Dragon Savior: A New Beginning ( Update Version)

An Unexpected Awakening (124)

The three of them stared at him, the weight of his words settling in all at once. Lyam. Leader of the Primara Nation. The very man Cantina had sent them to find. Starfania felt her breath hitch as realization struck hard and fast. Of all the ways this meeting could have gone, this hadn't even crossed her mind. They had come seeking an ally—prepared to negotiate, to fight if necessary—but not to stand behind iron bars, stripped of control and dignity. At his mercy. Cantina had spoken of Lyam with reverence: a fierce warrior, a brilliant tactician, a man who walked the thin line between protector and predator. Yet standing before them now, what struck Starfania most wasn't his power—it was his arrogance.

The ease with which he held their fate, the confidence that nothing they said could truly sway him. She forced herself to speak anyway.

" We came to help," Starfania said, her voice steady despite the tension coiling in her chest. " Not to be a prisoner."

Lyam let out a soft chuckle, low and indistinct, carrying no real humor.

" Help?" he repeated. " Your intentions are as irrelevant as your predicament."

He paced, slow and deliberate, boots barely whispering against the stone floor as shadows stretched and warped around him. Aeron's hands clenched at his sides, anger flashing in his eyes.

" Then let us go," Aeron snapped. " If you're not interested in our assistance, stop wasting our time. We didn't come all this way to be toyed with."

Lyam stopped in front of him.

" Ah," he said, tilting his head slightly, yellow eyes locking onto Aeron's. " That fire in your spirit—commendable. Truly."

His lips curved faintly. " But bravado doesn't change circumstances. You are here for a reason, whether you accept it or not."

The air thickened, heavy with unspoken threats. Starfania glanced at Aeron, then Violet. None of them spoke, but the same thought passed between them—how far are we willing to push this? Every second felt like a countdown, the stakes rising with no clear escape.

" Then why keep us here?" Violet asked at last. Her voice was calm. Too calm for an eight-year-old. That alone made Lyam's eyes flicker to her, sharp and assessing. " What purpose do we serve in your game?"

For a fraction of a second, his smile faltered—just enough to reveal a sliver of irritation.

" You're here," he said coolly, " because fate placed you in my path. The details can be negotiated once I determine your worth."

Starfania bristled. " So we're just pawns to you?"

Lyam's gaze didn't waver.

" Everything in this world is a game of strategy," he replied. " You can choose to play—or you can remain in that cell until you break."

His tone hardened. He stepped closer, close enough now that Starfania could feel the weight of his presence pressing down on her. His eyes narrowed, sweeping over Aeron and Violet before settling on her, sharp and unrelenting.

" I need to be certain," Lyam mumbled, " that you are not playing me."

His gaze flickered briefly to Cosmry resting on the table—then back to her face.

" Tell me, Starfania," he continued, his voice low and precise. " Are you and your companions spies for VulcanFire?"

The name landed like a blade.

" Is this," he added, " some elaborate ruse to infiltrate Primara's ranks?"

The cell fell into absolute silence. And Starfania realized that no matter what she said next, it would shape everything that followed.

Lyam studied her in silence for a long moment, as if weighing not just her words, but her soul. Then he spoke again—slowly, deliberately—each question sharpened like a blade meant to test rather than cut.

" Tell me something first," he said. " If you are not a spy, then what are you?"

Starfania inhaled through her nose, steadying herself. Remain calm. Half truths. Don't provoke. Her father's—Cesar's—voice echoed faintly in her mind, a lesson drilled into her long before war ever touched her life.

" We're travelers," she answered. " People who got caught in something much bigger than ourselves."

Lyam's brow lifted slightly. " That's not an answer."

" It's the truth," she replied evenly. " Just not the whole of it."

Aeron stiffened beside her, but said nothing. Violet's eyes stayed fixed on Lyam, wide but observant. Lyam hummed, pacing again. " Interesting. Then tell me this—why do you carry Cosmry?"

His gaze snapped back to the sword, then to Starfania. " That blade belongs to the Dragon Savior. It does not simply change hands."

Starfania swallowed, her fingers curling slightly as if she could still feel its weight.

" I didn't take it," she said. " I was chosen."

Lyam stopped. Slowly, he turned back toward her, his expression unreadable.

" Chosen," he repeated. " By whom?"

" By the sword," she answered honestly. " And by Cantina."

At the mention of Cantina, something flickered in his eyes—recognition, suspicion, and something else she couldn't quite name.

" You expect me to believe," Lyam said coolly, " that an eighteen-year-old girl is the new Dragon Savior?"

Starfania met his stare head-on. " I don't expect you to believe anything. But belief doesn't change what happened."

His eyes narrowed. " You are far too young. The Dragon Savior is a symbol of balance, of history, of sacrifice. Not a child pulled from obscurity."

Her chest tightened—but she didn't look away.

" All my life," Starfania whispered, " I lived believing Avalon was...stable. That the world was harsh, yes—but not broken."

Her voice wavered just slightly before she steadied it. " I didn't see the suffering. Not really. Not until now."

Lyam tilted his head, listening.

" I realized how sheltered I was. How blind." Her throat tightened. " How much of Avalon suffered because of—"

She stopped herself. Because of her father. Her heart stuttered.

" ...because of Cesar," she corrected, the name feeling foreign and wrong on her tongue. But she kept her expression calm, neutral. " Because of the choice he made."

Lyam watched her closely now, like a predator sensing a crack in armor.

" You speak of him with familiarity," he noted.

" I speak of him as someone who shaped this world," Starfania replied carefully. " Whether I wanted him to or not."

Silence stretched. Then Lyam asked, " What do you think the difference is between a Nation and a Kingdom, Starfania?"

The question caught Aeron off guard—but Starfania understood immediately. This wasn't philosophy. It was a test. She straightened slightly.

" A Kingdom," she said, " is ruled by one will. One ruler. Decisions are made from the top, and the people follow—whether they agree or not."

Lyam's eyes remain fixed on her. " And a Nation?"

" A Nation," she continued, " is shaped by its people. Leaders are chosen, not inherited. Power comes from consent, not blood."

A pause.

" In a Nation," she added, " the ruler serves the people. In a Kingdom...the people serve the ruler."

The words hung heavy in the air. Lyam studied her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, a faint, dangerous smile curved his lips.

" You speak like someone who has lived inside a Kingdom," he said, " but is only now beginning to understand a Nation."

Starfania held his gaze, her heart pounding—but her voice steady.

" Maybe," she whispered, " that's exactly why I'm here."