LOGINCelesteThe impact shook the world.The sky cracked with a sound beyond thunder.A ring of force burst outward from the collision.Clouds vanished.Trees bent until their trunks split.Every person in the valley was thrown off their feet.I hit the ground hard.The breath rushed from my lungs.Loose stones rolled down the mountainside as the ridge trembled beneath us.Above, the two dragons disappeared inside a blinding sphere of gold and crimson.For one impossible heartbeat, the world held its breath.Then they emerged.The Imperial dragon drove forward with a savage roar, its golden claws buried deep in the black dragon's shoulder.The black dragon twisted violently.Its tail whipped through the air.The strike caught the golden dragon across the ribs.The sound of breaking scales echoed across the valley.The Imperial dragon was hurled sideways.It smashed through the peak of a distant mountain.An entire cliff collapsed.Thousands of tons of stone crashed into the forest below.T
Celeste No one moved. No one breathed. The shadow grew larger with every heartbeat. It swallowed the sunlight pouring through the hole the first dragon had burned into the clouds. The valley darkened. A cold wind swept across the battlefield. It carried no scent of smoke. Only decay. The Imperial dragon lowered its body. Its golden scales bristled. A low growl vibrated through the earth beneath our feet. The woman never looked away from the approaching shadow. "Cassian." "Yes, Your Majesty." "Evacuate everyone." His jaw tightened. "The armies first?" "Everyone." He didn't hesitate. "Imperial Vanguard!" Thousands of soldiers answered as one. Their disciplined lines broke apart with astonishing speed. Not into chaos. Into purpose. "Horn signals!" "Retreat south!" "No formations!" "Leave the wounded to no one!" The sharp cry of bronze horns echoed through the valley. Even the enemy army understood. For the first time since this war had begun, neither side r
CelesteNo one moved.No one breathed.The shadow grew larger with every heartbeat.It swallowed the sunlight pouring through the hole the first dragon had burned into the clouds.The valley darkened.A cold wind swept across the battlefield.It carried no scent of smoke.Only decay.The Imperial dragon lowered its body.Its golden scales bristled.A low growl vibrated through the earth beneath our feet.The woman never looked away from the approaching shadow."Cassian.""Yes, Your Majesty.""Evacuate everyone."His jaw tightened."The armies first?""Everyone."He didn't hesitate."Imperial Vanguard!"Thousands of soldiers answered as one.Their disciplined lines broke apart with astonishing speed.Not into chaos.Into purpose."Horn signals!""Retreat south!""No formations!""Leave the wounded to no one!"The sharp cry of bronze horns echoed through the valley.Even the enemy army understood.For the first time since this war had begun, neither side reached for their weapons.They
Celeste"Run!"The command ripped through the stunned silence.For a heartbeat, no one obeyed.Everyone stared at the dragon.The glow inside its throat brightened from gold to white.Heat rolled across the valley.The stones beneath my boots grew warm.Cassian didn't flinch.Neither did the woman.She stood with one hand resting lightly against the dragon's neck."Your Majesty," Cassian said calmly."Only enough," she replied.The dragon inhaled.Then exhaled.A pillar of white fire erupted into the sky.It didn't strike the retreating armies.It climbed higher.Higher.Straight into the clouds.The heavens split apart.The blast punched a circular hole through the gray sky.Clouds vanished.Blue sunlight poured through the opening.The roar echoed across the mountains for what felt like forever.Every person on the battlefield stood frozen.I had never seen power like it.No spell.No siege engine.No weapon forged by man.Only raw destruction.The dragon closed its jaws.The valley
Celeste The silence lasted only a heartbeat. Then the Imperial Vanguard stopped. Thousands of soldiers froze as one. Their lines stretched from one end of the valley to the other. Shield walls stood six ranks deep. Long spears pointed toward the sky like a forest of steel. No one spoke. No one moved. A rider emerged from the center of their formation. His horse was black from mane to hoof. Its armor gleamed like polished obsidian. The rider wore no crest. No colors marked his allegiance beyond the black cloak flowing behind him. A silver wolf had been engraved across his breastplate. He rode forward alone. Neither army challenged him. Even the wounded seemed afraid to breathe. The horse halted halfway between the three forces. The rider removed his helmet. Dark hair. Sharp features. Cold gray eyes. He couldn't have been older than thirty. Yet the confidence in his posture belonged to someone who had never known defeat. The commander's face
Celeste "No!" The command tore from both our throats at the same time. Neither army listened. The first soldiers reached the ridge. Steel crashed against steel. The silence shattered. The commander shoved me away. I stumbled back as one of his men lunged between us, shield raised. His sword came down toward my head. I sidestepped. My dagger slipped beneath his arm. He gasped. His weapon clattered onto the rocks as he collapsed. "Protect the commander!" The cry echoed across the ridge. Half a dozen enemy soldiers surged forward. Before they reached me, my own men crashed into them. Captain Rowan slammed his shield into the first attacker, sending him sprawling over the edge of the slope. Sergeant Elric buried his axe in another man's shoulder. The ridge dissolved into chaos. Blood sprayed across the stones. The commander looked as furious as I felt. "I gave the order!" he roared. "Stand down!" No one obeyed. Battle fever had taken them. Reason had vanished.
Celeste The morning light filtered through the tall windows of the east wing, painting the library in muted gold. I woke with a sense of unease, my chest still tight from the memories Lyra had helped me uncover the night before. My mind spun with fragments, lingering images of the boy, the battle
Celeste Edgar raised a brow at me as if to ask if I thought he was stupid or something.“Well, I'm going to bed. I have had a long day.” I smiled. His eyes narrowed further, but I pretended not to notice. I took off my cloak, hung it and then began to slowly unravel my dress.I heard him walking
Celeste The morning light filtered through the tall windows of the east wing, painting the library in muted gold. I woke with a sense of unease, my chest still tight from the memories Lyra had helped me uncover the night before. My mind spun with fragments, lingering images of the boy, the battle
CelesteThe morning light filtered through the tall windows of the east wing, painting the library in muted gold. I woke with a sense of unease, my chest still tight from the memories Lyra had helped me uncover the night before. My mind spun with fragments, lingering images of the boy, the battlefi







