The night was still dark when I stirred from my sleep. I lay in the royal bed next to the queen in our opulent shared chambers. She was already awake, her silhouette quietly moving around the room. Pretending to be asleep, I watched her with curiosity. What could she be doing at this hour?

A faint tapping sound echoed from the window. A small white owl was perched on the sill, pecking at the glass with its beak. Queen Freya opened the window and reached out to the bird. It had a letter tied to its leg. She untied it and released the owl, allowing it to fly off into the night. Then she did something unexpected. Instead of waking me to share the news, she opened the letter herself and read it in the dim light. I strained my eyes to see what it said, but it was too far away and too dark for me to decipher the words. She folded the letter and placed it on the desk next to the mirror. Then, acting as if nothing had happened, she returned to bed. Before she drifted off to sleep, I heard her sigh softly.

When I woke up later in the morning, she was gone. The letter had also disappeared, as if it had never existed. I searched the room for any clues but found none. I left the chamber and headed to the dining hall, hoping to find her there. However, the waiter greeted me with his usual smile and informed me that she hadn’t arrived yet. I returned to the chamber and called out her name, “Freya!” but there was no answer. I wandered around the palace, foolishly calling her name, but she was nowhere to be found.

My worry started to escalate. She would never leave without a good reason, and I feared that reason was somehow related to me. I scanned the horizon from the balcony, but there was no sign of her.

I decided against alerting the guards, not wanting to cause a panic in the kingdom. Instead, I asked the gatekeepers if they had seen Freya. They shook their heads, confirming they hadn't seen her leave or enter.

Back at the palace, I checked on Zephyrion. He was preparing for his usual day at the academy, oblivious to his mother’s disappearance. Noticing my troubled expression, he asked me what was wrong. I lied and said I was fine, telling him not to worry. Luckily, he just nodded and left.

Regrettably, his older stepbrother wasn’t as easy to deceive. He was also looking for Freya and approached me with a question.

“Sorry, Nox, have you seen Freya?” he asked.

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” I replied.

“I last saw her last night. Did she come back with you?”

“She did,” I said. “She was fine then. But she disappeared this morning.”

“I’m going to alert the guards,” he declared.

“Don’t,” I said hastily. “Not yet. I don’t think she left the kingdom.”

“I hope you’re right,” he said. “If you find her, could you tell her that I need to speak with her?”

I nodded, and he departed.

Resuming my search in the kingdom, I asked every guard and citizen if they had seen her. All returned a negative response. I went back to the gates and watched the few dragons that came and went, waving at the familiar faces.

As noon approached, I decided it was time to take further action. She should have returned by now, so I ordered the patrols to start searching for her.

Eventually, I spotted her in the company of two other dragons, one crimson and one ivory. I recognized them instantly - Fyrenthos and Akira, old acquaintances from the past. Freya appeared unharmed, but the sight of their weapons left me stunned. They were heavily armed, carrying blades, spears, and even some devices I had never seen before in this land. One of them resembled a gun.

I instructed the guards to stay back as I approached the trio, hoping to talk with them and understand what was going on. But as soon as I was within earshot, Akira snarled and shouted, “Oh, hi, you little royal pest!” She launched herself into the air and flew towards me, claws outstretched. Fyrenthos and Freya remained on the ground, watching the scene unfold. I evaded Akira’s attack by shifting into my shadow form and reappearing behind her.

I warned Fyrenthos, “Don’t you dare to do the same!” He shrugged, saying, “Nah, I don’t have neither want to.” When I asked him why Akira was attacking me, he replied, “She’s a little mad at you. Or perhaps she's overly emotional right now.” I wanted to ask Freya what was going on, but Akira was already turning around for another strike. I struggled to take her seriously. I ignored the insults she hurled at me as she dove towards me again. Shifting into a thick black smoke, I let her pass through me, causing her to crash headfirst into the ground like a clumsy hatchling. The sight was amusing.

