Pov~Reve
As the black claws coiled tightly around my waist, I felt their grip—firm, unyielding, but not painful. The tension was there, a silent threat that kept me from escaping. Panic surged through me, and I shouted with every ounce of strength left in me, "Cyrus, save me!" My voice echoed in the air, desperate and trembling. I struggled against the claws, trying to pry them off, but the dragon that held me was no ordinary beast.
This creature had the skin of molten rock, as if it were born from the heart of a volcano. Each scale shimmered with the heat of a thousand fires, and its teeth, sharp and massive, glinted ominously. The dragon was colossal, towering over me like a living fortress, with wings as vast as the horizon and a face marked with ancient scars, each one telling a tale of battles fought and won. The beast's eyes, glowing with the fury of a living inferno, locked onto mine, and it growled—a low, rumbling sound that shook me to my core.
My heart pounded in my chest as I looked over at Cyrus, my last hope. But as our eyes met, I saw all the colour drain from his face. The usual confidence and charm he carried were gone, replaced by sheer terror. His expression was one of pure shock, and in that instant, I knew—he couldn't save me. He was powerless against this ancient force.
The dragon launched into the sky, taking me with it, the ground quickly disappearing beneath us. The sun dipped toward the horizon, casting long shadows over the land. Below, the world began to shrink—the dense forests, the grand castle, the winding river, and the small village—they all became distant, tiny specks as we soared higher and further away. The wind roared in my ears, and the cold air whipped against my skin, but it was nothing compared to the dizziness that overtook me. My head spun, the world around me blurred, and just before I lost consciousness, everything went black.
When I finally came to, everything had changed. The air was different, colder, and the fear I felt before was nothing compared to the dread that now gripped my heart. I was still in the dragon's clutches, but the landscape below was unlike anything I had seen before. The once vibrant trees were now bare, their branches twisted and dry, as if life had long since abandoned them. The river, once full and flowing, was reduced to a mere trickle, a ghost of its former self. Below, I could make out the remains of small huts, their wooden walls cracked and crumbling with age. There was no sign of life, no movement—only an eerie stillness that hung in the air like a curse.
The sky, which had been so peaceful, was now dark and foreboding, and the air had grown colder, biting into my skin. The dragon was taking me somewhere, to a place that filled me with a sense of inevitable doom. As we flew closer, I saw it—a castle, looming in the distance. It was similar to the one I had glimpsed before, but this one was far more sinister. The walls were as black as night, towering high into the sky, and the entire structure seemed to absorb the light around it, growing darker with each passing moment. This castle was not just a building; it was a shadow, a living, breathing thing, and it was ten times larger than the one I had seen before.
The dragon descended, approaching a vast balcony that jutted out from one of the castle's many towers. With a gentleness that seemed out of place for such a fierce creature, the dragon set me down on the cold stone. For the first time, I was able to look into its eyes—eyes that burned with the intensity of lava. They were terrifying, yet strangely beautiful, and I found myself unable to look away.
Hesitantly, I reached out, my hand trembling as it moved toward the dragon's rough, warm skin. I touched it, feeling the heat radiating from its body, and to my surprise, the dragon didn't flinch or pull away. In this strange, forsaken place, there was a moment of peace. We stood there, watching each other, communicating silently in a way that words could never capture. There was an understanding between us, an unspoken agreement that neither of us could explain.
Finally, I turned away from the dragon to take in my surroundings. Through the glass doors of the balcony, I could see into the room beyond. It was dark, the only light coming from a few flickering candles. A massive bed dominated the space, draped in heavy, velvet curtains that looked as if they hadn't been touched in centuries. On a nearby table, dried flowers sat in a vase, their petals long since withered. A mirror stood in one corner, its surface cracked, reflecting the dim light in jagged patterns. The room was a place of decay, a place where time had stopped.
I turned back to the dragon, who was watching me with a curious intensity. His gaze held mine, and I felt a strange sense of calm wash over me. Despite everything, I knew—he would not harm me. There was no malice in his eyes, only a deep, ancient wisdom. And then, as I watched in disbelief, the dragon began to change.
The transformation was slow, almost graceful. His wings shrank, folding into his back until they disappeared entirely. His claws retracted, turning into feet, and his massive, scaled face softened, morphing into something more human. As the transformation completed, a man stood before me, tall and imposing, his presence as commanding as the dragon he had been moments before.
He was naked, his skin still carrying the warmth of the dragon's heat. His eyes, though human now, still burned with the same fiery intensity. I recognised him instantly, even before my mind could fully process what had happened. This was the man from my nightmares, the one whose path I should have never crossed.
Nyx Lumière.
He was taller than me by at least a foot, his body exuding power and danger. I stood there, frozen, my mind racing. The dragon was gone, but in his place was something just as fearsome, if not more so. Nyx Lumière—the name alone was enough to strike fear into the hearts of many. And now, he was here, standing before me, his gaze fixed on mine.
The room seemed to grow darker as he stepped closer, the air around us thick with tension. My heart raced, but I couldn't move, couldn't speak. I had no idea what he wanted or why he had brought me here. All I knew was that I was trapped in his world now, and there was no escape.