The mountain did not roar again.
That, somehow, was worse.
Morning arrived wrapped in copper light, the sky over the Ashen Fang Mountains streaked with red and gold as if the sun itself hesitated to rise. The crack in the mountain — the wound that was the Dragon Tomb of Cindervale — pulsed faintly, like a heart sleeping under layers of stone.
We didn't move right away.
I let the quiet sit.
Seraphina was the first to stir, slipping from her bedroll with careful grace. She wore a simple travel robe today, pale blue trimmed in silver thread, her long hair tied back loosely. In the firelight, her eyes looked softer than usual.
"Tea first," she said, as if this were any other morning.
Liara snorted from where she lay stretched out on a flat rock. "If we die today, I'm blaming you for making it feel normal."
Mireya was already awake, sharpening her blade with slow, steady strokes. "Normal keeps people alive."
I watched them for a moment longer than necessary.
This — this was what Kael had tried to tear apart.
I rose and joined Seraphina by the fire. She handed me a cup, fingers brushing mine. The contact lingered, warm, grounding. Her lips curved faintly when she noticed.
"You're smiling," she said.
"Am I?"
"Only when you're relaxed."
Liara glanced over. "Disgusting."
She still scooted closer when I reached out and tugged her by the wrist, pulling her down beside me. She protested for exactly half a breath before leaning into my shoulder like she belonged there.
Mireya pretended not to notice.
She always noticed.
We spent the morning preparing.
Not for battle — not yet — but for entry.
The Dragon Tomb of Cindervale wasn't just a ruin. According to old imperial records, it predated the Crimson Dawn Empire itself, sealed during the Era of Scorched Skies, when dragonkind tore the world apart and were hunted nearly to extinction.
Seraphina spread a worn map across the ground. "There are three known outer seals. Kael destabilized the first when he activated that array."
Liara traced a finger along a jagged line. "This valley here — Emberveil Hollow. That's where corrupted spirits usually leak out."
"Side quest," she added lightly, glancing at me. "We clean it up before going inside?"
I nodded. "No rushing."
Mireya sheathed her blade. "Good. I don't trust anything that wants you inside this badly."
Her voice was flat, but her eyes lingered on me a fraction longer than necessary.
We reached Emberveil Hollow by noon.
It was… beautiful, in a broken way.
Blackened trees stood like skeletal fingers against the sky. Crystals of hardened flame jutted from the ground, glowing faintly. The air shimmered with heat, but beneath it all ran a current of ancient mana — wild, wounded, restless.
A corrupted drake spirit emerged from the mist, scales half-formed, eyes burning with rage.
It died quickly.
Not violently.
I stepped forward, released just enough pressure, and the spirit shattered like ash caught in a sigh.
Seraphina exhaled softly. "You didn't even—"
"I don't need to," I said.
Liara clapped once. "Lazy and terrifying. Consistent."
Afterward, we found a small spring untouched by corruption — a miracle, Seraphina said. We washed our hands there, shared dried fruit and bread, and for a while the world felt… kind.
Liara tried to flick water at me.
I caught her wrist.
She yelped, laughed, and leaned closer than necessary, eyes bright. "You're cheating."
"Get better."
Seraphina watched us with an expression that was equal parts fond and dangerous.
Mireya sighed. "Children."
As evening fell, the mountain pulsed again.
Stronger this time.
Not a threat.
A summons.
I stood at the edge of the camp, looking up at Cindervale's cracked peak. The name felt heavy on my tongue now — like memory, like inheritance.
Whatever slept inside wasn't just a monster.
It was history.
And it knew my blood.
Behind me, footsteps approached. Seraphina slipped her hand into mine, resting her head briefly against my shoulder.
"We'll face it together," she said.
"Yes."
For now, though, we returned to the fire.
To warmth.
To laughter.
To the fragile, stubborn joy of people who refused to let the world harden them.
Tomorrow, we would open the second seal.
Tonight, we lived.