After Rebirth, I am Sober and Seek Revenge1
Women of the Phoenix Clan possess divine essences, born to elevate their partners beyond the mortal coil.
In our youth, the Empress presented two chalices of mystical waters for my sister and me to choose between.
Desiring a fairytale union, my sister chose the Chalice of True Love, aimed to wed the human prince for an eternal bond.
Fate left me the Elixir of Endless Remedies, binding me to a doomed and lesser beast king.
Unbeknownst to us, beneath his royal veneer, the prince harbored a beastly heart. He awaited my sister's full bloom, only to cruelly clip her wings.
Nightly, he thrashed her with a whip forged from golden wolf teeth, all to extract her divine essence and fuel his draconian aspirations.
Meanwhile, my elixir mended the broken spirit of the beast king, empowering him to reach celestial heights and achieve enlightenment.
Tormented and broken, my sister barely clung to life, her flesh marred and spirit waning.
Recognizing my contributions, the beast king crowned me his queen, entrusting me with boundless authority.
Envious of my ascendancy, my sister, in a twisted act of desperation, seized my phoenix heart when I attempted her rescue.
In this new life, she preempted me, consuming the Elixir of Endless Remedies.
Prostrate before the Empress, she declared, "Mother, I choose none but the Beast King as my consort."
***
Upon awakening, I found the Empress with the mystical chalices ready.
"The time for your trials is nigh, and these elixirs shall define your paths to immortality," she proclaimed.
"Elara, the Chalice of True Love is potent and pure, much like your innocent heart, blind to the deceit of others," she advised.
In an effort to appear impartial, she summoned the entire clan, yet her favoritism for my sister was palpably clear.
Just as it was in my previous life.
Born simultaneously, yet she was the cherished daughter of the Empress, while I was but a reminder of the king's indiscretion with a servant.
The Holy Order once commanded that a member of the royal lineage ascend as a celestial noble.
Thus, the Empress arranged for my sister's betrothal to the human prince.
Their successful trials would guarantee divine ascension.
Amongst the plethora of courtly women, only the Chalice of True Love could assure the prince's undying loyalty to my sister.