AVELINE "K-Katerina? How are you still alive?" Malzareth suddenly mutters, his voice dripping with disbelief.

Katerina? Who's that?

"This is no Katerina, Malzareth," Elryx snaps, her golden eyes blazing. "This is Aveline Maeve, the granddaughter of Katerina."

Ah, so my grandmother's name was Katerina. A strong and elegant name—how fitting.

"Another Skyefyre stopping me... how irritating," Malzareth scoffs, his lips curling into a sinister grin. "It's been a long time, Elryx. Still meddling in mortal affairs, I see."

"You overstep your bounds, demon," Elryx snarls. Her wings unfurl, and her scales shimmer like molten gold under the dimming sky.

Duke Brown looks between us, confusion clouding his face. "You... you know the dragon?" he stammers.

Malzareth sneers, clearly unimpressed. "I guess you really are stupid, Duke Cedric Brown."

"How dare you call me stupid!" Cedric roars, his hands glowing with the foul energy of black magic. He raises his arms, summoning even more monstrous creatures that claw their way out of the ground.

"So it was you all along," I say, narrowing my eyes at Cedric. "A lot of people are watching, Duke Cedric. Aren't you afraid of being exposed?"

He scoffs, his arrogance filling the air like poison. "Why should I be? I will win anyway!"

"Xavier," I call out, turning to the crown prince as I grip Elryx's reins tighter. "Handle the monsters and Duke Cedric. I'll take care of Malzareth."

"At your command, my lady," Xavier replies with unwavering determination, drawing his sword as he rallies the knights.

"Do you really think you can handle me, Aveline?" Malzareth taunts, his crimson eyes narrowing. "You? A mere human?"

Before I can respond, he unleashes a torrent of flames. Elryx darts through the air, dodging the attack with practiced grace.

"Elryx, let's charge! Ember!" I command.

Elryx roars, unleashing a burst of fire that sears through the sky and strikes Malzareth's leg. He stumbles slightly, but his grin remains.

"Impressive," he says mockingly. "But far from enough."

I glance to the side, staying vigilant, when my father's voice cuts through the chaos. "On your left!" Duke Lytheryss shouts.

"Thank you, Father!" I yell back, narrowly dodging another searing blast.

"Pay closer attention!" Elryx growls, her tone protective yet stern.

"I'll make sure of it," I mutter, gripping the reins tighter.

"You can't run from me, Aveline!" Malzareth bellows, his voice booming as he fires another wave of flames.

I raise my hands, summoning a torrent of water magic to counter his assault. A hurricane of water barrels toward him, weakening his flames and momentarily disorienting him.

It's not enough.

Elryx and I weave through the chaos, dodging and striking, but Malzareth's strength is overwhelming. A sudden, massive blast of fire hurtles toward us faster than we can react.

"AH!" I cry out as the flames scorch through the air, striking me. Agony tears through my body as my grip on Elryx falters.

My vision blurs, and the world spins as I feel myself falling. Is this the end? Have I come this far only to fail? At least I fought with all I had...

***

XAVIER "NO... NO!" My heart stops as I see Aveline falling from the sky, her limp form plummeting.

I break into a sprint, pushing through the battlefield. My chest tightens with fear, but I keep moving, refusing to let her hit the ground.

Just as she's about to fall, I dive forward, arms outstretched, and catch her. The impact sends us both tumbling to the ground, but I shield her with my body.

"Aveline," I whisper, my voice trembling as I cradle her. "What happened to you? Stay with me, please!"

Her breathing is shallow, her face pale. The sight of her like this twists a knife in my chest.

"Healer!" I shout desperately, my voice echoing over the chaos. "I need a healer here now!"

She stirs slightly, her lips parting as if to say something, but no words come out.

I grip her hand tightly, refusing to let her go. "Hold on, Aveline. You're stronger than this. Don't you dare give up now."