Lord of the realm

A dragon—they were seeing a dragon, alive in its true form, right in front of them—but their wonder didn't last long as the situation was grim.

"Keep them safe until I return."

"I will meet you soon."

Darian nodded, knowing there was no chance of changing her mind. He could only hope that she comes back, without any harm.

Darian was already seething with frustration—he had failed to protect them again.

And now, Morgana was going after the boy by herself. His face contorted with anger and discontent with himself.

He wasn't a hero, just a simple man who had once made a choice: to protect her. From the moment he'd sworn himself as her knight, his path had been set. Obedience, loyalty, silence. His duty wasn't to question her commands—it was to carry them out, no matter the cost. Even now, when his heart felt heavy and his resolve worn thin, he would not falter.

Even after exerting too much of her power, she was still pushing her limits.

He just stared at her, watching her move with determination in her eyes.

Morgana climbed the dragon swiftly and sat on the back of her.

"Morgana, wait!" Rena screamed, running toward the dragon.

"Take us with you! We can help!"

But Morgana shook her head. "This is too dangerous. Darian will protect you."

"No!" Rena shouted, fighting against Darian as he moved to restrain her. "He's our friend too! You can't just leave us behind!"

Darian, understanding what needed to be done, struck Rena gently on the neck with the side of his hand. She collapsed unconscious in his arms, her struggles finally ended.

Taeryn was reluctant and didn't know what to do. He was unsure, unsure about everything that's happening around him. And Baren was no less; he was struggling too. He just stared at Rena and stood helplessly as she was knocked out.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly to her sleeping form. "But Morgana is right. This is no place for untrained fighters."

Baren stood beside them, his face grim with worry but understanding. They could only watch helplessly as Swefarna spread her great wings and launched herself into the night sky.

The gust of wind from her ascent ruffled their hair and clothes, making them fall backwards and also leaving them small and awestruck in the presence of such power.

-

Not far away from them, that same wind swept through the grove where the coven gathered, rustling their cloaks and stirring the trees—so long and fierce that the witches turned, eyes narrowing, as the forest swayed around them.

Raelana and Elizabeth noticed the massive dragon take flight and watched the dragon disappear into the darkness.

Both witches exchanged suspicious glances.

"She summoned a dragon?" Elizabeth said quietly. "That was no ordinary summoning," Elizabeth said quietly. "Dragons don't answer calls from just any witch."

"And that power she used to destroy the black fiends," Raelana added. "I've never seen anything like it. Every time she reveals her skill, she leaves us in awe once again."

Elizabeth's ice-blue eyes narrowed as she stared at the spot where the dragon had vanished. "No, there's definitely more to this story."

She turned to face the others, her voice growing sharper with suspicion. "She told us she saved those kids from a village when the village was attacked by fiends, and now those very fiends are here and took the boy."

"There is something that she is hiding about those four of them."

Katerina, still nursing her wounded pride from the duel, spat into the fire. "Damn her!!"

She was annoyed, thinking that Morgana may not have fought her with her full power. She wasn't aware of her summoning dragon beast; not everybody knew.

"If she can summon dragons, what else is she hiding?"

The other two witches turned to look at her with new understanding.

Just how powerful was she really?

"Not everyone can summon dragons on a moment's notice," Raelana said quietly. "The Origin reserves required, the bond necessary... Morgana is far stronger than any of us realized."

"That's exactly my point," Elizabeth said, her voice growing more urgent. "A witch of that power doesn't waste energy on servants. There's something special about that boy, something she's not telling us."

Katerina's green eyes glowed with sudden realization. "The strange power," she whispered. "When I looked at him during our confrontation, I sensed something around him. He had a different aura on him, one that was hard to recognize. And before I could do anything, she came to his rescue."

Elizabeth stopped pacing and stared at her. "What kind of power?"

"I'm not sure," Katerina admitted. "It was faint, like he was trying to hide it. But it reminded me of the old stories, the legends about..." She paused, as if afraid to speak the words.

Morgana's mask concealed Jaenor completely—Katerina saw neither the red haze that clung to him nor the lingering traces of Origin power.

"The Chosen Ones?" Raelana finished quietly.

A heavy silence fell over the three witches.

The Chosen Ones were legendary figures, warriors blessed with incredible power who appeared in times of great darkness to fight against evil.

But the current Chosen Ones were already known—three heroes who were even now fighting the dark legions in the eastern kingdoms.

"That's impossible," Raelana said, though her voice lacked conviction.

"The Chosen Ones are already awakened. The three heroes fighting the dark legions in the eastern wars. Everyone knows this."

Elizabeth shook her head slowly.

"No, you're thinking of the old prophecy. But the High Mother received a new divination just two months ago. She shared it with the senior coven leaders during the last council meeting."

Both Raelana and Katerina leaned forward, their attention focused completely on Elizabeth's words.

"The divination spoke of a second awakening," Elizabeth continued, her voice dropping to barely above a whisper. "Three new Chosen Ones would arise when the first three fell. And this time, the war would be different. This time, the stakes would be higher than ever before."

Katerina's face went pale. "Are you saying the first three Chosen Ones are dead?"