The sky was still, painted in soft blues and pale golds as dawn began to rise. Dew clung to the wild grasses, sparkling faintly like stardust. We stood in the heart of the meadow, far from the castle, where the air felt untouched by war and sorrow—like the land itself remembered what it once was.
Xenos stood beside me, quiet and focused. In his hand, he held three iridescent scales, each one shimmering with violet and obsidian hues. A thin ribbon of blood trailed from his palm where he'd cut himself moments before, the offering pooling in a crystal vial.
I clutched the Brugmangia flower carefully in one hand, its petals white and glowing faintly with magic, and in the other... a single feather from my wings.
"I've never done anything like this," I whispered, the early morning breeze tugging at my hair.
"You were born for this," Xenos said gently. "And you're not doing it alone."
A sudden, warm presence curled around us.
Sage...
I turned my head slightly, already sensing her before she appeared—Ziri, my spirit, my guide. She took form in a soft wisp of violet light, her features gentle and her eyes full of ancient calm.
"You're ready," she said, her voice echoing like a melody in the wind. "But this will cost you, little one."
"I know," I said quietly. "I'm not afraid."
Ziri gave a soft smile. "Then begin."
Xenos moved first, kneeling to carve ancient glyphs into the soil with his blade. Lines of power shimmered into life with each stroke, forming a wide, glowing sigil that pulsed with old, forgotten magic.
I stepped into the center, the Brugmangia flower now open in my palm, the feather trembling with divine energy.
Ziri floated around us, humming softly. Her song felt like time rewinding, like the breath before creation.
"The blood of the last dragon," I whispered.
Xenos poured the blood into the center of the sigil.
"The feather of a trueborn angel," I added, placing it gently into the glowing pool.
"The soul of earth's bloom," I whispered next, laying the Brugmangia flower down.
"And your intent," Ziri said. "The wish from your heart."
I closed my eyes.
Let them return, I thought. Let the dragons be reborn. Let there be something more than war—something beautiful, something whole.
A surge of power erupted from the ground, and the sigil blazed gold and violet.
Xenos cried out, stumbling back as the energy ripped through the air like a storm. I remained still, my body shaking as the magic poured from me—deep, sacred, endless. I felt it pulling at every thread of my spirit, demanding all that I was.
The light grew blinding.
And then—
Silence.
A soft hum of life.
In the center of the sigil now lay an egg—large, smooth, pearlescent. Its surface shimmered with streaks of silver and lilac. It was warm. Alive.
But I never saw it.
My knees buckled, and the world tipped sideways. My vision faded, sound muffled into nothing. I felt arms catch me—Xenos.
"Sage," he said, panic threading his voice.
Ziri floated beside me, touching my forehead gently with her light.
"She'll sleep now," she murmured. "The kind of sleep only soul-forged magic demands. But she will wake."
Xenos cradled me in his arms, his jaw tight, his eyes locked on the egg that now pulsed softly with life.
He whispered something into my hair, words I couldn't hear, not really—but I felt them.
Thank you.
-----
Everything was white.
Soft. Infinite. Weightless.
I blinked slowly, my breath caught in my throat as the world around me hummed with silence. The familiar void of light stretched in all directions, and yet—there was warmth here. Ancient. Familiar.
"Smokey?" I called, my voice soft, uncertain.
And there he was.
The true god, the guardian of beginnings and endings. He stood at the edge of the whiteness, tall and timeless. His long silver hair shimmered like woven starlight, his eyes reflecting galaxies—but this time… they held no joy.
His expression was grave.
I stepped closer, my heart fluttering. "I did it," I said, barely containing the pride in my chest. "I made the egg. The dragonline isn't broken anymore."
But Smokey didn't smile.
He looked at me as if I'd broken something sacred instead of healing it.
"I felt it," he said quietly. "So did the gods. So did the demons. So did Mortis."
My blood ran cold.
"The rebirth of a dragon," he continued, stepping closer, "is not a quiet thing. It echoes across the planes. And now… it has awakened something we prayed would remain lost."
I stood frozen, my mouth dry. "What do you mean?"
Smokey looked down at me, sorrow lining every wrinkle in his ancient face. "You believed Xenos was the last dragon. And so did he. But the curse that fell on their kind… didn't just scatter eggs and souls—it separated them."
He lifted a hand, and in the white air between us, a vision shimmered to life.
Two boys. Identical in strength and shape, but not in color.
One dark—Xenos, fierce with ember and fire.
The other pale as ice, his hair silver-white, his eyes clear blue. The cold in him was beautiful… and terrifying.
"His twin," I breathed.
"Vyrmoth," Smokey confirmed, his voice soft. "A cryo dragon. His egg vanished the day the curse struck. Xenos's was taken by Mortis… but Vyrmoth's? No one knows. No one has seen him since. Not even I."
My breath caught. "Xenos doesn't know?"
Smokey shook his head. "No one does. The Council buried it, fearing what it would mean if the twin bloodlines ever reunited. Fire and ice… born of one soul."
I staggered back, overwhelmed.
"Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because you created something pure," Smokey said. "Something sacred. A dragon egg not forged in destruction or survival—but in hope. That alone makes it more powerful than anything the world has seen in centuries."
His gaze hardened.
"And that means Mortis will come for it. The demons will come for it. Even gods who have long been silent may rise again."
A chill swept through the white space.
"You must protect that egg, Sage. At all costs."
"I will," I promised, without hesitation.
But Smokey stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"And you must find Vyrmoth… quietly. No one must know. Not even Xenos."
I frowned. "Why? He deserves to know his brother is alive."
"He deserves the truth," Smokey agreed. "But the moment you speak it aloud, the balance tips. The world needs time, Sage. And so do you."
A pulse of light surged behind him. The white space began to ripple.
"Your time here is done. The dragon calls to you now."
"Wait—what if I can't find Vyrmoth?" I asked, panic sparking in my chest.
"You will," Smokey said. "Because you're more than angel or warrior now. You're the mother of a dragon."
And then—
The light broke.
---
My eyes flew open.
I gasped, air rushing into my lungs like I hadn't breathed in days. The scent of grass and earth flooded my senses. Stars blinked overhead. I was in the field again, cradled gently in warm arms.
"Sage," Xenos breathed, his face hovering above mine, eyes wide with relief.
"You're awake."
I blinked slowly, my vision adjusting. Just over his shoulder, I saw it—nestled in the grass, glowing faintly.
The egg.
Alive.
And yet, all I could hear were Smokey's words echoing inside me.
Protect it. Find him. Tell no one.
Not even the man holding me so tightly.
Not even the dragon whose fire I'd just brought back to the world.