The night sky was painted in hues of deep indigo, with the moon casting a silver glow over the jagged peaks of the valley. Nox Rybar stood tall beside Zodiac, the obsidian-scaled dragon gleaming faintly in the moonlight. Zodiac’s amber eyes glowed like molten fire, a stark contrast to the shadows around them. The massive dragon stretched its wings, each movement exuding power and grace.

Nox adjusted his black cloak, his dark brown eyes scanning the horizon with a calculating gaze. His sharp voice cut through the silence, commanding attention. “Stay focused,” he said, his tone strict but steady. “A dragon can smell your fear, and so can I.”

He climbed onto Zodiac’s saddle, his black hair catching in the breeze as the dragon shifted beneath him, the ground trembling slightly under Zodiac’s weight. Despite his strict exterior, a flicker of something softer lingered in his thoughts—Aurora Kodden. Her presence haunted him, a quiet longing he buried beneath his duty.

“Move out,” Nox barked, snapping himself back to the present. Zodiac let out a low, rumbling growl, lifting into the air with a powerful beat of his wings. As the leader, Nox couldn’t afford hesitation—not with the fate of their mission resting on his shoulders.