The guards watched from a distance, tense and ready to intervene. Using my abilities, I quickly teleported to them and assured them, “It’s all under control. Don’t worry. I know them.” One of the guards opened his mouth to say something, but I had already returned to the others by then.

I taunted Akira with a smirk, "What a pity. You almost got me." Her glare was met with a snap, "Damn you and your elements. Who taught you them?"

I shrugged casually, "I learned them myself. I thought you knew them with your overview soothsayer abilities." Her teeth gritted, "You’re lucky that Aura locked them partially for me. Now don’t move. I just want to touch you with care."

My chuckle echoed, "Yeah, sure, come on, try again. I’ll stay still for you.” She rolled her eyes, “I know the game. I’m not that stupid.”

I replied, “Oh good, for a moment I thought you were.” Fyrenthos and Freya burst into laughter. Freya, with amusement in her voice, said, "Oh, my dear, the king just insulted someone. And so ironically too! Ahaha."

Fyrenthos, in a soothing tone, said to Akira, “Sweetie, please calm down and show some respect to our old friend.” She shouted back, “Oh damn you! Stop acting like a mentor.”

He replied, “Only if you stop and come back here.” She sighed, “Fine, only because it’s you, I will. But I’m still going to take him down as soon as I get a chance.”

I interrupted her and said, "Oh, come on, you’re overreacting, don’t you think?” She replied angrily, “Overreacting? We’ve been searching for you for years! This place is unreachable, luckily for you.”

“Well, I’m sorry. But hey, I’m happy to see you, you know? At least now I know you’re still alive, Fyrenthos too,” I said, switching my gaze from one to the other.

Fyrenthos said sheepishly, “Oh right, I still owe you my apologies about the, well, Freya already knows.”

Freya said, “Yeah, Fyrenthos is sorry for annihilating you in that duel and sending you to the other side of the world.”

I replied magnanimously, “I have no hard feelings about it. You are forgiven. Besides, I should thank you for that.” He replied gratefully, “Sorry anyway or… you’re welcome, Nox.”

I replied curiously, “Did you just call me by my new name? How?”

Freya said, “I told them about it. They know that they shouldn’t call you by your real name.” Akira shouted gleefully, “Oh, you just gave me an idea. Hi Nox Raph…” Fyrenthos clamped his hand over her mouth and said sternly, “Akira, please.” With her mouth muffled, she tried to say apologetically, “Ok, fine, sorry.” We then headed back to the gates.

As we entered the kingdom, the chief of the guards approached me, looking worried. “Sir, are you sure they’re safe?”

I replied reassuringly, “Yeah, I know them. I assure you they’re not of any concern.”

The chief tried to explain, “Nox, they’ve got equipment that you should be aware of. They’ve clearly been in contact with other shadow dragons.”

I replied calmly, “Don’t worry, I see.” The chief replied reluctantly, “Alright, sir, I believe you. But please, be careful.” After nodding to the chief, I reunited with the others.

We took a stroll, and I asked if they needed to rest before continuing their day. Despite their assurance that they were fine, it was clear that they hadn't slept in proper conditions for a long while.

While chatting with Fyrenthos, I decided to surprise him with an unexpected question. “You know, I’ve got something to ask you that you won’t expect.” His eyes widened, “What is it?”

I smiled, “First, has the SunFlare squadron ever become a thing? Also, what do you think if we have a rematch?” Ignoring the second question, he opened one of his wings to show me a ring with some incisions. “I’m now the leader of the SunFlare squadron. Finally,” he said proudly.

I congratulated him, “I’m happy for you. And now I’m also a dragon, as you can see.” He looked at me with a mix of curiosity and disbelief. “Yeah, weird,” he said. I nodded, “I know! Isn’t it? Anyway, what do you think about the rematch?” He tried to act as if he didn’t hear me, so I repeated, “Hey! I’m not taking a no from you. We have an arena. Come on. Just a rematch.”

