1. Ash's Story (Part 0: Prologue)

Chapter 18: The Dragon Duo's Winter

Blackthorn City should have been full of dragons and mountain wind.

Instead, snow buried the streets while a blizzard struck Ash's face and covered the stone paths.

Serena walked beside him with her scarf pulled over her mouth. "How can a whole city stay like this?"

Aurora stared at the frozen gates with an expression Ash did not understand.

"This isn't ordinary weather," Aurora said quietly.

Adam stood beside her, his expression grave. "No. It never was."

Sakura, Vincent, Isabelle, and Colress waited beneath a frozen awning while blue readings moved across Colress's device.

Ash had heard enough stories to recognize what everyone was avoiding saying. Something was wrong with the city.

Serena edged closer to him. "A curse did this?"

Sakura looked across the frozen streets. "The Dragon Prince and Dragon Princess cast it years ago. Blackthorn calls it punishment. Others call it the result of what happened here."

Ash looked at his parents, but neither answered the question on his face.

That was enough to worry him.

They entered an old hall near the Dragon Clan grounds, where thick walls blocked most of the wind and snow.

Frost covered the windows, and powdery snow had blown beneath the door. Ash noticed Serena rubbing her hands together.

He held out his hands without thinking. "Here. Let me help warm them."

Serena blinked, then placed her hands between his gloved palms. "Thanks, Ash. That's better."

Aurora watched them for a moment, her expression softening before Sakura continued.

"There were two children," Sakura said. "Twins named Drandon and Lucine. Their mother was hated by the clan because of old scandals and ugly rumors. When she abandoned the twins here, the clan took responsibility for them, but some people never accepted them."

Vincent's jaw tightened. "They were children, and people treated them as if they were responsible for their mother's reputation."

Isabelle looked toward the frost-covered windows. "Some people hurt them directly. Others knew and did nothing."

Ash's stomach tightened. "Is that why the curse happened?"

"Partly," Sakura said. "The Dragon Prince and Dragon Princess learned what had happened and tried to take the twins away from the clan. Then Drandon and Lucine vanished. Not long afterward, members of the clan turned against the Dragon Duo because they feared their power and the legends surrounding them."

Serena lowered her voice. "So they punished everyone in Blackthorn?"

Sakura shut her eyes for a moment. "The curse came after that betrayal. The worst offenders disappeared, but the winter stayed. Too many people in Blackthorn had known what was happening to those children and chosen not to stop it."

Colress tapped his device while studying the readings. "The curse acts like a sealed weather system tied to conditions that were never resolved. I'm detecting emotional, legendary, and draconic energy."

Vincent gave him a tired look. "Only you could describe a curse like a machine."

Colress looked up from the screen. "Machines are easier to repair."

Ash glanced toward him. "You joined the Elite Four after Mohn disappeared, right?"

Colress's expression shifted slightly. "Yes. After the Ultra Wormhole incident, the position couldn't remain empty forever. I resisted at first. Invention is much cleaner than politics or battle ceremonies."