The Sky Palace never truly slept.
At the highest point in Elythera, far above the clouds and the boundaries of the mortal world, golden light filled the gods' hall.
Yet that night, not one of them looked calm.
A massive mirror stood in the center of the hall.
Its surface rippled like water.
Within it, all of Valtharion was clearly visible.
The sky, usually dark, was now filled with three colors.
Gold.
Silver.
Red.
The three colors swirled among the clouds, forming a ring of light visible even from the farthest reaches of Elythera.
An Elf stood before the gods with his head bowed.
"The seal is reacting."
One of the gods rose from his throne.
"How strongly?"
The Elf swallowed.
"More strongly than we anticipated."
Silence filled the hall.
Another god stared at the mirror.
"Impossible."
"That seal has held for years."
"That's why we placed it in Valtharion."
A goddess's voice rang out coldly.
"There, she is under the Dragon Clan's supervision. We can keep watch over her at all times."
"And we thought marrying her to the Crown Prince would make her even easier to control."
The god who had spoken first looked at the mirror again.
"But it seems we were wrong."
The red light in Valtharion's sky grew brighter.
The Elf dared to raise his face.
"Your Highness."
"What?"
"Aphrodite's seal isn't merely reacting."
He drew a breath.
"The seal is beginning to open."
The entire hall suddenly fell silent.
One of the gods rose.
"No."
"How is that possible?"
The Elf lowered his head.
"The power triggering the seal comes from the bond Prince Kaelum gave her."
The god clenched his fist.
"Kaelum."
The name sounded like a mistake they had only just realized.
"We thought he had merely given her protection."
"And that very protection strengthened her."
"It wasn't merely protection."
The Elf spoke quietly.
"Prince Kaelum granted her the recognition of dragon blood."
The gods' expressions changed.
One of them rose from his throne.
"He gave her an ownership mark?"
"Yes."
"Then dragon power is now flowing through Aphrodite's body."
No one answered.
They all understood the consequences.
For years, they had ensured that Aphrodite had no access to her own power.
They concealed her identity.
Restricted her life.
And when they discovered that she possessed no visible magic, they believed everything had worked.
They had even arranged for Aphrodite to be in Valtharion.
Inside the palace.
Under the watch of the Dragon royal family.
A golden prison they had thought was perfect.
But they had forgotten one thing.
Dragons possessed power they could not completely control.
And Kaelum Drakhar had just given that power to Aphrodite.
"How long until the seal opens completely?"
The Elf fell silent.
"Answer me!"
"It cannot be determined."
"It cannot be determined?"
"The seal is developing too quickly."
A god stared at the mirror grimly.
"If that seal opens..."
He did not finish the sentence.
He didn't need to.
Everyone in the hall knew what would happen.
They were not facing a magicless fairy.
They were watching something they had hidden from all of Elythera for years.
And now, that something was beginning to awaken.
"Summon the Dragon King."
The voice echoed throughout the hall.
The Elf lowered his head.
"And the Crown Prince?"
"Kaelum as well."
"Should they be told the reason?"
The god glared at him.
"No."
He looked back at the mirror.
"Not yet."
The following night, Valtharion was still shrouded in the remnants of golden light.
Kaelum had just left the room when a royal guard approached in hurried strides.
"Your Highness."
Kaelum turned.
"What is it?"
The guard knelt.
"A message from the Sky Palace."
Kaelum's expression changed.
"From the Sky Palace?"
"Yes."
The guard raised a crystal shard glowing with white light.
"His Highness the King has been ordered to appear before the Gods at once."
Kaelum fell silent.
"And me?"
The guard bowed his head even lower.
"You have been summoned as well."
Kaelum's gaze turned serious.
"Now?"
"As soon as possible."
Kaelum took the crystal.
The light on its surface pulsed slowly.
An ancient emblem appeared at its center.
The emblem of the Gods.
Kaelum stared at it for several seconds.
Something was wrong.
The Gods never summoned him without a reason.
Especially not after what had happened that night.
Kaelum turned toward the door to his room.
Aphrodite was still inside.
She didn't know anything yet.
She didn't know that, at the highest point in Elythera, the Gods were discussing her.
Kaelum tightened his grip on the crystal.
Then he turned around.
At the end of the corridor, King Vaelric was already standing there.
His father's gaze was just as serious.
"Kaelum."
"Yes, Father."
"Don't say anything to Aphrodite."
Kaelum frowned.
"Why?"
Vaelric looked at the crystal in his hand.
"Because I don't know why the Gods suddenly want us to appear before them."
Kaelum fell silent.
Then he walked over to his father.
"We'll go together."
Vaelric nodded.
"Yes."
They walked toward the palace gates.
Above Valtharion, the red light left over from the previous night slowly faded.
Yet far above...
the door to the Sky Palace had opened.
And the Gods were waiting for the arrival of the Dragon King and his Crown Prince.