Family

The air between Vera and Alaric crackled with tension. The battlefield was still, the clashing of dragons' wings and the thundering roars of battle long silenced. Now, it was only the two of them—facing each other under the weight of centuries of love, betrayal, and loss.

Alaric, bloodied but unyielding, staggered to his knees before her. Vera stood tall, her wings unfurled, black and gleaming under the stormy skies. Her sword hovered inches above his throat, the cold steel reflecting the glow of the setting sun. Her heart thundered in her chest, her breath shaky but steady—every moment of her life had led her here, to this decision.

Her mind flashed through memories of all they had been—of the love, the passion, the promises. But they were all ghosts now, whispers drowned out by the reality of who he had become. His cruelty had shattered her. And yet... there was a part of her, deep down, still tangled in that past, still aching for the man he used to be.

Vera's grip tightened around the hilt of her sword, her thoughts a whirlwind of emotions.

But just as she took a step closer, her gaze unwavering, a voice pierced the silence.

"Mother...?"

Caleb stood at the edge of the battlefield, his wide eyes locked on the scene before him. His young face was painted with confusion, pain, and a touch of fear as he took in the sight of his mother, poised to strike down the man who was his father.

"What are you doing?" Caleb's voice trembled, his words a plea rather than a question. His gaze flickered from Vera's fierce expression to the bloodied form of Alaric kneeling before her.

Vera's breath hitched in her throat, her sword lowering slightly as she met Caleb's gaze. His innocent eyes—the same eyes she had looked into when he was just a child—made her hesitate. Could she do it? Could she end this man's life, no matter how deserving he seemed of it?

"Don't do it, Mother," Caleb said, his voice steady, despite the crack of uncertainty. "He may deserve it, but... he's still our family."

Vera's heart clenched. She could feel the weight of Caleb's words sinking in—his love, his hope, his belief that family was something that could be saved. Her vision blurred for a moment, memories of their time together flooding her. Caleb, so full of life, so full of hope, the son who was never meant to carry the burden of this brokenness.

"Caleb..." Vera's voice was soft, the sword trembling in her hand. She wanted to scream, to release all the hurt, all the years of pain, but she couldn't. Not like this. Not for him.

A long silence stretched between them, the weight of the moment hanging heavy in the air. Vera's mind raced, her heart torn. But then, her gaze shifted to Alaric, the man who had once been her mate, the father of her child. The man who had betrayed her. And in that moment, she made her decision.

She dropped her sword to her side, the blade clinking softly against the stone beneath her. Her heart was still pounding, but she knew this was the right choice.

"Fine," she said, her voice steady but cold. "I won't kill him." She turned, her eyes never leaving Alaric as she spoke again, her words laced with finality. "I have something else in mind."

With a single, sweeping motion, she grabbed Alaric by his bloodied arm and dragged his limp body deeper into the castle. The battle was over, but her war with him would continue, in a way that no one, least of all him, would ever forget.

With ease that belied the strength it took, Vera threw Alaric onto his broken throne, his body slumped against it, broken and defeated. She raised her hand, her fingers crackling with energy as the crystals from the cave long ago reappeared—rising from the ground, wrapping around him, binding him. The same fate he had condemned her to so many years ago, the same curse that had left her trapped in crystal, now sealed him in the cold embrace of his own creation.

Alaric's eyes flared with defiance, but there was nothing he could do as the crystals encased him. He was trapped—his power, his empire, his pride, all rendered meaningless by the very thing he had done to her.

Vera stepped back, her heart heavy, but her gaze resolute. Caleb moved to stand beside her, his hand gently resting on her shoulder.

"Let's go," Vera whispered, her voice thick with the weight of what had transpired.

Together, they walked away from the castle, away from the wreckage of the past, leaving Alaric behind in his prison of crystal.

In the months that followed, the dragons who had once sworn fealty to Alaric turned to a new leader—Evander, a dragon who had fought for the right cause and the right heart. The realm of dragons slowly healed, but it was Evander who led them into a new age, one where tyranny no longer reigned.

Vera and Caleb, finally free from the shadows of the past, left the divine realm behind and returned to the human realm. They settled in a secluded forest, far away from the world's troubles and the echoes of ancient wars. The land was peaceful, beautiful, and untouched by the fires of the past. There, in the stillness of nature, they found their quiet happiness.

For the first time in centuries, Vera could breathe without the weight of Alaric's memory suffocating her.

For the first time, they could be a family again.