Chapter Text
The Great Dragon was a celestial being, created with the universe itself out of the purest light, and credited with developing the Magical Dimension. It formed shapes and shifted tides, until it finally settled on Sparks and gave the power of the Dragon Fire power to the planet itself. However, there would be no such thing as light without the existence of darkness. Much like The Great Dragon, the purest darkness formed a sentient being itself. But this being never settled . It gathered disciples to spread its darkness further so it could become even stronger with the goal of finally being able to overtake The Great Dragon. One day it nearly did, but then all the most powerful of its disciples were banished and the Dragon Fire itself mysteriously disappeared from the Magical Dimension. Left extremely weak, the darkness hibernated, seemingly extinguished for decades. But the flames never truly die out. So, as The Dragon Fire returned to the Magical Dimension, reigniting in the proper heir...The Shadow Phoenix rose from the ashes ready to finally claim his throne.
---
Coming back to school after a break was never something that interested Bloom back on Earth. Who would be excited to return to cramped wooden desks and dusty chalkboards? She’d never had close friends and she’d never done that well in school unless it was art or maybe english or maybe history. But, now that she attended Alfea Fairy College with the best friends she’d ever had, Bloom was counting the days until she’d return even before she left.
It was nice to have a few weeks of a break in winter the same way she would have back on Earth. Apparently they got the same summer time off too even though the climate in the realm of Magix never really changed much. Bloom recently learned it was quite rare for most planets in the Magical Dimension to have drastic weather changes. Even so, Alfea valued the down time of its students, especially after the nearly apocalyptic event that occurred last term.
The students sat at the amphitheatre in the front courtyard for the back to school welcome. Bloom found herself in the middle of the four other Winx Club members. The concrete, marble, and clay that had been littered across the ground when they left were already cleared and rebuilt. The place was even more beautiful than before. By looking, there’d be no way to tell there had been a deadly battle here just over a month ago. Whether the tight cleanup was a result of magic or just talented construction work, Bloom didn't know.
“Welcome back, students.” Headmistress Faragonda’s melodic voice was instantly comforting to Bloom. She started smiling the moment she spoke. “Alfea is happy to see your faces again. We have lots of new changes this term. Physical repairs from the battle have been made. Of course, that does not mean the damage done within is repaired. As always, the staff are here to help with anything you may need. Please, don’t hesitate to reach out.”
Bloom's smile wavered. Right. She meant within the student body. She knew how much the whole ordeal had impacted her. The nightmares, the panic attacks, the cycle of self-blame and anger. The memories of the cold, the heat, the pain, and confusion. It was hard to hide from her parents over the break but, even when she finally told them, she couldn’t quite articulate it all. They wouldn’t understand and she didn’t want to scare them or make them pull her from the school. Although the event itself was over, the feelings from it certainly weren’t. She was sure every single person in the school was going through their own version of trauma and healing from it all. Some people had even lost friends, maybe even family.
Jesus. Why did those Trix have to be so damn evil?
“We have successfully finished the reconstruction of the potions lab. Professor Palladium will be returning to teaching potions lessons and first year students will now get to take their potions class this term.”
Palladium stood from his seat at the stage as he was acknowledged. Bloom blinked, having to do a double take. Was this the right man? He looked completely different. Instead of the smaller and younger features he had before, Palladium was now taller, more muscular, and his facial structure appeared more mature. Even from this distance she could spot the harsher lines on his jaw. Most notably, the injuries he’d obtained in this very courtyard during the battle were completely gone. There wasn’t so much as a scrape left despite Bloom seeing him last with an eye patch and stitching. His recovery was even smoother than that of the campus grounds.
“My goodness. It seems he’s evolved.” Tecna commented to them underneath the crowd’s polite applause.
“Evolved? What does that mean?” Bloom asked.
“Elves evolve when their powers reach a certain maturity level, usually between young adulthood and adulthood. They’ll rapidly change appearance, age, and even have a high level of control over what they’ll look like.”
“That’s why so many elves are so beautiful.” Stella added, her voice between admiration and jealousy. “While evolving they can consciously edit their faces to be whatever they want. They tend to remove any blemish or imperfection. It’s like an all-natural face lift.”
“He’s lucky he got that tentacle injury before that.” Musa said. “Otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to fix it so easily.”
