Chapter 189: the battle of dragons.

The world seemed to stand still for just a moment.  

Then Sirius moved.  

I barely had time to react before a violent gust of wind exploded from his body. A pulse of pure dragon magic surged outward, sending me staggering back. Snow lifted from the ground, swirling into the air like a blizzard called by the gods themselves.  

And then—he changed.  

A massive roar shook the heavens as my father’s form expanded, his body twisting and contorting, bones snapping and reforming with terrifying speed.  

Scales burst from his skin—pure obsidian black, darker than the night itself. His wings unfurled, wide enough to block out the flames from the burning banquet hall. His long, jagged horns curved backward, his silver eyes glowing like molten steel as his transformation completed.  

He was a dragon once more.  

But before I could even think to react, his clawed hand shot forward.  

"Mom!"  

I barely had time to see my mother’s face before his talons wrapped around her, lifting her into the air.  

"NO!" I roared, my voice lost to the howling wind.  

His wings snapped open and, with a single, powerful stroke, he launched himself into the sky—taking her with him.  

I didn’t hesitate.  

Magic rushed through my veins, my body already moving on instinct as I called upon my own transformation.  

Heat flooded my chest, my bones shifting, muscles stretching, my skin hardening into powerful silver scales as I took on my true form.  

White dragon against black.  

Son against father.  

With a powerful leap, I threw myself into the sky, my wings beating against the storm-wrecked night.  

The chase was on.  

I could see him ahead—a monstrous shape against the clouds, his tail cutting through the air like a blade as he soared toward the mountains beyond Maelstrom.  

"Aster!" My mother’s voice was distant, frantic, as she struggled in his grip.  

I pushed harder.  

Faster.  

My wings burned with the effort as I closed the gap, the wind roaring past my ears.  

"Let her go!" I bellowed.  

Sirius didn’t answer.  

Instead, he suddenly banked left, diving low into the jagged peaks of the snow-covered mountains.  

I followed, weaving through the narrow crags, the tips of my wings scraping against stone as I stayed on his tail. He was fast, faster than I had expected.  

But I was not just a dragon.  

I had mage magic.  

With a flick of my claws, I sent a pulse of magic toward him—a bright arc of energy that crackled like lightning.  

It hit his wing.  

Sirius roared in pain, his flight faltering for just a second—just long enough for me to strike.  

I rammed into him, my claws latching onto his back, my teeth snapping toward his neck.  

He thrashed violently, his wings twisting as he tried to throw me off, but I held on, snarling, my tail coiling around his to keep him from escaping.  

"Let her GO!" I roared again, my fangs inches from his throat.  

And finally—he obeyed.  

With a growl, he released my mother, tossing her into the open air.  

I watched in horror as she plummeted.  

"Astra!"  

I let go of Sirius, diving after her.  

My wings folded, my body cutting through the wind as I reached for her—  

Just in time.  

I caught her in my claws, feeling her warmth beneath me as I held her tightly against my chest.  

Her arms wrapped around my scales, and she gasped, "Aster!"  

I flapped my wings, slowing our descent, finally landing at the base of the mountain.  

She looked up at me, her face pale with shock but alive.  

"Stay here," I growled. "This isn’t over."  

Then, without another word, I launched myself back.

Sirius was waiting for me.  

His wings were spread wide as he hovered above the cliffs, his silver eyes glowing with fury.  

"You should not have followed me," he rumbled, his voice echoing like distant thunder.  

I snarled. "And you should not have taken my mother!"  

His lips curled back, revealing razor-sharp fangs.  

"You think you can challenge me?" he sneered. "You are still just a boy."  

I didn’t answer.  

Instead, I struck.  

We collided in the air, claws ripping into each other’s scales, teeth snapping as we twisted and tumbled through the sky.  

Sirius was stronger than me.  

Much stronger.  

His years of battle had made him into a warrior—his blows shook my bones, his tail whipping against my side like a battering ram.  

But I had something he did not.  

Magic.  

I summoned a gale of wind, forcing him backward, his massive form crashing against the mountainside.  

Before he could recover, I gathered power in my chest, white flames burning at my throat.  

With a deep breath, I unleashed it.  

A beam of pure, scorching fire erupted from my jaws, striking Sirius head-on.  

He let out an earth-shaking roar, his body engulfed in flames.  

But he didn’t fall.  

He charged through the fire, slamming into me with all his might.  

I crashed downward, spiraling toward the mountain below.  

We landed with force, the impact shaking the ground as snow and rock exploded around us.  

I groaned, my limbs aching as I struggled to rise.  

Sirius loomed over me, his breath ragged, his body smoking from my flames.  

"This is where it ends," he growled.  

"No," I whispered.  

I summoned every ounce of magic I had.  

Power surged through me, flowing through my claws, my tail, my very breath. The air itself seemed to bend around me, the world trembling under the force of my will.  

Then I struck.  

Chains of pure white energy shot from my claws, wrapping around my father’s legs.  

Sirius let out a furious roar, thrashing, but I pulled harder.  

The chains tightened.  

He let out a sharp cry as his limbs were bound, his wings pinned, his movements seized.  

And then—  

I sliced downward.  

The sound of metal cutting through flesh filled the air.  

Sirius let out a bloodcurdling scream as his legs were severed, his body crashing into the snow.  

His breathing was ragged, his body broken.  

He could no longer fight.  

He could no longer run.  

I stood over him, panting, my vision swimming from exhaustion.  

It was over.  

I had won.  

And yet—  

I felt nothing.  

No triumph.  

No relief.  

Just emptiness.  

Sirius lay in the snow, his massive form shaking, his breath coming in shallow gasps.  

His eyes—once filled with fire and rage—were now dim.  

"Finish it," he whispered.  

I hesitated.  

My claws were stained with his blood.  

But I wasn’t my father.  

I wouldn’t become him.  

Instead, I whispered, "No."  

Then I turned, leaving him behind—a broken dragon in the snow.