The silence after the guard's words didn't last long. It shattered.
" What does the eclipse have to do with anything?" one leader demanded, frustration breaking through the tension. All eyes turned to Maxmillian. For the first time—he hesitated. That alone was enough to send unease rippling through the room.
" The eclipse…" he began slowly, choosing each word with care, " creates a temporary imbalance in Avalon's natural energy."
The room quieted—but only slightly.
" It weakens the connection between dragons and their elemental sources," he continued. " Their defenses…their resilience…everything drops."
A chill spread. " And if the poison is released during that time—"
He didn't finish. He didn't have to.
" It would spread faster," someone whispered.
" Far faster," Maximilian confirmed. Another voice—sharper now: " How long until the eclipse?"
No one answered at first. Then — " Three days."
Which causes everyone to start really panicking cause they won't have enough time to make a cure. The room exploded. " That's impossible—!"
" We don't have enough time!"
" A cure takes weeks—months—!"
" What are we supposed to do? Just watch them die?"
Voices overlapped, rising into chaos. Chairs scraped against stone. Hands slammed onto the table. Fear—raw and unfiltered—spread like wildfire.
" They're going to wipe out the dragons!"
" And without them—we're defenseless!"
" This is the end—"
" Enough!" someone shouted, but it did nothing to stop the spiral. Even seasoned leaders—warriors who had faced countless battles—were unraveling. Because this wasn't a battle. This was extinction.
Starfania had been quiet this whole time and was listening. Still having conflicted feelings, but she knew she had to take control and calm the situation, even though they still doubted her for being the youngest Dragon Savior. Through it all—Starfania said nothing. She stood at the edge of the room, Atlas at her sides, her eyes moving from one voice to the next. Fear. Doubt. Anger. It was everywhere—and beneath it. The truth she didn't want to face. This is what Cantina showed you. Her chest tightened. Her father. The dragons. Avalon.
All of it was coiling. Two voices rose in her mind again — you abandoned him. You are the Dragon Savior. Her hand trembled slightly. Atlas shifted beside her, his presence steady—grounding. She closed her eyes for just a moment. Then inhaled. Slow. Deep. When she opened them again—something had changed. Force her to make her first real command in front of everyone. " STOP!"
Her voice cut through the room—clear, undeniable. The chaos faltered. Not completely. But enough. All eyes turned. Some are confused. There are those who are skeptical. Some…irritated. A few whispers followed immediately—
" She's just a child—"
" What is she going to do?"
Starfania felt it. Every doubt. Every judgment. For a split second, she almost stepped back. But she didn't. She stepped forward instead. Atlas moved with her, his presence commanding enough to silence a few more voices.
" You're all panicking," she said, her voice steadier now. " And I get it."
A few scoffs. But she continued anyway. " Three days isn't enough to make a cure."
That made them listen. Because it was the truth.
" But standing here arguing about it won't give us more time either."
Silence settles—slowly. Reluctantly. Her gaze shifted to Maxmillian. " You said the poison spreads through dragons first…then possibly the environment."
He nodded cautiously. " Yes."
Starfania turned to Lyam. " Then we don't focus on curing it."
A pause. " We focus on stopping it from spreading."
The room stilled further.
" How?" Someone challenged. Starfania didn't hesitate this time. " We divide our efforts."
Her voice carried now—not loudly, but firm. " Maximilian—you keep working on the cure. Even if it's incomplete, anything that slows it down could save lives."
He blinked—then nodded slowly. She turned to the leaders. " The rest of us focus on containment."
Murmurs again—but different this time. Listening. Thinking.
" We will find where they're planning to release it," she continued. " We stop it before it spreads."
Her jaw tightened slightly. " And if we can't stop all of it—"
A beat. " Then we protect as many dragons as we can before the eclipse hits."
Silence. Real silence this time. Lyam studied her carefully. Not as a child. Not as a question. But as something else.
" Those are not the words of someone panicking," he drawled. Starfania met his gaze. Her heart was still racing. Her doubts are still there. But she didn't let them show.
" They don't have time for me to panic," she mumbled. A pause. Then—the shift happened. Not complete trust. Not yet. But something close to it. Because for the first time—the Dragon Savior wasn't just a title. She was leading.