Bloom noted that it wasn’t just a change in maturity that his body went through. The frame his body had before was actually quite similar to her own. Well, a bit taller and slimer so, perhaps more like Stella’s. Now, he seemed more akin to the broad and brawny Brandon. Bloom hadn’t heard of elf evolution before, it seemed there were so many basic things she still didn’t know, but it appeared extremely handy. She knew of some friends back home who would envy the presumed simplicity of his transition.
“I’d also like to introduce a new member of staff. Concorda has been a guardian bonded to Alfea’s magical archives for many years now. Starting this term, she is officially going to be teaching an honours seminar to the upper year students. Please sign up if you wish to attend.”
Concorda was a pixie. Bloom at least knew that much even though she’d never seen the woman in person before. She’d only read about pixies. They were their own species and, while their power source was much like a fairy’s, they were genetically very different. This part was visually apparent. Concorda was barely taller than Bloom’s cell phone and, while her face looked somewhat adult, her body was stout like a child’s. Unlike fairies, pixie’s were always in a transformed state with wings fluttering on their backs. They had a natural tendency to bond to special people or places.
“Hello, students. I will be teaching a special course on telepathy and psychic connection to select students this term. If you haven’t already applied, please do so before the deadline tomorrow night.”
“I hope she offers it again in the years to come.” Flora hummed. “I think we’re too young to take it now.”
“My course schedule is full anyways.” Musa shook her head. “But it would be pretty cool to learn some psychic pixie magic.”
Bloom never understood why witches would insult fairies by calling them pixies. They seemed very wise and powerful, especially Concorda. Perhaps because it was simply incorrect? As if both species were one in the same?
After the assembly, the students headed straight to class. Bloom picked a new desk for a new year, still adjacent to the cluster of the Winx Club of course. Flora, Musa, and Stella assumed their same seats. Tecna took the seat in front of Bloom, on the opposite side of the room from where she sat last term.
“I hear it’s stimulating for the brain to move around a space while learning. Good call, Bloom.”
Bloom smiled back at her although that had nothing to do with her own switch. She just wanted a bit of change. Being in the same place physically would be too close to being in the same place mentally.
“What are you doing there?” Amaryl took the seat between Bloom and curtains that covered the window.
“I thought I’d try something new.” Bloom looked around. Everyone was seated. Although, she couldn’t help but notice there were a few less desks in the room in general this term. “This doesn’t belong to anyone does it?”
Amaryl huffed. “Not anymore.”
Bloom’s chest clenched but she didn’t ask for a follow up. Still, she felt like shit for not remembering who would have been sitting here otherwise. Especially since they may have died or, at the very least, dropped out, due to the events Bloom was at the centre of.
“I hope you all took your much-needed rest during the break.” Professor Wizgiz stood in front of the class on his stool. It was the only way he could be seen even from the back row due to his leprechaun height. “We’ll be jumping right back into the lessons from last term and building upon them. Prepare yourself for even harder lessons this time around.”
The class groaned but Bloom truly didn’t mind the work, it took her mind off of other things. It might be nice to just be a regular student at Alfea without all the added stress of an impending apocalypse. She was ready to go about her first day back as if nothing happened. Although, that was going to be a little difficult now that every person on campus (and in the entire dimension) knew about her.
“This week we’ll be talking about opposites in relation to magical forces. Every single magical force in the universe has some sort of opposite. Unfortunately, that means that, as much good as there is in the world, there is the same amount of evil. Of course, these are subjective terms...most of the time.”
Bloom furrowed her brow. She personally liked to believe that most people were good and there were just a few bad ones out there. Was it really perfectly equal?
“Consider this ball of paradoxical energy.” Wizgiz held out his empty palm. “We’re used to seeing magic, even dark magic, manifest as some form of light energy. However, this special type of energy manifests as darkness when in rooms full of light and as light in rooms full of darkness. Could someone turn off the lights?”
Amaryl, a fairy of light herself, snapped her fingers and turned off all the bulbs in the room. Now, in Wizgiz’s hand was a glowing green ball of magic, illuminating a faint light through the classroom.
“Anybody can see a light in a room full of darkness, but it takes a combination of strong magical power and awareness to see the darkness in a room full of light. Alright, Amaryl, let’s have them back.”
The classroom lighting flickered back on. As Wizgiz closed his palm, Bloom caught a glimpse of darkness there, as if a shadow for an invisible object sat between his fingers. Then it was gone.
“Any questions?”
Bloom raised her hand.
“Yes, Bloom?”
“If every magical force has an opposite...what about me? I mean like, what about the Dragon Fire?”
