The ruined halls of the Thorne Estate opened into night.

Lucian stepped out first, supporting Silas with one arm. Reia followed, her hands raw but free, and Vyn trailed, her shadows flickering like weak embers. The air outside was hot, alive with light.

Above, Kaelis's massive wings blotted out pieces of the sky. He spiraled over the estate, his golden scales burning brighter than the flames he loosed. Every sweep of his body threw another storm of fire down, melting stone, shattering wards, scattering hunters who had once called this fortress unbreakable.

The ground shook with every roar. Towers crumbled. The proud walls of the Thornes were coming down in ash.

When Kaelis's golden eyes caught sight of Lucian and the others emerging from the vault's smoking mouth, he paused mid-flight, beating his wings once, twice, before diving lower. He landed in a shower of sparks and dust, claws gouging trenches into the cobblestones. The estate trembled under his weight.

He lowered his head slightly, one eye fixed on Lucian. His voice rolled deep, vibrating the ground. "Don't tell me this ragged group expects a ride."

Lucian only gave a shrug, tired but unreadable.

Kaelis snorted, smoke curling from his nostrils. "That's what I thought." He shook his great head, muttering like an irritated old man, then launched himself back into the air, wings blotting out the moonlight as he turned his fury once more on the broken estate.

Reia stared up, jaw slack. For the first time since her chains had been broken, her voice cracked with something like disbelief. "Wait." She turned to Lucian. "That thing… that's the lizard you kept on your shoulder?"

Lucian nodded once, deadpan. "Yeah."

Kaelis's head whipped around mid-flight. He landed again in a thunderous crash, his golden eyes locking on Reia.

"Lizard?" His voice rumbled, edged with indignation. "Did the little blade just call me a lizard?"

Reia blinked. "You are a—"

The rest of her words vanished under Kaelis's roar. He leaned down, jaws opening wide, and bellowed straight into her face. The roar wasn't just sound—it was pressure, a wave of golden heat that sent her hair whipping back and forced her to stumble a step.

Reia glared, but her face was pale. "Okay. Not a lizard."

Kaelis sniffed, satisfied, then pulled his massive head back. "Remember that." With a grunt, he took to the skies again, his wings whipping a storm across the courtyard.

Silas, who had nearly fallen under the force of the roar, was wide-eyed, his face breaking into a grin despite his bruises. "That's a real dragon," he said, awe in his voice. "An actual dragon. Walking, breathing, fire-raining dragon."

Reia shot him a look. "He almost burned my face off."

"And?" Silas chuckled weakly, holding his ribs. "Worth it."

Vyn, however, had slumped down on a piece of broken wall, her shadows barely managing to keep her upright. She rubbed her temple, her expression flat. "Fantastic. We survived Eron, got nearly roasted by Lucian's pet—"

"Not a pet," Kaelis rumbled from above, clearly listening.

"—and now," Vyn continued without missing a beat, "we don't even have a way back to the Citadel. No ship. No ride. Nothing." She groaned and leaned her head back against the stone. Then, louder: "We don't have a ride back."

Silas blinked, still grinning faintly. "Oh."

Reia rolled her eyes. "That's all you've got? 'Oh'?"

Before Silas could answer, a shadow fell over them. Not Kaelis's wings this time—something larger, steady, mechanical.

The air hummed with the low, resonant thrum of engines. The night parted as a massive silhouette descended from the clouds, lights glowing along its hull. The familiar outline of the Nova Sanctum broke through the smoke, descending with careful precision. The estate's flames reflected off its metal skin, painting it gold and crimson as it settled above the ruined courtyard.

A panel along its side hissed open. From the interior, Evelyn's voice carried out, sharp and clear. "Thought you'd need a ride back."

Reia's shoulders slumped with relief. Silas let out a bark of laughter, shaking his head. "I'll take it. Dragon was great, but that's home."

Lucian didn't say anything. He stood in the courtyard, eyes on the Sanctum as it lowered. The light from its hull washed over him, over Reia's cuts, Silas's bruises, Vyn's shadows. The fight in the vault already felt like something pressed into memory, a weight still heavy but carried forward.

Kaelis landed once more, claws scraping the stone. He looked at the ship, then at Lucian, his golden eyes narrowing. "You ride that thing, not me. Make sure your people remember."

Lucian gave another small shrug, the faintest ghost of a smirk tugging at the edge of his mouth. "They'll remember."

Kaelis huffed, a plume of smoke rolling across the broken courtyard, then lifted off again. This time, he soared high, circling once before diving back into the wreckage of the estate, his roars echoing into the night.

Reia, still brushing soot from her hair, muttered, "Not a lizard. Definitely not a lizard."

"Dragon," Silas said with a grin.

"Nightmare," Vyn corrected. She pushed herself upright, her voice sharp. "Come on. Let's get on before this place comes down completely."

Lucian finally turned, steadying Silas again with one arm. Reia moved close at his side, Vyn trailing behind. Together, they walked across the courtyard, stepping over rubble, through dust and fire, toward the Sanctum's open hatch.

The night air was filled with Kaelis's distant roars and the low hum of the ship's engines, but inside the small circle of light that fell over them, it felt quieter.

The war against Eron was finished. But the scars—Marc's absence, the truth revealed—lingered like shadows in each of their steps.

As they climbed aboard, Evelyn's face appeared in the hatchway. Her expression softened as she saw them battered but alive. "Welcome back," she said simply.

Lucian gave a single nod, then looked once over his shoulder at the burning ruins below. Kaelis's golden fire cut arcs across the estate, reducing it to ash. Somewhere in the dark, Marc was gone, a question left unanswered.

Lucian turned away. The hatch closed with a hiss.

The Nova Sanctum lifted into the night, carrying them back toward the Citadel.

Back At the Citadel

The air in the sick bay shivered.

A ripple spread across the far wall, bending space until it tore itself open. A portal, dark at the edges and glowing faint at its core. From it stepped a man—tall, composed, his presence heavy enough to make the monitors stutter for a heartbeat.

His eyes fell on the figure lying weak beneath the sheets. Lucy.

A slow grin curved across his face. He walked closer, the sound of his boots soft against the sterile floor. "You've grown into a fine young woman," he murmured, his voice edged with warmth that carried something darker beneath. His hand reached out, fingers brushing along her cheek. "The face of your mother… almost exactly."

For a moment, his gaze shifted, turning toward the sealed doors as if he could see through them, past the Citadel, out into the wider world. His grin sharpened. "So… the first child still breathes. And little Lucian… he's no longer so little. A man now. A strong one."

He looked back down at Lucy, his expression softening again, though the hunger in his eyes remained. "Come, child. There's much for us to do. Adventure…" His hand slid under her frail frame, lifting her with ease. "…and revenge."

Without another word, he carried her into the swirling portal. The sick bay dimmed as the rift sealed shut, leaving nothing but the echo of the monitors, now beeping to emptiness.

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