The flight had grown quieter.
Only the rush of wind and the steady beat of wings filled the air now. The chaos of battle had faded behind us, replaced by clouds painted gold by the setting sun.

I sat stiffly on the back of the dragon, trying not to look down. My creature—still curled against my shoulder—yawned, as if none of this was strange at all.

The girl beside me finally broke the silence.
“What’s your name?” she asked, not looking my way.

I blinked. “My name?”     “Yes.” Her voice was sharp but not hostile. “If we’re taking you into our city, I need to know what to call you.”

I hesitated. What can I even say? I couldn’t tell her the truth. “Subject 7” sounded like a number, not a person. I needed something else—something human.

“I’m…” I paused, mind scrambling. “Arin.”She glanced at me, eyes narrowing slightly. “Arin, huh? You don’t sound sure.”“I don’t sound like a lot of things,” I muttered.

For the first time, she almost smiled—but it vanished just as quickly. “Fine. Arin.” She straightened, gripping the reins. “I’m Captain Shivani. Third Unit, U.A.E. Force.”

Her tone shifted when she said it—calm but full of command, like she’d said that line a hundred times before.

“U.A.E. Force?” I repeated. “Never heard of it.”“You wouldn’t have,” she replied flatly. “Not unless you’ve fought a Hazard before.”The word Hazard made something stir in me—an echo, faint but unsettling. I decided not to ask… not yet.She tapped the dragon’s neck twice, and her voice turned professional. “Formation shift! Enter safety line!”

The other riders responded instantly, their dragons spreading out into a wide V-pattern. Blue lines flickered across their armor, glowing softly as they crossed into a field of shimmering light in the distance.

“What’s a safety line?” I asked.Shivani didn’t answer right away. She simply pointed ahead. “You’ll see.”We broke through the last of the clouds, and the sight below made me forget to breathe.

A vast, glowing dome covered what looked like a hidden valley. Beneath it shimmered an entire settlement—walls, towers, fields lit with blue-white light. It looked like something out of a dream or a memory I wasn’t supposed to have.As we descended, the air grew warmer, quieter. The glow of the dome pulsed softly, like a heartbeat keeping time with the dragons’ wings.

Finally, the beasts folded their wings and landed on a wide landing field of pale stone. Soldiers in sleek armor rushed forward, guiding them into place.I stepped down carefully, my boots touching solid ground for the first time in hours.And that’s when I saw it—a massive board at the edge of the platform, its surface shining in deep blue light. Strange symbols pulsed across it like living veins of energy, forming words I could barely read.

“Welcome to Aeryn Haven — Territory under the United Astra Enclave.”I frowned. “United… Astra Enclave?”

Shivani turned toward me, her expression unreadable. “Welcome to the last safe place left on this side of the world.”