Wizgiz raised his brows. “Well, sure, yes. The Dragon Fire is the purest form of light and it is intensely strong. Many believe that the Great Dragon had an opposite. Those who served the darkness and...and those who tried to take the power from you and the royal family of Sparks, were those who followed that force of darkness.”
Oh.
“But it’s all just speculation. Although the opposite force may be out there, no one ever had proof that it was directly instructing disciples to do its bidding. And, even with the Dragon Fire gone from the dimension while you were on Earth, this supposed opposite force posed no threat. Many believe this disproves its evil intent.”
He was trying to make her feel better, she could tell by his hurried tone, but it was too late. Bloom’s head was already filled with questions about this supposed opposite. How could it not be? The purest form of darkness was out there somewhere and it’s threat level was completely unknown.
---
With aching muscles and a thumping heart, she stretched out her arm as far as it could reach. Her fingertips barely latched on to the rough rocks of the cave. If she shifted her weight, could it really hold her? The ledge under her right foot began to crumble. Crap. She’d have to take the leap.
She couldn’t even shout or grunt to give herself the momentum. If she fell, she couldn’t even scream. Giving away her position would be an even more solid death sentence. Still, she used all her strength to grab onto the next level and haul herself over the ledge.
This place was unbelievably desolate. She’d never even heard of it before the pixies were captured and brought here. It was a collection of gigantic floating rocks, like a deconstructed mountain. Any fall could mean the end. But there was a clear structure formed in the centre, a palace of stone and dust. That’s what she’d been making her way towards for the past two hours. Monsters roamed everywhere and the thick fog made it hard to predict what was ahead. It drained her energy like nothing before. She could barely use her powers, let alone transform and grow her wings. It was a good thing she’d trained herself physically and not just in her magic. She made the jump and pulled herself up quickly over the ledge with her arms alone.
“Layla!” A sharp determined whisper emerged from the corner of the room, if that’s what you could call it, it was more like a cavernous chamber. She knew the voice. Lockette was calling her name.
She rushed towards the cage, it’s faint glowing light leading the way, and there they were. Pixies used to be common on Andros, they still sort of were, and they were different enough to be considered an asset to Princess Layla’s education and enrichment instead of a distraction. Therefore, she was permitted to be friends with them. The royal family of Andros were among the few people who knew how to access the sacred Pixie Village in Magix. Now, as her friends were intercepted by a mysterious dark force while trying to make it there, she knew she had to go and save them. She didn’t tell anyone of course, no one in the castle would have allowed it. But she was used to sneaking off, she was used to taking risks, and she was used to doing things alone.
“Layla! I knew you’d come rescue us!” Amore mused.
“Are you okay?”
“The longer we stay here the weaker we feel.” Digit told her. “Any longer and we’ll lose all our power.”
“He said if we don’t tell him how to get to Pixie Village that he’ll let us waste away and then find more pixies until someone tells him what he wants.” Chatta cried.
He?
“He said that once he gets to the village he’s going to destroy it and take the piece of the Codex!”
“Shh. It’s okay. I’m here now.” They were her friends but they were still younger than her, at least in maturity, definitely not in years, and it often felt like looking after a bunch of little sisters. Layla didn’t mind that though, she’d always wanted sisters. “You didn’t tell him anything did you?”
“No, not a thing.”
“You should use a lock opening spell on the cage.” Lockette informed her. “It doesn’t look like there’s an actual key hole but the way he sealed us in was the same as any imprisonment spell.”
Layla nodded, stepping back to cast her spell. “What did this guy look like? One of the monsters roaming around this cave?”
“Sort of. He was like a black bird with a red aura.” Amore explained.
The cage bars lowered as Layla cast her spell. It was a bit too easy but maybe he just didn’t expect that anyone would make it this far to rescue the pixies.
“We can’t fly either.” Digit told her. “He drained our magic.”
“Then hop into my pocket.” Layla held open the soft pouch on her pullover hoodie.
“What if he comes?” Tune asked.
“Then we fight him together.”
“He’s very strong.”
“Did you get his name?”
“Yes.” Lockette nodded and she nestled into Layla’s jacket. “He called himself Lord Darkar.”
