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---
# **Chapter 12**
The storm raged across the mountains, swallowing the night in darkness.
Near the roadside, a young girl stood beside a car with one of its doors open, frantically searching through its interior.
"It has to be here... where did it go?"
That girl was none other than **Danish**.
After asking Adrian to stay with Ivan, she had rushed to the car alone to find a bandage for the deep wound on Ivan's head.
Blood continued pouring from his injury.
Unable to bear the sight any longer, Danish decided she had to do something.
She couldn't take Adrian with her. Someone had to stay behind and watch over Ivan. Besides, unlike Adrian, she was just an ordinary human. She couldn't leave Ivan alone while Adrian searched for the first-aid kit.
Fortunately, the car wasn't parked very far away, so Adrian reluctantly allowed her to go by herself.
"Brother always keeps the first-aid box here... where did it disappear to?"
She opened the front passenger door and switched on the cabin light.
Leaning inside, she searched through the small compartment beneath the dashboard, which was stuffed with documents and files.
As she moved them aside, something suddenly slipped from her hand and fell onto the floor.
A bright smile instantly appeared on her face.
"There you are!"
It was the first-aid kit.
Without wasting another second, she picked it up and hurried out of the car.
**BOOM!**
A blinding bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the entire mountain road.
The deafening thunder startled her.
The moment she stepped out of the car, her foot slipped.
She fell heavily onto the rough road, scraping both her palms and knees against the hard ground.
The first-aid kit flew from her hands and slid underneath the car.
"Ah..."
Tears instantly filled her innocent eyes.
Blood slowly trickled from the skin torn open on her palms.
Her knees had been scraped badly as well.
Trying not to cry, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a soft blue handkerchief embroidered with adorable bunny designs.
Just as she was about to press it against her injured hand—
**GRRRRMMMM...**
A terrifying rumble echoed above her.
She instinctively looked toward the sky.
Then...
She froze.
For the very first time...
She could see them.
The **two golden pearls** that had remained invisible to her before—even when Ivan and Adrian had looked up at the sky and warned her about them—were now floating clearly before her eyes.
Golden sparks crackled between the two pearls.
Within moments, the sparks gathered together, forming a massive sphere of raging lightning.
Danish's hands began to tremble.
Her face turned deathly pale.
Somewhere deep inside...
She understood.
This time...
**She was the target.**
Panicking, she quickly struggled to her feet and tried to run away from the car.
But after only a few hurried steps—
She tripped over a rock.
Her fragile body crashed to the ground once again.
**BOOM!**
The enormous sphere of lightning descended directly toward her.
Her pupils shrank.
With no way to escape, she tightly shut her eyes and instinctively raised both arms to shield herself.
**BANG!**
A powerful force suddenly appeared before her, completely covering her body.
**DOOM!**
The lightning struck with terrifying force.
Unable to withstand the impact, the mysterious figure was thrown backward together with Danish, sending both of them crashing nearly four feet into the bushes beside the road.
---
---
Danish slowly forced her blurry eyes open.
Soft **silver-blue light** shimmered all around her.
Large sapphire-colored wings surrounded her, shielding her from every direction.
Before her stood a magnificent creature.
For a brief moment, Danish forgot the pain.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
*It... it looks just like the blue phoenixes from the fairy tales...*
The creature resembled a majestic **Blue Phoenix**.
Its enormous sapphire feathers glowed beneath the silver-blue light, while its sharp crimson eyes—filled with pain—looked directly into hers.
For a brief moment...
Their eyes met.
Only then did she notice a silver-blue liquid slowly dripping from its wings.
It wasn't rain.
It was blood.
An indescribable emotion appeared on her face.
The phoenix gently lowered one of its injured wings and rested it against her forehead.
A warm, soothing energy flowed through her body.
The wounds on her scraped hands and bruised knees slowly began to disappear.
The pain gradually faded away.
Soon, an overwhelming drowsiness overtook her.
Wrapped safely within the phoenix's embrace...
Danish slowly drifted into a deep sleep.
Just before losing consciousness completely, she heard faint whispers nearby.
She couldn't understand what they were saying.
But she could feel one thing.
The moment those unfamiliar voices arrived...
The phoenix quietly vanished from her side.
---
"Sir... was that Alastor's second attack?"
"But... who was the target?"
"And... who was here?"
Ignoring the questions, the man silently walked toward the car.
Near one of its tires, he noticed a small blue handkerchief lying on the ground.
It was the bunny handkerchief Danish had dropped moments earlier.
He slowly bent down and picked it up.
For some reason...
His instincts told him to keep it.
Meanwhile, David remained completely occupied searching the area, never noticing what the man had just done.
---
### Smith Mansion
Everyone had gathered inside Danish's bedroom.
Doctors stood beside the medical monitor, carefully watching the readings on its screen.
The servants remained nearby with their heads lowered, silently waiting for their master's orders.
Lewis and Steve stood beside Danish's bed.
Although her eyes remained closed, her eyelids trembled continuously.
It was obvious.
She was seeing something.
Her hands shook uncontrollably.
The heart monitor beside her bed suddenly began beeping faster as her pulse rapidly climbed.
Seeing this, Lewis gently held her soft hand and slowly rubbed it.
At the same time, he quietly transferred a small portion of his own energy into her body, hoping to ease her suffering.
Leaning closer, he looked at his daughter's pale, innocent face.
His usually cold voice softened into a whisper.
"Daanu..."
As soon as he spoke, he bent down and gently kissed her forehead.
After waiting a few seconds, he sat back and looked at her once again.
This time...
He called her by the name almost no one else knew.
"Azure."
The instant those words left his lips—
The girl lying motionless on the bed...
Slowly opened her eyes.