As they arrived at the laboratory, their movements were quicker this time—more urgent. They dismounted without hesitation and pushed through the doors. Seated at his workstation, Maximilian was hunched over a microscope, enveloped in his work. But the moment he noticed them—his expression lit up. " Ah—finally!"
" You're here," he said, rising quickly. " Good. I was hoping you wouldn't take any longer."
His tone carried excitement—and something else. Urgency. Without waiting for questions, he turned and motioned for them to follow. This time—no one admired the lab. No one slowed down.
" Did you find it?" Aeron asked immediately. " No delays. No riddles. Just tell us."
Maximilian gave a small, tired smile. " Straight to the point. I respect that."
But his expression shifted—more serious now.
" Not a cure," he said. The words landed heavily. " Not yet."
Silence fell instantly.
" But…" he turned, already moving. " …we have something."
The heavy door opened—and the sight inside stole the air from his lungs. The infected dragon lay restrained, trembling violently. Its once radiant scales were dim, fractured—black veins crawling beneath the surface like living shadows. Starfania froze. This wasn't just a report anymore. This was real. Drogo stepped forward first, letting out a low, pained rumble. Atlas followed—ears pinned back, tail flicking with unease.
" Gear up," Maximilian said sharply. They moved quickly, slipping into protective coats and goggles—even Violet didn't hesitate. Maximilian led them to a containment unit. Inside—the black liquid pulsed. Alive. Watching.
" This is what you brought me," he whispered. " And it's worse than we thought."
He gestured to another chamber—this one glowing faintly. Inside the second containment unit—a different substance swirled. Not black. Not corrupted. But luminous. Silver…threaded with faint golden light.
" This," Maximilian said, voice low but steady, " …is our breakthrough."
" It's not a cure," he clarified. " Not yet."
" But it slows the spread."
Everyone stilled.
" It stabilizes the infection," he continued. " Prevents the poison from completely shutting down their system."
Violet stepped closer. " So…it buys time?"
Maximilian nodded. " Yes."
" And right now—" he glanced back at the infected dragon. " Time is the only thing keeping them alive."
Starfania swallowed hard. " …without it, they die."
" Exactly."
" The poison doesn't just weaken them," Maxmilian said. " It strips them of everything—fire, strength…identity."
" This serum…" he gestured to the glowing liquid. " …fights back."
" Not enough to cure."
" But enough to resist."
" What is it made of?" Starfania asked.
" Rare compounds," Maximilian answered. " Dragon-safe catalysts…stabilizing agents…"
A pause. " And something new."
Aeron narrowed his eyes. " New?"
Maximilian gave a faint smirk. " Something your vial made possible."
That landed. Hard. Starfania's grip tightened slightly.
" But it hasn't been tested on a full infection yet," he admitted.
" Which means…" Violet's voice was small. " …it could fail."
" Yes." No sugarcoating.
" Or…" Maximilian looked at the dragon again. " …it could save them."
" Lyam knows," Maximilian added. " I've already briefed him."
Starfania stepped forward slightly. " Thank you…for not giving up on them."
Maximilian met her gaze. " Don't thank me yet."
He looked back at the glowing serum. " We're running out of time."
" And if we're going to stop VulcanFire—" he turned back to them. " This needs to work."