---
The breeze never blew too strongly in Light Haven. The sun never shone too brightly. The grass was a tranquil green and the sky a calming blue. Perhaps, for some people, it filled them with a sense of peace and joy. For Icy, it made her feel like a bird of prey in a petting zoo. Although the cage was luxurious and calm, she was built to fight. Yet any wrong move would be monitored and immediately punished with even more mind-numbing serenity. For example, solitary confinement in the form of soft music and cushy furniture. It was truly a heavenly resort of emptiness. At first, it’d been infuriating to be here. It was a daily reminder of her failure. Now, she was constantly tense but placated by the environment, leaving her unfeeling yet exhausted. She hated to think that, after less than two months, it was getting to her. Changing her.
“If these flowers were actually alive, I’d kill them.” Darcy grumbled as she blew on a dandelion in the field. Its fluff didn’t budge. Light Haven was a man-made prison after all, just created meticulously to look like nature’s most divine gift.
A voice came over the magical intercom system. It was a dandy and smooth male voice, sweet enough to make Icy sick to her stomach.
“Good morning, happy guests. It’s a stunningly beautiful day here in Light Haven Meadow. It's the kind of crisp, bright morning that makes you want to pull your neighbour into a warm embrace and say ‘Isn't it wonderful to be alive?’. Remember today is a gift, that's why they call it the present.”
Icy rolled her eyes and leaned back against the tree she’d settled under. She didn’t understand what the point of this place was other than to make people lose their minds. It wouldn’t turn them into the good samaritans the dimension pretended to value. The world didn’t need peace. It would never have it. Those who believed it would were only setting themselves up to be walked all over.
“Remember the path to inner peace lies within. Happiness begins with you. A good day is only a smile away. Think not of spreading evil or wreaking havoc, just listen to your heart's true desires.”
Darcy sighed. “But my heart's true desire is to spread evil and wreak havoc.”
“We have some wonderful activities planned for today including cupcakes and tea on the north lawn at noon.”
Stormy let out a scream, breaking her lengthy morning’s silence and kicking dirt up from the grass. Right on time. It was a daily routine at this point for her to have some sort of meltdown.
“We shouldn't be here! We used to rule! We were senior witches at Cloud Tower and nobody messed with us! Then we stole the Dragon Fire, summoned the Army of Decay, took over our school, and destroyed Red Fountain! Right now we should be living large as the queens of the universe! I miss days of mayhem and chaos and torment! Dark skies, and thunderstorms, laughing at someone else's expense!”
A guard came by, although they called them knights here or something. “Excuse me, miss. Shouting is not permitted here. If you do it again we’ll have to move you to the Quiet Room.”
Stormy hated the Quiet Room but she hated being told what to do even more. Icy and Darcy looked at each other, silently placing bets on the result of this confrontation. Darcy shook her head. Icy raised a brow. They directed their gaze back to the action.
“If you think you can control me then you’re mistaken. When we get out of here we’ll burn this whole planet down into hell where it belongs!”
Stormy wasn’t backing down. Icy smiled, not because her friend was being a whiny bitch but because she was happy to have correctly predicted her behaviour. Happy. That wasn’t the best word for it actually. It’d been a long time since Icy was actually happy , longer than her time here. Usually she was closer to excited, satisfied, or simply not caught up in a negative emotion.
Stormy was pulled away kicking and screaming by two additional knights. Icy and Darcy did nothing to help and Stormy didn’t expect them too. She was just making a scene for her own satisfaction. If anything it was admirable, she was staying true to herself after all this time. Darcy on the other hand…
“She should just chill. Maybe we could leave early on good behaviour.” She lay back down on the grass.
“She’s standing up for what she believes in. Even if it’s annoying.” Icy replied.
“I know but it won’t get us anywhere. If we actually want to get a chance to take over again, we need to get out of here first.”
“If we start obeying the rules too much, even as a trick, we’ll start to get brainwashed by the goodness in this place. We’ll lose who we are.”
“You didn’t seem to mind that when control over the army messed with our behaviour.”
Icy clenched her jaw. Not this again. “That’s because it was a means to an end.”
“So is this.”
“But that was actually something I wanted to be. This isn’t. Calm isn’t-”
“Have you ever actually tried being calm?”
“Oh, fuck off.” Icy crossed her arms. “You’re the one so obsessed with gaining any semblance of control that you screw everything up. I’m being quite generous in still allowing you to help me after all this.”
Darcy stood up. “You should be focusing on how to leave this place. I am…and if I get out of here without you then it’s no big loss.”
She lingered a second, waiting for Icy to respond. But if emotional control is what Darcy wanted from Icy then it’s what she’d get. The oldest witch simply raised her brows and then watched as Darcy stormed away. With that, Icy was left alone.
