Chapter 19 Rescued

• Sebastian
• The weight of my failure presses heavily on my chest as I replay the events in my mind. This is my fault. Part of me doesn’t want to admit it, but I can’t deny the truth. Joseph had warned me, but I refused to believe him. I didn’t want to face the idea that someone could challenge us, that they could take down our dragons. That arrogance, my unwillingness to prepare, is what led us here—almost defeated, wounded, and vulnerable.
• The memory of pain lances through my back, sharp and vivid. I remember the searing burn as I fell, and then... nothing. My world had gone dark. Now, as I look around, the stone walls of the cell where I woke feel colder, the air thicker with the metallic scent of blood and sweat. The dim torchlight flickers against the rough-hewn stone, casting long, shifting shadows that make the narrow corridor seem alive.