The dragon's attention shifted suddenly, his piercing midnight blue gaze narrowing as something unseen tugged at his awareness. Slowly, carefully, he extended one claw—not threatening, but curious—toward Starfania's jacket pocket. She blinked. " Huh…?"
A faint warmth pulsed against her side. Her eyes widened. " Oh—oh, no way."
She slipped her hand into her pocket and drew out the silver pen she had been carrying all this time. The moment it touched the open air, it responded—its surface humming softly, a thin light pulsing beneath the metal like a heartbeat.
The dragon released a low, approving rumble, deep in its chest. Starfania laughed softly, sheepish, rubbing the back of her neck. " I completely forgot this was in my pocket."
Cantina's gaze sharpened instantly. " You forgot what was in your pocket?"
Starfania lifted the pen for her to see. Cantina's expression remained unreadable. One brow arched slightly as she regarded it with cool detachment.
" It's merely a pen," she said flatly. " Those existed long before my time."
She exhaled, turning away with visible disappointment. " Here I thought you were beginning to understand the gravity of your situation. It seems I was mistaken."
The words stung—but Starfania didn't flinch. Instead, a knowing smile curved her lips. A quiet, almost secret smile—the kind that hinted the reader knew more than the speaker in the room. Without a word, Starfania pressed the small button along the pen's side. The world seemed to inhale. Light erupted outward in a sharp, radiant flare as the pen elongated, metal unfolding and reshaping with a crystalline hum. The air vibrated as the object transformed fully into a sword—sleek, elegant, ancient. Moonlight caught the jewel set into its hilt, igniting it in a brilliant, mesmerizing glow. Starfania stared, breath stolen away as it always was. No matter how many times she saw it, the power still left her in awe.
She glanced up at Cantina, a spark of her real self slipping through—half nervous, half defiant.
" Are you sure?" she asked lightly, " that it's just a pen?"
The dragon stepped closer, its massive form looming protectively beside her. A low rumble rolled from his throat—not warning, but recognition. His eyes locked onto the jewel in the hilt. Blue. The same vivid blue as his own. For a split second, something ancient flickered between dragon and blade—as if they were echoes of the same origin.
Before Starfania could process it, Cantina moved. Her hand shot out, swift and precise, snatching the sword from Starfania's grasp.
" Hey!" Starfania blurted out instinctively. Cantina ignored her. She turned the sword slowly, her fingers tracing the intricate etching along the blade. Her jaw tightened. Something dark and conflicted passed through her expression—shock, reverence, anger, and something dangerously close to grief.
" Do you have any idea," Cantina asked sharply, her voice taut with restrained emotion, " whose sword this is?"
Starfania's confidence faltered. Her fingers curled at her side.
" I…no," she admitted quietly. Silence fell heavily between them.
The dragon watched closely, saying nothing—but the sword-pen pulsed once in Cantina's grip, a subtle glow flaring as if it understood the tension. Cantina noticed. Her eyes widened just a fraction. And that—more than anything—terrified her.