The wind howls across the valley, carrying the scent of frost and shattered ice.
The battlefield is a frozen wasteland. Jagged peaks rise in the distance. The ground beneath us slick with the remnants of our struggle.
My boots grind into the frostbitten stone as I stare across the divide. I tighten my fingers around the hilt of my blade until my knuckles hurt. Even from here, I can feel her magic pressing down. Heavy, Ancient, and coiling around her like something alive. Power that had centuries to grow which was now pointed at me by my opponent.
My sister.
She stands on the far ridge, icy blue scales shimmering beneath the aurora. Her golden eyes gleam like a predator waiting for the kill. She's smiling. Same calm smile she always wears. Like she already knows how this ends.
"You've had your fun, Elyssia."
Her voice is smooth. Almost gentle. But there's magic beneath it, crackling like a storm barely held back.
"It's time to come home. The age of playing with mortal toys is over."
I don't answer. I am not sure I can afford to.
I keep my grip tight. Try to shut out the words. Try to focus. But she sees it—sees right through me. Past the cold face I put on. Right into the storm under my skin.
She steps forward, slow and easy. Like ice sliding downhill.
"You always knew this was temporary. Mother allowed it. She let you run around, rebel a little. Gave you time to play. Even let you get attached."
Her head tilts. That soft, knowing tone.
"But that's over."
"You were never one of them, Elyssia. Not really. But I know you cared. So here's my offer—come back now, and I'll make sure they're left alone. No one touches them. You have my word."
I hesitate.
Not because I believe her. I don't. And not because I trust her either.
But something's still there. As much as I've tried to bury it. Not loyalty. Not devotion. Just something old. Something that refuses to let go.
That hesitation? It costs me.
I'm only here because I would've been, once. There was a time I'd have fought for them without hesitation. Now I do it because I feel like I should. Out of obligation. Habit.
I tell myself it's enough.
The ground trembles. Her magic flares.
I brace myself.
She moves first. A silver blur. Destruction wrapped in motion. I barely shift before the blast hits where I stood, turning ice into splinters, stone into dust.
I twist, slashing wide, trying to drive her back—but she's gone. Flickering away into afterimages. Too fast. Too strong.
Cold fire burns through me. My power stirs.
I breathe deeper. Sharper. Muscles coil tight. The shift creeping up.
The Hunter. The Apex. The Beast.
Not yet.
Not here.
The air crackles. The ground splits under my feet. Her eyes narrow. Just a flicker of annoyance.
"Enough of this."
She flicks her hand, weaving something fast. The air around me freezes.
My instincts scream.
So I let go.
Flesh tears. Bones twist. Wings rip free with a crack like thunder. The shift hits hard. Violent. My human shell stripped away in seconds. The dragon underneath, rising.
Scales gleam silver and blue. My claws dig deep into the ice.
For the first time, she looks surprised.
I lunge.
The roar that leaves me shakes the sky. The impact slams her back. Ice and stone shatter beneath us. My claws tear through her shields. My breath freezes spells mid-cast. I push her.
I make her feel it.
For a moment, I've got the edge.
But then it starts again. The power. That deep, wild hunger surges and tries to take control.
My vision blurs. Limbs shake.
I fight it down. Force the Beast to back off.
She sees that too.
Her smirk comes back.
"So, you do remember who you are."
She almost sounds proud.
"Good. That makes this easier."
Her magic explodes.
Chains of frost and light wrap around my wings and slam me into the ground. I snarl. Break them. But her next spell is already forming.
A storm builds behind her. Ice and lightning swirling overhead.
I hesitate.
Just a second.
Too long.
The sky splits open. Jagged spears of frozen air rain down like judgment.
I throw my claws up, desperate.
The battlefield erupts.
And then—darkness.