Seraphina's POV
"LUNARIS BLOOD CAN DESTROY ME!"
The corrupted dragon's roar shook the entire sanctuary as it lunged straight at me with jaws wide enough to swallow me whole.
I threw my hands up instinctively, golden light exploding from my palms.
The blast hit the creature mid-lunge, sending it crashing backward into the wall with a shriek of pain and fury. Cracks spider-webbed across its rotting scales where my power had touched it.
Everyone stared at me in shock—Damien, the soldiers, the dragons, even Lyria.
"How did you..." Darius breathed, his face pale.
I had no answer because I didn't know. My hands were still glowing, power humming through my veins like lightning. It felt natural and terrifying all at once.
The corrupted dragon recovered quickly, its red eyes burning with rage. "YOU HURT ME. JUST LIKE SHE DID. JUST LIKE THE FIRST LUNARIS WHO SEALED ME AWAY!"
"Good!" I shouted, surprising myself with my own boldness. "Then stay down there where you belong!"
It roared and lunged again.
This time, I wasn't fast enough.
Massive claws swiped toward me—
And suddenly Kaelith was there.
He'd crashed through the ceiling in his dragon form, black scales gleaming, golden eyes blazing with protective fury. He caught the corrupted dragon's claws with his own, stopping the attack inches from my face.
"TOUCH HER," Kaelith snarled in a voice that was more dragon than man, "AND I'LL RIP YOU APART PIECE BY PIECE."
The two dragons collided in an explosion of claws, teeth, and fire. The entire sanctuary shook from the force of their battle. Dragons and humans alike scrambled for cover as the two massive creatures fought with terrifying violence.
But I could see what others couldn't—Kaelith was still weakened. The poison might be better, but he wasn't at full strength. And the corrupted dragon was ancient, powerful, and completely insane.
"We need to help him!" I turned to find Lyria pressed against the wall, her eyes huge with fear.
Before I could move, someone grabbed my arm.
Damien.
"You're coming with me," he hissed, dragging me toward the exit while everyone was distracted by the dragon battle.
"Let go!" I struggled, but his grip was iron-tight.
"Elena wants you dead, and I always give my wife what she wants." His smile was cruel. "Besides, with that corrupted thing loose, everyone will assume it killed you. Perfect cover."
He pulled me through the doorway into a dark tunnel. Behind us, I heard Kaelith roar—had he seen Damien taking me? Or was he too focused on the corrupted dragon?
"SERAPHINA!" Lyria's scream echoed through the sanctuary.
"Lyria!" I tried to twist free, but Damien yanked me forward, his fingers bruising my arm.
"Forget about your little pet," he snarled. "You have bigger problems."
We emerged into a corridor I didn't recognize. Damien's soldiers were waiting, their heartstone weapons gleaming in the torchlight.
"Secure the healer," Damien ordered. "We're leaving while everyone's distracted by the monster."
"You won't get away with this," I said through gritted teeth. "Kaelith will hunt you down—"
"The Dragon King is going to die fighting that corrupted beast. And even if he survives, by the time he realizes you're gone, we'll be back in human territory where he can't follow." Damien's smile was victorious. "You lose, Seraphina. Just like you always do."
His words hit like physical blows because part of me believed them. I'd lost everything before—why would this be different?
But then I remembered something.
I wasn't the same powerless girl who'd been publicly humiliated at her engagement party. I wasn't the broken prisoner who'd been dragged to the mountains in chains.
I was Lunaris.
And I'd just hurt an ancient corrupted dragon with my bare hands.
"You're right about one thing," I said quietly, meeting Damien's eyes. "This is where I stop losing."
My hands erupted with golden light.
The power blast threw Damien and his soldiers backward like they'd been hit by a charging horse. I ran back toward the sanctuary, my heart pounding, my hands still glowing.
I had to get back to Kaelith. Had to help him. Had to—
Something slammed into me from the side, driving me into the wall so hard my vision went black for a second.
When it cleared, Darius stood over me, his sword at my throat.
"I'm sorry," he said, but he didn't sound sorry at all. "But you're too dangerous to live. The King can't think clearly while you're alive. This is for his own good."
"You're a traitor," I gasped, tasting blood.
"I'm a survivor." His sword pressed harder. "Goodbye, human."
He raised the blade—
And Lyria appeared behind him, swinging a heavy torch like a club.
CRACK!
It connected with Darius's head, and he dropped like a stone.
"Miss!" Lyria grabbed my hand, pulling me up. "Are you okay?"
"You... you just knocked out the Dragon King's second-in-command," I said in disbelief.
"He was going to kill you!" Lyria's face was fierce despite her tears. "I won't let anyone kill you. Not him, not Lord Damien, not anyone!"
I hugged her quickly. "Thank you. Now we need to get back to—"
The floor beneath us exploded.
We were thrown apart as the corrupted dragon burst through from below, its massive body filling the corridor. Behind it, I could see the destroyed sanctuary—and Kaelith in human form, bleeding from multiple wounds, struggling to stand.
The corrupted dragon had won.
And now it was between me and Kaelith, blocking any path back to him.
"NO MORE RUNNING, LUNARIS," the creature snarled, its red eyes fixed on me with horrible hunger. "YOUR BLOOD WILL BREAK MY CURSE. YOUR POWER WILL BE MINE."
It lunged.
