The air was still, yet charged with an energy that made Vesper's skin prickle. She stood at the edge of the plateau, her heart still hammering from the trial she had just endured. Though the whispers had faded, their echoes lingered in the recesses of her mind.
She had faced her doubts, confronted the weight of her father's legacy, and emerged stronger. But the dragon's gaze, piercing and unreadable, told her the journey was far from over.
"I will bond with you," Vesper declared, lifting her chin. "I choose you."
She had spoken the words with conviction, expecting the dragon to acknowledge her readiness. But instead, a low rumble filled the air—rich with something she couldn't quite decipher. Amusement? Warning?
The dragon's wings shifted, sending a gust of wind cascading over her. "Brave words, Vesper Lindell," it mused, its voice like rolling thunder. "But a bond cannot be claimed with mere declaration. It must be earned."
Vesper frowned. "I faced your trial. I proved my strength."
The dragon tilted its head, eyes gleaming like distant stars. "You have faced one trial." It stepped forward, the ground trembling beneath its weight. "There are three more."
Her pulse quickened. "Three?"
"The bond between dragon and rider is not a simple contract," it explained, its voice carrying the weight of centuries. "It is forged in trials—of the mind, the heart, and the spirit. You have confronted your doubts, but that alone does not make you worthy."
Vesper's jaw tightened. She had expected a test, but not this.
"And if I fail?" she asked.
The dragon regarded her for a long moment before replying. "Then you will never ride beside me." A pause. "Or worse."
A chill ran down her spine.
She exhaled slowly, steadying herself. "Then I will not fail."
The dragon's wings unfurled, casting massive shadows across the plateau. "The next trial awaits," it rumbled. "The Trial of the Heart."
At its words, the air around them shimmered, twisting like ripples on a lake. A warm, golden glow enveloped Vesper, and before she could react, the world dissolved.
The Trial of the Heart
When the light faded, she was no longer standing on the plateau.
She blinked, disoriented. The scent of burning wood and fresh earth filled her nose, and as she turned, she found herself in a place both familiar and distant.
The training grounds.
She had spent years here, her childhood defined by the rhythmic clash of steel, the barked orders of instructors, the endless drills that had shaped her into the warrior she was today. But something was off.
The air was too thick. The colors too vibrant, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Then, a voice.
"Vesper."
She turned sharply, her breath catching.
Duke Lindell stood before her, just as she remembered—his battle-worn armor gleaming, his presence commanding. But unlike the vision in the previous trial, his expression was softer, touched with something she couldn't quite place.
"Father," she whispered.
He studied her for a long moment. "You have come seeking answers," he said finally. "But first, you must face what you have left behind."
Before she could ask what he meant, the world around them shifted. Shadows bled into the training grounds, reshaping them into a memory long buried.
Vesper saw herself—younger, barely more than a girl, gripping her daggers with white-knuckled determination. Her father stood across from her, arms crossed, his gaze unreadable.
"Again," he commanded.
The younger Vesper lunged, her strikes fast but desperate. Too eager. Too reckless. Duke Lindell sidestepped, his own blade flicking out to disarm her in a single, effortless movement. Her daggers clattered to the ground.
Frustration flashed across the younger Vesper's face. "I'm trying!" she snapped, breathless.
Her father exhaled, his expression unreadable. "You are too focused on proving yourself."
"I have to prove myself," she shot back.
His gaze softened just slightly. "Why?"
The memory froze, and the present-day Vesper felt the answer constrict in her chest.
Because if she wasn't the best, she wasn't enough.
Because if she failed, she was nothing.
The shadows of the memory twisted, shifting again. The training grounds vanished, replaced by something else—her mother's garden.
The scent of jasmine filled the air, a stark contrast to the sharp tang of steel. Vesper turned, her heart tightening.
And there she was.
Her mother.
Vesper hadn't seen her in years, not since the sickness had taken her. But she stood there now, weaving flowers into a crown, her movements as graceful as Vesper had always remembered.
"Vesper," she said gently, looking up. "Come here."
Vesper hesitated, something raw lodging itself in her throat.
Her mother smiled, the same warm, knowing smile that had once made the world feel safe. "You always carried so much weight on your shoulders," she murmured. "Even as a child."
Vesper swallowed hard. "I had to be strong."
Her mother's gaze softened. "Strength is not just about wielding a blade. It's about why you wield it."
The world around them flickered. The edges of the vision trembled.
"Vesper," her mother said, reaching out. "What do you fight for?"
The question struck deep.
Her father's expectations. The weight of the Lindell name. The fear of failure.
She had fought for all of those things. But beneath it all, beneath the duty and the discipline, there was something else.
She thought of Rowan, her closest friend—the way he had always stood beside her, even when she pushed him away. She thought of Liora, of their endless training sessions and quiet moments of laughter. She thought of the people of Aurelia, of the kingdom she had sworn to protect.
And then she thought of the dragon, waiting for her beyond this trial.
"I fight for those I love," she said at last.
A breeze stirred the garden, carrying her words away like petals on the wind. Her mother's smile widened.
"Then you are ready."
The vision shattered.
Back on the Plateau
Vesper gasped as she stumbled back onto the plateau, the cool night air sharp in her lungs. The garden, her father, her mother—it was all gone.
But the weight in her chest had lifted.
The dragon watched her with knowing eyes. "You have faced the Trial of the Heart and emerged whole. But your journey is not yet complete."
Vesper straightened, something steady and unshakable settling within her.
"Then I'm ready for the next trial."