Clara held the letter against her chest, letting out a long, shuddering breath. Her internal turmoil dissolved, replaced by a quiet, unshakable resolve.She turned toward the nightstand and slowly reached up to the back of her neck. With steady hands, Clara unclasped the crystal pendant Adrian had given her, the pendant that allowed her to tap into the legendary power of the Dragon Realm.She held the glowing stone in her palm for a fleeting moment, looking at it one last time, before placing it gently inside a velvet-lined wooden box and locking it away in her safe, along side all her weapons.She was done with war. She was done with dragon powers, syndicate fights, and blood. From this day forward, she would dedicate every single second of her life to raising Henry’s daughter in the safe, quiet, normal world he had died to protect. It was the ultimate way to honor his memory.Fifteen Years Later.The morning sun shone brightly over the grand estate, illuminating a bustling, complete

Clara slowly pushed herself up from the ground, brushing the dust off her skirt. She looked at them incredulously. They almost ran me over on a public sidewalk, and now they're yelling at me?She decided it wasn't worth the energy. If she just ignored them and walked away, maybe they would realize how ridiculous they were being and leave her alone. She turned on her heel and began walking toward her house."Hey! Bitch!"Footsteps thundered behind her. Before she could take five steps, the four men sprinted ahead and formed a tight semicircle around her, blocking her path entirely."Didn't you hear me calling you?!" the driver sneered, stepping right into her personal space, his face flushed red. "Are you pretending to be deaf or what?!"Clara stopped. She kept her expression completely neutral, refusing to display fear. "I heard you.""Then what, are you stupid?!" another man spat, stepping up beside the driver. "You can't just walk away after damaging my boy's car! Look at that mirro

Carl barely hugged her back. His posture remained somewhat stiff, his expression unreadable. Gently, he unclasped her hands from his shoulders and took her wrist."Tina, I need to talk to you about something," Carl said, his voice deep, quiet, and completely unhurried.Without waiting for her reply, he pulled her out into the hallway. But just as he crossed the threshold of the door, Carl paused. He turned his head back once, his gaze locking onto Nancy, who was still sitting rigidly behind her history textbook, pretending the rest of the world didn't exist. He held her gaze for a single, fleeting second before turning away and disappearing down the corridor.The rest of the school day passed in a quiet blur of lectures, chalkboard notes, and ringing bells.When the final bell chimed, signaling the end of the day, Nancy packed her notebooks into her backpack and headed for the main gates, eager to escape the suffocating air of the campus.She was just passing the shadow of the brick

Thomas's massive frame rose from the booth, a broad grin on his weathered face as he stepped forward alongside Dorian."Who are you calling Smallie?!" Clara sneered playfully, a sharp spark returning to her dark eyes as she stepped in. "I might be a little rusty, but I can still take you down in a fight, big guy!"They all erupted into warm, genuine laughter, throwing their arms around each other in a deep, tight group hug.They settled into the booth, ordering a table full of hearty food and cold drinks. For the first hour, they laughed over old memories, sharing stories of their current lives."So, Clara," Dorian asked, leaning back against the leather seat with a warm smile. "How is Nancy? She must be grown so big by now! Man, it feels like yesterday she was just a tiny bundle."Thomas grumbled playfully, taking a heavy sip of his drink. "Yeah, and you still won't let us see her! We're practically her uncles!"Clara offered a soft, gentle smile, though her eyes carried a quiet prot

Before Nancy could even thank him, the boy scurried away into the main hallway.Nancy didn't waste a second. She hurried around the corner toward the quiet, dimly lit maintenance corridor. Standing beside the large gray industrial dustbin, she looked inside.There, sitting right at the top of the filthy trash bag, was her gym uniform. It was completely ruined—soaked in dirty mop water and rubbed thoroughly into wet mud.A cold, blinding rage flared deep within her chest. Tina.!!!! She knew without a shadow of a doubt who had done it. Tina was getting back at her for daring to speak back near the sports field yesterday.Nancy reached down, grabbing the dirty cloth by its edges, tears finally spilling down her cheeks. She felt so small, so utterly helpless."Hey. What happened?"Nancy flinched violently at the sound of the deep, smooth voice behind her. She spun around, desperately trying to hide the ruined, muddy clothes behind her back while wiping her tears with her sleeve.Standing