Ficool

Chapter 25 - The Dragon's Wrath

The kingdom of Solara was on the edge of collapse. Tension was high, and the fragile peace that had once existed between the human kingdoms and the Fire Dragon Clan had all but dissolved. The Fire Dragons were on their way, and Solace knew that no matter what happened, there was no avoiding the conflict. The bargain had been struck, but it was clear to everyone in the royal palace that this was a moment of reckoning. A crucial decision had to be made to prepare for the worst.

Five days before the Fire Dragon King and his eldest prince were set to arrive, King Leonhart and Queen Alina made a decision that would change everything for Princess Seraphine. Despite their daughter's fear and hesitation, the truth was simple: Seraphine needed to be removed from the eyes of the public for her own safety. The Fire Dragon Clan was far too dangerous, and the situation was escalating beyond control. She needed to grow stronger if she ever hoped to stand on her own and, if necessary, defend herself.

In the dead of night, away from prying eyes, the royal family sent Seraphine into a secret realm—a place of training and temperance, designed specifically for those who needed to grow beyond the confines of what their kingdom could offer. It was a realm outside of time—where she would be forced to endure, alone, until she became strong enough to protect herself and perhaps even return to aid the kingdom in the future. Activating this secret realm were for emergencies only, because the cost was simply too heavy.

As the gates to the secret realm closed behind her, Seraphine took one last look at the world she knew—the palace, the kingdom, and the people she had left behind. Though the world outside was descending into chaos, Seraphine's journey was one of survival.

Seven days passed, and with each passing hour, the atmosphere in Solara grew tenser. Solace remained in the dungeons, knowing full well what awaited him when the Fire Dragon Clan arrived. He was prepared for the worst. He had no illusions about his fate.

The day came, and as the first rays of sunlight broke over the horizon, a dark, ominous shadow stretched across the kingdom. The Fire Dragons had arrived.

The royal palace was immediately on high alert, the gates of the city closed tight, and the streets fell silent. The envoys of the Fire Dragon King made their way toward the castle, their presence almost suffocating in its intensity. Their aura filled the air with the smell of ash and smoke, and the ground seemed to tremble with every step they took.

As the Fire Dragon Prince and his elite guards entered the grand hall of the palace, King Leonhart and Queen Alina stood waiting. Their faces were grim, but they knew what had to be done.

The eldest dragon prince, a towering figure with burning red eyes, stepped forward and immediately looked for Solace.

"Where is the consort?" the dragon prince growled, his voice like the rumble of distant thunder. His eyes scanned the room, and his presence seemed to fill the entire space.

King Leonhart hesitated for only a moment, before he spoke, his voice controlled but tinged with regret. "Solace is here, but... there has been an issue." He gestured toward the now-empty room. "The princess, Seraphine, is no longer in the kingdom. She has... gone into seclusion."

The dragon prince's eyes narrowed, and his gaze turned from Leonhart to the empty space where Seraphine had once stood. A deep silence filled the room as the prince processed the information. His lips curled into a snarling grin as he turned to face King Leonhart once again.

"You dare to hide her from us?" the dragon prince's voice grew low, thick with rage. "The princess was to be the prize, the very reason we were to make this exchange—to hand over the consort, and in return, settle the matter of the marriage. But you dare to lie to us, King Leonhart? Do you think you can hide her from the Fire Dragon Clan?"

Before Leonhart could respond, the eldest dragon prince raised his hand, and the room fell into silence.

"War," the prince said, his tone decisive. "You've broken the terms of the agreement. If the princess has fled, we will declare war on the Human Kingdoms. The consort will pay the price for your deception. You will not simply hand him over, as was promised. His life will not be an easy one."

With a flick of his tail, the dragon prince turned away. "Take him," he ordered. "He will suffer for the betrayal of the humans."

Solace was dragged from his cell, his wrists bound, his face still hidden behind the mask. He had expected this, and yet, the gravity of the situation settled deep within him. The Fire Dragons were relentless, and their anger would not be so easily quelled. His body was pulled through the palace corridors, his steps heavy, the echoes of his fate reverberating through the halls.

The eldest prince approached him with a chilling smile, an expression that seemed to revel in the misery that awaited Solace.

"You thought you could escape the flames?" the dragon prince sneered, his sharp teeth flashing. "You are nothing but an inconvenience to the Fire Dragon Clan."

Solace remained silent, his eyes locked onto the prince as he calculated his next move. Endless torment was what awaited him, and he knew the dragons would not grant him an easy death. His path would be filled with pain, but it would not break him. He could endure.

As Solace was taken from the human kingdom, his world grew darker. He was forced into a cage, an iron-wrought cell that was designed to hold creatures far stronger than any human. The land of the dragons was a desolate, harsh environment. The ground was scorched, the sky perpetually dark with clouds of ash. Here, Solace would be subjected to endless torment, a fate far worse than death.

The eldest prince had ordered that Solace's suffering would be prolonged—his punishment for the arrogance of the human kingdoms. Five years of imprisonment. Five years of endless trials. Day after day, Solace endured the dragons' cruelty. The physical abuse was unrelenting, but it was the psychological torment that threatened to break him.

Each day was the same—water deprivation, starvation, and constant beatings. He was shackled, unable to move freely. They would drag him from his cage and subject him to various tortures, pushing him beyond his limits. The eldest dragon prince watched it all, his cruel amusement never fading. Solace was nothing more than a tool, a means to an end.

But Solace refused to break. Pain became something to endure. Suffering became a part of his existence.

Meanwhile, Princess Seraphine, still hidden in the secret realm, was undergoing her own trials. She had been isolated for years, with only the passing of time to mark her progress. Her strength was growing, her affinity with magic and combat expanding. She would emerge from the realm one day, stronger and more capable of facing the dangers that awaited her. But for now, the world outside continued its dangerous path—without her.

Five years of suffering awaited Solace, but through it all, he never lost his will. The dragons would see him as nothing more than a broken prisoner, but Solace knew that one day, he would be more than they ever expected.

More Chapters