Though Starfania stood quietly in the shadows, composed and outwardly calm, her mind was anything but still. Thoughts collided, spiraled, fractured. Am I really meant for this? What if they chose wrongly? What if I fail…and everyone pays for it? Her fingers tightened slightly against Atlas's scales, drawing silent strength from his presence. Doubts clawed at her from the inside—not loud, not dramatic, but persistent, like water weaving away stone. Dragon Savior. The title felt too large. Too final. Too heavy for someone who still felt like the girl who used to run through festival streets with sweet cakes in her hands and laughter in her lungs.
Across the room, Lyam suddenly rose to his feet. The chamber quieted immediately.
" Ladies and gentlemen," he began, voice firm, " our mission is clear. One of our spies has uncovered alarming intelligence."
He paused. " They are developing a weapon designed to eliminate dragons."
A shocked murmur rippled through the room like wind through dry leaves. Voices overlapped in hushed disbelief, tension thickening with every whisper. Starfania's heart clenched painfully. Oh, Father…what have you done now? Lyam continued, steady despite the gravity of the revelation. " We cannot allow this to happen. These dragons are not mere beasts. They are part of our world…our history."
He scanned the room slowly. Some leaders nodded grimly. Others looked uncertain at the enormity of what he was implying.
" If we fail to act," Lyam said, " the balance of Avalon will be disrupted forever."
Starfania shifted slightly, fidgeting with the edge of her cloak. The thought of a world without dragons felt like something tearing in her chest. Memories flooded in unbidden. Dragons soaring across unlit skies. The thunder of wings overhead. Warm scales beneath small hands. Laughter echoed through the festival grounds as dragon riders performed aerial dances.
A world without them…it wouldn't just be quieter. It would be emptier. Colder. There would be no signs of life left. The entire area would be buried under a thick layer of ash, turning the land barren and lifeless. Plants, animals, and even the smallest insects would vanish, unable to survive in such harsh conditions. The soil would lose its nutrients, making it impossible for anything new to grow. This place would resemble VulcanFire during the dark times when its inhabitants grew ruthless toward the dragons. Back then, the once vibrant landscape was reduced to a bleak wasteland of smoldering ash and burning embers. The air would be heavy with smoke, and the sky would stay a dull orange from the lingering fires. In that state, the land would no longer sustain life or hope, existing only as a bleak reminder of destruction and cruelty. Lyam's next words deepened the dread settling over the room.
" VulcanFire is not merely mobilizing," he said gravely. " They are preparing for something cataclysmic."
A young woman seated near the table's edge suddenly spoke, drawing everyone's attention. She looked delicate at first glance—vivid green eyes, a simple pink blouse, a white skirt, and a flower crown resting lightly in her hair. Yet her posture was upright; her gaze sharp with intelligence and courage.
" How is that even possible?" She asked, voice clear despite the tension. Lyam inhaled slowly, as if bracing himself.
" Reports indicate VulcanFire is developing a poison," he said at last. " One designed to infect dragons with a highly contagious…and incurable disease."
The words felt like stones into a grave.
" If true," he continued, " time is not on our side. Once infected, dragons would become weakened, defenseless—vulnerable to anything."
Silence swallowed the room whole. Starfania felt the air leave her lungs. A disease. Not just killing dragons…erasing them slowly. Cruelly. Someone finally broke the silence.
" Have you obtained this poison?" a voice demanded urgently. Lyam lowered his gaze for a fraction of a second. Regret flickered across his features. " Not yet."
He straightened again, resolving to harden his voice. " My guards are searching as we speak. I am confident they will locate it before it is too late. But the room remained heavy with dread.
A poison that could bring dragons to their knees. A weapon that could spread uncontrollably. In the future, the skies would fall silent. Starfania's hand rose unconsciously to her chest, rubbing small circles over her sternum as if she could soothe the panic pounding beneath her ribs. Dragon Savior. She was supposed to protect them. Even if it meant opposing her own homeland. Across the table, the armored general leaned forward, hands clasped, brow furrowed deeply.
" And you are certain of this?" he asked. Lyam hesitated—just long enough to reveal how precarious the situation truly was.
" Certain enough to act," he said. " We may not possess the poison, but the signs are undeniable. Increased activity in VulcanFire's research sectors. Supplies disappearing. Spies reporting hushed conversations about an ' ultimate weapon.'"
His gaze hardened. " If we wait for absolute proof…it may be too late."
The young woman with the flower crown frowned, worrying clouding her bright eyes.
" But why?" she whispered. " Why would they go this far? Would they truly wipe out dragons entirely?"
Starfania flinched. Because she knew the answer. Or at least…she feared she did.
" Power," Lyam said simply. " If VulcanFire eliminates dragons, they remove the greatest defence of every other nation. No dragon riders. No aerial dominance. Their armies face no living weapons capable of challenging them."
His voice dropped to a grim conclusion. " They would be unstoppable."
The words echoed through Starfania's mind like a death sentence. And beneath the rising horror, another thought whispered—softer, more personal, more devastating. If this is true…then I may be the only one who can stop him. The weight of that realization settled into her bones. And for the first time since entering the hall…Being the Dragon Savior didn't feel like destiny. It felt like standing alone at the edge of a war she never asked to fight.