The three dragons were not fools. Something was wrong with Aeris.

Her smiles were too soft. Her words too delicate. Her very presence felt… off.

Yet, no matter how hard they tried, they found nothing.

But that changed when he appeared.

---

They had been watching Aeris carefully, trying to catch any hints of her unusual behavior.

But when they saw her standing beside him, laughing maniacally while holding his arm, their blood ran cold.

Aeris—their Aeris—stood beside a man with a single, curved horn.

His presence was dark, suffocating, filled with something ancient and dangerous.

Zephirion's eyes darkened. He knew.

This was the man behind it all.

Valerion's hands clenched into fists. "That bastard—"

Caelum, usually the calmest, had a rare look of silent fury.

And Aeris… she looked nothing like herself.

She wasn’t fighting.

She wasn’t resisting.

Instead, she was smiling.

No—grinning.

Her laugh was light, almost melodic, but it wasn’t Aeris’s laugh. It was cold. Empty.

She clung to the one-horned man’s arm as if she belonged there. As if she had never belonged anywhere else.

Zephirion’s heart twisted painfully.

No. This wasn’t her. It couldn’t be.

But then she looked at him.

And when she met his gaze, she smirked. Mocking. Amused. Cruel.

Like she had never loved him at all.

Zephirion felt something inside him shatter.

---

The Battle Begins

The air became heavy with magic.

A storm brewed within Zephirion’s chest—rage, pain, betrayal. His golden eyes locked onto the one-horned man.

“I see you’ve noticed the change in your little bride,” the villain mused, running his fingers through Aeris’s hair.

Zephirion’s jaw clenched. He took a threatening step forward. “Take your hands off her.”

Aeris only giggled, pressing closer to the villain. “But I don’t want to, my King. Why don’t you just—” Her eyes glowed unnaturally. “—give up?”

Zephirion’s patience snapped.

In a heartbeat, he launched forward, claws extended, magic crackling like lightning around him.

The villain smirked and met him head-on.

Their clash shook the ground.

Black flames erupted from Zephirion’s hands, colliding with the villain’s eerie, violet magic. The impact sent shockwaves through the palace courtyard, shattering nearby pillars.

Valerion and Caelum stepped forward, ready to assist, but Aeris moved first.

Before they could react, she summoned a dagger and slashed at Caelum’s arm, forcing him back.

Valerion’s eyes widened. “Aeris—”

She didn’t hesitate. She attacked him next.

And Zephirion, in the middle of his battle, saw it all.

His Aeris—his Little Blossom—was fighting against them.

And for the first time in centuries, Zephirion felt fear.

---

(Villian's Pov)

Fools.

They thought they could keep her from me?

They thought they could protect her? How amusing.

From the moment she opened her eyes in this world, she was meant to be mine.

And now, here she stands—by my side.

Her delicate fingers rest on my arm, her laugh a melody of victory. She doesn’t fight. She doesn’t resist.

She belongs to me.

Zephirion’s eyes are burning. Furious. Pained.

Good. Let him suffer.

“Take your hands off her,” he growls, his magic flaring dangerously.

I smirk. Ah, there it is. That fire.

“You still don’t understand, do you?” I murmur, brushing a strand of hair from Aeris’s face. She leans into my touch, obedient and devoted. “She’s not yours anymore, Black Dragon.”

His body tenses. Rage rolls off him in waves. How delightful.

Aeris giggles—soft, sweet, unlike her usual self.

“Why don’t you just… give up?” she purrs, tilting her head.

Zephirion snaps.

In an instant, he lunges, his power crackling like a storm. Perfect.

I raise my hand, meeting his attack head-on.

The impact shakes the castle. Flames roar, stone cracks, the very air trembles under our combined strength.

But I don’t falter. I don’t waver.

Because I will win.

Valerion and Caelum move to help him, but Aeris—**my darling puppet—**steps forward.

She moves so naturally, so gracefully, as if this has always been her role.

A dagger flashes in her hand. A swift strike—Caelum barely dodges in time.

Valerion looks at her with wide, disbelieving eyes. “Aeris—”

She doesn’t hesitate.

She attacks again.

The fear in their eyes, the horror in their expressions—delicious.

And Zephirion… oh, poor Zephirion.

He fights harder, faster, as if sheer strength can undo what has already been done.

Pathetic.

Does he really think he can save her?

She is mine.

No matter how hard he fights, no matter how much he struggles—

I will win.

His breath is ragged now. His movements slowing.

And then—I strike.

A direct blow to his chest sends him crashing to his knees.

The mighty Black Dragon… kneeling before me.

He coughs, blood staining the ground beneath him. His golden eyes—usually filled with power—are dull, exhausted.

I lift my sword.

“Zephirion, Zephirion…” I sigh dramatically, tilting my head. “How far the great have fallen.”

The blade gleams in the dim light as I raise it high.

“I think it’s time we ended this, don’t you?”

Aeris stands beside me, her expression empty, her eyes distant.

Zephirion barely lifts his head to look at her.

And I laugh.

Because this moment is mine.

With a smirk, I swing my blade—aiming straight for his neck.

To be continued