We had managed to take down a few of the guardian dragons. The rest, we cornered just long enough to slip past and press deeper into the Cove.
Next up was the dreaded Chamber of the Last Dawn—a place so silent the fog seemed to whisper secrets as it rolled endlessly across the narrowing path ahead.
I was exhausted. My body throbbed with every heartbeat, and without any powers to heal myself, my regeneration was painfully slow. Too slow. Labyrinth carried me on his back, his shoulders firm yet trembling with strain.
"So," I forced the words out, voice rasping from weakness, "how are you… baby brother?" I teased, reminding him of the conversation he'd promised me after the chaos.
He chuckled. "I thought you'd never ask, mummy's girl. I'm fine."
I smiled faintly. Labyrinth was different—he always had been. He wasn't half as cruel as the others. Even when Father locked me away in dungeons to "trigger my awakening," Labyrinth would sneak past guards to play with me, to talk to me. He was only two years younger, yet he'd always treated me like a little sister. Out of all my siblings, he was the only one who ever made me feel… loved.
But his tone shifted suddenly, breaking the fragile warmth between us.
"Mum isn't happy with you leaving like this," he said. His steps slowed, his head bowed. His voice was heavy, almost sorrowful.
I froze against his back. "…I know. That's why she sent the tree."
"That wasn't her," he snapped, stopping in his tracks. He set me down gently, but his gaze burned into me like a blade. "That was Phynyx. He sent it because Mum was worried sick about you."
I stiffened. My throat clenched. Phynyx? Not her?
"I—I just… I only wanted to help!" I stammered. My hands balled into fists. "I can't watch Mum die. She's my mother—our mother. I thought we'd all fight together for the Zephyr's Heart but none of you were ready to risk your lives, so I—"
"—so you decided to do it alone," Labyrinth cut in. He dropped me fully to the ground and leaned close, his eyes dark and unflinching. That gaze—cold, unyielding—sent shivers crawling across my skin.
"You're our only sister, Azhurla," he said lowly. "If we didn't care, Phynyx wouldn't have sent that tree to you."
I scoffed, disgust twisting my expression. Lies. Stupid lies. My chest burned with anger, but my feet moved on their own as I turned and kept walking into the fog.
Behind me, his voice rose, steady and raw.
"No one could just watch his sister die, you know."
I froze. For the first time, doubt gnawed at me. I never thought they cared. They always stood by Father while I was punished, beaten, humiliated for being powerless. Why care now? My jaw tightened, teeth grinding against each other.
"I never thought anyone cared," I whispered bitterly.
"We all do."
The words echoed—deep, unified. My breath hitched. I turned, and through the mist, three figures emerged: Labyrinth. Phynyx. Sapphire.
Tears stung my eyes. My heart swelled with warmth, but it hurt. I wanted to punch them, scream at them, but instead, my chest ached with relief.
Phynyx strode forward first, his armor radiating heat. He wrapped me in a crushing embrace, his fiery aura searing against my skin. I winced, grunted, and shoved him lightly until he released me.
Then Sapphire stepped closer. He cupped my cheek gently, his hand burning warm against my skin. His breath brushed against me—too close, far too close. My face flushed instantly. What the hell was wrong with me?
Before I could pull away, his nose brushed mine. His lips hovered dangerously close—an inch from mine. He tilted his face a little and attempted placing something ... Maybe a kiss... it felt like it. My heart skipped.
I shoved him off, cheeks ablaze. "Sick pervert! She's our sister!" Phynyx barked, fury crackling in his voice.
Sapphire only smirked and winked at me, shameless. My stomach flipped. Gods, what was wrong with him? Am I not doing something wrong by feeling like this? I asked myself within me.
We continued down the road, talking—about home, about my so-called courage. Labyrinth even told them how I cried like a baby when my arm was chopped off. They laughed. Laughed! Instead of comforting me. Jerks. Humph.
"Where's Blinx?" I asked, forcing a smile.
Silence. The air thickened instantly. None of them answered. They just walked past me, expressions closed.
"…Um, okay, where's—"
"He's not coming," Labyrinth finally muttered.
Blinx. The brother who despised me most. The one who insisted locking me in dungeons was the best way to force my awakening. He'd always avoided me like I was a curse. Yet, gods help me, he was the most magnetic of them all. Thick brown hair that tumbled into sharp crimson eyes, a chiseled jawline, and a sculpted physique that screamed raw power. He was infuriating. Beautiful. And he hated me beyond reason.
"What did I do wrong?" I asked quietly.
Labyrinth groaned, slapping his palm against his face. Phynyx and Sapphire shot me sharp glances.
"That's not the question you should be asking," Phynyx said coldly. His tone was sharp as a blade. "You left without a word. You hurt the very person you wanted to save. You entered the Dragon's Cove without backup. You risked everything for nothing. That's what's wrong."
"I was talking about Blinx," I snapped back. "And I'm not apologizing for leaving."
The silence that followed was deafening.
"You want to know why Blinx doesn't like you?" Labyrinth finally asked.
My heart leapt, childish and desperate. "Yes! I do!"
"Don't," Sapphire warned, his voice cutting through the fog. "Don't tell her."
"Aye aye, Captain," Labyrinth muttered, throwing up his hands.
That was it. I'd had enough of their games. Enough of the secrets, the pity, the half-truths. I stormed up to Phynyx, fury burning in my chest.
"What did I do to Blinx?" I demanded, eyes blazing. "Tell me, Phynyx!"
"You don't need to know yet." His sigh was heavy as he brushed past me.
I spun after him, shouting, "Seriously?! Then why did you come here?"
"To help you!" Labyrinth snapped.
"To help me what? Help confuse me?!" My voice cracked, trembling with rage. "I'm fine—totally fine! What the hell is going on? Am I even adopted?!"
They froze. All three of them. Their faces twisted with something I couldn't place. Something worse than anger. Something darker.