The dragon's wings beat the air with a thunderous roar as it rose higher into the sky. Frostpaw watched, her heart hammering in her chest, as the creature's immense form soared into the air like a dark omen. It was almost beautiful, how effortlessly it glided, but the terror in its wake was undeniable.

It hovered for a moment, its blood-red eyes gleaming like twin suns in the stormy sky. Then, with a voice that seemed to shake the very earth beneath them, it bellowed down to the clan below, "Fine, then your forest will bleed!"

The words hung in the air like a curse.

Before anyone could react, the dragon opened its jaws wide. A torrent of red fire poured out, bright as molten lava, streaking through the air with a deafening crackle. The fire surged toward the trees below like a flood, scorching the earth, turning everything it touched into ash.

Frostpaw's fur stood on end as she watched the flames rip through the forest, devouring everything in their path. The heat from the fire was immediate, pressing against her skin like a burning hand. The air thickened with smoke, and her eyes watered from the stinging fumes. Her chest tightened with fear as the flames spread quickly, eating through the dry underbrush and rising higher, threatening to consume everything.

"Move! Get to safety!" Harestar shouted, her voice barely audible over the roar of the flames. She leaped forward, her warriors following her lead as they scrambled toward the trees to escape the inferno.

But the fire was fast, too fast. It crackled and snapped, its hunger relentless. Frostpaw's paws felt like lead as she ran, her heart pounding with the knowledge that the forest she had known all her life was burning to the ground.

She looked over her shoulder, her blue eyes wide with horror. The dragon, now perched high above the trees, surveyed the destruction below, its cold eyes filled with satisfaction. It was a predator, and the forest was its prey.

The wind howled around them, carrying the heat and smoke, as Frostpaw's breath came in ragged gasps. She could hear the frantic yowls of her clanmates, the fear and panic in their voices as they fled from the flames. The dry leaves and twigs crackled beneath their paws as they ran, but the fire followed them, relentless and unforgiving.

"Keep going!" Snowdrop's voice rang out, sharp with urgency. Frostpaw didn't stop to question where her mother was, just trusting that Snowdrop would be there to protect them, as always.

They pushed through the smoke and the heat, running toward the river, where they might find some refuge from the fire. Frostpaw's thoughts raced, but the only thing she could focus on was the image of the dragon—its smug grin as it watched their world burn.

"Why?" Frostpaw thought in desperation. "Why would it do this? What is it trying to prove?"

A shout from behind snapped her back to the present. "Move faster! The flames are catching up!"

Her paws were numb with exhaustion, but she pushed herself harder. The pain of her muscles and the burning air was nothing compared to the terror that surged through her. The dragon hadn't just come to fight them—it had come to destroy everything they held dear.

The crackling of the fire grew louder, and the heat intensified, threatening to scorch the very air around them. Frostpaw's mind raced with thoughts of the destruction, of the homes and territories her clan had fought so hard to protect. How could they stop it? How could they stop a creature like that?

But the dragon's voice rang out once more, echoing through the smoke-filled air, cruel and mocking. "Run, little kitties. Run, but know this—your forest is mine. And soon, so will you."

Frostpaw's heart sank. It wasn't over. This wasn't just an attack. It was a declaration. The dragon was claiming their home, their territory, and it wasn't going to stop until ThunderClan was defeated.

She turned to Ashpaw, her brother's face just a few paces ahead of her, his tail whipping in distress. He glanced back at her, his blue eyes filled with determination but also fear.

"We'll stop it," he said, his voice low but fierce. "We have to."

Frostpaw nodded, a fire lighting in her own chest. She wasn't going to let the dragon burn everything to the ground. She had to find a way to stop this. She would find a way.

With a final glance over her shoulder, Frostpaw dug her claws into the earth and sprinted faster, the heat from the flames licking at her paws, and the roar of the dragon ringing in her ears.