---
(Aranel's House)
Lady Aranel Delyss sat by her chamber window, brushing out her hair when a soft knock came at her door. A servant bowed low, presenting a sealed envelope without a name.
"An anonymous letter for you, my lady."
Curious, Aranel broke the seal. The writing was hurried, the strokes rough, but the message was clear:
"Go to Eva. She needs you now more than ever."
Aranel's brows knit together. "Eva? "
It had been far too long since she had last seen her dearest friend. Whoever sent this… they knew something she didn't. The urgency in the words gnawed at her chest.
Aranel clutched the letter tightly, her pulse quickening. "Eva… what happened to you?"
Without another thought, she swept out of her chambers. "Ready the carriage—now!"
She didn't know who had written those words or why they had reached her. But if Eva truly needed her, then nothing else mattered.
---
(Royal Palace, Velmoria)
Luca returned, his arms heavy with parcels, his chest light with anticipation. He pushed open the office door, his voice casual—
"Eyan, I'm back."
But instead of his friend's familiar reply, Hans rose from his seat with a stiff bow.
"Master Luca."
Luca frowned, sensing the heaviness in the room. "Hans, where is Eyan?"
Hans's eyes dropped, his expression carved with sorrow.
The air froze in Luca's lungs. He set the parcels down with a thud. "Hans… why do you look like that? What happened?"
Hans swallowed hard, his voice breaking. "Master Luca… something happened. Something big."
---
Luca burst into Eyan's bedchamber, the doors crashing against the walls. Without hesitation, he seized Eyan by the collar, dragging him upright from where he sat slumped in the darkness.
"Eyan, have you gone insane?!" Luca roared, his face inches from his friend's.
"What did you do to Sister-in-law?"
Eyan's eyes lifted, hollow and lifeless. He looked nothing like the mighty king of Velmoria—only a broken man.
"I didn't have a choice," he whispered.
Luca shook him hard. "What do you mean you didn't have a choice?!"
Eyan's lips trembled. "Prince Velco… he found out about my real identity. And he told Eva… everything."
The blood drained from Luca's face. "What? How? How did he find out?"
"I don't know." Eyan's voice cracked, tears spilling as he buried his face in his hands. "Everything is ruined, Luca. I lost everything. Eva… my child."
His body shook. "I destroyed it all with my own hands."
Luca's anger melted into grief. He pulled Eyan into a rough embrace, clutching him tightly.
"No… Eyan, don't say that. Don't break like this. We will find a way."
But Eyan only shook his head. "There is no other way."
Luca drew back, eyes blazing. "But—"
"Luca," Eyan's voice hardened, though tears still streamed down his face, "you think now that Velco knows about Eva, he won't act? You know as well as I do what he'll go after next."
Luca's jaw clenched. "…The Dragon King."
"Yes," Eyan rasped. "That's why he came to Velmoria. Not for courtly games. Not for pleasure. He came for the dragon."
Luca's grip tightened on his cousin's shoulders. "But do you think pushing Sister-in-law away will solve anything?"
Eyan's eyes glistened with unspoken pain. "Yes. Now that I cast Eva aside, Velco will no longer suspect her as my weakness. She and the child will be safe."
"Eyan," Luca whispered, shaking his head, "can you really live without them? Without your wife, without your child?"
Eyan's lips quivered, his silence breaking into a hoarse confession. "…I can't."
"Of course you can't!" Luca's voice was raw. "Then do something! Fight for them!"
"I can't do anything," Eyan said bitterly. "I am powerless."
Luca's hands balled into fists. "If it's the Dragon King Zeradros Velco wants, then give it to him! Release the beast and we'll deal with the aftermath together—simple."
Eyan's head jerked up, eyes burning. "No. I cannot release Zeradros."
"Why not?!"
"Because if I do…" Eyan's voice dropped, heavy with dread. "…I will receive the punishment."
Luca recoiled, stunned. "Punishment? What punishment? You never told me about this, Eyan."
Eyan's throat bobbed as he tried to speak, the weight of his ancestors pressing down on him.
"The punishment is—"
---
The ground beneath Luca's feet seemed to crumble as the weight of Eyan's words struck him like thunder. His chest tightened, his breath caught.
"Eyan…" Luca's voice shook. "That's madness."
He staggered back a step, his hands trembling. "Why didn't you ever tell me about this? Why keep such a thing hidden?"
Eyan's gaze dropped to the floor, his voice heavy with shame. "Because it is a burden I alone was meant to carry."
Luca's mind reeled, pieces falling into place. His voice cracked. "Then… is that why you asked me to find a way to erase the Dragon King?"
Eyan's eyes lifted, bloodshot, tears glistening. "…Yes."
For a moment, silence crushed the air between them. Then Luca surged forward, pulling Eyan into a fierce embrace.
"My friend… now I understand. That's why you pushed Sister-in-law away." His voice trembled with guilt. "Forgive me—for shouting, for not seeing your pain."
Eyan's body shook in his arms, but he said nothing.
Luca drew back, staring into his friend's broken eyes. "You are right. You cannot release the Dragon King. Not at that cost."
His tone hardened with resolve."But listen—don't lose hope. I will go to my master. He will know what to do. We'll find another way."
He squeezed Eyan's shoulder. "Don't lose hope just yet."
Eyan's lips quivered, and though no words came, he nodded.
With a wave of his hand, Luca summoned a ripple of light. In the next breath, his body dissolved into shimmering fragments of magic, disappearing into the night.