Blackwell Territory
A few moments later, Silas finally decided to investigate the surge of energy coming from the borderline.
But the moment he stepped outside the castle, he stopped.
His eyes narrowed toward the distant forest.
Something enormous was moving above the trees.
Black wings stretched across the sky.
Silas stared in disbelief.
The black dragon.
It was flying toward the battlefield.
"That's impossible…"
That dragon did not obey Silas.
It did not obey Lucius.
It did not obey the Elders.
It obeyed no one.
No one except—
Silas's expression changed.
"The Queen…"
His Blackwell blood stirred violently inside him.
A thought he had buried for years suddenly returned.
Is she back?
Had the Queen summoned the dragon?
Was she somewhere near the borderline?
Silas immediately took off toward the battlefield.
He needed to see this for himself.
He needed to know who had called that dragon.
And if it truly was the Queen…
Everything was about to change.
⸻
Blackwell Territory Borderline
Rose felt nothing but relief when the dragon appeared.
Backup was here.
And now she could finally stop holding back.
Fire exploded beneath her feet.
Rose launched herself upward, landing on one tree branch before jumping to another.
Flames propelled her higher and higher until she burst through the canopy.
The black dragon swept beneath her.
Rose dropped onto its back.
Her red hair whipped violently behind her as the dragon climbed into the sky.
Rose immediately opened a mind-link with her entire team.
"Everyone, get your barriers up."
James looked toward the sky.
"Rose, what are you doing?"
A grin appeared on her face.
"I'm about to show you what this beautiful baby can do."
The dragon roared.
The sound shook the forest.
Rose leaned forward and placed one hand against its scales.
"Burn them all."
The dragon's massive wings spread wide.
It circled the battlefield.
Once.
Twice.
Higher.
Higher.
Until Rose could see almost everything beneath them.
Goblins.
Lizard men.
Giants.
Monsters flooded the forest in every direction.
Silas's army.
Rose's eyes burned.
Through the mind-link, she warned her team again.
"Get together! Put every barrier you have around yourselves. I'm burning this forest down with every monster inside it."
"Understood, Captain!" James responded.
The team immediately gathered.
One barrier rose.
Then another.
Layers of protection surrounded them.
The dragon tilted its massive head backward.
Orange light began glowing beneath its scales.
Heat radiated from its throat.
Rose could feel it beneath her.
She smiled.
"Do it."
The dragon roared—
And unleashed hell.
A massive torrent of fire crashed into the forest.
BOOM!
Trees exploded into flames.
Goblins screamed.
Lizard men scattered.
Giants stumbled through the burning forest, desperately trying to extinguish themselves.
But the dragon continued circling.
Another wave of fire descended.
Then another.
The battlefield became an inferno.
Screams flooded Rose's mind-link.
Some of the burning creatures rushed toward her teammates, slamming themselves against their barriers while desperately trying to escape the flames.
Rose immediately called out.
"Everyone okay?"
Irish answered.
"We're fine! Keep going! They're trying to break through the barriers, but we've got this!"
Rose looked down at the burning army.
"Good."
The dragon continued its assault.
Then—
Rose felt something.
Her smile disappeared.
A presence.
Powerful.
Old.
Dangerous.
Someone was coming.
⸻
Silas stopped above the battlefield.
For the first time in a very long time, he didn't know what to think.
The forest was burning.
His army was being destroyed.
And riding on the back of the black dragon…
was a young woman with red hair.
Silas stared at her.
That's not the Queen.
Yet his blood reacted to her.
His Blackwell blood pulsed violently.
Heat spread through his veins.
His heart pounded.
Every instinct inside him screamed at him to acknowledge the presence before him.
Silas whispered before he could stop himself.
"My Queen…"
Rose's head snapped around.
Someone was hovering behind her.
Black clothing.
Black hair.
Pale skin.
Green eyes.
Rose narrowed her eyes.
Handsome.
Then her instincts immediately corrected her.
And extremely dangerous.
Before either of them could move—
A shadow shot past Silas.
"Lucius!"
Lucius ignored him.
His eyes locked onto Rose.
"She is the one controlling the dragon!"
Dark energy exploded around him.
"She is destroying our army."
His face twisted with rage.
"I'm going to kill her."
Rose barely had time to react.
Lucius slammed directly into her barrier.
BOOM!
The impact shook the dragon beneath her.
Rose planted her feet and held the barrier steady.
Lucius stared through it.
Then something changed.
His expression froze.
His blood reacted.
"You…"
Rose tightened her grip on the sword already in her hand.
Lucius stared at her as though he were looking at something impossible.
"You're the one."
Rose frowned.
"The one what?"
"The one we've been feeling."
Rose studied him.
"Who are you?"
Lucius smiled coldly.
"You'll find out after you're dead."
Rose's eyes ignited.
Flames crawled along the blade of her sword.
She looked down at the dragon.
"Don't stop."