He hesitated, “Are you sure? I don’t want to repeat what happened last time.” I scoffed, “It won't. Instead, if I were you, I'd think about how long you'd last.”

Akira interrupted us with a challenge of her own. “I want to fight you too,” she said eagerly. I was so confident that I said, “If he agrees, I’m open for a two versus one.”

Fyrenthos looked at Akira, who was anxiously waiting for his approval, and then sighed, “Fine, I agree.” Akira shouted, “I agree too!”

Freya shook her head and said, “Oh guys, you don’t know what you just got into.” Akira snapped back disrespectfully, “We know what we’re doing. If I were you, I’d start praying for your husband… and also king.”

Freya wasn't worried at all, but Fyrenthos looked a bit nervous. We went to the arena and got ready. I couldn’t wait to see what they had learned while I was away and to show them how much I had learned too.

Freya took on the role of judge, issuing instructions from afar. "Take your positions. The rules are simple: fight to the best of your ability and don’t die. Ready?" Akira voiced her impatience, "Let’s begin already!" Fyrenthos gave a silent nod while I responded with a thumbs-up. Freya announced, "Alright, the fight commences now!"

No one moved except for Akira, who instantly summoned a bright light to blind me. Anticipating her tactics, I dodged her assault and retaliated with a volley of ice shards in her direction as a warning. Meanwhile, Fyrenthos positioned himself strategically to aid his partner. I taunted him, "Come on, fireball, do your worst!" He remained silent, summoning a ring of fire around himself but keeping his distance. This distraction, however, provided Akira with the opportunity to strike. She bit one of my wings, but I shook her off swiftly, piercing her wing with an ice spear.

Freya's voice rang out, "Oh, it looks like the soothsayer is down. What will happen next?" I paid little attention to Akira. My real target was Fyrenthos. Feigning a finishing move on Akira, I called out, "Come on, champion. Your partner is at my mercy. Do something!" Akira retorted defiantly, "Don’t be so sure," and transformed into a white smoke, similar to one of my own tactics, freeing herself from the ice spear. She turned my weapon against me, piercing one of my legs. I swiftly discarded the spear and enveloped myself in fire to hasten my healing, but this time Fyrenthos was upon me.

He trapped me within a ring of fire, obscuring my vision. I soared higher, seeking an advantage. I conjured more flames around myself, then summoned a blizzard of razor-sharp ice shards, unleashing them in all directions in an attempt to pierce his defenses. I then broke free from the fiery circle and landed, circling cautiously, seeking Fyrenthos' location. He mirrored my movements, resulting in a stalemate as we each waited for an opening.

Realizing I had made a full circle, I reversed my course, flying over the flames. Fyrenthos spotted me and reacted swiftly, protecting Akira with his body and launching a wave of fire at me. The flames singed me, but I barely felt it. Their attack was weak. I swooped down on him, pinning his head to the ground. But I lost sight of Akira and was on guard for her potential assault. Fyrenthos struggled to shake me off, but I held him firm. I formed an ice pitchfork and pressed it against his neck, asking, "Do you surrender?" He retorted, "Of course not. That’s not the Sunflare way." I replied, "Oh, very well," and charged myself with electricity, summoning a gust of wind to fan the flames higher, blocking any interference.

"Get ready," I warned, and unleashed a lightning bolt directly at him. In that instant, Akira, in her light form, touched Fyrenthos, turning him into thick white smoke, and they both vanished from sight. My attack hit nothing but the stone ground. I dispelled the fire and scanned the surroundings. They were nowhere to be seen. I shouted, "Show yourselves, cowards!" They materialized above me, hurling a fireball at my head, followed by Fyrenthos breathing fire at me. I shielded myself with a thick ice wall, but it quickly melted. As soon as it did, Fyrenthos was on top of me, forcing my head to the ground. He quipped mockingly, "You've become quite talkative." I retorted sarcastically, "I learned to talk. Eheh."

