Starfania stirred, the cold, uneven ground pressing against her side. The rough texture sent a sharp wave of discomfort through her body. She tried to roll, searching for something softer—but before she could, a sudden thud jolted her fully awake. Her midnight eye flew open. Confusion washed over her as she realized she wasn't on forest ground anymore. She had fallen out of bed. Disoriented, she pushed herself upright, one hand brushing against a dust-coated stone floor. The dim light barely reached the corners of the cramped space. As her vision adjusted, her pulse began to race. Metal bars. Thick iron bars enclosed her.
Her stomach twisted violently. She was in a jail cell. Panic clawed at her chest as she stumbled to her feet, rubbing at her sternum as if she could physically press the fear away. Her mind raced, desperately trying to piece together what had happened. The last thing she remembered was sitting beside Atlas, whispering beneath the stars…and then sleep. A groan sounded behind her. She spun around, heart leaping—then sagged in relief when she saw Aeron pushing himself off the ground, his face etched with the same confusion she felt.
" What happened?" He muttered, his voice thick with grogginess.
" Good to see you too, Aeron," Starfania said hoarsely. " And I was hoping you could tell me."
She swallowed hard, scanning the cell again. Stone walls. Rusted hinges. A single flickering torch outside the bars. Then Aeron froze. His eyes widened in sudden horror.
" Violet!" he shouted, panic rippling through his voice. " Where is she? Where's my sister?!"
He sprang to his feet, gripping the bars and scanning every shadow beyond them, his fear raw and unmistakable.
" I'm here." The familiar voice made Starfania whirl around. Relief flooded her chest as she spotted Violet huddled in the far corner of the cell. She looked pale, her knees drawn to her chest—but her eyes were steady.
" I…I'm okay," Violet said, though her voice trembled.
Aeron rushed to her side, barely noticing the bars separating them as he crouched in front of her.
" What happened?" he demanded, searching her face and arms. " Are you hurt?"
" No, just scared," Violet replied softly. She glanced around the cell, her voice dropping. " They took us by surprise."
That was when another realization hit Starfania like ice.
" Hey—" she said carefully, dread creeping into her tone, " not to add to the list of problems, but…where are Atlas and Drogo?"
Aeron's expression darkened.
" I don't know," he admitted quietly. " They were there—and then they weren't."
Violet's eyes widened. " What if something happened to them? We can't leave without them."
" We won't," Aeron said firmly, though worry threaded his voice. " First, we figure out where we are. Then we figure out how we got separated."
Violet nodded, forcing herself to breathe. " Right. There has to be a way out."
She stepped closer to the bars, peering into the dim corridor beyond. Shadows flickered just outside the torchlight, stretching and shrinking as the flame danced. It felt like they were being watched.
" Do you think anyone is here?" she whispered. Aeron moved closer to the bars, lowering his voice. " If there is, we don't want to draw attention. Let's stay quiet and look for clues."
Then—a faint rustle echoed from somewhere down the corridor. Aeron stiffened. " Did you hear that?"
Violet nodded slowly, her eyes locked on the darkness. " It came from over there."
Starfania's fingers curled into fists. Whatever had taken them hadn't gone far.
Starfania held her breath, listening. The sound came again—slow, deliberate. Footsteps. Not hurried. Not careless. Measured. Aeron shifted subtly, placing himself closer to Violet, his shoulders tense as if bracing for impact. Starfania's hand instinctively went to where her sword-pen should have been—only to find empty air. Her chest tightened. They disarmed us. A shadow stretched across the stone floor beyond the bars, long and distorted by torchlight. It paused just out of view, as though whoever stood there was taking their time—letting them feel it. Then a voice broke the silence.
" Impressive reflexes," the man said calmly. " Most people take longer to realize they're in a cage."
Starfania stepped forward, chin lifting despite the fear curling in her stomach.
" Who are you?" she demanded. " And where are our dragons?"
A soft chuckle echoed through the chamber.
" Straight to business," the voice replied. " I like that."
The shadow moved, resolving into a figure clad in deep emerald-bronze armor streaked with obsidian. The helm—shaped like a lizard's skull, curved horns catching the light—tilted slightly as he regarded them through the bars. Violet sucked in a quiet breath. Aeron's jaw tightened. " You're the one we've been looking for."
The young man's shoulder rose in a faint shrug. " Guilty."
He stepped closer, boots clicking against the stone. Up close, Starfania could see dried blood darkening the fabric at his side, half-hidden beneath the armor. His hand lingered there for just a moment—unconscious, protective.
" You managed to track me," he continued. " Sloppy, but effective. I was curious who had the nerve."
Starfania's eyes narrowed. " So you kidnap us?"
" Capture," he corrected mildly. " Kidnapping implies intent to harm."
His gaze flickered briefly to Violet, then back to Starfania—sharp, assessing. Dangerous.
" You," he said slowly, " are far more interesting alive."
A chill slid down Starfania's spine.
" Where. Are. Our. Dragons," Aeron repeated, voice low and edged with fury. This time the man smiled beneath the helm.
" Safe," he said. " Annoyed. And very unhappy about being separated from their riders."
That did little to ease the knot in Starfania's chest.
" And are you?" she asked. The man paused. Just long enough to be intentional.
" Depends," he said at last. " Who I'm dealing with."
Violet let out a shaky breath she'd been holding. Starfania studied the stranger carefully—the way he stood, relaxed but ready; his eyes, never stopping moving, never missing a detail.
" You're not VulcanFire," she said.
" No," he agreed. " And they're not fond of me."
Aeron frowned. " Then why take us?"
" Because you were about to walk into something much worse than a cage," he said. " And because no one wanders into my territory without consequence."
He straightened, turning away slightly. " Get some rest. You'll need it."
" For what?" Violet asked, her voice small but brave. The man glanced back over his shoulder, emerald eyes glinting.
" For the conversation that decides whether you leave here as allies," he said, " or as bait."
The torchlight flickered as he walked away, his footsteps fading into the depths of stone and shadow. Silence reclaimed the cell. Starfania exhaled slowly, her mind racing. Whatever they were—this wasn't just a prison. It was a crossroads.