After finishing breakfast and making final preparations, the three of them gathered near the balcony doors. The morning air spilled in as Starfania pushed them open, cool and bright, carrying the scent of distant flowers and sun-warmed stone. Atlas was already awake now, standing tall and alert, his scales shimmering like polished moonlight. Drogo shifted beside him, wings rustling impatiently, while Violet secured her gloves with practiced ease. While Aeron adjusted his before gently picking up Violet and putting her onto Drogo's back.
Without needing to speak, they moved as one. They mounted. Wings unfurled—vast, powerful, radiant in the sunlight. Then—with a synchronized leap, both dragons launched into the sky. Air rushed past them in a roaring cascade as they climbed, sunlight flashing across iridescent scales. Atlas banked gracefully, executing a sweeping arc before plunging downward in a controlled dive. Drogo followed, spiraling beside him before both dragons surged upward again in a breathtaking display of aerial precision. The flight was more than it seemed. It was freedom. It was power. That served as a reminder of precisely what was at stake.
Below, the Primara Nation stretched like a living painting—rivers gleaming like silver ribbons, towers rising from emerald hills, banners snapping in the wind. Ahead, the laboratory's white dome glinted faintly in the distance. On a distant balcony overlooking the city, Lyam stood beside his dragon, Lutu. The great Seraphithorn dragon watched the sky with sharp, intelligent eyes, wind teasing the edges of his wings. Lyam's gaze followed a pair of tiny silhouettes cutting across the heavens.
Starfania and her companions. He said nothing, simply observing as they flew toward the destination he had given them. A voice behind him broke the quiet. " Brother…where did you find this fascinating girl?"
He turned. The young woman with the flower crown approached, sunlight catching in her hair and making the delicate blossoms shimmer softly. Curiosity lit her expression as she looked past him towards the distant dragon. Lyam's lips curved into a small, knowing smile.
" Actually," he said, " she is the Dragon Savior."
Her brow lifted immediately. " Really? She's the one Cantina chose?"
" Certainly," he replied, " The one destined to protect Avalon."
She studied the sky again, skepticism creeping into her gaze. " She seems…different from the stories."
Lyam nodded slowly. " Yes. She does. And honestly…it's refreshing."
" But can she live up to the legacy?" she whispered. " That kind of pressure could break anyone."
" Pressure shapes people," Lyam said. " Sometimes it reveals strength they didn't know they had."
Sunlight bathed the balcony, warming the stone beneath their feet.
" Do you truly believe she can wield the dragons' magic?" she pressed.
" I do," he answered without hesitation. " She has something rare. Not just strength…heart."
The young woman fell silent, considering. The petals of her crown fluttered gently in the breeze.
" Then perhaps she's exactly what Avalon needs," she said at last. Lyam exhaled softly. " A new chapter. One built on change."
Yet even as he spoke, doubt lingered quietly in the back of his mind. Everything he had heard about the past, Dragon Savior painted them as figures of legend—flawless, commanding, almost mythic. Starfania was none of those things. She was impulsive. Emotional. Unpredictable. And yet…
She had returned with the poison. Alone, she had faced the room. She had not broken. Different, yes. But perhaps the difference was not weakness. Perhaps it was exactly what the world needed. Lyam raised two fingers to his lips and gave a sharp whistle. A tiny shape drafted from the tower's shadows—a small dragon no larger than a house cat, still wearing a cracked shell of its egg like a crooked helmet. It landed on the railing with an enthusiastic flutter, chirping noisily as its tail flicked back and forth. His sister blinked in surprise. " What are you planning?"
Lyam chuckled softly, already trying a small rolled letter to the creature's leg.
" Insurance," he said simply. With a gentle push, he sent the little dragon skyward. It shot forward like an arrow, wings beating furiously as it raced toward the distant laboratory. Toward Starfania. Unaware of the messenger speeding toward them, Starfania leaned forward slightly as Atlas descended toward the gleaming structure below. The white marble wall rose like a monument; the great glass dome reflecting the sky in fractured brilliance.