The days that followed seemed to blur together, slipping through my talons like water. The mundane rhythms of life at the academy passed almost unnoticed, a hazy prelude to what was to come. I was sprawled on my ledge, the sun warming my scales, when sleep claimed me unbidden. But it was no restful slumber—it plunged me straight into a harrowing nightmare.

The scene was chaos incarnate. Screams of dragons pierced the air, a cacophony of anguish and terror. Above and below, black and white dragons clashed with relentless fury, their battles filling the sky with blistering fire and chilling frost. Fiery blasts and frigid winds tore across the battlefield, colliding and scattering like the wrath of two furious gods.

Around them, the mighty Jade Mountain quaked violently. Thunder cracked like a thousand roars, splitting the sky as icy shards rained down. The great peaks crumbled beneath the relentless assault, massive boulders tumbling like toys. I cried out as I witnessed dragons crushed beneath the rubble, wings ripped apart mid-flight as avalanches roared over them. The air itself seemed to rebel, howling with chaos as destruction unfurled its merciless wrath.

Amid this nightmare, a voice rose, ancient and cold, carrying words that cut through the mayhem like a dagger:

"Beware the darkness of dragons,
Beware the stalker of dreams,
Beware the talons of power and fire,
Beware one who is not what she seems.

Something is coming to shake the earth,
Something is coming to scorch the ground.
Jade Mountain will fall beneath thunder and ice
Unless the lost city of night can be found."

The words echoed endlessly, weaving through the carnage like an unrelenting specter. Each line struck me with chilling clarity, a prophecy etched in fire and frost. I thrashed in my sleep, desperate to wake, desperate to escape.

And then I did.

With a ragged gasp, I bolted upright, the nightmare's remnants clinging to me like cobwebs. My heart pounded in my chest, my breaths came in shallow, shuddering gasps. I was trembling, my wings clutched tightly against my sides as I lay there, staring wide-eyed into the darkened sky.

The silence of the mountain felt deafening, mocking the horror that still played out in my mind.

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

The next morning, my thoughts were still tangled in the haunting echoes of my nightmare, replaying endlessly in the recesses of my mind. Sitting in Webs' history class, I stared blankly at the parchment in front of me, my claws lightly scratching at the edges as my mind drifted far from the lesson. The room buzzed faintly with the murmurs of other students, but it all felt muted as a sound muffled through the water.

Webs' sharp voice snapped me out of my daze. "Midnightwhisper!" he barked, his fin-like wings flaring slightly in annoyance. "If you're going to be in my class, young dragon, you need to focus, alright? I know Darkstalker is your friend, and he's probably roaming around the ghost town or whatever it is you two get up to, but right now, the Scorching is what you need to worry about. There's a test coming up, and I'd hate for you to fail because your mind's off chasing prophecies."

I stiffened, feeling a wave of embarrassment as heads turned to look at me. Dragons whispered in hushed tones, their voices dripping with curiosity. I dipped my head in submission, heat crawling up my neck. "Yes, Webs," I muttered, trying to suppress the irritation rising in me.

He sighed, his expression softening as he resumed pacing the classroom. "Now," he continued, his voice shifting to the usual dry lecture tone, "where was I? Ah, yes, the Scorching—a time of great change, pivotal to the histories of all our tribes. Pay attention, class. This will absolutely be on the test."

I tried to focus as Webs droned on about the ancient history of dragonkind, but my thoughts refused to cooperate. Darkstalker, the prophecy, the Jade Mountain crumbling beneath ice and thunder—it all churned in my mind like a storm refusing to be ignored.

Forcing myself to sit still, I resolved to endure the lesson. But one thing was clear—I needed answers about the nightmare, and I wasn't going to find them in Webs' monotone recounting of centuries-old wars.

As soon as the thirty-minute break arrived, I bolted from the classroom, determined to find Darkstalker. The weight of the nightmare lingered, pressing heavily on my mind. If anyone could decipher its meaning, it was him.

I tracked him down in one of the cavernous halls near the library. He was reclining on a stone bench, his immense frame somehow looking relaxed yet regal, as if the very earth adjusted to accommodate him. Princess Anemone sat beside him, her pale blue scales catching the light. She was listening intently as Darkstalker spoke, his voice low and smooth, offering her advice on preserving her animus power.

I paused a short distance away, watching the scene unfold. Anemone's expression was rapt, though tinged with her usual haughtiness. Darkstalker gestured animatedly, his tail curling slightly as he explained something, his presence commanding yet oddly comforting. A small smile crept onto my face as I leaned against a nearby stalactite, wrapping my tail around it for balance.

Darkstalker's sharp eyes flicked up, sensing my presence, and his lips curled into a warm smile. Anemone turned too, her expression shifting to one of irritation the moment she saw me.

"You again?" she sneered, her tone dripping with disdain. "Don't you have class or something? Or are you just stalking him now?"

I raised my head high, meeting her glare with a calm, unimpressed gaze. "Don't you?" I shot back coolly.

Her jaw tightened, and she puffed out a small huff of indignation. Darkstalker chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that filled the cavern. "Now, now," he said, his voice teasing yet firm. "There's no need for hostility, Princess. Midnight is here for a reason, just like you." He turned his attention fully to me, his piercing gray eyes softening. "What's on your mind, Midnight?"

I hesitated for a moment before stepping closer. "I need to talk to you," I said, keeping my tone steady. "It's about something... important. Privately."

Darkstalker studied me for a beat, his expression unreadable. Then he nodded, his voice dipping into a more serious register. "Of course. Anemone, why don't you practice that spell we discussed? Midnight and I need a moment."

Anemone scowled but rose gracefully, her tail flicking in annoyance. "Fine. But don't keep him too long," she said, her words pointed as she strode away.