It was fine. That was fine. She’d never needed the companionship of others anyways, so it didn’t feel like anything was being taken away. She inhaled the synthetically fresh air through her mouth and released it out her nose.
At the end of the day, you can only count on yourself.
---
With the six pixies bundled in her hoodie and arms, Layla ran through the maze that was Lord Darkar’s lair. Getting here was hard enough, hopping portals and flying and tracking pixie magic, but leaving might prove to be even harder. They rounded a corner to an open ledge, the empty vastness of the planet struck the pixies, causing some of them to whimper.
“There’s a portal around here. I can feel it.” Lockette told Layla, head peeking out of her left pocket.
“This place is filled with hidden portals. It wants anyone who comes in to get out right away.” The fairy sighed, thinking of all the swirling abysses she had to dodge on her way here. She didn’t know where they led but she wasn’t ready to risk it at the time. Now, she may not have a choice.
“Do you hear that?” Tune asked.
“Layla, look out!”
She ducked down just as Chatta warned her. Green slime barely missed her head and landed on the floor in a thick sticky mess.
“It’s a bile monster!” Lockette cried, nearly falling out of the pocket as they moved.
The grey creature was nearly humanoid but with a gooey gaping mouth large enough that it needed nothing else on its face. It’s skin was like a reptile’s, hard and scaly. It hissed, sucking in a breath in preparation of spitting out another slob of bile. Okay. So it wasn’t attacking with anything but it’s slime right now. It didn’t seem to have any other means of offense besides its own fists. In that sense, she had an advantage.
Layla ran to the far wall, watching the monster follow her movement with its ears rather than it’s eyes.
“It can’t see us.” Layla told the pixies as she kneeled to the ground. “I’m going to put you down for a second. Don’t make a sound.”
They followed her instructions, hopping out immediately. Layla quickly scurried across the room again, letting her sneakers scrape against the ground. This time the bile monster followed her with its body, moving closer and forcing her to dodge another projectile. That was fine. That was part of her plan. She brushed past it as she ran to where it first appeared, a simple leap got her over the previous bile pile it had left. The monster wasn’t quite as agile itself and ran right into its own goop. Its feet immediately stopped moving as the green seeped around it’s toes. It was stuck.
“Alright. Let’s keep going.”
“Great job, Layla!” Chatta pumped a fist in the air.
“That was a spectacular move!” Amore clapped her hands together as Layla rushed back over to them, ready to scoop them back into her pocket.
A screech of a bird was heard before it was seen.
“That’s him!”
Oh. Great.
“Lord Darkar!”
It was like a hawk with dark red tendrils, slick instead of feathery, and glowing red. A second later, as it landed in front of them, it was a man. Well, in structure. The more she took in his details the more she could see he was even less like a man than the bile monster.
“I’m afraid your little adventure is over, princess. You’re trespassing and stealing from me.” His white teeth contrasted his inky black cheeks, the only trace of skin on his body.
“You stole them first.” She retorted, buying time to figure out what she could possibly do to get away. She had no clue what this creature’s powers could be.
“You’re in over your head, princess.” Lord Darkar raised a hand. It was half brown bone from his exoskeleton, although maybe there was nothing held inside, and half red armor, although maybe that was part of his body too. “You think you have a chance.”
Her pink magic met his black and was immediately overtaken. The darkness consumed her and she felt her feet leave the ground. Then she was moving. Then she was falling.
---
It was over before it started, at least it felt that way. With only two hours to catch up with the boys from Red Fountain at the back to school mixer, time flew by at rocket speed.
“Bye, Brandon!” Stella gave him a kiss on the cheek. The two had been arm in arm all night, well beyond mending their relationship.
“I’ll call you in the morning okay?” He returned a kiss to her. They were cute of course, but Bloom couldn’t ignore the expectation it seemed to put on her and Sky.
The prince she’d been walking with turned to face her. “Uh, I could call you tomorrow too if you want. By the way. If you want.”
Bloom let a giggle slip out. “Yeah, I mean if you want to.”
“Yeah, I do.”
They were at that weird part. Unless she was completely mistaken, they both liked each other and wanted to date, but there were so many complications. She didn’t even know his actual name for months. Then again, she didn’t know much about herself until recently too.
“I meant to ask you something else.” Bloom had been dancing around this topic all night with vague questions about the break. In turn, he had been dodging them smoothly. “Stella saw in some royalty tabloid that you were with Diaspro on the break. It’s okay. I mean…I just want to ask. I know you were engaged and everything.”