I threw up my hands, golden light blazing—but I was exhausted, drained from the earlier blasts. The light flickered weakly.
Not enough.
I was going to die.
Time seemed to slow down as those massive jaws opened wide—
And then Kaelith was there again.
He'd shifted mid-leap, his dragon form slamming into the corrupted beast with desperate fury. But he was too weak, too wounded. The corrupted dragon threw him off easily, sending him crashing into the stone wall.
"KAELITH!" I screamed.
He tried to rise, tried to shift again, but collapsed. Blood pooled beneath him—too much blood.
The corrupted dragon turned back to me, victory gleaming in its eyes.
"NOTHING CAN SAVE YOU NOW."
It was right.
Kaelith was down. Darius was a traitor. Damien's soldiers were closing in from behind. And I was too exhausted to fight anymore.
This was it.
The end.
I closed my eyes, accepting my fate—
And felt something warm press into my palm.
I looked down in shock.
Lyria had put something in my hand. Something that glowed with soft silver light.
My mother's moonstone necklace.
"I stole it back," Lyria whispered. "From Lady Elena's belongings when we left the castle. I was going to surprise you with it, but... I think you need it now."
The moment the moonstone touched my skin, power exploded through me.
Not just golden light this time.
Silver light mixed with gold, spiraling around my body like a living storm. The exhaustion vanished, replaced by strength that felt endless and ancient.
My mother's voice echoed in my mind—a memory I didn't know I had:
"You are Lunaris, my daughter. Never forget. The moon chose our bloodline to protect those who cannot protect themselves. When the time comes, you will know what to do."
The corrupted dragon froze, its eyes wide with sudden fear.
"NO. IMPOSSIBLE. YOU'RE TOO WEAK. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO—"
"I know exactly what to do," I said, my voice echoing with power that wasn't entirely my own.
I touched the moonstone to my heart.
And I became something more.
Wings of pure light erupted from my back—not dragon wings, but something else. Something ancient. My eyes blazed silver-gold, and the mark on my throat that I'd never noticed before began to glow, spreading across my skin in beautiful, intricate patterns.
I was Lunaris.
Not just descended from them.
I WAS one of them.
The corrupted dragon tried to run, but I was faster.
I flew—actually flew—and slammed my glowing hands against its rotting chest.
"You've been corrupted by darkness for five hundred years," I said, feeling the truth of it flowing through me. "Let me show you what it's like to be healed."
Light poured from my hands into the creature.
It screamed—not in pain, but in relief.
The black ooze evaporated. The rotting scales healed. The madness in its red eyes cleared, replaced by normal golden dragon eyes.
When the light faded, a normal dragon lay before me—still huge, still powerful, but no longer corrupted.
It looked at me with wonder and gratitude.
"Thank you," it rumbled softly. "Thank you for ending my torment."
Then it lowered its head in a bow of respect before dissolving into silver mist, finally free to rest.
I landed gently, my wings fading, the moonstone necklace cooling against my chest.
Everyone stared at me in absolute shock.
Damien and his soldiers had frozen in the corridor, their faces pale with terror.
Lyria looked at me with awe and pride.
And Kaelith...
Kaelith was staring at me like he'd never seen me before.
Like I was the most terrifying and beautiful thing in the world.
I ran to him, dropping to my knees beside his broken body. "Please don't die. Please. I just found my power—I can heal you—"
"You already did," he said weakly, touching my face with a bloody hand. "You've been healing me since the moment we met, little moon. Not just my body. My soul."
Tears streamed down my face as I pressed my glowing hands to his wounds, pouring everything I had into healing him.
His wounds closed. His breathing steadied. Color returned to his face.
When I finished, we just stared at each other for a long moment.
"What are you?" he whispered.
"I don't fully know yet," I admitted. "But I know I'm not leaving you."
A slow smile crossed his face—the first real smile I'd seen from him.
"Good. Because you're mine now, Seraphina Lunaris. And I don't share."
Behind us, someone cleared their throat.
We both turned to see Darius standing there, looking ashamed and beaten.
"My King," he said quietly. "I... I betrayed you. I deserve death."
Kaelith's expression hardened. "Yes. You do."
"Wait," I said, touching Kaelith's arm. "Let me talk to him first."
Kaelith looked like he wanted to argue, but nodded.
I stood and walked over to Darius, looking him directly in the eyes.
"You betrayed your King because you thought I was making him weak," I said. "But weakness isn't caring about others. Weakness is being so afraid of losing what you have that you destroy what could make you stronger." I paused. "Kaelith is a better king WITH me than without me. And if you can't see that, then you don't deserve to serve him."
Darius stared at me for a long moment, then slowly dropped to one knee.
"You're right," he said hoarsely. "I was afraid. Afraid of change. Afraid that caring about a human would destroy us." He looked at Kaelith. "But I see now that I was wrong. She doesn't make you weak, my King. She makes you whole."
"Pretty words won't erase betrayal," Kaelith growled.
"No," Darius agreed. "But perhaps a lifetime of loyal service might earn forgiveness. If you'll allow it."
Kaelith looked at me. "What do you think?"
Everyone seemed shocked that he was asking my opinion.
"I think," I said slowly, "that everyone deserves a second chance. Even traitors. Even..." I looked toward where Damien and his soldiers were trying to sneak away. "Even ex-fiancés who need to be taught a lesson."
Kaelith's smile turned dangerous. "I like the way you think.