Through the barred windows of the dungeons, the guards caught a fleeting glimpse of an ethereal figure moving far beyond their reach.The lady at the far end of their sight, her dress gathered in her hands, ran like a runaway bride—her form flickering in and out of view as the setting sun cast long, golden beams through the gaps in the foliage.
Darius, who had been gazing idly at the bunnies Elara had released into the Kingdom, stiffened. His blue eyes followed her figure as she darted toward the castle walls, disappearing beyond the dense bushes. No one else seemed to notice where she went.
But he knew.
And he could feel it—her emotions coursing through the connection they shared. Anger, humiliation, pain , hopelessness —it all flooded into him like a raging storm. His beast stirred violently, clawing at the bars of his control, threatening to consume him.
Theron. It had to be him. The thought alone made Darius' beast snarl in fury.
Elara, meanwhile, had no destination in mind. She just ran, her feet pounding against the earth as her heart beat erratically. She needed to get away—away from the castle, the dungeons, the shouting, the humiliation. She stumbled upon a small gate in the castle wall, concealed behind thick bushes, but she didn't stop to question its existence. She slipped through, finding herself in the vast forest that surrounded the castle.
She ran deeper into the woods, branches scraping against her arms and the chill wind biting at her cheeks. But none of it mattered.
Theron's face, twisted in rage, replayed in her mind like a cruel, unending loop. His voice, his words, the sting of his hand—it all echoed, fueling the fire of anger that burned in her chest.
Her emotions spiraled, images crashing into her mind like waves in a storm:
A man . A castle . Her companions. A woman - her mother . Same hair and eyes . Different crown. Different ranks . She had angered her . Obsession . Madness . He wasn't hers . She fell for him . Obsession at first sight. Anger . Betrayal . Murder . She wanted to kill him . He didn't want her . Consumed by love. Forgiveness. Humans . Prison . Fight . Wars . Demon . Lazarus. Hilda. Her father. Soul mate. Death . Plan .
The memories rushed back, an overwhelming torrent of emotions and fragmented visions. Anger was at the forefront, but as the flood continued, it ebbed into something far worse—hopelessness.
Elara stumbled and fell to her knees near the riverbank. Her breaths came in ragged gasps as tears spilled from her eyes, blurring her vision. Her silver irises dulled, the white fading as if the light inside her had dimmed.
Tears dripped onto the soil beneath her as her hands clawed at the earth in desperation. She let out a scream—a raw, guttural sound that tore through the quiet night.
In the distance, the alarms of the castle rang out. Bells chimed urgently as the news spread.
The Queen was missing.
Elara remained where she was, trembling as the weight of her emotions threatened to crush her. She allowed only a few tears to escape, knowing full well that if she gave in to the full extent of her sorrow, it could bring about ruin—a loss of countless lives, a war of eternal consequence.
Her sobs quieted, leaving only a profound emptiness behind. But she still needed answers. She needed to understand the memories that teased the edges of her consciousness. Who were the people in her mind? The green-eyed man, the announcer, Given, and most of all, Darius.
Her connection to him burned at the forefront of her thoughts. She knew why he was imprisoned—he deserved it—but the lingering question of why refused to leave her. So many why's.
As she knelt by the riverbank, lost in her thoughts, a sound broke through the quiet—a gentle ripple of water.
Elara's head snapped up, her breath hitching at the sight before her.
There, emerging gracefully from the water, was a creature of breathtaking beauty. A white water dragon, slim and long, its scales glimmering like moonlight on the surface of the river. It stared at her with ancient, knowing eyes, the river rippling softly around its form.
Elara froze, unable to move or speak. Her anger and hopelessness ebbed away, replaced by a sense of awe and wonder as the dragon with magnificent green eyes gazed back at her.
Unaware to her, at the far end, two men watched from the shadows, a sense of satisfaction playing on their faces. Leroy and the Lord of Volkov were pleased that Elara had ceased her turmoil in the skies. Before she had unknowingly unleashed something far beyond anyone's control—a goddess whose very existence could end it all, all of them, even before Elara had the chance to finish what she had started.
Leroy, eyes flickering with a quiet bitterness, watched the white dragon with a yearning that only he could understand. It should've been him over there soothing the Queen ,he thought, if only the Queen had realized her true powers. For now, he remained trapped in the form of an owl, helpless and caged in his own role.
The Lord of Volkov, however, was delighted in a different way. His dark eyes glinted with pleasure as he observed the unfolding scene. Assisting the Queen of Lunareth and the love of his life, brought him a sense of fulfillment that few could understand. She was the key to it all, and with every move she made, they edged closer to their ultimate victory of peace .