The dragon growled beneath her.
"Not until every last creature is dead."
Lucius's rage exploded.
His aura crashed across the battlefield.
The pressure was enormous.
Trees cracked.
Burning creatures collapsed.
Even Rose's teammates felt it inside their barriers.
CRACK!
One barrier shattered.
Then another.
Then a third.
"Rose!"
James's voice exploded through the mind-link.
"What the hell is this pressure?! It's pinning us down! We can't keep the barriers up!"
Rose slowly turned toward Lucius.
She could feel his pressure.
It was powerful.
Crushing.
But unlike the others…
Rose remained standing.
She tilted her head.
"Are you planning to fight me?"
Lucius said nothing.
"Or are you just trying to intimidate me?"
His eyes narrowed.
Rose smirked.
"Because if that's all you've got, you're going to have to try harder."
Lucius stared at her.
People bowed beneath his pressure.
Creatures collapsed beneath it.
Even powerful supernatural beings struggled to remain standing.
Yet this girl…
was looking at him as if his power were nothing.
Silas noticed it too.
His eyes narrowed.
Interesting.
He remained where he was.
Watching.
Studying her.
Lucius moved closer.
"Why are you giving off that disgusting pressure?"
Rose stared at him for a moment.
Then frowned.
"Why is your face so ugly?"
Silence.
Lucius's eye twitched.
Rose smiled.
That did it.
He disappeared.
Rose's instincts screamed.
Behind me.
She turned just as Lucius reached for her neck.
Rose slipped sideways.
His fingers missed her throat.
She spun—
BAM!
Her foot slammed directly into the side of his neck.
Lucius shot through the air.
BOOM!
His body crashed into the mountainside.
Stone exploded everywhere.
Rose landed back on the dragon.
For several seconds, nothing moved.
Then rubble shifted.
Lucius stepped from the crater.
He rolled his shoulder.
Then cracked his neck.
A smile slowly appeared on his face.
"Oh…"
He wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Feisty."
His eyes darkened.
"This will be a fight to remember."
Silas continued watching from a distance.
Something about this girl bothered him.
Her power felt familiar.
Far too familiar.
Yet something didn't make sense.
If she was connected to the Blackwell power…
why was she using fire?
Where was the dark matter?
Who was she?
⸻
Rose opened the mind-link.
"Guys, I need you to leave. Now."
Irish immediately responded.
"What about you?"
"I've got two Blackwell members here."
Silence filled the link.
Rose continued.
"Don't ask me how I know. I just know. I'm going to stall them while you get to the safe zone."
James protested.
"Rose—"
"No."
Her voice became firm.
"That's an order."
Irish hesitated.
"Be careful. The Blackwells are one of the strongest clans we know."
Rose glanced toward Lucius.
Then toward Silas.
"I know."
She tightened her grip around the hilt of her sword.
"If they're stronger than me…"
She looked toward the dragon.
"…I'll send the dragon after you. If you see him, don't wait for me. Head straight to headquarters."
Achelous's voice entered the link.
"Make sure you come back."
Rose smiled faintly.
"I will."
"We'll follow your lead, Captain."
The connection ended.
Below them, the team rushed toward their vehicle.
Seconds later, they sped toward the safe zone.
Silas saw everything.
Yet he didn't interfere.
His army was nearly destroyed.
The soldiers who had been fighting moments ago were escaping.
And now only one young woman remained behind.
Alone.
Facing Lucius.
Facing Silas.
And somehow…
she didn't look afraid.
Silas needed answers.
He could feel something connected to the Blackwell power inside her.
But the fire didn't make sense.
The dragon didn't make sense.
None of this made sense.
So Silas stayed back.
And watched.
⸻
Lucius attacked again.
Rose met him head-on.
CLANG!
Her sword collided with his weapon.
Rose swung.
Lucius blocked.
He countered.
Rose ducked.
Her fist slammed into his ribs.
CRACK!
Lucius stumbled backward.
Rose heard the bone break.
But instead of falling—
he smiled.
Dark matter flowed from his hands.
A black blade formed in each one.
Two swords.
Rose's expression hardened.
She had one.
He had two.
Lucius charged.
CLANG!
Rose raised her sword and blocked the first dark blade.
Lucius immediately brought the second around from the opposite side.
Rose twisted her body.
Too late.
SLASH!
The second blade cut across her shoulder.
Rose hissed.
Lucius attacked again.
Left.
Right.
Left.
Rose blocked one strike.
Then another.
CLANG! CLANG!
His second blade came low.
Rose jumped backward, but the tip still sliced across her thigh.
She landed hard.
Damn it.
She tightened both hands around the hilt of her single sword.
Lucius was better with blades.
Much better.
His experience showed in every movement.
Every strike had purpose.
One blade forced her to defend.
The other searched for an opening.
Rose couldn't match two swords with one by trying to fight him his way.
So she stopped trying.
