The singing swelled in volume as Aodhán guided the group further into the earth. His stride was confident, proud to have become their leader. Everyone else charged along at their impatient pace, with madness glimmering in their eyes and urgent expressions tightening the lines of their faces.

Morana ran along on her shorter legs, even when every step brought more torment. The noise wouldn't leave her mind, and her heart raced in her chest in terror at what awaited them. Everything inside her yelled to leave and that this was unnatural.

Had her uncles been sane, they wouldn't have stormed right ahead. But as if possessed by the same spell, they scrambled into the darkness, following the lure of a song that wasn't supposed to be there.

Morana wouldn't leave them behind. She held Mingi's hand, and she hoped with her entire soul they would be fine. That her uncles could fight for the kids tormented by a magic that didn't attack adults.

They would, wouldn't they?

But when she peered at Yeosang's face, pale and frightened in the dim light, she wasn't so sure. Whatever haunted them, it robbed them of all thought behind their eyes. Yeosang completely disregarded the order of his blossoms, leaving them to wilt and more mushrooms to sprout in their stead, matching the dry tunnels trapping them deep.

If enemies were to come from behind, they were entirely cut off. Nowhere to go but forward.

Not that any of these experienced warriors wasted a thought on it. They chased after the glimmer of light surrounding Aodhán, blind and deaf to anything else.

Morana was scared.

They made it down another incline, and Aodhán didn't hesitate to pick his path around a curve. However, after a few steps, his light suddenly flickered and fizzled away in his hand. Darkness shrouded the puzzled boy and in response, Hongjoong intensified the glow of his palms.

"This will be a headache," the sorcerer muttered as he joined Aodhán's side, providing enough light for him to see. Everyone crowded closer together, wary of losing someone in the dark while they bolted down the endless tunnels.

Morana was cosy in them, but not under the torment of the wallowing melody. It bore straight into her being, formed words she didn't understand, and stirred up her thoughts and feelings as if controlling her.

Aodhán seemed so unbothered. As if glad to have found noise deep in the earth. It wasn't a distorted sound. Just so terribly wrong, so deep in the earth. Like a ghost haunting its grave and trying to lure the living into its deadly embrace.

"Why can't I use my magic anymore?" Aodhán asked, helpless when he tried to spark flames with his fingers, but they wouldn't comply. Worried he messed up, he peered up at Hongjoong, but the sorcerer patted his head with reassuring fingers.

"That means the dragon is near. It is more powerful than you and you don't know yet how to tame your power to stay in your bubble. Don't worry. Mine may not have as much reach, but it will last."

Perfect. Maybe if Hongjoong lost his powers, the others would have been alerted enough to leave, but the deceptive shine stayed.

Would he still be strong enough to save the group if they got attacked? If the dragon tried to eat them?

Morana doubted it.

Yet, they continued pushing ahead. Further to the misleading voice until it was no longer in the depths but on the same level as them.

Morana could barely breathe. She was so scared of what they might find. Would a dragon lure prey in this way? It would also need to feed, like anyone else, right?

Morana stumbled into Wooyoung's back when he suddenly halted in his step. Frazzled since she also lost her mind with the wallowing tune, she held her head, trying to massage the echo out of it. She grumbled to herself since no one else was affected as her, but then peered past Wooyoung to find out why they had stopped.

Light greeted them from the other direction.

Frozen along with the others, Morana stared into the darkness until her eyes played tricks on her. But the glow remained steady, not dancing like fires. It was a warm and comforting yellow shine, not so orange as a fire, yet not shining like the sun either. It was a colour Morana could associate with home, but it didn't belong here.

Stubbornly, she stood with her feet rooted on the spot while Hongjoong glimpsed over his shoulder, checking the way they had come from. It would be a long journey back up if they turned around. So easy to get lost in the maze of these tunnels.

But the sorcerer directed his gaze ahead, and the glow of his hands died out.

As much as Morana cherished adventure, she was terrified of their readiness to explore these depths. All they knew was that a dragon was nearby. But what other monsters might dwell in the deep? Where were the orcs? The elves?

Her uncles seemed confident about finding out.

Hongjoong moved slower, directing them down to the curve that unveiled the source of light. He kept Aodhán close by his side, not allowing him to race ahead.

"Do you still hear it? What does it sound like?" Yunho whispered to Morana and she huffed against her agony. She was strong, she was a warrior. She would be like Hlin. Fearless. Embracing her fear.

"A song of pain," she gritted out, hoping to earn some pity, but Yunho lifted his head, looking inspired. Only Mingi's warm hand in hers soothed Morana.

They made it around the curve, and the source of the light unveiled for them.

A massive cavern opened to the burrow of the orcs. The ceiling was so high Morana couldn't see it anymore and stony pillars carried it over the gargantuan hole. It was many, many more times in size than their home in the Cliffs of Zephyr, reaching far and wide, enough to fit an entire town of people.

But the ground below wasn't populated with houses and streets and some peculiar dwarves like Morana imagined them to live in the northern mountains.

Gold. Gold piled so high she couldn't fathom how deep it layered. Endless treasures mixed in it. Gems, crowns, mythical weapons. They were all thrown into a heap without regard for singular items that would be worth a fortune all by themselves.