I waited until she was out of earshot before turning back to Darkstalker. He tilted his head, his gaze curious and expectant. "What's troubling you, my Midnight?" he asked gently.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped even closer, the weight of my vision settling heavily on my wings. "I had a nightmare," I began, my voice low but steady. "And I think it was more than just a dream."

Darkstalker's expression darkened as he absorbed the words of the prophecy. His gray eyes flicked over me, searching for something—perhaps for a sign that I was mistaken, or that I was misinterpreting the dream. But he didn't find it. His frown deepened.

"I didn't envision you as a prophet," he said quietly, his voice laced with a mix of concern and intrigue.

I shook my head, a self-deprecating smile tugging at my lips. "Neither did I," I admitted. "So I don't know what this means. But it felt like more than just a nightmare. It was a prophecy, of that I'm sure."

He nodded slowly, his gaze sharpening as he shifted his position to face me more directly. "Let's hear it then. If it's a prophecy, you'll need to say it out loud, and we can figure it out together."

I took a breath, steadying myself before I recited the words that had haunted my sleep.

"Beware the darkness of dragons,
Beware the stalker of dreams,
Beware the talons of power and fire,
Beware one who is not what she seems.

Something is coming to shake the earth,
Something is coming to scorch the ground.
Jade Mountain will fall beneath thunder and ice
Unless the lost city of night can be found."

As the last word left my lips, the silence between us was thick with meaning. Darkstalker remained motionless, his eyes distant as he processed the prophecy. I could feel his thoughts swirling, piecing together fragments of the past and the future in his mind.

"What do you think that could mean?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper, as if speaking louder might break the fragile tension in the air.

Darkstalker's lips pressed into a thin line, and he hummed thoughtfully, clearly deep in concentration. "I'm not sure," he murmured, his voice measured. "It could be a forewarning of danger linked to powerful dragons and deceptive entities, or perhaps it's telling us not to trust what we think we know. Not to be so certain about what we see." He sighed, the sound heavy with years of experience. "Maybe it's just a reminder that none of us can truly be certain whether we're meant to be prophets or not."

His words lingered in the air like smoke, drifting and swirling. I couldn't tell if he was speaking more to himself than to me. I could see his thoughts were chasing each other, elusive, like the shadow of something just out of reach.

"I've had a similar prophecy before," he continued after a long pause. "But that was before I left Jade Mountain, and I don't think it's about me anymore." His gaze turned inward, as though he was peeling away the layers of his past, considering all the dark events that had led him here.

I tilted my head, studying him. "You think it's about someone else? Someone... or something else?"

Darkstalker exhaled sharply, his wings shifting slightly as he looked at me with a mix of caution and understanding. "It's possible. Prophecies are rarely clear. They are riddles wrapped in shadows, meant to confuse, meant to test us. If Jade Mountain is truly in danger..." He trailed off, his voice falling into a darker tone. "We'll need to be careful. If there's a lost city of night, we need to find it before it's too late. And whoever—or whatever—is coming, we need to be ready."

I nodded slowly, my heart heavy with the weight of the words I had just spoken. There was no mistaking it now. The dream had not been a random vision; it was a warning. The question was, what were we supposed to do with it? And where would we even begin to search for the lost city of night?

"Do you think it's real?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper, as if the very question might break the fragile thread of reality. "The lost city of night?"

Darkstalker looked at me, his gaze hardening with determination. "I don't know," he admitted. "But I'm willing to find out."

I rolled my eyes at him, a smirk tugging at my lips. Darkstalker had always been clever with his words, but I was starting to see through his carefully crafted walls. "You lived there, didn't you, 2,000 years ago?" I asked, my voice pointed, but not unkind.

He froze for a moment, a flicker of surprise flashing in his gray eyes. His expression quickly masked it, but I caught it. "What makes you say that?" he asked, his tone shifting slightly, too casual. "I could've been under Agate Mountain my whole life, right?" he added with an awkward chuckle, trying to brush it off. But I wasn't fooled.

I sighed, the edge of frustration creeping into my voice. "Look, I'm not forcing you to talk about your past, Darkstalker, but I want you to be completely honest with me. I'm not a dragon that appreciates lies."

He let out a long breath, and I could feel the weight of his hesitation. It was as if he was weighing the decision to reveal the truth, balancing the secrets he had carried for centuries with the need for transparency with me. Finally, he sighed, his wings drooping slightly, a subtle sign of resignation. "Yes, alright," he admitted quietly. "I lived there 2,000 years ago. Moons and Firepit..." His voice trailed off, and I could see the pain in his eyes, as though the memories were too sharp, too raw. "It's... hard to talk about," he whispered, almost to himself.

I nodded, a quiet understanding passing between us. "I understand," I murmured. I didn't press him further. The weight of his words hung in the air like a thick fog, and I knew it wasn't my place to force him to relive what clearly still haunted him. Instead, I simply stayed there, close, waiting for him to share what he needed, when he was ready.

I stood up, stretching my wings slightly as the weight of the conversation still lingered in the air. "Well, I'd better go to class," I said, glancing back at Darkstalker. "I'll talk to you about this tonight, and we can bring Moon into it too. If I'm correct, she's a prophet as well."

Darkstalker's eyes followed me, his expression thoughtful, yet still guarded. He nodded slowly, as though processing the idea. "Alright," he said, his voice quiet but steady. "I'll be here. We'll figure it out."

I gave him a brief smile, hoping that the promise of bringing Moon into the discussion would give him some sense of reassurance. "Take care," I said as I turned away.

As I walked back to class, my mind raced with the fragments of prophecy and the secrets Darkstalker had revealed. There was something about the visions, something deeply unsettling, and I couldn't shake the feeling that they were pointing to something far bigger than I could fully understand. But maybe with Moon's insight, we could piece it all together.