The cave lay cloaked in shadows, faint rays of sunlight slipping through a narrow crack in its stone ceiling, like whispers from a world not meant for dragons. Before the prince sat Diana, and across from her, the last of his kind—Eriks, the dragon prince, barely five years old. Yet his gaze was ancient, his mind sharp, molded by vengeance rather than innocence. Every day, Diana offered him the same lesson: what she called the "teachings of revenge."
Today, she opened an old, weighty book. A layer of dust cloaked its surface, and time had browned the edges of its pages. The title glimmered in faded gold: The Light of Life. Her voice, low and steeped in mystery, broke the silence.
"Within these pages, you will find everything you need to understand the world of humans. And to defeat an enemy, you must know them first. Their secrets, their truths—and above all, their weaknesses."
Eriks sat silently, his blazing amber eyes fixed on her, calculating, as if reading more than her words. To his left, the strange crystal glowed faintly. Through it, he could see a young girl—Adara studying under the watchful eye of Orin. Eriks observed her quietly. Fire smoldered in his gaze, the fire of a long-promised reckoning.
Then he asked, his voice cold and devoid of emotion, "What are their weaknesses, Diana?"
Diana offered a faint smile and pointed toward his chest.
"Their fragile hearts. That is the first."
For a moment, he said nothing. Emotions were foreign to him. He had never known kindness, or love. Only longing. Only wrath. Yet he understood he would need more than fire to destroy a world.
He glanced at the book again, then turned to her.
"Tell me, Diana—are your emotions a weakness too?"
The question struck her unexpectedly. Her composure wavered for a brief second. His eyes bore into hers, his head tilted in curiosity.
"You have no tail. You breathe no fire. You're human, aren't you?"
She smiled thinly, masking unease. "I abandoned my humanity the day I chose to serve the dragons. In them, I saw beings worthy of loyalty."
He coiled his tail around her slowly, not threateningly, but with the weight of something unspoken.
"At what cost, Diana?"
She faltered. Her voice, when it came, was quieter, tight in her throat.
"They cast me out. Treated me as nothing. I turned my back on their greed, their lies. Peace was possible, once. But they destroyed it."
His gaze did not soften. "The same greed you despise lives in you. That won't change just because you call yourself loyal."
He released her gently, stepping back.
"I need you now. But do not mistake that for trust. I will never trust a human, no matter how loyal they claim to be."
Then, after a moment, he added, his voice edged with quiet steel:
"Whatever my parents paid for your loyalty, I know the price was steep. And when your usefulness ends, so will your time."
Diana lowered herself to her knees, not in worship, but in solemn truth.
"My prince, I am yours to command. As I served your parents, I serve you. If you choose to end my life, so be it. My body is yours before even my spirit."
He stared at her in silence, then turned his gaze toward the ancient book.
"When will I gain my human form, Diana? I need to enter the castle."
She raised her head slowly, her voice trembling:
"Not yet... Not yet, my prince. Just a little more time."
Eriks said nothing. His attention returned to the glowing crystal, where Adara laughed, oblivious to the watching flame that grew stronger by the day.
Not far from the mountain, Luna had returned to the cottage, cradling the wounded chick delicately in her arms. Her steps were soft, her eyes still wet with silent tears. Behind her, Belos followed faithfully, brushing against her legs, sensing her sorrow and seeking to comfort her in his loyal, wordless way.
She gently placed the chick on her bed, its small body trembling yet calm. Luna glanced down at Belos, wiped her eyes, and whispered, "I'm alright, Belos. Don't worry." Then, she turned to the bird and spoke softly, "I need to dress your wound. You'll be okay."
Determined, she walked into her father's room, scanning the shelves for bandages. But something unusual caught her eye. The storage room door, which was always locked, stood ajar. Her father had forbidden her from entering, warning her of the thick dust and danger inside. But today, her heart beat with a quiet rebellion. For the sake of the wounded chick, she took a step forward.
The air inside was stale and dim. Moonlight crept through wooden cracks, revealing bundles of dried herbs, aged scrolls, and scattered maps. Her gaze caught on a strange garment hanging in the shadows—a uniform of some kind, too concealed to recognize. Drawn by an unspoken curiosity, she reached out to touch it.
Just as her fingers grazed the fabric, her father's voice called sharply from the doorway, "Luna?"
Startled, she turned, heart pounding. "Father! You're back!" she exclaimed, rushing into his embrace.
He held her close but scolded her gently, "How many times have I told you not to enter the storage room? It's dark and full of dust."
"I was just looking for bandages," she said with guilt in her voice. "For the little hawk... I hurt him, Papa."
Kneeling beside her, Kael ruffled her white hair with a tired smile. "Listen to your father next time, my little moon. But you're not to blame. It was an accident—and you saved him. I'll treat his wounds myself."
Luna nodded, wiping her cheeks. She sat quietly beside the bird, watching it breathe. Its tiny eyes blinked at her, unafraid. She smiled. "He's kind of cute."
Kael rose and turned toward the stove. "I'll make you scrambled eggs with vegetables. You need something warm, my dear."
She shook her head. "No, Father. You've had a long journey. You need rest."
His laughter was like sunlight breaking through fog. "Well, I never thought I'd see the day my daughter worried about my health!"
He grinned and added, "How about this—you make the eggs for both of us?"
Delighted, Luna rushed to the coop outside. She returned triumphantly with four eggs, laughing with childlike joy. Kael, seated in his old wooden chair, declared, "Today, I'll teach you how to make the best scrambled eggs in the kingdom. My brave knight is also becoming a talented cook!"
His words faltered as he said "knight." It weighed on him—a word heavy with memories. His gaze drifted back toward the storage room. Sweat glistened faintly on his brow.
Luna's voice broke his trance: "Father? I washed the vegetables! What's next?"
He turned to her with a smile, hiding the shadow behind his eyes. "Come here, sweetheart. Let's begin."
But even as they prepared their humble meal, the secrets resting behind that wooden door waited patiently for the day they would rise