**19 years previously**

The sound of clicking heels echoed softly through the tunnels. A figure with long flowing silver hair, wearing a dark hooded cloak, slipped silently from shadow to shadow, melting into the darkness. It was a lady with beautiful sparkling turquoise eyes, and when the light reflected off of them, they shone like a thousand diamonds in the sky.

 She reached the end of the empty corridor, pausing for a moment to listen to the muffled cries of battle and clashing of weapons above ground, before pulling the torch next to her on the wall down like a lever. It let out a resounding click, and and a small rectangular opening was revealed on the wall on the other side. A rectangle of thin, glowing blue crystal was set into the niche. The silver-haired lady raised her right arm, pressing her palm against the smooth, blue crystal, and a grating sound was heard as an ancient, forgotten secret passageway was revealed.

As she had moved, some of the cloak material on her left arm had fallen away, revealing a small, silver dragon curled up in the crook of her arm. It started to stir, letting out a sleepy yawn. 

"Shhhh, it's okay little one," she whispered soothingly, and it settled down again with a sigh against her arm. She walked down the passageway which eventually gave way to a small crystal room. Pure white and pale pink crystals lined the walls and ceiling. The floor was shiny black marble, and in the center of the floor was a circle of 6 strange white symbols that seemed to glow. In the center of the circle was a bright blue glowing crystal, rising up from the floor to tower over anyone looking at it. Which, in this case, would be the mysterious silver-haired lady. She looked up at the crystal, then back down at the small silver dragon in her arms, sighing.

"I am sorry," she whispered, and with that she walked up to the crystal, pressing her palm against it. It glowed brighter, becoming a brilliant shade of fluorescent blue.

She took the silver dragon, somehow putting it through and into the heart of the crystal. When she withdrew her hands it stopped glowing, and hardened, once more becoming an impenetrable wall of hard, solid crystal.

She smiled sadly as she walked away, the secret door closing behind her with an air of finality. She could now die in peace, knowing she had completed her mission. 

So she walked out of the tunnels. 

Away from the silver dragon. 

Away from the secret room. 

Away from the towering blue crystal. 

And back above ground. 

Back into the light. 

Back to a harsh reality. 

Back to a place from which she would never leave.