The flight had grown quieter.
Only the rush of wind and the steady beat of wings filled the air now. The chaos of battle had faded behind us, replaced by clouds painted gold by the setting sun.
I sat stiffly on the back of the dragon, trying not to look down. My creature—still curled against my shoulder—yawned, as if none of this was strange at all.
The girl beside me finally broke the silence.
"What's your name?" she asked, not looking my way.
I blinked. "My name?"
"Yes." Her voice was sharp but not hostile. "If we're taking you into our city, I need to know what to call you."
I hesitated. What can I even say? I couldn't tell her the truth. "Subject 7" sounded like a number, not a person. I needed something else—something human.
"I'm…" I paused, mind scrambling. "Arin."
She glanced at me, eyes narrowing slightly. "Arin, huh? You don't sound sure."
"I don't sound like a lot of things," I muttered.
For the first time, she almost smiled—but it vanished just as quickly. "Fine. Arin." She straightened, gripping the reins. "I'm Captain Shivani. Third Unit, U.A.E. Force."
Her tone shifted when she said it—calm but full of command, like she'd said that line a hundred times before.
"U.A.E. Force?" I repeated. "Never heard of it."
"You wouldn't have," she replied flatly. "Not unless you've fought a Hazard before."
The word Hazard made something stir in me—an echo, faint but unsettling. I decided not to ask… not yet.
She tapped the dragon's neck twice, and her voice turned professional. "Formation shift! Enter safety line!"
The other riders responded instantly, their dragons spreading out into a wide V-pattern. Blue lines flickered across their armor, glowing softly as they crossed into a field of shimmering light in the distance.
"What's a safety line?" I asked.
Shivani didn't answer right away. She simply pointed ahead. "You'll see."
We broke through the last of the clouds, and the sight below made me forget to breathe.
A vast, glowing dome covered what looked like a hidden valley. Beneath it shimmered an entire settlement—walls, towers, fields lit with blue-white light. It looked like something out of a dream or a memory I wasn't supposed to have.
As we descended, the air grew warmer, quieter. The glow of the dome pulsed softly, like a heartbeat keeping time with the dragons' wings.
Finally, the beasts folded their wings and landed on a wide landing field of pale stone. Soldiers in sleek armor rushed forward, guiding them into place.
I stepped down carefully, my boots touching solid ground for the first time in hours.
And that's when I saw it—a massive board at the edge of the platform, its surface shining in deep blue light. Strange symbols pulsed across it like living veins of energy, forming words I could barely read.
"Welcome to Aeryn Haven — Territory under the United Astra Enclave."
I frowned. "United… Astra Enclave?"
Shivani turned toward me, her expression unreadable. "Welcome to the last safe place left on this side of the world."
The dragon's wings folded with a low, metallic hum as we stepped off the landing platform. The ground beneath us shimmered faintly, absorbing the weight of our steps like glass alive with energy.
Soldiers in matching armor saluted Shivani as she passed. Every movement around her screamed discipline. She didn't just walk through the base—she owned it.
I followed a few steps behind, trying to take in everything at once.
The city beyond the gates stretched out in layers of color and light. Buildings rose no higher than three or four stories, their walls made of smooth white stone veined with blue circuitry that glowed softly in the afternoon sun. Hovercrafts drifted silently above the wide streets, guided by glowing lines suspended mid-air.
Shops and stations lined the roads—mechanical smithies, solar forges, holographic display vendors, and stalls selling fruit that shimmered faintly like it was grown under artificial light. People walked by in clean uniforms, their wrists marked with small blue seals pulsing in rhythm with the city itself.
Everything here moved with quiet purpose, like one living organism.
I couldn't help staring. "You call this a city? Looks more like a sci-fi movie threw up and made paradise."
Shivani shot me a sideways glance. "You don't talk like someone from any Enclave I know. Where exactly did you come from?"
I hesitated for a second. "Uh… far away."
She raised an eyebrow. "Far away isn't a direction."
"Yeah, well," I said with a grin, "I took a wrong turn after escaping a top-secret underground facility full of clones and psychopaths. Google Maps didn't have that listed."
She blinked, then—finally—laughed. It was quick, soft, almost unwilling. But it was there.
For a second, I just stared at her. I'd seen her serious, commanding, fierce—but smiling? That was new.
"What?" she said, noticing my expression.
"Nothing," I said quickly, looking away. "Just… didn't know you were capable of that."
Her voice turned stern again instantly. "Don't get used to it. You're still under observation. We'll take you to the Safety General. He'll issue a pass so you can live inside the city. And don't even think of doing anything stupid."
