival of the fittest was the rule of this world, and Silas was exceptionally talented and deeply loved by Father. It was only a matter of time before he ascended to the throne to become the new King.

Meanwhile, I was about to be exiled to the Forsaken Reaches in two weeks, reduced to a wanderer. I simply thought that life was unfair back then.

I had no idea that my destiny was already set in motion at that time. I eventually headed off to the Forsaken Reaches, and once I got there, I stumbled upon a red-feathered bird that was on the verge of death.

"You poor thing! You and I have both been cast aside!" I sighed and wrapped my arms around it.

The Forsaken Reaches had a brutal environment, with constant sandstorms and cliffs scattered everywhere.

I knew I wouldn't survive for long, so I gave my remaining spiritual medicine to the little bird and formed a blood pact with it. I decided to name her Amber.

In the desolate Forsaken Reaches, Amber and I depended on each other for survival. She gradually grew into a phoenix with fiery feathers and incredible spiritual energy. She then assumed human form and nourished my body with her phoenix blood.

In the days that followed, tempered through the brutal elements of the Forsaken Reaches and nourished by phoenix blood, I became incomparably strong. I later returned to Aetheria to help to fight against the Demon Clan's invasion.

Silas stabbed me to death right at the climax of the battle. He had completely let himself go after getting married to Ruby, causing his power and influence to decline.

He became jealous of my triumphant return after he realized that he couldn't defeat the Demon Clan, so he chose to side with the enemy and ambushed me instead.

He had no idea we would both be reborn, though, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, born anew in the fire.

Amber used her spiritual energy to save me at the very last second, and since Silas had my blood splattered all over him, it somehow triggered his rebirth too.

Having learned his lesson from our past life, Silas chose to cultivate himself in the Forsaken Reaches, intending to take everything that once belonged to me. He, however, never knew that Amber chose me because we had gone through hardships together.

There was no way that Silas, who was used to a life of luxury, would ever appreciate a weak, frail bird. He failed to gain Amber's favor and ended up just wandering around the Forsaken Reaches in misery.

What a ridiculous twist of fate.

Unlike him, I had a completely different fate. Ruby was a peerless beauty, and the Dragon Palace was a renowned blessed land across the Three Realms—the legendary birthplace of some of the most famous weapons.

I had no choice but to live as an ordinary Prince Consort of the Dragon Tribe.