“Right.” Sky scratched the back of his head. “As I said, that’s over now. Our families are just close, they always have been, so we all vacation in the same place. Honestly we barely spoke though. It was pretty awkward after everything that happened. She really wasn’t a part of my break at all.”
Bloom nodded. She didn’t want to sound petty or jealous. She herself was the “other woman” after all. “Okay. I mean, I’d understand either way. She was your fiancée and I’m…?”
Their eyes met as she waited for him to fill in the blank.
“You’re an amazing person that I’m way more into and want to get to know more and more.” She was thankful for his confidence. “I hope you feel the same way.”
His hand touched hers and she squeezed his thumb. “Yeah, I’d like that. Stella actually got me my own phone for my birthday so you don’t have to call Flora's anymore.”
“Okay, guys. The ship’s ready to go!” Timmy called over to them. Even though she’d been standing next to him all night, it was still taking Bloom some time to get used to his new stature. He’d followed through on his goal of becoming more physically fit and was now nearly as muscular as his roommates.
The girls waved as the guys boarded the ship. With all the chaos of last term done, there might finally be time for dating and flirting in non-life threatening scenarios. Bloom’s heart fluttered at the thought.
But just as the guests left Alfea, another arrived.
“Something’s coming.” Flora turned to her.
“What?”
“The trees by the gate are distrubed.”
The two of them broke off from the group and stepped forwards towards the woods that spread around the school.
They waited.
---
She emerged, still unsure whether hitting all those branches on the way down was good luck or bad. And still unsure where exactly she was. She knew she was out of the terrible place but she knew her friends were still stuck inside. She knew her legs hurt and her head hurt. There was sweat dripping down her cheeks. She knew that Piff was asleep in her arms, wrapped in the front pocket of her hoodie. She had one. Just one. At least one. And she needed to get the baby pixie to safety.
“Look there.” A soft voice called out.
“Hello?” Someone else.
The greens around her were a cool pink now. She could see the lights from the windows warming the courtyard through golden glares that blurred her vision.
“She needs help.”
They were coming to help.
“What’s your name?”
They were coming right up to her now but she couldn’t stand a second longer. Had her legs been shaking like this the whole time? They gave up on her. Then so did her eyes. Then so did her consciousness.
---
The sweet white clouds turned a muddy grey and an unnatural red lightning flashed through the cracks. It was enough to startle Icy out of her dulled state, sitting uselessly in the courtyard staring at nothing.
“Finally, some decent weather.” Stormy was the first to her feet, nearly tripping on the skirt of the long white robe they were made to wear.
“This looks bad.” Darcy squinted at the sky.
“Yeah. Isn’t it great?” A joy nearly forgotten began to stir under Icy’s chest.
As the others fled, the Trix made their way to the eye of the storm. A figure, somewhere between skeleton and man, appeared in a flash. The force of it blew the grass from its roots.
“My name is Lord Darkar, I am the manifestation of the Shadow Phoenix.” His voice was laced with a malicious grin. His amber eyes glistened through dark irises.
Icy froze in her tracks. The Shadow Phoenix? A creature of pure darkness. The very creature that the Ancestral Witches served. She knew of him well although many doubted his existence at all. But she knew better. Still, she’d thought him to be long gone, a celestial power lost, but a tale still told by her parents who were descendants of the Ancestral Witches; the most powerful witches known to the dimension who died serving him. Him.
“You three must be the Trix.”
And he was here for them. The witches exchanged glances. It was like a miracle too good to be true. All this waiting, all this torture, and finally they were being set free. The tingle made its way from her toes to her fingertips.
“I heard about how you were able to steal the Dragon Fire. You will be a strong asset to my ascension to the throne that is rightfully mine.”
A grin spread across her lips, her heart was beating so fast it was nearly dizzying. This was more than an escape from prison, it was validation to her cause, it was destiny calling, it was a second chance to gain power and to see countless worlds burning beneath their boots.
“Lord Darkar, hm?” Icy ignored the Light Haven guards that had begun to run their way. Darkar ignored them too. She swallowed any fears and stood up straight. “I suppose we can give you a few tips on how to steal the flame.”
He exhaled, a faint scoff. “I have the means to make you stronger than ever.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“I don’t need to convince you of anything.”
“Of course not.”
“You ladies think you’re worthy to serve my cause?”
The question was laughable. If there was anything she was ever built for in this terrible, useless, unpredictable world then it was this.
“I was born worthy.”