The air of the Sky Citadel shimmered with heat and ancient power. Every breath Eric took was heavy with magic, thick as smoke and sweet like molten gold. The ground beneath his feet pulsed faintly, as if the very stones of this realm were alive.
He stood at the edge of a vast courtyard, staring up at towers carved from obsidian and crystal. The architecture was alien—beautiful yet intimidating, each structure shaped like the sweeping curve of a dragon's wing or tail. Light glowed from runes etched into the walls, pulsing to an inaudible rhythm that matched the beat of his heart.
He could feel her.
Seraphina.
Her essence resonated within the mark on his arm, like a song that refused to fade.
Behind him, Kael still stood—his blade burning blue, his expression shadowed by fury and disbelief. "You shouldn't have been able to cross," he said, voice trembling with restrained rage. "A mortal cannot enter the Citadel without the blood's permission."
Eric turned slowly, his gaze hard. "Then maybe your blood isn't as pure as you think."
Kael's eyes flashed with gold. "You speak as though you understand the power you carry. You don't. That mark will consume you."
Eric clenched his fist. The golden flame around his hand flickered, responding to his anger. "If it brings me to her… then I'll burn gladly."
Before Kael could answer, a voice cut through the air—sharp and commanding, filled with both grace and danger.
"Enough."
Both men froze.
A figure descended from the sky, her presence radiant and terrifying all at once. Seraphina.
Her silver hair shimmered in the dim light, flowing like liquid starlight. Her gown was made of scales that glowed faintly, her golden eyes intense and unreadable. The horns that crowned her head were more prominent now, curved elegantly backward, glowing faintly with crimson light.
But it was her expression that broke Eric's heart.
There was sorrow in her eyes—sorrow and love entwined.
"Seraphina…" Eric breathed, taking a step forward.
"Don't." Her voice trembled, though her posture remained regal. "You should not have come here, Eric. This realm… it isn't meant for humans."
He shook his head. "You told me to follow the whisper. I did. You wanted me to find you."
Her eyes softened for the briefest moment. "Yes. But not like this."
Kael sheathed his sword and dropped to one knee before her. "My Lady Seraphina, this human bears the Relic's mark. He trespasses upon sacred ground."
"I know," she said quietly. "And yet… the Relic chose him."
Kael's head snapped up. "Impossible! Only those of dragon blood—"
"Silence."
The word was soft, but the air trembled with its power. Kael lowered his gaze immediately.
Seraphina turned back to Eric, stepping closer until the space between them was only a breath apart. "You shouldn't have touched it," she whispered. "The Relic of Fire and Blood binds you to the Drakonis bloodline. Its magic cannot be undone."
Eric stared into her eyes. "If it means I'm bound to you, then I don't care."
Her lips parted, as though she wanted to argue—but the words caught in her throat. She looked away, her hand trembling slightly. "You don't understand what that means. Our bond… it's forbidden. If the Elder Council learns of this, they'll destroy you—and me."
"Then let them try," he said softly. "I crossed storms and fire to find you. I won't turn back now."
Her composure faltered. For a moment, her regal mask slipped, and the woman beneath the dragon revealed herself—vulnerable, afraid, and deeply in love.
"Eric…" she murmured.
He reached out, slowly, hesitantly—and she didn't pull away. Their fingers brushed, and the mark on his arm flared to life, golden light spilling into the air.
A wave of warmth surged through both of them. For an instant, their souls intertwined.
Memories that weren't his flashed in Eric's mind—Seraphina as a child, learning to fly under a crimson sky; her coronation as a dragon princess; her loneliness in a gilded cage. And then, her first time seeing him—a human boy by the river, smiling up at the clouds, unaware that a dragon watched from above.
When the vision faded, they were both breathless.
Kael stared at them in horror. "You… you've formed a Soul Link."
Seraphina's eyes widened. "No…"
Eric frowned. "What does that mean?"
"It means," Kael hissed, "your lives are now connected. Your pain, your power, your deaths. You are one. And if one of you dies—"
"The other follows," Seraphina finished, her voice barely a whisper.
Eric's heart pounded. "Then I guess I'll just have to make sure we both survive."
She stared at him, torn between despair and awe. Then she did something he didn't expect—she smiled. A faint, trembling smile that melted every fear in his chest.
Kael looked away, clenching his fists. "The Elders will never allow this. The bond must be broken."
"Then they will try," Seraphina said, turning to him, her voice regaining its steel. "But you will not harm him, Kael. That is an order."
He hesitated. "My Lady, if I disobey—"
"You swore your loyalty to me, not to them," she snapped. "Stand down."
Kael's jaw tightened, but he lowered his head. "As you command."
Eric watched him retreat into the shadows, his heart still racing. When they were alone, he turned to her. "What now?"
Seraphina took a deep breath. "Now, you must learn to survive here. The bond has awakened part of the dragonfire within you. If you cannot control it, it will consume you from the inside."
He frowned. "Dragonfire?"
She placed a hand over his chest. "Close your eyes."
He obeyed.
"Breathe," she whispered. "Feel the mark's rhythm. Let it guide you."
He did as she said, inhaling deeply. The air around them grew warmer, pulsing in time with his heartbeat. The golden flame inside him stirred—wild, untamed, but alive. He could feel its energy coursing through his veins, a strange fusion of pain and power.
"Now," she murmured, "focus. The flame is not your enemy. It's part of you."
He tried. He visualized the mark glowing, imagined the fire as a gentle pulse rather than a burning storm. Slowly, the heat steadied. His hands stopped trembling.
When he opened his eyes, the flames that once burned uncontrolled now hovered around him, gentle and bright like fireflies.
Seraphina smiled faintly. "Good. You learn fast."
He gave a breathless laugh. "I had a good teacher."
Her expression softened, but her eyes were filled with something more—fear. "You don't realize what you've become, Eric. You're no longer just human. The bond has made you… something else."
He stepped closer. "Then maybe I was meant to be something else. Something strong enough to stand beside you."
Her gaze flickered with emotion. "You say that now. But when the Elders come, when the truth of our bond spreads through the Citadel, they will see you as an abomination. And me as a traitor."
"Then we'll fight them together," he said simply.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The air between them buzzed with energy, unspoken promises, and the faint hum of dragonfire.
Finally, Seraphina whispered, "You're a fool, Eric of Drakenvale."
He smiled. "Maybe. But I'm your fool."
For the first time in weeks, she laughed—a sound soft and fragile, like music breaking through a storm.
As the sun dipped below the horizon of the Sky Citadel, its crimson light cast long shadows over the towers. In the distance, the great bells of the Elder Hall began to toll—a deep, ominous sound that echoed across the realm.
Seraphina turned toward the sound, her smile fading. "They know."
Eric frowned. "Who?"
"The Council," she whispered. "The Elders have felt the bond's awakening. They will summon me soon. And when they do… they'll want your head."
Eric clenched his fists. "Then they'll have to go through me first."
She looked at him with a mixture of love and sorrow. "You don't understand how powerful they are."
He met her gaze, unwavering. "And they don't understand how far I'm willing to go for you."
The wind shifted, carrying with it the distant roar of dragons circling above the Citadel. Lightning danced across the crimson sky, reflecting in Seraphina's golden eyes.
She whispered, "Then our war begins."