Chapter 4: Toward The Same Place

A black claw broke the surface at dawn. It scraped helplessly against the rocks... then slipped beneath the waves.

Another wave crashed. The claw emerged again. Shaking. Blood covered every scale. This time it found purchase.

Ravynne dragged herself onto the shore one broken breath at a time. Every movement painted the rocks crimson.

Now that the Red Moon had gone, the Dragon fell silence.

The Dragonbane bullets were gone. The dragonsteel wasn't. Jagged fragments still remained buried beneath her flesh.

Her body convulsed. "...No..."

With trembling claws, she dug into her own wound. The first shard came free. Pain exploded through her body. She screamed. The sound vanished into the empty coastline.

Another shard still remained. She tore deeper. Blood splashed across the stones. The final fragment refused to move. Her claws slipped.

She cried out. "Come... out..."

With one desperate pull— The last piece clattered against the rocks. Immediately... her dragon blood surged. Skin knitted slowly. Only the pain remained.

Her breathing slowed. Her vision blurred. The sea continued crashing against the shore... long after darkness claimed her.

***

Morning came quietly. The blood-red moon faded from the sky. One by one, the soldiers stationed around the palace lowered their weapons.

The alarm ended. The kingdom breathed again. Inside the palace... someone couldn't.

Leander hadn't slept. Not even for a minute. No one had seen Ravynne. Not since yesterday afternoon.

He stood alone inside her office. Everything remained exactly where she'd left it. "...Where are you?"

Silence answered. A knock shattered it. The door flew open.

"Your Highness." A Royal Guard entered, breathing hard.

"We've received reports from Oakhaven."

Leander turned immediately. "What reports?"

The guard hesitated, his eyes wandered around the room.

"...Witnesses claim....they saw a dragon."

Leander froze. He lost the color on his face.

The television mounted on the wall flickered to life. Morning news appeared on the screen.

The anchor spoke calmly. "Good morning, Valdris. The Red Moon has passed. But one question remains."

Grainy footage filled the screen. A massive creature flying beneath the crimson moon. Fire, wings and a dragon roar.

Leander's blood ran cold. 'Ravynne.'

The image looked exactly like the creature hidden throughout her journals. Sketch after sketch. Notes and questions. She had been studying it for years.

'Why did you never tell me?'

"...Witnesses from Oakhaven insist the creature was real," the anchor continued. "Government officials continue denying the existence of dragons while investigations remain ongoing."

Leander barely heard another word. His eyes drifted back toward Ravynne's desk. One drawer remained slightly open. He frowned. Ravynne never left drawers open.

He pulled it open. Inside rested a carefully wrapped package. A small handwritten note.

For Prince Leander.

Don't open until your birthday.

His birthday is next week. For one brief moment... he smiled. Then the smile disappeared. She had wrapped this expecting to be here next week. She hadn't planned to disappear.

His fingers slowly closed the drawer. "...You promised."

His voice cracked. "You promised you'd give it to me yourself."

He stood. Determination replaced fear. "Captain."

The Royal Guard straightened immediately.

"Seal every gate."

"...Your Highness?"

"Search every road between the palace and Oakhaven."

His voice dropped an octave lower. "Find Ravynne."

Silence followed. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as if to get a strength. "...Alive."

Without another word... he walked out.

Meanwhile, far from the capital...

Ravynne opened her eyes. A familiar ceiling greeted her. For one impossible moment... she was fourteen again.

Smoke spreaded fastly on the air. Fire erupted everywhere. Screaming echoed with terror. She blinked. The memories dissolved.

Her hand drifted instinctively to her chest. The warmth on her lips refused to disappear.

"...Idiot."

'Why did you keep chasing me? Why... did it hurt you every time I was hurt?'

Her fingers curled against her chest. 'No. Leander.'

She pushed herself upright. The room spun. She gritted her teeth. 'I have to go back.'

The blanket slipped from her shoulders. Simple clothes. Not hers. Someone had changed them. She looked around. The same cottage. Seven years ago... she had awakened here after destroying the village.

Someone moved beside the fire. The woman. Grey threaded through her hair now. She stirred a pot quietly.

Without looking up... "...You're awake."

She placed another bowl onto the table. "...Eat."

Ravynne remained silence. The woman resumed stirring. "When you're strong enough... Leave."

Ravynne frowned. "...Why?"

The woman kept stirring. "...Because you needed saving."

"You don't even know me."

The spoon stopped. A long silence filled the air. Then—

"Neither did the child I found seven years ago."

Ravynne froze. The woman finally looked at her. No judgment. "...Eat."

