2,000 YEARS LATER, START OF ARC I. 

Luminara moved through the dense rainforest with silent grace, her wings barely brushing the thick foliage. Her senses were alert as she tracked her prey, the scent of the hornbill growing stronger with every step. She had set her sights on the small creature—a perfect meal for herself and, of course, for Queen Grandeur. The RainWing queen had been kind to her, taking her in without question when she'd arrived, a stranger in a new world. But Luminara's thoughts weren't focused on the hunt—her mind kept drifting back to one particular dragon.

The soft, rhythmic bump of her moondrop necklace against her chest reminded her of him—Darkstalker. With every step, memories of his smile and the warmth in his pale eyes haunted her, making her heart ache with a deep, familiar pain. She sighed, brushing a talon against her forehead as she fought to push those thoughts away.

Her eyes, those piercing clear blue eyes that set her apart from the rest of the IceWings, flickered with a quiet sorrow. She had hoped that the transformation into a RainWing would make her forget. But her usual form—the white scales with splotches of blue along her horns, wings, and tail—still lingered in her heart, no matter how much she tried to bury it. She had once been part of the IceWing tribe, where she had been seen as an outsider, not quite fitting in, even before Darkstalker had vanished from her life.

Two thousand years had passed since Luminara had first come to Pyrrhia, a foreigner from a frozen land far away. And now, even after all this time, Darkstalker's absence still cut like knives, each thought of him another wound. He had veered off her path long ago, leaving her with nothing but memories of a love that couldn't be. But she wasn't broken. She had survived.

She had found a new home. A new family. Queen Grandeur had taken her in, and the RainWing tribe had accepted her, though it hadn't been easy at first. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough. Luminara had found a place for herself in the vibrant world of the RainWings, a tribe that thrived in the lush, untamed rainforest. Here, she had the chance to rebuild, to forget... or at least to try.

But as she crouched low, preparing to strike her prey, the ache in her heart refused to fade.

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"Are you alright?" Queen Grandeur asked, her voice soft but laced with concern. She sat across from Luminara in the canteen, where the vibrant colors of the RainWing murals decorated the walls and the scent of fresh fruit lingered in the air. Luminara smiled, a faint, almost bittersweet curve of her lips.

"Yes, don't worry. Just..." Luminara sighed, her gaze drifting downward as her talon absently traced the smooth surface of her moondrop necklace. "Thinking about missing my old boyfriend," she said quietly, her voice tinged with a sadness that she couldn't quite shake. The necklace, so simple yet so meaningful, felt heavy against her chest.

Queen Grandeur, in all her regal purple greatness, watched her with a knowing expression. The queen's eyes softened, and she let out a quiet sigh of her own. "I know how you feel," she said gently. "I once met my husband, and although he's no longer here, I do remember our dragonets. We had... our time together." She paused, her gaze distant for a moment before she reached across the table to place a comforting talon on Luminara's wing.

"You'll be fine," Queen Grandeur said with a reassuring smile, though there was a trace of sadness in her eyes, too. "Sometimes, the past holds too tightly to us, but you can't let it stop you from moving forward. You're strong, Luminara. You've come so far already."

Luminara's gaze met hers, and she felt a flicker of warmth from the queen's words. Queen Grandeur had always been a pillar of strength, her wisdom rooted in years of experience and gentle kindness.

"Hey," the queen continued, her voice lightening as she leaned in slightly. "How about you take on a little journey through the other kingdoms? A change of scenery, a new adventure. It might help you clear your mind."

Luminara blinked in surprise, the thought catching her off guard. A journey. The idea of seeing new places, of stepping away from the memories that clung to her, was both thrilling and daunting. But the more she thought about it, the more it seemed like exactly what she needed.

"Maybe you're right," she said slowly, a small spark of excitement igniting within her. "I could use a change. A journey through the kingdoms might be... exactly what I need."

Queen Grandeur's eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief, as though she had been waiting for Luminara to catch on. "I think you'd enjoy it. The world is vast, Luminara. And sometimes, when you're lost in it, you find a new part of yourself."