"Why? You afraid I'll charm everyone with my personality?"
She gave me a cold look. "No. Because we have eyes everywhere."
We moved deeper into the city. The streets split into tiers—one path for walkers, another for hovering vehicles. In the distance, I could see domed towers topped with rotating light-cores that powered the protective barrier above.
Children ran past us, laughing, their small companion drones floating after them like playful pets. Somewhere nearby, a musician played an instrument that projected soft waves of light instead of sound. The air was clean, almost unnaturally so.
It was… beautiful.
But also wrong. Too perfect. Too controlled.
I glanced up at the dome overhead. Its faint blue glow pulsed like a heartbeat. "You sure this place is safe?"
Shivani didn't look back. "As long as you follow the rules—it's safer than anywhere else."
Something in her tone told me she didn't completely believe that.
As we walked, I noticed a symbol carved into the stone walls of a nearby building—a spiral sun with wings spreading from its center. It shimmered faintly as I passed.
I slowed, staring at it. "Hey… what's that?"
Shivani stopped for a second, then said quietly, "That's the mark of Astra. The energy that protects our world."
I felt a chill crawl down my spine. The same word Lang had used back in the facility.
Astra…
My hand unconsciously brushed my chest, where that strange warmth—the light from my Echoform—still pulsed faintly beneath my skin.
Something told me that this city, this place of "safety," was far more connected to my origin than Shivani knew. The entrance to the administration dome stood like a gleaming crystal mountain in the city's center. Its white pillars shimmered faintly with blue veins of Astra energy, pulsing like veins under skin.
As we walked toward it, I noticed groups of soldiers and civilians lining up in long queues that led to metal counters. The air smelled faintly of ozone and burning crystal.
People here moved with the same quiet obedience as before—eyes down, voices low.
We stepped through the tall archway, and the light inside changed to a cool silver-blue. The air was colder here. Clean. Almost too clean.
Rows of counters stretched ahead, each manned by officers dressed in grey uniforms. But what caught my eye wasn't the humans.
Standing near one of the far counters were tall figures wrapped in dark cloth, their scales glinting faintly beneath the fabric. They had long fingers, sharp pupils, and faintly forked tongues that flickered as they spoke in low, raspy tones.
I slowed. "Uh… Shivani? What are those?"
She followed my gaze, her expression tightening. "You really aren't from here, are you? Those are Lizardmen—hybrid species from the southern bioswamps."
"Lizardmen," I echoed, staring. "They look like someone tried to mix a dragon and a tax accountant."
She sighed. "They're tolerated in the Enclave, but not trusted. Don't stare. Most people here hate them… and they have long memories."
"Got it," I said, still staring. "No eye contact, no scales jokes."
We reached the front counter where a young officer—maybe twenty at most—was organizing glowing data-slates. He noticed Shivani and immediately stood up straight, placing his hand over his chest.
"Commander Shivani! How can I assist you?"
"I have a guest," she said crisply, nodding toward me. "He helped us during the aerial engagement near Point Line. I'd like you to process a temporary pass for him."
The officer's eyes flicked to me and widened just slightly. "Understood."
He motioned to a chair. "Sir, please have a seat."
He was polite—nervous even. Maybe he wasn't used to seeing someone like me.
I sat down. My creature—Perin, as I'd started calling him—tried to follow but was stopped at the door by a guard. The little thing growled lowly.
"It's fine," I told him. "Wait outside. I'll be quick."
Perin snorted and padded off to sit beside a fountain, curling up like a sulking cat-lion hybrid.
The officer began typing on a glowing panel. "Name?"
"Arin," I said.
"Origin?"
Shivani answered before I could open my mouth. "He's from the outer U.D. side. Remote region."
The officer nodded, accepting it without question. "Any formal records?"
"None that survived," Shivani said smoothly.
He typed for a moment longer, then printed a small crystal card that shimmered faint blue. "Here's your temporary access permit, valid until tomorrow evening. You'll need to return at 2 p.m. for full registration with the Safety General."
He slid the card across the counter.
"Until then," he continued, "avoid restricted zones and Astra conduits. Also, public prayer begins at 1800 hours. Be present."
I frowned. "Public… prayer?"Shivani stepped in quickly. "It's just a city custom. You'll get used to it." The officer smiled tightly, but something in his eyes said otherwise.
"Enjoy your stay in Aeryn Haven, sir."
We stepped outside again into the cool light of the city dome.I glanced around. "Do they really pray at the same time every day?"
