I was born into a very wealthy family in rural England, where everyone knew me and I knew them. Our family was prestigious and rich, owning more gold and treasures than dragon shifters. We were the oldest shifter family, and we were rare; I was a phoenix shifter, as was my entire family. I had three sisters and two older brothers, making me the youngest, but I was considered the most good-looking of us all. I observed how my sisters found their fated mates and how different my brothers were. I had four fathers, and my mother was a powerful witch. I was always afraid of her, yet she was my best friend. Mum was there for me when I first shifted and when I got sick with a rare illness that, though not fatal, left me bedridden. Once I recovered, I began searching for ways to make myself a better man.

That's when I stumbled upon an article about an academy in a magical realm called Enchantrios. When I discussed my wish to attend this academy with my mother, she initially refused, but after much discussion, she consulted my fathers. One of my fathers, a seer, warned me that if I went there, I would befriend a very sick fae named Darien and that his death would curse me. At first, I didn't understand what my seer father meant by a curse, but it all began when my family allowed me to attend the academy, and I indeed befriended Darien. He was a friendly and cheerful fae, but often ill. He shared his aspirations of becoming a king so his younger brother wouldn't have to. He spoke of his mother's erratic and overly prestigious behavior and cautioned me that she despised non-pureblood fae, in other words, she hated hybrids.

We became close friends and indulged in many romantic encounters with supernatural women. After completing our course at the academy, we went to the border to fight. Unfortunately, Darien passed away. He asked me to inhabit his body, return to his home, and protect his brother and kingdom from his mother. I vowed to do so, and upon Darien's death, I inhabited his body—a minor feat for phoenix shifters. However, my soul began to tear. I was then captured by a woman dressed in all black, someone I had once seen in England. She was a very frightening figure who became my stalker. Now, weakened, she had kidnapped me, and I had suffered greatly at her hands.

She was obsessive over me, wanting to own and use me, to make me incapable of loving anyone but her. She often spoke of using my essence to impregnate herself, so I would be hers forever. I endured that hell for seventy centuries until I was on the brink of ending my existence. But in my darkest moment, a light appeared and saved me, taking me away from Darla, the evil goddess. Her sister urged me to keep my promise to Darien's family, and I returned home. There, I learned I had been missing in battle, and now my brother, Aaron, Darien's brother, was older and did not remember me. But I knew him from Darien's stories, so I began my facade and became Darien. My other half, Callum, my fae side, not my phoenix side, played along with everything. I was granted access to my phoenix powers; though I could not shift, I could still wield its magic.

Centuries passed, and Aaron founded the academy while his mother grew increasingly evil, often betraying his father. I endured her cold demeanor for the sake of Darien and Aaron, even going so far as to forsake any opportunity to find my destined mate. The more I emulated Darien, the more I became like him, inheriting all his memories, his demeanor, his undying love for Aaron and his father, but also his hatred for his mother.

I practiced Darien's magic until I perfected it and indulged in the company of fae women, but that ceased when I saw her. She was beautiful, her hair as golden as the dawn, her eyes as blue and frosty as ice, her lips red like blood. She looked magnificent, and she was with Aaron. I averted my gaze from Aaron's girlfriend when I felt it—the mate bond. I saw the sparkle in her eye upon seeing me. Unable to control my urges, I called her my mate, feeling Aaron's shock. I then took her to Darien's room and told her about a prophecy. Although I wanted to reveal my true identity, she told me her name—Malaya, as gorgeous as she was. Despite trying to stay away to not break her trust, I grew closer to her, and we made love. However, because I was with another of Malaya's mates, he saw me transform into Callum and demanded to know who I was. I fought him, overtaking his mind and erasing the truth from his memory. Then, on my wedding day to Malaya, Aaron caught me transforming into Callum and fought me. He was strong, but I overcame him and erased my transformation from his memory.

After that, I felt like I was becoming myself again, and I wondered why it was happening. That's when Celest met me again. She told me that my soul's other half was getting ready to rejoin this half of my soul, but for that to happen, I needed to die as Darien. I agreed, but then thought of Malaya, my now wife. Celest reassured me that I was safe and she would feel the bond falter, but it wouldn't vanish. And if I kissed her, she would have that bond to me as Callum, not Darien. After the battle, I returned to being Callum, but my lies had broken my wife's heart. I begged for death again, but it never came. Instead, I had Malaya, my wife, in my arms, and she kissed my lips, saying how she now understood the deception and she was not mad anymore. Then she told me I would be a dad. That news was worth more than centuries of deception. My brother, mates, and Malaya's' other husbands didn't trust me for a long time, but even they accepted me, and I took Malaya to England to meet my family, along with my family meeting my brother's mates.