Levi's body hung heavy in the center of the dungeon chamber, iron chains biting into her wrists, her wings bound with steel bands etched in runes. Her horns were pinned by blackened cuffs that burned whenever she tried to summon power.
But tonight, something stirred.
A ripple through the air — sharp, burning, wrong. Her head jerked up, eyes narrowing. The sensation was unmistakable: a dragon's aura. But not pure. Not whole. Something fractured, raw, unstable.
Her pulse quickened. Another dragon? After all this time…?
She strained against the chains, muscles taut, the sound of iron groaning filling the chamber. Sparks of red-black light flickered at her fingertips, but the enchanted shackles tightened, crushing the energy back into her bones. She snarled, thrashing, but the restraints only dug deeper.
That was when the voice came, low and mocking.
"Having fun with the struggles, Leviathan?"
Her breath hitched. She hadn't heard him enter.
Shax.
The dragon general's presence filled the chamber like smoke, suffocating, predatory. His violet eyes gleamed in the dim light as he stepped close, wings brushing the walls with every movement.
Levi flinched but bared her teeth. "What kind of sick tricks are you playing, Shax? What happened to Jane? Where is she?"
He chuckled, the sound like rolling thunder. "Oh, Leviathan… why do you care so much about that silly little witch?"
Her chains rattled as she lurched forward, rage burning in her golden eyes. "Answer me!"
Shax ignored her outburst. With deliberate slowness, he drew his blade and lifted it until the tip hovered just beneath her chin. The metal gleamed slickly, coated in fresh blood—blood that shimmered both red and purple in the torchlight.
Levi's breath caught.
Her gaze locked on the sword. No…
"She's fine," Shax said smoothly. "A little pain won't hurt her. She has more fights than I expected."
Levi's mind raced, fury clawing at her chest. Red and purple. Witch's blood mixed with dragons. There could be no other explanation. Her voice broke into a growl.
"Whose blood is this?"
Shax tilted the blade, smirking. "Oh, nothing. Just one of your precious little friends."
The name tore from her lips before she could stop herself.
"Jane!"
Her scream echoed through the stone walls, filled with fury and dread.
Her chains trembled as though her rage alone could break them, but then a ripple of darker magic washed over her.
From the shadows, a figure stepped forward, her cloak trailing across the floor. Forneus, the witch, eyes glowing like embers. Her lips curved in a cruel smile as she raised her hands, arcane symbols sparking into being around her fingers.
"You've been far too loud, Your Majesty," Forneus hissed.
Before Levi could react, the spell struck. A spike of pain drove straight into her skull, white-hot and merciless.
Levi's vision blurred, her head snapping back as she gasped. The chains rattled with her thrashing, her body fighting even as her mind cracked under the witch's assault.
Forneus's laughter echoed through the chamber as Levi's golden eyes flickered, burning, dimming—caught between fury and torment.
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