𝒜 ℋℯ𝒶𝓇𝓉 ℴ𝒻 𝒮𝒸𝒶𝓁ℯ𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒮𝓉ℯℯ𝓁

Chapter Eleven - Asher

Chapter Eleven - Asher

The scent of old parchment and polished wood filled my senses as I stepped into the royal library, a place I had always found comfort in. This wasn't just a sanctuary—it was a fortress of knowledge. But today, there was no time for comfort. The weight of my task pressed down on me with every step I took across the marble floors. I was here for one reason: to learn about the Moonlight Dragon, the creature I had been tasked with hunting.

I walked through the towering rows of bookshelves, their sheer height and depth still impressing me, even after all these years. Some of these books hadn't been opened in decades, their pages filled with forgotten wisdom. The light filtering through the tall stained-glass windows cast intricate patterns on the floor, the colors flickering as the breeze from the open window caused the flame in the lamps to dance.

But even this beauty couldn't lift the heaviness that had settled in my chest. The Moonlight Dragon wasn't just some creature of legend. It was real, and I had to find it. Worse, I had to destroy it. The tales of its power haunted me—its ability to manipulate the moon's light, to become one with the night, and to vanish from sight, all painted it as more than just a beast. It was a force of nature. The kingdom was counting on me, and I couldn't afford to fail. Failure, in this case, meant more than just my life—it could mean the destruction of everything and everyone I held dear.

I ran my fingers over the spines of ancient tomes, feeling the dust that had settled over them as if they, too, were waiting for this moment. My eyes scanned the shelves for something—anything—that would provide a clue about the creature. Then, I found it: Draconis Lunae: Myths and Truths of the Mythical Moonlight Dragon. The title alone made my heart race. I pulled the book from the shelf, the weight of it almost a reassurance. It felt solid in my hands, real, in a way that the stories about the dragon had not yet become.

I settled into a chair at a large oak table, one of the few places in the library where I had spent countless hours studying as a child. But now, the task before me was far greater than any lessons I'd learned before. I opened the book, the leather binding creaking in protest. Dust floated up from the pages as I turned the first one. My fingers brushed against the rough parchment as I scanned the text, each word pulling me deeper into the past, deeper into the legends.

The Moonlight Dragon, according to most of what I'd read so far, was powerful beyond comprehension. But I needed more than stories. I needed facts—information that could help me understand its true nature. As I turned page after page, something caught my eye, and I froze, my breath catching in my throat.

"Unlike other dragons..." it reads, "...the Moonlight Dragon possesses the ability to shift between its draconic form and that of a human. In human guise, the creature walks unnoticed among mortals, its true identity hidden beneath layers of illusion."

I sat back in my chair, the weight of that statement settling over me like a heavy cloak. The Moonlight Dragon could take on human form? My mind reeled at the implications. This wasn't just a monster that lurked in the shadows of the wilderness, terrorizing villages. This was something far more dangerous. It could be walking among us, hidden, watching, manipulating events from the safety of its disguise. How long had it been here, right under our noses?

The thought chilled me to my core. How many times had I passed a stranger in the streets, unaware of the threat they posed? It could have been standing right next to me, its silver eyes gleaming beneath a human mask.

The more I read, the worse the realization became. In human form, the dragon wasn't weakened. In fact, it retained much of its magic, using it with more subtlety, more cunning. "While in this form," the book said, "the Moonlight Dragon is capable of bending light and shadow to its will, creating illusions so powerful they can deceive even the most perceptive minds. Entire realities can be crafted by the dragon, trapping those who fall under its influence in a dream of the dragon's making."

I closed the book for a moment, my heart pounding. This wasn't just a creature of brute force. It was something far more insidious. It could create entire false realities—realities where people would wander, lost in illusions, never knowing they were trapped. 

This isn't good, I underestimated that Moonlight Dragon Father was talking about. 

No wonder why Father is serious about this, it's very dangerous and can trick its prey without the prey knowing, 

How could I fight something that could control what I saw, what I believed? What if I never even realized I was caught in its web? There are so many possiblities of what might and might not happen. So many what-ifs.

I stood, walking over to the window, trying to clear my head. The kingdom stretched out before me, bathed in the fading light of the afternoon sun. People moved through the streets below, unaware of the danger that lurked among them. How many of them had already fallen victim to the dragon's manipulations? How many were wandering through a false reality, thinking they were safe, while the dragon pulled the strings from behind the scenes?

My thoughts raced. The Moonlight Dragon wasn't just a threat because of its power. It was a threat because of its subtlety. Its ability to move unnoticed among us, to manipulate events, to trap people in illusions—it made it almost impossible to track. It could be anywhere, anyone. And that made it far more dangerous than I had originally thought.

I went back to the table and continued reading. The more I learned about the dragon, the more formidable it became in my mind. Not only could it take human form and create illusions, but it could also harness the power of the moon itself. "On nights of the full moon," the text warned, "the dragon's power is at its peak. It can summon storms, darken the skies, and bend the light to its will, casting entire regions into shadow. Its illusions become more potent under the moonlight, able to deceive even the strongest of wills."

This creature was a master of deception, capable of wielding powers that could distort reality itself. But it wasn't just that. The book went on to say that those who encountered the dragon often spoke of a presence that was both beautiful and terrifying—an ethereal charm that drew people in, only for them to realize, too late, that they were trapped. Its human form was not just a disguise; it was a weapon, a tool of manipulation.

I sat back, rubbing my temples as the enormity of the situation began to overwhelm me. How was I supposed to defeat something that could twist the very fabric of reality? How could I protect the people of Evervale when the enemy could be anyone—could be anywhere?

As I turned the last few pages of the book, my heart sank further. The dragon was far more than just a monster. It was a force of manipulation, a creature capable of reshaping the world according to its will. It had to be stopped, but the question was how. The answer, if it existed, was buried somewhere in these books. I just had to find it.

And yet, despite the overwhelming fear that gnawed at me, a flicker of resolve burned within. This dragon, this manipulative creature that hid behind illusions, had to be taken down. It wasn't just a matter of protecting the kingdom anymore. It was about stopping a force that could reshape reality itself. The Moonlight Dragon could plunge Evervale into eternal darkness, trapping my people in a world of falsehoods and illusions.

I stood from the table, my muscles tense. The weight of the mission ahead pressed on my shoulders, but for the first time, I saw the path clearly. The Moonlight Dragon had to be stopped—not just because it was dangerous, but because it threatened the very fabric of our reality. This wasn't just about slaying a beast. This was about confronting something that could destroy everything I knew and loved and needed to protect.

I closed the book and placed it back on the shelf, my mind already turning to the next steps. The dragon's power was vast, but now I knew what I was up against. It could hide, it could deceive, but I wouldn't fall victim to its tricks. I had to be stronger, sharper. I had to think like it did, anticipate its moves, and counter them.

And I had to figure out fast, before that dragon makes its move first.

The kingdom depended on it. And as their future king, I am not going to let them down.

Ever.