Twilight's POV
The next morning felt heavy. My head hurt like someone was tapping a hammer
inside it. I kept thinking about Isla. The kiss, The feeling of her hands on me. I could still feel
it, like it was stuck to my skin.
I walked through the hall, trying to act normal. Then I saw the new girl again. She was
standing near the library, staring at me like I was a bright star.
Her eyes were wide. Her face was pale. She looked like she might faint.
She walked closer. "Hi," she whispered.
"Hello," I said. Her voice trembled. "My name is Mira."
"Nice to meet you," I replied. Mira's cheeks turned pink. "I have seen you in my dreams."
I frowned. "Dreams?"
She swallowed. "Yes. You are always brave, always strong, always alone." My heart
tightened. "I am not alone."
Mira shook her head. "You are. I can feel it, I want to be near you."
My stomach twisted. Her words felt like magic, but also like a trap.
Before I could answer, Isla appeared behind me. She walked like she was pissed, but her face
was soft.
"Mira," Isla said. "Stay back."
Mira looked at Isla, then back at me. Her eyes shone with something like love and fear.
"I do not want to hurt her," Mira said quickly. "I just want to be near her."
Isla stared at her like she was deciding if Mira was a friend or a threat.Then Isla looked at me. "Twilight," she said quietly. "We need to talk."
I swallowed. "About what?"
Isla's voice lowered. "About mates." My throat tightened. "Mates?"Isla nodded. "Dragons do
not choose randomly. They choose their human, their partner, the one they bond with."
My heart beat faster. "You mean I will get a dragon?"
Isla's eyes softened. "Yes."
Isla grabbed my hand. Her fingers were warm, I felt my skin burn.
"I think our dragons have already found us," she whispered.
My head spun. "How do you know?"
Isla lifted her wrist. A glowing mark appeared. It looked like a thin line of light, like a river
of stars.
"I woke up with this," she said. "It appeared after I saw you. I think our dragons are
connected."
Mira stared at us. Her lips trembled. "You two," she said softly. "You are bonded."
Isla's eyes narrowed. "What did you say?"
Mira took a step forward, then stopped. "I said I think you are bonded."
Isla looked at me, then at Mira, then back at me. "Twilight," Isla said, "come with me."
I nodded, even though my mind was full of questions.
We walked toward the training yard. The air smelled like dust and sweat. People were already
gathering.
Then the bell rang. Everyone stopped talking. The crowd became quiet. The guards lined up.
The king's voice echoed from the stage.
"Attention," the king said. "Outcasts, degenerate, and survivors of this camp. Today is not
just a selection day. Today is a turning point."
He continued, "We have received reports of traitors, rebels, and poisoners. The
kingdom will not tolerate secrets. Starting now, we will search every room, every pocket,
every corner."
A mass search, My mind raced.What if they found my knife? What if they found my notes? What if they found the
potion?The king lifted his hand. "Anyone who resists will be punished, Anyone who hides will be executed."
The crowd gasped. A few people whispered, but the guards shut them down quickly.
I felt Isla's grip tighten around my hand "Stay close," she whispered.
I nodded.
Then the king pointed toward the courtyard."Begin."
The guards shouted. They started pushing people into lines. They began checking bags, belts, pockets, sleeves, even shoes.
Everyone looked terrified.
I tried to stay calm, but my heart was beating like a drum. The guards reached our group.
One guard grabbed Mira's arm. He looked at her like she was suspicious.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
Mira swallowed. "I am Mira. I am a new inmate." The guard nodded, then looked at me.
"Twilight Draven," he said. "You come with us." I stared at him. "Why?"
He did not answer, He just pulled me forward.
I glanced at Isla. She nodded, like she knew this was coming.
We walked through the hall, toward the rooms. The guards began searching. They opened drawers, They lifted mattresses, They even checked under the beds.
Then a guard found something, He held up a small bottle.
"Is this yours?" he shouted. My heart dropped.
I recognized it instantly. The potion Lysa had given me. The one I thought was helping me.
The guard looked at the label. "Poison," he said.
Isla's eyes widened. "No," I whispered.
The guard smiled. "You have been drugging yourself."Isla grabbed the bottle from the
guard's hand. She stared at it like it was a dangerous snake.
"This is not a potion," she said softly. "It is poison."
My mind raced. Lysa, The healer. She had given me poison.Why? Who was she working for?
Before I could think, the guard's voice cut through the air.
"Take her to the punishment chamber," he said. My body moved before my mind did.
I turned and ran. Isla shouted, "Twilight!" But I did not stop.
I ran down the hallway, past the stairs, past the guards, past the rooms. I did not know where I was going.
I only knew I could not be caught. I turned a corner and saw a door, It was the old storage
room. I pushed it open and slipped inside.
The door slammed shut behind me. The room was dark, my breathing was loud.
I could hear footsteps outside. Someone was coming and then a voice whispered myname.
"Twilight…"
Because the voice was not a guard. It was Lysa, and she was smiling