The days at Jade Mountain had been turbulent, to say the least. It seemed like every moment brought new challenges, new confrontations, and new revelations. I thought I had started to settle into this place, but today proved otherwise.

It all started in the library—a place I had hoped would be peaceful. Starlight, the soft-spoken librarian, was helping me locate a book when Icicle, Winter's frosty and sharp-edged sister, barged in. She immediately began berating Starlight for something trivial, her tone biting and condescending. I couldn't just stand by and let her steamroll the kind librarian. My blood boiled as I stepped between them, wings flaring slightly.

"You need to show some restraint," I said firmly, my voice steady but laced with warning. "You can't treat her like that."

Icicle's cold glare fixed on me, and for a split second, I saw the glint of her frost breath forming. Before I could react, she unleashed it in a deadly spray aimed directly at my wing.

Instinctively, I braced for the sting of the icy burn, expecting to collapse under its freezing grip. But... nothing. I stared down at the spot where the frost breath had struck. The icy mist slid off my wing harmlessly, leaving no trace behind.

I blinked in shock. No pain. No ice forming. Just... nothing.

"What?" Moon's voice broke the tense silence. She stood a few paces away, her wide eyes darting between me and Icicle, her face pale with disbelief. Winter, too, was staring at me as if I had grown another head.

I sniffed, my surprise quickly morphing into anger. I turned to Icicle, who was now glaring at me with equal parts confusion and fury. I met her icy stare with a glare of my own, my voice dropping to a low growl. "Bad move, Ice Dragon."

Without giving her a chance to respond, I lunged. My claws struck true, shoving her hard against the stone wall with enough force to knock the air from her lungs. She crumpled to the ground, unconscious, before she could even get up another attack.

The room fell deathly silent, the air thick with tension.

Winter roared, his voice echoing through the library as he stormed toward me, his icy fury nearly matching his sister's. "What in the name of all that's good did you do that for?" he demanded, his eyes blazing.

I snarled back at him, my anger still burning hot. "She tried to kill me!" My tail lashed sharply behind me, my wings flaring wide, the starry patterns glittering ominously in the dim library light. "What was I supposed to do? Just let her freeze me?"

Winter's eyes narrowed, his rage tempered only by confusion and frustration, but I didn't give him time to respond. I snapped my wings closed, glaring at the others in the room before spinning on my heels. "I'm out of here."

I didn't wait for anyone to try to stop me. With a strong beat of my wings, I launched myself into the air, the cold winds of the mountain rushing past me as I sped away. I heard someone call out behind me—Qibli, probably—but I didn't stop. I couldn't. My heart was pounding too loudly in my ears, my emotions a storm of anger and hurt.

I flew until Jade Mountain was just a distant silhouette behind me, landing on a neighboring peak far enough away that I wouldn't be disturbed. The air here was colder, crisper, but I didn't care. I folded my wings tightly against my body, sank to the ground, and buried my face in my talons.

Tears spilled from my eyes, hot against my cool scales. I let them fall freely, my sobs muffled against my claws. Everything felt so heavy—too heavy. The weight of being here, of feeling like I didn't belong, of fighting to survive in a place that was supposed to be a haven.

For the first time since I'd arrived at Jade Mountain, I wondered if I had made a mistake coming here at all.

"You made mistakes, my dear; I can see it all," came a deep, velvety voice, smooth and powerful. The words slithered through the air, wrapping around me like a serpent. My breath hitched as I looked up, the tears still fresh on my face.

Before me stood a massive dragon—a NightWing of unimaginable size. His sheer presence filled the mountain peak, his black scales glinting faintly in the moonlight. His cold blue eyes seemed to pierce straight through me, like they could strip away every secret I'd ever held. Beneath his expansive wings, a streak of white ran along the edges, a sharp contrast against his dark form. He was larger than life—easily ten times my size, maybe more—and as imposing as the night sky itself.

I stiffened, my wings trembling at my sides as fear rooted me to the spot. "D-Darkstalker?" I stammered, my voice cracking under the weight of his presence.

The giant dragon tilted his head slightly, his piercing eyes narrowing in faint curiosity. "Ah, so you have heard of me," he said, his tone casual yet laced with an edge of amusement. His sharp teeth glinted as a faint smirk tugged at his lips. "Interesting. But funny enough..." His gaze seemed to sharpen, like he was peeling back layers of my mind. "...I don't see that knowledge in your thoughts. Curious."

His words sent a chill down my spine. The way he spoke, so confident, so knowing, it made me feel as though I were an open book laid bare before him. Yet, his admission that he couldn't see everything about me sent another kind of unease curling in my chest.

"I can't see why you're here, either," Darkstalker mused, stepping closer, his voice dropping to a lower register, almost teasing. "That doesn't happen often. You're...different. A mystery."

His smile widened slightly, his teeth gleaming. "And I do so love mysteries."

I stared at him, frozen in place, my heart pounding in my chest. His immense size, his overwhelming power, the way his words slithered into my mind—it was almost too much to bear. But even through the fear, I couldn't help but wonder why he was here... and what he wanted with me.

Darkstalker took a step closer, his immense size casting a shadow that swallowed me whole. Yet his movement was graceful, his presence a strange blend of intimidation and allure. His cold blue eyes softened slightly, and the faintest smile curved across his lips—a smile that might have been charming if it weren't so deeply unsettling.

"Whatever it is," he said, his voice smooth and resonant, each word weaving through the air like silk, "it really doesn't matter to me." He leaned in just enough that I could feel the faint warmth of his breath, a stark contrast to the chill in his eyes. "I'm just happy you're here..." His gaze locked onto mine, and the faintest flicker of something unreadable danced across his expression. "My Midnight."

The words hit me like a shockwave, my heart skipping a beat as the world seemed to tilt. His tone was tender, almost intimate, but laced with a subtle weight that made my scales prickle. How did he know my name? And why did he say it like that—my Midnight? The possessiveness in his voice sent a shiver down my spine.

I swallowed hard, trying to mask the storm of emotions raging within me. My wings tightened against my sides as I forced myself to meet his gaze, though it felt like staring into the endless depths of a dark ocean, threatening to pull me under.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my voice trembling despite my efforts to keep it steady.

Darkstalker's smile deepened, the faint glimmer of mischief now undeniable. "Oh, you'll see," he said smoothly, his tone as enigmatic as the stars.