He slammed me to the ground with brutal force, while Akira conjured a weapon out of thin air. It was a dazzling white sword, a magnificent and enormous blade that could easily sever my head from my neck. And that seemed to be her intention. She approached me slowly, a malicious smile on her face. I met her gaze defiantly, refusing to show any fear. Fyrenthos asked her, "Are you sure you want to use that?" She replied, "Hmm. I could kill him with my bare hands." I taunted, "Oh, and how are you going to do that? Choke me to death? Agh." Fyrenthos silenced me by squeezing my throat and snapped, "Shut up." Akira declared, "You know what? I changed my mind. Let’s use it." Fyrenthos looked slightly uneasy. I wondered why. But she wasted no time and swung her sword at me without hesitation, so I transformed myself into a thick dark smoke, but as the sword sliced through it, I felt a surge of pain, as if I were being torn apart even in that form. Indeed, the smoke was split into two halves, one of which turned into white smoke and vanished in the air.

I reformed myself in another spot, but I was only half a body. I didn’t bleed, but I emitted a lot of smoke from where my limbs were missing. I was paralyzed and helpless. Akira quickly ran towards me, followed by Fyrenthos. She still held her sword and pointed it at me, and I braced myself for the end. I had lost somehow. She raised the sword again but was soon stopped by Fyrenthos, who knocked her down and pinned her to the ground. She glared at him and said, "What are you doing? We got him." He said, "We don’t want to kill him for real. He’s harmless now." She didn’t say anything. Fyrenthos walked over to me and then glanced at Freya, who was horrified by the sight and was about to join us.

He bellowed, "Who emerged victorious?" She cast a glance at me, and seeing the state I was in, I slumped to the ground, defeated. She approached us and declared, "Fine, you win. The skirmish is over. The Sunflare prevailed!" I was recovering at a snail’s pace, barely registering that she inquired of them, "Was that a light sword?" Akira asserted, "My light sword." Fyrenthos was more concerned for me than anything else and queried, "Can you talk?" I attempted, but when I did, smoke billowed out of my lungs instead of air. Then I erupted into a violent fit of coughing. I felt like I was choking. Fyrenthos reassured me, "Don’t fret. It will pass soon."

Freya, fearful, asked, "Should I fetch the crystals?" He replied, "The crystals are powerless to heal him from this. He has to fend for himself." Akira sneered, "It would be merciful to end his agony," and conjured up the light sword again. Now both Freya and Fyrenthos restrained her. Fyrenthos pinned her head again to the ground and snapped, "Damnit, snap out of it, stop!" Then he added, "Freya, hold her down," and she complied.

Fyrenthos returned to me to offer some guidance: "Listen, it seems that you’re trapped with the a dark element, perhaps the shadow one. Heed my words carefully, and you’ll pull through, alright?" As he spoke, I felt a surge of dread. My heart pounded like a drum. I blinked my eyes. He said, "Good, now try to switch elements. Summon anything other than shadows." I strained but failed, and I felt as if I was fading away. He said with more urgency, "Damnit, ok, umm, inhale and exhale and expel the smoke. You should sense the air. Do it gently and gradually."

I tried, and I succeeded. The smoke ceased to escape from my mouth, and I savored the fresh air at last. He still worried and said, "Better, but you’re not out of the woods yet. Come on, try any other element. Anything will do." I tried but couldn’t. This time Akira, still with her head pinned to the ground, yelled, "You imbecile, use the bloody light element, if you can!" I pondered that. I wielded it just as I did with the shadow one. I mimicked the same method, so I did. The black smoke around me was overwhelmed by a white one, and instead of vanishing, I began to regenerate.

After a while, I could speak and said, "Woah, this is awful." Freya said, "Nox, please focus on healing instead of talking." So I kept quiet and waited as I healed. I thought that I had made it, and I was really on the verge of making it when suddenly everything started spinning, and that was too much for me. I blacked out. I was so close to make it.