For seven years... this woman had never asked her name. What happened to her or why she was the only one alive among the village that burned. She had done the same thing seven years ago. And she had never once asked for anything in return.

"...Thank you." It came out barely above a whisper.

The woman said nothing.

Ravynne stood. Immediately her knees buckled. She caught herself against the wall.

"You need another day."

"I don't have another day."

'Prince Leander was waiting.' She swallowed the name. "...My friend might think I'm dead."

The woman watched her quietly. "You'll collapse."

"I know."

Ravynne reached the door. She opened it. She looked toward the distant coastline. Toward the place where she'd fallen. Her hand drifted to her chest again.

Pain flared beneath her ribs. The Dragonbane wounds. The rejection. Neither could wait. She pulled the door shut behind her anyway.

"Leander is waiting."

She started walking toward the distance palace even every step stole her breath away.

Somewhere far closer to Oakhaven...

The sound of fire crackling filled the room. Leif opened his eyes. The smell of herbs were all around the air. He pushed himself upright. Pain answered immediately.

"Don't." An old healer pressed him gently back onto the bed.

"You've been unconscious nearly a full day."

"...Where?"

"Oakhaven. The healer's cottage."

"They found you beside the road."

"...Onyx?"

"Your horse? He is alive."

Relief came.. and disappeared just as quickly. Leif pressed a hand against his chest. He felt nothing, only the emptiness.

"...Good."

The healer folded his arms. "You have no wounds. I checked three times."

Leif didn't answer.

"No poison. No broken bones."

The old man frowned. "But your pulse keeps collapsing."

Leif looked at him.

"I've treated soldiers. The cursed men. The plague victims."

The healer's eyes narrowed. "I've never treated someone who looked like he'd lost the will to live....without losing a single drop of blood."

Leif looked away. He had no answer. His hand unconsciously pressed against his chest again. 'Why... did it feel so empty?'

Leif closed his eyes. He saw her again. The woman. The dragon. The kiss. The tear. The fall.

A sharp knock echoed through the cottage. Three Royal Guards entered. The healer frowned.

Leif didn't look up."What is it?"

"His Majesty requests your immediate return to the palace."

Leif's expression didn't change. "I have no business there."

The guards exchanged uneasy glances. The captain slowly took a phone from inside his coat. "...His Majesty anticipated that answer." He offered it forward.

"He wishes to speak with you personally."

Silence. Leif stared at the phone.

Fifteen years. Fifteen years since he'd walked out of the palace with his mother. He'd never heard his father's voice. His fingers closed around the phone.

"...Leif." The King's voice came through immediately. "I assume you intend to refuse."

Leif looked toward the window. "I don't belong in the palace anymore."

A long silence followed.

Then— "The people know."

Leif frowned. "The footage spread faster than we expected."

Another pause.

"They know a dragon appeared. They know someone fought it and brought it down."

Leif closed his eyes. "So?"

"So now they want a hero."

"I don't."

The King's voice remained calm. "They already chose one."

Silence.

"Commander Leif Morvain. The man who slew the dragon."

Leif laughed quietly. There wasn't a trace of amusement in it. "You always did know how to use people."

The words hung heavily between them. For a moment... the King said nothing.

When he finally spoke, his voice had changed. "...I know."

Leif's fingers tightened around the phone.

"I wasn't there. I failed your mother."

Leif's breathing stopped.

"I failed you."

The room became painfully quiet. Leif remembered... A warm hand stroking his hair. His mother smiling.

"Your father loves you, Leif. One day... you'll understand."

"I miss you my son." The King's voice became softer than Leif had ever heard.

His chest tightened.

"I'm getting old. I've already lost your mother....Don't make me lose my son while I'm still alive."

Leif shut his eyes. His anger was still there. It always would be. But beneath it... there was something else.

He exhaled slowly. "...I understand."

The King remained silent.

"I'll come."

A pause.

"But don't expect me to become the prince everyone wants."

A faint chuckle came from the other end. "I stopped expecting that years ago. I only expect you to come home."

The call ended. Leif lowered the phone slowly. The room was silent. The captain waited without speaking.

Finally...Leif handed the phone back. Silence filled the room. His eyes drifted toward the Morvain Mk-IV resting against the wall.

For one impossible heartbeat... he didn't move. Then he reached for it. He buckled the sword belt around his waist. His movements were automatic and emotionless.

Only when everything was in place did he speak. "...Let's go."

The captain nodded. Outside... Onyx was already waiting.

Leif climbed into the saddle. Then he rode toward the palace... toward the woman he had just tried to kill.