Lucius swung.
Rose blocked.
His second blade came toward her side—
Rose released one hand from the hilt.
Fire exploded from her palm.
BOOM!
Lucius was thrown backward.
Rose immediately rushed him.
She brought her sword down.
Lucius crossed both dark blades above his head.
CLANG!
Rose drove her knee into his stomach.
He grunted.
She spun and kicked him directly in the ribs.
CRACK!
The same ribs she had broken earlier fractured again.
Lucius flew backward.
Rose didn't give him time to recover.
Fire erupted beneath her feet.
She shot forward.
Her sword met one of his blades.
Then she ducked beneath the other and drove her elbow into his jaw.
Blood flew from Lucius's mouth.
He stumbled.
Rose smiled.
"Two swords still aren't enough?"
Lucius slowly looked back at her.
Then smiled.
The broken ribs began repairing themselves.
The cut on his lip disappeared.
His breathing steadied.
Rose's smile faded.
You've got to be kidding me.
Lucius rolled his shoulders.
"Getting tired?"
Rose wiped the blood from her shoulder.
"Not even close."
They attacked again.
CLANG!
CLANG!
BOOM!
Fire and dark matter collided across the battlefield.
Rose fought with everything she had.
Her sword.
Her flames.
Her fists.
Her feet.
She refused to let Lucius control the rhythm of the fight.
But as Rose fought…
something changed.
Her vision flickered.
Gold.
Then black.
Rose froze for half a second.
No.
She knew that feeling.
Aurelia.
Rose blocked another attack.
Not now.
Her eyes flickered again.
Gold.
Black.
Gold.
Black.
Rose's breathing became uneven.
Something inside her was pushing forward.
Something angry.
Something that had been sleeping.
Rose glanced toward Silas.
Then back toward Lucius.
The reaction inside her became stronger.
Hatred flooded through her.
But it wasn't hers.
Pain.
Betrayal.
Rage.
Memories that didn't belong to Rose pressed against the edges of her mind.
It's them.
Something about these men was affecting Aurelia.
Something personal.
Something old.
Don't expose yourself, Rose warned internally.
But Aurelia pushed harder.
Rose stumbled.
Her flames flickered.
The dragon noticed immediately.
It stopped breathing fire.
Its massive head turned toward Rose.
A low, worried growl escaped its throat.
Then it climbed higher into the sky.
Something was wrong with its Queen.
Rose pressed one hand against her head while keeping her sword firmly in the other.
"Aurelia…"
She gritted her teeth.
"Don't."
Lucius noticed the opening.
He disappeared.
Rose sensed him—
but too late.
His hand wrapped around her throat.
Rose gasped.
Lucius lifted her from the dragon's back.
Her sword remained clenched in her hand.
Rose swung it toward him.
Lucius caught her wrist before the blade could reach his neck.
His fingers tightened around her throat.
Rose struggled.
Her free hand grabbed his wrist.
Lucius laughed.
"For a moment…"
His grip tightened.
"…I actually thought you might kill me."
Rose struggled for air.
Lucius leaned closer.
"Is this the best you have?"
Rose's sword trembled in her restrained hand.
Her body suddenly went rigid.
Lucius's smile disappeared.
Her eyes changed.
One became gold.
The other—
black.
Darkness spread around Rose.
The air became heavy.
Ancient.
Oppressive.
Lucius froze.
His blood reacted instantly.
His entire body trembled.
Silas's eyes widened.
The dragon stopped moving.
Even the battlefield seemed to become silent.
Then it came.
The pressure.
Not Rose's.
Not Lucius's.
Not Silas's.
Hers.
The one power Blackwell blood remembered.
The one presence it recognized before the mind could understand.
The one authority it had once been forced to acknowledge.
Lucius's grip weakened.
His fingers trembled around Rose's throat.
Then they opened.
Slowly.
Unwillingly.
His hand lowered.
His other hand released Rose's wrist.
Rose landed softly on the dragon's back.
Her sword was still in her hand.
But when she raised her head again…
the expression on her face wasn't Rose's.
Her posture changed.
Her presence changed.
Even the way she held the sword changed.
Silas stared.
His body refused to move.
Lucius stared too.
Aurelia's eyes settled on him.
And she recognized him.
Not as a stranger.
Not as an enemy she had just met.
She remembered him.
The corner of her mouth slowly lifted.
Lucius's face changed.
For the first time since arriving on the battlefield…
he looked uncertain.
Aurelia looked him up and down almost as if she were disappointed by what she saw.
Then she spoke.
Her voice carried across the battlefield.
Cold.
Familiar.
And unmistakably ancient.
"You really became weak after all these years."
Lucius stopped breathing.
Silas's face went pale.
Deep inside her own body, Rose could still see.
She could still hear.
But she was no longer the one standing in control.
And for the first time in years…
Queen Aurelia Blackwell was looking directly at the people she remembered.
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