"Yes," Shivani replied, leading the way down the steps. "You'll understand why soon enough."
Her tone carried a shadow I didn't know how to read.
The streets looked different now—warmer under the dome's glow. But somehow, it all felt like a movie set built to look perfect. The smiles, the laughter, the neat rows of blue-lit houses… it all seemed too synchronized.
We passed a tall glass structure across the plaza. Its spire reached high, rotating with faint rings of light
"What's that building?" I asked.
Shivani smirked slightly. "You mean the one right in front of your eyes? That's the Central Clock Tower. You said you didn't have a watch."
I groaned. "Okay, fair. But still—how was I supposed to know time here glows?"
She actually smiled again as we walked toward the tower. "You'll learn. Just… don't be late tomorrow."
Behind us, Perin trotted along happily, his fur reflecting the blue light of the streets. For a moment, everything almost felt normal. Almost.
Evening crept over Aeryn Haven like a curtain of blue glass.
The dome above shifted color with the sky outside, turning from gold to indigo as the faint pulse of Astra energy rippled through it. The air hummed softly, alive with power.
After Shivani left me near the plaza, I wandered through the city with Perin trotting by my side, tail flicking lazily. The streets were wide and clean, lined with glowing strips of light that followed my steps like they recognized movement.
Children laughed somewhere ahead, chasing a floating disk that projected tiny fireworks. Vendors packed up their stalls; drones hummed as they swept dust from the walkways. It all felt… ordinary. Too ordinary.
Perin nudged my leg, sniffing curiously at a fountain where blue water fell upward instead of down.
"Yeah," I murmured. "Even the physics here behave politely."
A few people nearby turned to look at me—quick glances, polite smiles that didn't quite reach their eyes—then went back to whatever they were doing. Everyone seemed happy, calm, synchronized.
Then a soft chime echoed across the city.
Ding…
It was gentle at first, like a church bell heard through water. But then it echoed again—ding, ding, ding—and something changed.
Every person around me stopped moving.
The laughter died instantly.
Drones froze mid-flight.
The shopkeeper who'd been counting coins let them spill from his hands, eyes turning blank.
"What the—?" I whispered.
Perin growled softly, crouching beside me, his fur bristling.
A low hum filled the air as the entire city seemed to breathe in unison. One by one, people turned toward the center plaza and knelt. Their heads bowed.
A soft, rhythmic pulse rolled through the streets — not sound exactly, but vibration. I could feel it under my boots, through the air, like the whole city was a living thing holding its breath.
Perin pressed closer to my leg, ears twitching, eyes glowing faint red in warning.
"What's happening?" I muttered, looking around.
No one answered. No one even moved.
Hundreds of people were kneeling across the plaza, their hands pressed to the ground, eyes shut. They began to whisper — not words I recognized, but a pattern, repeating, rhythmic.
Like a chant.
A strange glow rose from the streets, lines of light forming spirals that connected every kneeling person together. The energy pulsed outward, feeding into the air itself — a wave of living light that shimmered and coiled toward the sky.
For a moment, it was breathtaking. Beautiful, even.
Then I felt it — the same energy as before. The same one that had flickered inside me when my Echoform awakened. Astra.
I shivered. "So this is what keeps your dome alive…"
The air turned colder.
A new voice echoed through the plaza — smooth, melodic, and terrifyingly calm. It wasn't coming from speakers. It was everywhere. Inside my head. Inside the wind.
"Children of light. The day has ended. Offer your peace, and remain pure."
The words weren't human. They felt… divine.I could almost see them as shimmering strands that flowed through the air.
Everyone whispered back in perfect unison, their voices overlapping like a single choir:"We offer peace. We remain pure."
A shiver ran down my spine. Perin whimpered softly, hiding behind my leg.
The voice faded — not gone, just sleeping again. The glow slowly drained from the streets.
And just like that… everyone stood up.The children laughed again. The vendors picked up their tools. The drones resumed flying.
As if nothing had happened.
I just stood there, heart pounding.
"What the hell was that?"
A guard nearby turned toward me, smiling mechanically. "Prayer Cycle. You must be new."
I swallowed hard. "Yeah. New enough to find that creepy."
He didn't respond — just turned back to his post, eyes empty.
Shivani's words from earlier echoed faintly in my head:"You'll understand why soon enough."
I looked up at the glowing dome, its light pulsing gently once again.
Beautiful. Peaceful.And completely under control.
Perin hopped onto my shoulder, curling around my neck with a low growl.
"Yeah," I whispered. "I don't trust this place either."