The journey back felt different this time. Not awe. No wonder. Only urgency. Atlas cut through the sky with powerful, precise beats of his wings, the wind rushing past them as if even the air understood—something was wrong. Starfania held tightly, her thoughts racing faster than the world below them. By the time they reached the Grand Hall, the atmosphere had already shifted. Guards lined the entrance, their stances rigid, their expressions tense. This wasn't preparation. This was a reaction. She slid off Atlas the moment they landed, barely waiting before rushing inside—Atlas closed behind her like a shadow. Aeron and Violet had been stopped at the gates. This…was no place for them now.
The chamber was already alive with voices—low, urgent, overlapping. Starfania slipped into the room just as a figure stepped forward from the center table. A spy. His cloak was torn, dust clinging to every inch of him. His breathing was uneven, like he had barely made it back.
" I've just returned from the outer regions near VulcanFire's border," he said, his voice rough but steady. The room fell silent. " I saw their camps expanding. Not just soldiers—workers. Dozens of them."
He swallowed. " They're gathering materials. Massive quantities."
A murmur spread through the room.
" For the poison?" someone asked. The spy nodded grimly. " Yes. And more of it than we anticipated."
He hesitated—just for a moment. Then continued. " And that's not all…"
His voice lowered. " I saw what it does."
" They tested it…on dragons."
Starfania's chest tightened.
" They didn't die immediately," he said, his jaw clenching. " They suffered. Their strength drained…their wings failed them…and then—"
He stopped himself. But he didn't need to finish.
" We weren't fast enough to stop it," he added quietly. " And the surrounding lands…"
His eyes darkened. " They're already feeling the effects. Wildlife collapsing. The air is turning thick. Something is spreading."
Then Lyam called the head scientist, Maxmillian, the same one Starfania and her friends gave the poison to so he could study it. Lyam's expression hardened. " Maximilian."
At the sound of his name, the doors opened once more. The head scientist stepped forward, his signature red coat catching the light—but there was nothing playful about him now. Only focus. Only urgency. He moved to the center without hesitation, adjusting his gloves as he spoke. " I've analyzed the sample the Dragon Savior provided."
His eyes flicked briefly to Starfania—acknowledging her. Then back to the room.
" This is no ordinary toxin," Maximilian began, his voice precise and controlled. " It's engineered."
The room leaned in.
" It's targeting dragons specifically—their biology, their connection to elemental forces." He gestured sharply as if mapping it out in the air. " Initial exposure causes disorientation. Loss of flight stability. Then rapid internal deterioration."
A pause. " It attacks their core energy…the very essence that allows them to exist as they are."
Starfania's fingers tightened slightly.
" And once it spreads…" He exhaled slowly. " It becomes contagious."
A wave of unease rippled through the room.
" Dragons to dragon," he continued. " And potentially—environmental transmission through air and water."
Someone spoke up, voice tight with fear. " And that cure?"
Maximilian didn't answer immediately. That alone was enough. " …We don't have one."
Silence fell. Heavy. Suffocating.
" We're working on it," he added, though he didn't sound convinced.
The tension in the room had barely settled when the doors burst open again. A guard rushed in—breathless. " Sir!"
All eyes snapped toward him. He barely had time to steady himself before speaking. " We've intercepted new intelligence—urgent."
Lyam stepped forward immediately. " Report."
The guard swallowed. " They're not just producing the poison…"
A pause. " They're preparing to release it."
The room erupted—voices rising, disbelief, fear, anger—
" Silence!" Lyam commanded. The guard continued, his voice shaking now. " Our sources confirm…VulcanFire is planning a mass deployment."
Starfania's heart pounded.
" When?" Lyam demanded. The guard hesitated—just long enough to make it worse. " …During the eclipse."
Silence. Absolute. The kind that settles before a storm breaks. Starfania felt it then. Not just fear. Not just pressure. But it is inevitable. The vision. The poison. Her father. It was all leading here. And for the first time—this wasn't just a warning anymore. It had already begun.