"Do you dare to challenge fate for her sake?"

The words echoed through the air, sharp and commanding, as the icy winds of the Celestial Mountains howled through the vast expanse. Lyria felt the cold seep into her bones, but it wasn't the chill that made her heart race. It was the sight before her—Kael, the Dragon King, battered and bloodied, standing defiantly against the might of the Celestial Court's army.

Lyria had heard the tales of the Dragon King's unmatched power, his arrogance, his rule over the Immortal Realm, and his command over the ancient flames of destruction. But none of that prepared her for this moment—his gaze fixed on her, unwavering, despite the blood that trickled down his brow.

Her heart thundered in her chest, as though something deep within her soul recognized him in a way her mind did not. The prophecy had warned her of this meeting, and now, standing on the edge of a precipice, she felt the weight of destiny pressing down upon her.

"Lyria, stand back!" Kael's voice broke through the haze, filled with both urgency and authority. "You shouldn't be here."

Lyria's lips parted, her mind reeling. Why did he know her name? They had never met. Not in this life, at least. But his voice carried the weight of lifetimes, as if he had known her long before the stars were born. As if he had loved her… across centuries.

"Who are you to tell me where I should be?" she shot back, instinctively defiant, her hand clenching around the hilt of the sword strapped to her side. She had been trained for this, prepared for battle and for the treacherous paths of the Celestial Court. But standing here, before the Dragon King—this formidable man—made her doubt everything she knew.

Kael smirked despite the blood on his lips, his eyes dark and stormy. "You haven't changed, have you?"

A surge of power rippled through the heavens, as the Celestial General stepped forward, his golden armor gleaming under the moonlight. "Kael, you defy the Court once again. For a mere mortal, no less."

"Mortal?" Lyria's gaze snapped toward the general, confusion twisting in her chest. Why did they think she was mortal? She wasn't. She had been born under the phoenix star, destined for power and the throne.

Kael's jaw clenched. "She is no mere mortal. She is everything."

The general sneered. "Spare me your sentiments, Dragon King. She is not worth the destruction you've brought to the immortal realms."

Lyria's pulse quickened. What destruction? Why were the heavens converging on him as if he were a threat to the entire realm? And why was she, an immortal princess, at the center of this?

Before she could gather her thoughts, the general's blade rose, aimed directly at Kael's heart. In a swift motion, Lyria's instincts took over. Without thinking, she leaped forward, her sword gleaming as it intercepted the general's attack, deflecting it with a sharp clash of metal.

Kael's eyes widened in surprise as Lyria stood between him and the general, her stance unyielding. "I won't let you kill him," she declared, her voice firm.

"Princess Lyria!" the general snarled. "This man is the destroyer of worlds. He has broken the Celestial laws, and you are defending him?"

Lyria didn't flinch, her grip tightening around the sword. She didn't understand everything, but something deep inside her, an ancient instinct, told her that Kael wasn't the villain they believed him to be. "I won't stand by and let you take him down like this."

Kael's voice was a low growl behind her. "You're going to get yourself killed."

She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes meeting his. "I thought you were the one supposed to be saving me, Dragon King."

He blinked, stunned for a moment, before a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Perhaps. But it seems you've always had a way of saving me, Lyria."

Her heart skipped a beat. Always?

Before she could ask what he meant, the heavens roared in fury. A swirl of golden light engulfed the mountaintop as the Celestial Empress appeared, her face cold as stone, her eyes narrowing on the pair.

"Lyria, you fool," the Empress hissed, her voice dripping with venom. "You have no idea what you're meddling with."

Lyria's throat tightened as the full weight of the Empress's gaze fell on her, but she didn't falter. "I know enough. And I won't let you harm him."

The Empress's laugh was cold and hollow. "You protect a dragon who has defied the heavens. He is cursed to destroy everything you hold dear. And yet, you stand by him?"

Lyria's gaze flickered toward Kael, whose expression remained stoic. Cursed? She swallowed, a sense of unease crawling up her spine. There were layers to this she didn't yet understand, but one thing was clear: she was no longer just an observer in this game. Fate had placed her at its center.

Kael stepped forward, his body mere inches from hers, his presence commanding. "I warned you, Lyria. You can't protect me from what's to come."

Her chest tightened as his words sank in. There was a part of her that wanted to believe he was wrong. That whatever curse he bore could be undone. But even as she stood there, Lyria felt the overwhelming power of fate swirling around them, binding them together in ways she couldn't yet comprehend.

The Empress's voice cut through the tension, her eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction. "Very well, then. If you choose to defy the heavens for this cursed soul, prepare to pay the price."

A shockwave of energy surged through the air, knocking Lyria off balance. Kael caught her, pulling her close as the mountain beneath their feet began to crumble.

"Lyria," Kael murmured, his voice soft, his lips dangerously close to her ear. "You don't need to save me. But it seems I can't stop myself from saving you."

"You cannot run from fate, Lyria."

The words echoed in her mind as the world around them began to collapse, and as Kael's arms tightened around her, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.