As Darkstalker and I made our way back to the NightWing village, the atmosphere was heavy with unease. Darkstalker, despite his composed exterior, seemed to struggle with the reception—or lack thereof. Dragons scattered at the sight of him, their fear palpable. Still, some held their ground, albeit with wary eyes and tense postures.

It was a stark contrast to his confidence. He looked... out of place. The great and powerful dragon who once commanded legions now reduced to navigating a crowd of frightened onlookers. He muttered under his breath about the "overreaction," but I could see the faint flicker of frustration in his movements.

As we moved closer to the village center, a familiar dragoness stepped forward, her dark scales blending into the shadows but her piercing gaze cutting through the air. Secretkeeper, Moon's mother, regarded us with a coolness that was betrayed only by the slight tremble in her voice.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her tone calm but edged with steel. Her claws flexed against the ground as she spoke, a subtle but clear sign of her apprehension.

Darkstalker straightened, towering over her, his expression one of composed politeness—but I noticed the faint twitch of his tail, a sign of his irritation. "Merely visiting," he replied smoothly, his deep voice carrying an air of practiced charm. "Trying to reconnect with my kin after... well, let's just say a long absence."

Secretkeeper didn't flinch, but her wings tightened against her sides. "Reconnect?" she echoed, her tone skeptical. "After everything you've done, you think you can just waltz back into our lives and expect us to welcome you with open wings?"

"I don't expect anything," Darkstalker said, his tone cool now, though his eyes glimmered with an unreadable emotion. "I'm here because Midnight has asked me to prove myself. And believe it or not, I am trying."

Secretkeeper's gaze shifted to me, her brow furrowing slightly as if trying to discern my role in all of this. "And you," she said, her voice softening but still wary. "What are you doing with him? Do you have any idea what kind of dragon you're dealing with?"

I stepped forward, meeting her gaze evenly. "I know exactly who he is," I said firmly. "But I also believe in second chances. If he's willing to try, then I think he deserves the opportunity to prove himself."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she let out a slow breath, her tail flicking once behind her. "You're either very brave or very foolish," she muttered, her voice low. Then, after a long pause, she added, "I hope for all our sakes that it's the former."

Darkstalker's lips quirked into a faint smile, though he wisely chose not to comment. For now, the tension between him and the NightWings remained as thick as the shadows that surrounded their village.

I dipped my head respectfully to Secretkeeper, acknowledging the weight of her words. "I'll come back tomorrow," I said, my voice steady but tinged with a hint of weariness. "I have schools to attend, so I need to leave for now."

Secretkeeper regarded me for a moment before giving a small, almost imperceptible nod. "Give Moon my greetings," she said quietly, her tone softening ever so slightly as she mentioned her daughter.

"I will," I replied, nodding again before turning to Darkstalker. He stood there, watching me with an expression I couldn't quite read—perhaps curiosity, perhaps something more.

I dipped my head to him as well. "I'll see you later," I said, my words carrying a promise and an unspoken reminder of the task ahead.

With that, I spread my wings and launched into the air, the cool breeze of the rainforest lifting me higher and higher as I headed back toward Jade Mountain. Below me, the shadows of the NightWing village blurred into the dense foliage, but the tension lingered in my mind like an echo.

I wasn't sure what awaited me back at school, but for now, it felt good to fly away from the weight of Darkstalker's presence, even if only for a little while.

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

Back at the school, I was met by Moon, who stood pacing outside the library, her wings slightly agitated. As I landed, her eyes locked onto mine, and she immediately strode up to me.

"Look," she said, her tone more exasperated than before, "as much fun as this is, why are you making me meet you here? What do you want to show me this time?" She motioned toward the library doors, a flick of her tail betraying her frustration.

I sighed, feeling a strange weight in my chest. This was it. The truth had to come out, even if I wasn't entirely ready to face it. "I need to show you something, something about yourself... and about me," I said, my voice quieter now, more uncertain.

She raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "About me? What could you possibly know that I don't already?"

I let out a slow breath, my wings fanning out slightly. "Moon, I'm not who you think I am. Not just Midnightwhisper, not a simple dragon at this school... I'm Celestara Nyx Eternis, the Queen of the universe, of all the worlds beyond this one."

Moon's eyes widened, her expression slowly shifting from curiosity to disbelief. "What...?" she muttered, her voice barely a whisper.

I nodded, a tightness in my chest. "I wasn't meant to hide this from you, but there's been so much confusion, and I couldn't risk everything falling apart before I was ready. I am the Queen, Moon. The Queen who was foretold, the one whose name has echoed in every tale and legend of the stars and the universe."

She took a step back, her wings twitching. "Wait... what? That's impossible. You can't be—"

I stepped forward, my claws steady against the ground. "I know it's hard to believe. The stories say Midnightwhisper, the dragon who would stop Darkstalker. But the truth is... I was always meant for more than just that destiny. I am Celestara Nyx Eternis, the one they all feared and revered, the one who could shape the fate of not just this world, but all worlds."

Moon seemed frozen, her mind spinning as she processed the weight of my words. Then, after a long silence, she sighed, her gaze softening. "I knew something was different about you," she said quietly. "I could always feel it, but I didn't want to admit it. But now... now everything makes sense."

I bowed my head, the heaviness of my true identity pressing against me. "Moon, I need to understand it all—the power, the history, the role I must play. I thought I was just like every other dragon, but I'm not. And now... I don't know where to go from here."

Moon approached me slowly, her wings folding in thoughtfully. "I'll help you. You don't have to do this alone."

I met her gaze and nodded, my heart swelling with a strange combination of fear and hope. "Thank you, Moon. I think... I think we're meant to figure this out together."

Moon smiled warmly and stepped forward, wrapping her wings around me in a hug. I hesitated for just a moment, before returning the gesture, my wings folding gently around her. The feeling was comforting, grounding—despite everything I had just revealed. It didn't matter that I wasn't fully embracing my destiny yet, that I hadn't completed the task I came here for. What mattered was that I wasn't alone.

"I knew you were special, but this... I had no idea," Moon murmured into my scales. "You're going to do amazing things, Celestara. You don't have to have all the answers right now."

I pulled back slightly, meeting her gaze. Her eyes were filled with determination, and I felt the weight of the future pressing against us both. I wasn't sure what the path forward would look like, but in that moment, I knew it didn't have to be walked alone.

"I might not be fulfilling my duties yet," I said softly, "but I will make sure Darkstalker turns for the better. And I'll help you, Moon. Your visions, your mindreading... I can be useful here too. We'll figure it out. Together."

Moon nodded, her face lighting up with a spark of hope. "Together," she repeated, a promise in her voice.

And for the first time in a long while, I felt like maybe the universe wasn't so heavy after all. There was a future ahead of me, one I could help shape, and with the right dragons by my side, I knew we could face whatever came next.