Crystal lay still upon her bed, her chest rising and falling in soft, uneven breaths. Though her eyes were closed, her mind was anything but at rest. Faint traces of the earlier surge still lingered within her—like embers waiting to ignite again.
Outside her room, unease had already begun to spread.
Azrion stood before Sir Herold, tension written clearly across his face.
"Sir Herold… may I speak with you for a moment?"
Herold remained still, his gaze distant. "I'm listening."
Azrion hesitated briefly, then spoke. "It's about Crystal. Earlier… when her power spiked. You looked like you recognized something. You mentioned… a celestial dragon mark."
A silence followed.
"I'm not certain," Herold said at last, his voice low. "But what I saw… it resembled it."
Azrion frowned slightly.
"The celestial dragon mark," Herold continued, "is said to be like a spirit—one that chooses its host. From the two ancient dragon clans, it appears in only one heir every thousand years."
Azrion's expression shifted.
"And with it comes power… overwhelming, unpredictable, and often uncontrollable. I believed it to be nothing more than myth. But the mark I saw—it appeared on her arm… and then vanished just as quickly."
Azrion's voice dropped. "What if she truly has it?"
Herold turned to face him fully now, his eyes serious.
"Then she is far more powerful than we imagined. But power like that comes with a price. She must learn to control her emotions… her will… or—"
"Or what?" Azrion asked, his tone sharper.
Herold's gaze hardened.
"That power could destroy everything around her. Not just herself… but anyone close to her."
A pause.
"Especially you."
Azrion clenched his fists.
"I don't believe that," he said firmly. "She would never hurt anyone."
Herold exhaled slowly. "I hope you're right, boy."
But the words had already stung deep within Azrion.
Without another word, he turned and walked away.
Later that evening, Crystal slowly stirred awake.
A faint numbness lingered in her limbs, but she pushed through it, sitting up with a quiet sigh. The memory of earlier was gone—leaving only a strange emptiness in its place.
Stepping outside, she let the cool evening air brush against her skin. It felt calming.
Normal.
She wandered for a while before picking a few apples, placing them neatly into a small basket.
But something felt off.
Azrion wasn't anywhere nearby.
With a small frown, she adjusted the basket and went looking for him.
She eventually found him by a waterfall, sitting quietly as the golden light of evening danced across the flowing water. The breeze moved gently through his hair, giving him a calm, almost distant look.
A small smile formed on her lips.
She tried to sneak up on him—
"You're up."
She froze.
Azrion turned, a faint smile already on his face.
"Geez… you're no fun," she pouted, walking over and sitting beside him.
"I didn't know you liked fun, princess," he teased.
"Of course I do. Who doesn't?" she replied, then paused. "By the way… what happened earlier? I can't remember anything."
Azrion hesitated briefly before answering.
"You passed out from exhaustion. You're pretty fragile, after all."
"Fragile?" she nudged his arm lightly. "Yeah, right."
They both laughed.
"I'm glad you're okay," he added, glancing at her basket. "What's that?"
"Just apples," she said. "I picked them earlier, thought you might like it too. Have you eaten? You should try one."
She held it out toward him, smiling.
For a moment, Azrion simply looked at her—something warm stirring in his chest.
"I didn't know you cared about me this much," he said with a playful grin.
Crystal's cheeks flushed instantly as she pulled her hand back. "I'm just being nice! You don't have to eat it if you don't want to."
Before she could withdraw completely, Azrion gently caught her hand.
Her breath caught.
The space between them seemed to shift—closer, quieter.
"Who says I don't want it?" he murmured softly.
"W–what are you—"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he lifted his free hand, brushing a loose strand of her curls away from her face. His touch was gentle, almost hesitant—giving her time to pull away.
But she didn't.
Their eyes met.
The world around them softened—the waterfall fading into a distant hush, the wind growing still, the rising moon casting silver light over them.
Azrion leaned in slowly.
Close enough for her to feel his breath, warm against her lips.
Crystal's heart raced wildly.
She should stop this.
She should move.
But she couldn't.
Not when everything felt like this.
And then—
He kissed her.
Softly.
Carefully.
As if she might vanish.
When she didn't pull away, his hand cupped her cheek, deepening the kiss just slightly—just enough to send a shiver through her.
Time seemed to stand still.
Until suddenly—
Reality returned.
Crystal pulled back, her fingers trembling as they brushed her lips.
"What… am I doing…?" she whispered.
And before her heart could betray her any further—
She turned and ran.
Azrion remained where he was, stunned, a faint smile forming despite the nervousness in his chest.
"Was I too fast…?" he muttered, running a hand through his hair.
He stood slowly, looking in the direction she had gone.
"I don't care what Herold says," he said quietly. "I'll protect you… no matter what."
Crystal slammed her door shut behind her, her heart pounding uncontrollably.
"What did I just do?" she whispered, pacing. "I'm in the middle of a crisis and now this? No… not him. I am not turning this into some tragic love story."
Yet her chest refused to calm.
Her heartbeat only grew stronger.
"What is this…?" she murmured, pressing a hand against her chest before sliding down against the door.
"Pull yourself together…"
At that exact moment—
A sharp pain struck.
Crystal gasped, clutching her chest.
Elsewhere, Azrion staggered slightly, gripping his own chest as the same pain surged through him.
It felt almost like a warning.
Deep within Leah's caverns, shadows flickered across ancient stone walls.
"I don't think I can do this, Rhaegor," Leah said, her voice trembling. "I've failed you."
"You have never failed me," Rhaegor replied calmly.
"I've tried for so long," she continued. "One more mistake and everything will be destroyed… and the heirs aren't here to gather more."
"You're closer than you think," he said. "Believe in yourself."
Leah took a deep breath.
"…Alright."
She focused.
Energy began to gather.
Ancient words echoed as both of them recited the spell together. The cavern trembled violently as magic surged into the orb before them.
"Yes… yes…" Rhaegor's voice rose with dark excitement. "Hahaha!"
Suddenly—
The energy burst.
Leah was thrown back hard onto the ground.
The orb cracked.
Then shattered.
A thick red smoke filled the cavern… before slowly clearing.
Revealing him.
Rhaegor stood tall, draped in black and purple silk. His long white hair and beard framed a face both regal and terrifying, his green eyes glowing with something deeply sinister.
Leah struggled to rise, staring in awe.
"Rhaegor…?"
He smiled.
"Hello… my dear Leah."