Elira tightened the bloodied cloth against Elric's side, still shaking from the chaos outside. The wind carried the fading roar of the retreating dragon, and yet the courtyard felt no less dangerous.
"Elric," she whispered, eyes locked on the sky, "why did it leave? It had us—you. It could've destroyed this entire castle."
Elric coughed weakly, but a small smile tugged at his lips. "Because… not everything is as it seems."
She frowned. "I need more than riddles."
He shifted, wincing from the pain. "There's only one person who can give us answers."
"Who?"
He met her eyes, voice lowering.
"My mother. Queen Lysandra."
Elira froze.
"Your mother? The same Queen who looked like she could murder a man with her pinky finger? That Queen?"
He gave a half-nod. "She's… not just royalty. She's power incarnate. The mirror, the curse, even dragons—they all trace back to her. She knows ancient magics, ones even the priests fear to name. And the dragon you saw..."
He glanced at the sky.
"His name is Kael. He was once our kingdom's guardian. A royal dragon bonded to our bloodline."
Her breath hitched. "You mean he served this family?"
"Loyally. Fiercely. He fought beside my grandfather in the Sky Wars. But something changed. He vanished nearly twenty years ago—until today."
"And your mother knows why?" Elira asked.
"She's the only one who ever could control him," Elric said, voice quiet and serious. "If Kael's returned, if he's corrupted or bound by someone else… only Queen Lysandra would know the truth."
Before Elira could respond, a sudden chill swept through the courtyard.
The flames dimmed.
The air felt… sharper.
And then, with a sweep of black silk robes and a soft thud of boots, a tall woman stepped into view from the shadows of the hall.
Eyes like polished obsidian. Crown like woven ice. Presence like a storm in silence.
"Speak of me again, and you might consider speaking with more reverence, my son."
Elira turned to see Queen Lysandra—radiant, regal, and terrifying.
Elric tried to sit straighter despite the pain. "Mother."
Her cold gaze flicked to him, then to Elira.
Then she spoke, smooth as frost.
"So. The Mirrorbound truly stands before me."
Elira's spine stiffened.
"I—I don't even know what that means yet," she stammered.
Queen Lysandra studied her like a scholar observes a weapon.
Then turned to her wounded son. "You should've told me she'd arrived. I would've prepared the wards myself. Kael's awakening wasn't unexpected… but it came far sooner than it should have."
"You knew he'd come?" Elira gasped.
Lysandra nodded once, slowly.
"Kael was ours. He was mine. But something in the world has changed. A new force is twisting old bonds. What once protected this kingdom... now threatens to burn it."
Elric looked up at her, jaw clenched. "And you didn't think to warn me?"
She gave him a pointed glance. "You barely listen when warned."
Elira stepped forward, heart pounding. "How do we stop Kael?"
Queen Lysandra looked her dead in the eyes.
"We don't stop Kael… until we uncover who awakened him."