"Some destinies are not chosen. They are written in fire."
---
Night fell like a curse.
Palace ke sealed kamre me Aria jaise kisi ancient cage me thi. Chandni us chhoti si khidki se andar aa rahi thi — aur uske samne rakha tha wo cheez jo har logical mind ko tod deti.
A glowing dragon egg.
Breathing… softly. Like it was alive.
Like it was calling her.
"Kya main hallucinate kar rahi hoon?"
Usne haath badhaya. Thoda sa. Phir thoda aur.
"Wait!"
Darwaze ke peeche ek aawaz thi — Ryouma Arashi, Crown Prince. Uska tone, pehle se zyada sakt.
"Don't touch it. That egg is cursed. Last time someone touched it…"
He paused. "Their blood boiled from the inside."
Aria ne aankhon me aankhon daali. Cold. Controlled. Calculating.
"Ya toh ye mujhe marega… ya mujhe bana dega."
Usne egg ko chhoo liya.
---
FLASH
A sudden jolt.
A burning fire — lekin dard nahi.
Ek scream — lekin uske andar.
Ek naam… kisi aur zubaan me, lekin seedha dil me goonjta:
"Akaerion."
Us egg ne react kiya — aur ek symbol Aria ke haath pe jal gaya, jaise koi royal sigil ho.
---
Scene Change: The Prince's Suspicion
Ryouma ne Aria ko dekha, jaise ab wo ek slave nahi, ek threat ho.
"Tum kaun ho… asal me?"
Aria:
"Main wahi hoon jo tumhare samrat banne ke sapne tod degi."
Thodi der khaamoshi rahi.
Ryouma ne apni sword ke edge se floor pe ek circle banaya.
"Kal. Arena me. Prove it."
---
Scene 3: The Arena
Next morning — iron gates khulte hain.
Aria ko ek blade aur wooden shield diya jata hai.
Aur saamne: A royal knight, fully armored, trained from birth.
"She's gonna die."
"That girl won't last ten seconds."
"She's just a lucky slave."
Aria ne shield niche gira diya.
She doesn't need it.
Uska dimaag chal raha tha — angles, center of gravity, blind spots.
Military combat. Hand-to-hand. Distraction tactics. Flip, pivot, slash.
One.
Two.
Done.
Knight floor pe tha. Aria ke blade ki tip uske gale pe.
Silence.
Ryouma:
"You were telling the truth. You're not from here."
---
Scene 4: Raikuro's Warning
Arena ke baad Aria ko ek purane tower me bulaaya gaya.
Wahan tha General Raikuro.
Uski aankhon me war ki thakaan thi. Par respect bhi.
"Ye world, Miss… sirf talwar aur jaadu se nahi jeeta jaata.
Lekin aap ke andar kuch aur hai.
Strategy. Cold fury. Fire."
Aria:
"Main yeh world jeetne nahi aayi.
Main ise todne aayi hoon."
Raikuro smiled.
"Tab toh tum sahi prophecy me aa gayi ho."
---
Scene 5: The Egg Awakens
Us raat, jab Aria akeli thi, egg se ek low hum aaya.
Then — it cracked.
A small dragon, crimson-scaled with glowing blue eyes, emerged.
Na koi scream, na roar.
Sirf ek gentle breath.
It walked to Aria, placed its head on her palm.
Bond sealed.
In her mind, a word echoed again:
"Akaerion… is yours."
---
Chapter Ends with:
Aria standing on the balcony, dragon perched on her shoulder, as fires glow in the distance.
"So this is war," she whispers.
"Let's begin."
---