The dragon charged at me with astonishing speed, its mouth gaping wide as it released a haunting roar, almost as if it were a desperate cry for help. Faced with this god-like creature, I understood that victory seemed impossible. However, I held one advantage: I was faster than the hollow husk hurtling toward me, significantly faster.Drawing a deep breath, I soared past the dragon, ascending even higher into the sky until Emberfield village became a distant memory. A faint smoke emanated from my wings, propelling my movement even faster. Beyond the clouds lay a profound emptiness, occupied by an army of avian soldiers dressed in gleaming gold armor, armed to the hilt. They stood calm, their piercing gazes locked onto me, but my gaze fell upon a familiar presence, one I never wanted to see again."If it isn't our dear Valerian the Golden," said a sly voice.It was Lucius, an avian who made my escape from Elyria possible."As you can see, I am no longer golden," I said, spreading my now dark wings wide for all to see."Yes, should we make a change then? What about Valerian the Dark? It does have a certain ring to it. Wouldn't you agree?"Lucius smiled, but I could tell it was no honest smile, for his green eyes were as devious as they were before."Why don't we just get this over with? What do you want, my life? Or this?"The smoke around my wings grew heavier, his eyes glimmering with envy and greed. Then, a wide smile spread across his face, this time more genuine."Beautiful!" he marveled. "You have awakened it! I knew letting you roam free was the correct decision. Tell me, have you already met him?""Met who?""The one who gave you power, The First Sin?""I never met anyone who goes by that name," I answered, though I kept a small piece of information to myself.The first sin? Could he mean the red-eyed boy? It seems as if Lucius knows more than he lets on. Letting me go that day was only a small part of his plan. He knew he could retrieve me whenever he wished, but instead, he saw me as a seed and planted it into fertile soil, allowing me to grow into a plant that could not thrive in Elyria. He waited patiently for me to grow and awaken these accursed powers, then plucked me out of that ground and returned me to a life I have long forgotten. He knew every chapter of this tale, how it began, and how it would end. Now, I see my role in all this; I was nothing but a puppet all along. A puppet for him and a puppet for the red-eyed boy. I wouldn't be surprised if both of them worked together. They both wished for me to awaken and to let me grow some more, but when they saw I gave up on their script, they decided to stop mid-story and come for me now."If I go with you in peace, will you leave this village and never return?" I asked."You have my word, Valerian the Dark," replied Lucius.I no longer had the strength to fight for a life that didn't even feel like mine. As long as my family was safe, my life didn't matter.Flying next to Lucius, who stood calmly, I noticed the soldiers around him were on edge. They pointed their weapons in fear, ordering me to stop in my tracks. Reacting to their fear, I raised my hands and pressed my wrists together as a sign of goodwill, indicating they could cuff me if they wanted.One nervous avian stepped forward carrying the chains. He was young and probably hadn't seen many battles, for his eyes still held the innocence of a fledgling avian, a rarity in itself."P-please lower your arms, sir," the soldier stuttered as chains rattled in his shaking hands."Sir? That is the most respect any avian has ever given me. Thank you, soldier," I said, genuinely smiling as I lowered my arms and he started to wrap me in chains.Suddenly, an eerie chorus of screams emanated from below, screams that felt otherworldly. There was something disturbingly familiar about them, a dreadful recognition that sent shivers down my spine. Could it be?"No... That can't be possible," I tried to reassure myself, though my voice quivered with fear once more.The harrowing screams pierced my ears, a cacophony of raw and grotesque sounds resembling the grinding of a thousand teeth echoed below. Their high-pitched wails were almost deafening, even from my vantage point high in the sky."You lied!" I screamed at Lucius, my heart burning with a hatred I thought I had long left behind.The smoke around my wings suddenly burst like a fire doused with alcohol. The darkness swallowed the chains, as well as the young soldier beside me who screamed as he slowly disappeared into thin air. With everyone shocked at what had transpired in but a blink of an eye, I rapidly descended below, straight to the origin of the screams."What are you looking at, you fools! Chase after him!" Lucius commanded, his voice filled with desperation.An onslaught of avians was now in hot pursuit as thousands of them descended from behind the clouds. Nevertheless, my sole focus remained on ensuring the safety of my family. How did this happen? I thought I was their target. Not knowing what transpired on the ground made me anxious, but worse, it made me careless. Avians I did not see came from the sides at me; I evaded most of them, but every once in a while, one would crash into me and make me lose flight momentum. With each passing moment, it seemed as though the avians around me multiplied, as if every avian in Elyria had joined the hunt.