The necklace Kieran had given me glowed with a strange warmth against my chest, as if reminding me of his final promise: "I know you will succeed."
But I didn't feel successful. I felt like a traitor. A traitor to my people, and a traitor to myself—my heart betraying my mind.
"We have to go back!" I shouted into Nyktis's ear, but the wounded dragon kept flying away, obeying Kieran's final command to protect me at any cost.
Through my tears, I saw Glacir shatter the last of his restraints and rise into the sky, following us. My white dragon—once the symbol of my strength—now flew beside me as a witness to my weakness. I looked into his deep blue eyes and saw the same confusion and pain I felt. He was bound to Nyktis, just as I was bound to him.
"What do I do now?" I whispered, clutching the necklace in my hand.
As if in answer, Nyktis suddenly veered toward a hidden cave in a nearby mountain. We plunged into darkness, with Glacir following cautiously behind.
In the suffocating blackness, the necklace began to emit a soft glow and warmth, lighting our path. That was when I realized—it was no mere ornament. It was magical. A guide through the darkness.
Nyktis followed its light through narrow passages until we reached a vast underground chamber, adorned with a clear lake and glowing plants that shimmered with blue light.
At the center of the chamber, a sight stole my breath: carvings on the walls told an ancient love story—the story of Princess Nevis and Prince Umber. A story of two dragons, one white and one black, living together in harmony.
The truth had been carved into stone for centuries… and no one had ever truly seen it.
I sank down beside the lake, trying to comprehend everything. Kieran had sacrificed himself for me. He had shown me the truth when everyone else had failed me, giving me his mother's necklace as a symbol of trust.
In the silence of the cave, as the two dragons rested side by side, healing their wounds, I realized something profound: I didn't have to choose between my heart and my mind. Between Nevis and Umber.
Love was not betrayal. It was the only way to end the war.
But one question remained: was it too late? Had Kieran sacrificed himself for nothing?
I looked at the glowing necklace in my hand and knew that the answer was mine to find.
The silence in the underground chamber was not absolute. It was filled with the steady breathing of the dragons, the whisper of flowing water, and the pounding of my own blood in my ears.
I sat at the edge of the lake, Kieran's necklace still warm in my hand, like a burning ember reminding me of him.
I glanced at Glacir, lying a few meters away, his blue eyes half-closed—but I could feel his awareness fixed on me. He knew. He understood everything that moved within me.
"What should I do now, my old friend?" I whispered, my voice echoing through the cave.
Glacir slowly raised his massive head and released a warm breath that enveloped me like a soft blanket. And within that breath, I felt something strange.
Memories that were not mine.
Visions of clear skies, winds carrying the scent of unfamiliar flowers, and the laughter of a woman who looked like me—but wasn't me.
My mother.
These were her memories, preserved within Glacir all these years.
I saw her touching the very necklace in my hand, kneeling before another woman with gray eyes and black hair—Kieran's mother. They were exchanging vows—not as enemies, but as allies. As friends.
A tear slipped down my cheek. All this time, the truth had been with me, carried in the heart of my white dragon, waiting for the right moment to reveal itself.
Then I heard it.
A faint voice coming from the necklace.
"Elianna!"
Kieran.
He was alive.
I jumped to my feet, clutching the necklace tightly. "Kieran! Where are you? Are you alright?"
"The necklace binds us," he said. His voice was weak but clear in my mind. "I'm in a cell, but I'm not badly hurt. Falkar is keeping me as a hostage. He wants to use me to control Nyktis."
I looked at Nyktis, who was watching me intently, his red eyes seeming to understand every word.
"What should I do?" I whispered, hope rising in my chest.
"You must prove that you are the rightful ruler. You must face Falkar before your people. And you are not alone."
At that moment, I heard the sound of wings entering the cave.
Not a dragon—but a group of riders on smaller dragons.
At the front was my younger sister, Serena.
"Elianna!" she cried, jumping down and running toward me, pulling me into a tight embrace. "We knew you were alive! We knew that traitor Falkar was lying!"
Behind her, a group of loyalists gathered—warriors who had refused to submit to Falkar. They had found me thanks to the necklace, glowing like a beacon in the darkness.
I held my sister tightly, tears streaming down my face.
I was no longer alone.
Serena pulled back, studying the necklace in my hand before meeting my eyes. "We heard everything. We heard about the Black Prince's sacrifice for you. The people are starting to question Falkar's story."
I looked at the faces around me—loyal, hopeful, filled with belief.
"It's time, Serena," I said, my voice stronger than ever. "It's time to take back our kingdom."
I looked at the glowing necklace, knowing Kieran could hear me.
"We're moving. We'll end this nightmare."
From deep within, his voice answered like a whisper of hope:
"I knew you would."
The cave was no longer just a refuge. It had become the headquarters of a rebellion.
In the glow of luminous plants, the loyalists gathered—veteran warriors, young fighters inspired by courage, even palace guards who had begun to doubt the official story.
Serena, her blonde hair tightly braided and her blue eyes sharp, organized them with remarkable efficiency.
"We'll split into three groups," she said. "One will infiltrate the prison to free Prince Kieran. The second will distract Falkar's guards at the main gates. The third.."
She looked at me.
"...will be with you to confront Falkar directly."
I felt the weight of responsibility—but this time, I wasn't carrying it alone.
"No," I said, my voice cutting through the murmurs. "We won't divide our forces. Falkar will expect that."
All eyes turned to me—even Nyktis and Glacir seemed to listen.
"We go together. All of us. To the main square—where the people of Nevis can see us."
Malakai, who had joined us with Umber's men, frowned. "That's a huge risk. If we fail..."
"Exactly," I said. Then I looked at everyone, feeling the necklace pulse like a living heartbeat. "That's why we cannot fail. The people must see the truth with their own eyes—not hear it as rumor, but witness it."
Through the necklace, I felt Kieran's agreement. Battles could be won with strategy—but hearts could only be won with courage.
An old warrior stepped forward. "The princess is right. Falkar has hidden the truth in darkness long enough. It's time to face the light."
The plan took shape.
We would enter the main square at midday, when the market was full. Glacir and Nyktis would fly above—not as enemies, but as allies.
Before they dispersed, I took Serena's hand. "If we fail..."
"We won't," she interrupted, her eyes shining with belief. "Because you're not alone. And because the truth is with us."
In the silence of the cave, I pressed the necklace and whispered to Kieran:
"Tomorrow, we either free our kingdom together… or fall together."
His reply came like a breath of hope:
"There is no falling… when we stand together."