Morana learned the greedy shine of her eyes from the gryphon-borns. She and Wooyoung were similarly ready to stuff their bags and surround themselves with riches. Living a lavish life with endless foods and nonsensical, shiny goods they could steal.

But the group had finally halted to have a look around. Considering the risks first before they stormed in.

The glow came from the walls. Crystals peered among earth and rock, coloured with the rainbow but reflecting the hue of the treasures twinkling in the cave. The stale air glowed from them, creating a yellow mist that seemed magical even to the untrained eye.

Eagerly, Morana fixated her eyes on a pretty crown, hoping to snatch it up in passing.

Something wasn't right with this place. And as grabby as Morana's fingers felt, she heard Yeosang's voice of reason echoing in the back of her head that she would get terribly cursed if she touched anything here.

Aodhán and Yunho looked less perturbed. The latter was charmed by the vision of all these riches. They were never-ending, the back of the cave sinking into the distance.

"This isn't the palace's treasury, is it?" Yunho asked, but Yeosang hummed.

"It's where the empire accumulates its riches, but these rarely get accessed unless in the time of great need."

"It's also the dragon's lair," Hongjoong added, and Morana held her breath.

It was here? Would she see it? Surely, it would attack if they disturbed its treasure?

With all this wealth, Morana could build a palace at the Cliffs of Zephyr.

But this time, the husbands hesitated.

"Where is the sound coming from?" Hongjoong asked the kids, and the two pointed at the back of the cave at the same time. Morana would forgive them for dragging her down there if she could have that crown.

Hongjoong consulted with the others.

"It might be some treasure, they hear. A lot of these items carry souls or magic. We don't know how many legends are buried here," he mumbled, but Wooyoung pouted at him.

"This is the right location, though. This was where the dragon came from and where it still lives. If we can find him anywhere, then here," Yunho protested as well.

"It's not wise to disturb the dragon's rest," Yeosang took Hongjoong's side.

"I want to look," Mingi muttered, and they were split into two parties, unsure how to continue.

Morana crouched next to Aodhán, and they peered over the treasure together. So much gold, they could swim in it.

"You got your eyes on something?" Her brother whispered to her with that same mischief in his eyes, and she pointed out the crown to him.

"How about you?"

Aodhán showed her some sword, its sheath decorated with gems of all colours.

"That one. I wish I could look like San swinging it."

The two children snickered with one another. Morana could stay here to look at everything and never finish. But she would starve, tempted by the lure of gold that didn't provide any food for her.

"Back then, the dragon only stirred because Seonghwa called for it, no?" San asked behind them, and Yeosang confirmed.

"Only the royal family can summon it. Excluding Yongguk since he betrayed his kind."

Morana and Aodhán exchanged a look.

Could they summon a dragon? This dragon, hidden somewhere in the cave? How big was it that they couldn't see the dragon in the dark? Would it fly among these pillars? Or did it lurk beneath the gold, eating anyone who dared touch it?

Morana was terrified enough not to try anything foolish, but she wondered if that was what she heard. The voice of the dragon. The two kids were the only ones left confirmed alive in that bloodline.

But Seonghwa had called it and ruined the empire and threw his husbands into a decade of grief. Morana accepted why they didn't slay a powerful ally, but she also didn't want to befriend that creature. It was cunning, and it destroyed so much in such little time.

Morana rarely lacked confidence, but after Seonghwa failed with all those strong warriors by his side, she doubted she could tame a dragon with her young mind.

"In that case, as long as no one calls for the dragon, it shouldn't stir, right?" San continued. "We should be safe to pass through."

Hongjoong flicked nervous fingertips.

"It's a gamble," he muttered. "We don't know if it wouldn't stir in its lair and only emerge from the cave upon getting called."

"You can still flee," Yunho insisted. "Grab the kids and get out if it wakes up."

They exchanged more looks, communicating in that infuriating way adults could. Aodhán tapped Morana's shoulder, showing her a funny-looking statue with twisted limbs among the gold. They snickered with each other.

"Is that worth it for everyone? We don't have to enter. We don't have to risk our lives over nothing when we can't be sure if he is even here," Hongjoong verified, and Morana got bored. She wanted to explore the treasure already or leave and try to get it out of her mind.

So what if they walked past? If the dragon was an ally, it shouldn't be bothered by them.

Her uncles nodded grimly.

"If he is here, we won't back out. I wouldn't be able to sleep not knowing if we came that close and gave up," Yunho settled and the rest agreed with him. Morana got to her feet, hoping some movement would return to them.

"Then we check. For that voice. Let's thread carefully and if we find nothing, we won't disturb the dragon's slumber," Hongjoong made the final call and San stepped up to his side, his hand resting on his sword.

"And stay vigilant," he added with a glance out over the golden ocean, offering itself with its inviting twinkle.

"The orcs made it all the way down here so they might lurk around. We don't know who they might have brought in after finding all this."

Some similar warning flashed behind all of their eyes, but Morana didn't await more explanations from their addled minds. She found her crown again after some searching and kept her eyes on it as Wooyoung spread his wings to scour out their surroundings and the stability of the treasure.

At least she would get something worth her efforts of putting up with all this.