The brig was quiet.
Karl sat with his back against the wall, head tilted, listening to the hum of the suppression field like it was some dull song stuck on repeat. He was about to close his eyes when the air shifted. Heavy. Sharp.
Something stepped in.
At first, Karl thought it was Lucian again—but no. The figure was small, perched on four clawed feet, scales glimmering faint in the dim light. A dragon.
Kaelis.
Karl froze before he even realized it. His body moved on instinct, head lowering, shoulders tight. The weight rolling off the creature wasn't just strength. It was ancient. A pressure so deep it made his father's presence feel like a candle compared to the sun.
His throat went dry. If his father had been like a god… then this little dragon in front of him was something beyond that.
Kaelis tilted his head, molten eyes narrowing, and for a moment Karl thought he might be crushed on the spot. Then the dragon's voice rumbled through the cell, deep but oddly annoyed.
