ough the high towers brought warmth. It felt like a strange mixture of comfort and distance. The land around the castle was vast and untamed, stretching for mi

fire; it was about understanding her place in the world, her destiny, and the deep connection she shared with Kael. But her hear

their eyes glowing with curiosity and suspicion. To them, she was still an outsider-a human among beasts, a mere spark in the flame of their powerful lega

Selya, the fire acolyte, walking toward her. The older woman's features were s

Selya said, a wry smile on her li

it. "I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing here

derstanding. "You're struggling with the burden of your power, aren't you? You are

lm." Her hands clenched at her sides, and the fire inside her flared in response to her rising frustration. It was both comforting and terrifying, t

s torn between his love for you and his commitment to his people. But that does not me

y that? Kael's path is the same as the dragons'. It's one of war, of duty, and sacri

to be controlled. It is meant to burn, to cleanse, to purify. Your power is a gift, Aria. But it is al

at if I can't control it? What if it consu

k. The fire inside you is not just destruction. It is creation. You have the power to reshape the wo

rom her palms, and the familiar sensation of the fire awakening within her sent a shiver down he

el's duty may tear him apart, yours is different. Yo

at the love they shared would be enough to overcome the obstacles between them. But now, she wasn't so sure. His duty had a

voice barely a whisper. "I don't know if I can face this po

ne, Aria. The fire inside you is part of something greater. And even when you feel lost, remember th

fighter, but now she was fighting not only against the forces outside her but against the darkne

ding on the edge of a high balcony, gazing out over the vast wilderness of the Dragon Realm. The wind how

fire within her-it was all overwhelming. But it was also exhilarating. She could feel the power surging inside her, and for

time in the council chambers, preparing for the inevitable war. But Aria could

bitterly. And I can't keep waitin

to the balcony-a tall, broad-shouldered man in golden armor. Ari