Atlas turned his head toward Starfania mid-flight, letting out a deep sound from his chest. Not fear. Not panic. Trust. Pure trust. Starfania stared at him silently. Midnight eyes met sapphire ones glowing beneath the eclipse. Around them, the world was collapsing into chaos. The rocket had fully breached the atmosphere now. Massive. Unstoppable. And preparing to release the poison over all of Avalon. Starfania's grip tightened around Cosmry. They had no other options left. No more antidotes. No more plans. No more time. Which meant she had to do the one thing that terrified her most. Trust herself. And trust Atlas.
Starfania slowly closed her eyes. The wind roared violently around her. The eclipse darkened the sky completely. Every instinct screamed at her: they were too late. But somewhere beneath the fear…something else stirred. She focused on the pulse inside Cosmry. The warmth traveling through Atlas. The strange, ancient feeling awakening inside her chest. Then memories surfaced. Not visions. Memories. She saw VulcanFire as it once was. Before the poison. Before the hatred. Before becoming a kingdom consumed by fear. It had once been beautiful. Warm golden lights stretched across massive festivals beneath the stars. Dragons soared joyfully above cheering crowds instead of being hunted. Children danced through the streets wearing painted wings.
Music echoed through the mountains. Laughter filled the air. Unity. Harmony. Life. And at the center of it all—the people chanted proudly together.
" Wings up!"
" Heart steady!"
" Wings up!"
" Heart steady!"
The words echoed louder and louder inside her soul. Like an ancient heartbeat awakening after centuries of silence. Atlas suddenly roared beneath her. A thunderous celestial roar that shook the sky itself. As if he felt it too. As if he remembered.
Then it happened. The rocket opened. Black poison exploded across the atmosphere. Like venom infecting the heavens themselves. Dark rain began falling from the eclipse sky over Avalon. Slow at first. Then faster. Black droplets shimmered unnaturally as they descended toward the world below. Lyam's eyes widened in horror. " No—!"
He immediately pulled Lutu downward toward cover. Aeron did the same thing with Drogo, shielding the dragons beneath stone ruins while black rain began streaking through the surrounding sky.
" Get down!" Aeron shouted. Far away in Primara, panic erupted instantly. Citizens screamed while guards rushed dragons into quarantine zones. Violet stood frozen in the middle of the chaos, clutching the baby dragon tightly against her chest. Tears filled her eyes as she stared upward helplessly. " Starfania…"
Around her, people began losing hope. Fear spreads faster than the poison itself. Meanwhile, high upon VulcanFire's balcony, Cesar stood silently watching the black rain descend from the eclipse sky. His cloak whipped violently in the wind. Behind him, his kingdom waited for celebration. For victory. But Cesar did not smile. He simply stared upward at the poison falling over Avalon. Something unreadable flickered behind his eyes. Regret. Doubt. Or perhaps grief too deep to name. High above the world, Starfania suddenly gasped sharply. Ancient power surged through her body like lightning. Not painful. Vast. Endless.
Atlas roared again—but this time the sound was no ordinary dragon cry. It sounded celestial. Divine. The sky itself trembled in response. Silver light erupted across Atlas's scales. Constellation-like patterns illuminated across his body. His wings trailed shimmering starlight through the darkness as though the night sky itself had come alive around him. Starfania felt the exact same energy coursing through her veins. Cosmry blazed brighter and brighter until the sapphire became almost impossible to look at directly. The eclipse clouds above them began swirling violently around their light. Wind exploded outward from Atlas' wings.
Then—Starfania opened her eyes. Completely white. Pure celestial light burned where her eyes once were. And for the first time since the Dragon Savior had returned—Avalon felt her awaken.