the awakening of Eternal shadows

The forest screamed. The trees, bending under a violent wind, seemed to curse the sky with their twisted branches. Lyra ran, the **Dragon's Heart** clutched against her chest, the artifact burning like a hot coal. Beside her, Vaelrath limped, his right wing torn, the black blood of dragons staining the dead leaves. Behind them, the cries of the villagers echoed, mixed with the barking of hunting dogs.

"They won't let go," the dragon growled, his golden eyes scanning the darkness. *"They're too afraid."*

Lyra didn't answer. Her left hand, now entirely covered in golden scales, trembled. The mark on her chest pulsed to the rhythm of the Heart, and each beat reminded her of Vorath's words: *"The real war begins now."*

Suddenly, a whistling sound cut through the air. Lyra instinctively ducked, narrowly avoiding an arrow that lodged itself in a tree trunk.

"There!" a rough voice yelled. "Surround them!"

A dozen men emerged from the bushes, their torches raised, their faces distorted by hatred. In the center, a bearded giant brandished a war axe – **Korvath**, the leader of the hunters. His gaze fell on the Dragon's Heart, and a gleam of greed lit up his eyes.

"Give up the artifact, creature, and we'll kill you quickly," he growled.

Lyra backed away, feeling the Heart vibrate between her fingers. *"I'm not your enemy,"* she tried, but her voice echoed like a bestial roar, frightening even the dogs.

Korvath sneered. "Of course a *dragon* would say that. Kill them!"

The horde rushed forward. Lyra closed her eyes, involuntarily invoking the power of the Heart. A wave of heat exploded, throwing the men backward. Korvath screamed, his beard catching fire, while the trees around them burst into flames.

"No…," Lyra murmured, horrified. "I didn't mean to…"

Vaelrath pushed her roughly. *"Run!"*

They plunged into the forest, leaving behind a monstrous blaze. The villagers' cries turned into howls of terror, but Lyra didn't dare look back.

At dawn, they found refuge in a damp cave, hidden behind a foaming waterfall. Vaelrath collapsed, his open flank letting out a stream of black blood.

"You have to heal yourself," Lyra insisted, placing a hand on his wound.

The dragon growled, pushing her hand away. *"Useless. Wounds inflicted by the Heart don't heal."*

She recoiled, shocked. "Is it… my fault?"

*"No. Vorath's."* He closed his eyes, his breathing whistling. *"The Dragon's Heart is corrupted. It no longer responds only to you… but to him too."*

Lyra gazed at the artifact, its golden light now tainted with violet veins. She felt Vorath's presence prowling in her mind, like a sticky shadow.

"Then we destroy it," she declared, raising the Heart.

Vaelrath's eyes snapped open. *"No. If you break it, its power will be released… and annihilate this region."*

"Then what? We keep it until it consumes us both?"

A heavy silence settled, broken only by the distant rumble of the waterfall.

*"There is a place,"* Vaelrath finally murmured. *"The *Sanctuary of Eclipses*. There, the Valden imprisoned cursed artifacts. If we go there…"*

"—We could seal the Heart," Lyra finished. "Where is it?"

*"At the heart of the Shattered Mountains. But the path is guarded. By creatures… and worse."*

Lyra gripped the Heart tighter, feeling her scales crack. "We have no choice."

The journey lasted three days. Three days of avoiding villagers, Vorath's residual Shadows, and wild beasts attracted by the power of the Heart. Lyra was changing. Her hair, once brown, had taken on a golden hue. Her eyes no longer blinked, their pupils split like those of a reptile. The mark on her chest was spreading, and with it, Vorath's voice became more insistent.

*"You can't run, Lyra. I'm in you. In every part of this Heart."*

"Shut up!" she growled, hitting a tree so hard that the bark shattered.

Vaelrath watched her, worried. *"The fusion is accelerating. If we don't reach the Sanctuary before the next eclipse…"*

"—I know," she interrupted.

On the night of the third day, they arrived within sight of the Shattered Mountains. Jagged peaks rose towards the sky, surrounded by a purple mist. At the top, an ancient structure stood out – the Sanctuary, resembling a giant skull carved into the rock.

*"It's there,"* Vaelrath murmured.

Lyra felt the Heart pounding, as if excited. *Bad sign.*

Suddenly, a familiar laugh echoed. Vorath appeared before them, his body still ethereal, translucent, but his violet eyes intact.

*"You really think you can defeat me with this old trinket?"* he sneered, pointing to the Sanctuary. *"The Valden tried. They died. Like you."*

Lyra drew her sword, but Vorath raised a hand. The Dragon's Heart vibrated violently, tearing a cry from her.

*"You see?"* he murmured. *"You're just a receptacle. And now… it's time to empty you."*

A violet lightning bolt struck Lyra, throwing her to the ground. The Heart escaped her grasp, rolling towards Vorath.

"—NO!" Vaelrath yelled, leaping forward.

But before he reached Vorath, a flaming arrow pierced the dragon's shoulder. Lyra turned, horrified.

**Korvath** and his hunters were there, their weapons raised, their faces distorted by fanatical fury.

"We found you, dragon," Korvath growled, his one eye gleaming with hatred.

Chaos erupted. Vorath, laughing, grabbed the Dragon's Heart. Korvath charged at Lyra, his axe raised. Vaelrath, weakened, tried to get up, but a second arrow pinned him to the ground.

Lyra, cornered, felt something *give way* inside her. The mark on her chest blazed, and an inhuman roar escaped her lips.

*"Enough!"*

A golden-violet flash exploded, sweeping everything in its path. Korvath was thrown backward, his men reduced to ashes. Vorath, surprised, dropped the Heart, which flew back into Lyra's hand.

But something was wrong.

The ground trembled. The Shattered Mountains rumbled. And from the Sanctuary, a silhouette emerged – colossal, skeletal, its hollow eyes filled with the same violet glow as Vorath.

*"Finally…,"* Vorath murmured, ecstatic. *"The *Awakened* is here."*

The creature opened an endless maw and roared, a sound that made Lyra's ears bleed.

Vaelrath, dying, looked at her with despair. *"It's… an Ancient Dragon. Vorath resurrected it."*

Lyra, holding the Heart that pulsed like a cursed heart, understood. Vorath had never wanted the Heart…

**He wanted to *awaken* something far worse.**