The first explosion shook the ballroom before anyone could react.

The chandeliers shattered, raining crystals that glittered on the floor.

Screams tore through the hall as nobles and servants scrambled for the exits, and the distant sound of tearing stone echoed from above, like thunder grinding against the heavens.

"Move!" the King's voice thundered through the chaos. "Everyone, out of the ballroom, now!"

Guards rushed forward, forming lines to escort the guests. Noah grabbed Princess Ines' arm, dragging her through the stampede of terrified nobles.

The moment they stepped into the courtyard, the night split open.

A blazing meteor of black flame and shadow tore through the sky.

The dragon descended like a storm. Its wings were vast enough to block the stars, and its roar was a sound that rattled bones and hearts.

The air itself bent around its descent, and then, with a deafening crash, it struck the outer walls of the palace.

Stone erupted into the air like dust. Towers crumbled. A shockwave rippled through the courtyard, knocking men off their feet.

Noah stumbled but caught himself, his coat whipping violently in the blast wind. He could barely hear the screams of the soldiers over the roar of the beast.

The dragon stood tall amidst the wreckage, and for a single moment, Camelot froze.

Then, the King drew his sword.

"Form the line!" King Cillian shouted, his voice slicing through the chaos. "Protect the palace! For Camelot!"

The command carried across the courtyard like a war drum. The royal knights charged forward, their armor gleaming and their swords blazing. Behind them, the palace mages raised their hands and began casting.

Circles of runes flared to life across the courtyard floor, with barriers, enhancement fields, and spell arrays blooming like flowers of light.

Then the dragon moved.

Its tail swept across the courtyard like a hurricane. The first line of knights was obliterated, their armor and bones crushed into the ground. The force of the impact shattered the palace gates, sending chunks of marble flying.

"Hold your ground!" the King bellowed, raising his sword high.

A column of light descended from the heavens at his command, striking the dragon squarely in the chest. The courtyard flashed white, and for a moment, Noah thought the attack had worked.

But as the light faded, the dragon still stood, its scales scorched but intact. It let out a guttural snarl, then roared, releasing a wave of abyssal fire.

Dozens were caught in it, their screams short-lived.

Then, from behind the lines, a different kind of cry rose, harsh and unearthly.

The nobles, or specifically, the hybrids.

The ones who had transformed in the ballroom now burst into the courtyard, their veins black, and their eyes burning red.

But they were not rampaging. They were lucid, their gazes were alert and their movements coordinated.

One of them, the First Premier, swung a massive blade created with one of his spells, using his own corrupted mana, sinking it into the dragon's descending claws.

The others joined him, rushing forward in unnatural synchronization.

They fought with the kind of ferocity that was always appreciated when you were on the same side as it was.

The dragon roared, batting them away.

As they flew, their bodies broke and healed again in seconds, flesh stitching back together even as it was torn apart.

Noah stood still, watching as the King's knights and the hybrids fought side by side against the monstrous shadow that had fallen upon the kingdom.

Lightning crackled through the sky. Fire and frost intertwined as spell after spell slammed into the dragon's body.

For every blow that landed, the creature returned tenfold destruction, its claws tearing through armor, and its wings flattening entire formations.

Yet they kept fighting.

The courtyard became an inferno of magic. The stench of burned flesh and blood filled the air, mixing with the ozone of overcharged mana.

From his position near the shattered ballroom doors, Noah could see everything. He could see the chaos, the carnage, and above all, the resistance.

He could see King Cillian at the front, his white cloak torn, his sword radiating golden fire.

The King fought like he'd been possessed, trading blows with the dragon's tail, his every strike landing with fury.

He wasn't just a ruler tonight. He was a warrior.

Each swing of his sword sent waves of light across the battlefield, rallying the knights, and driving the mages forward.

The hybrids fought with them, their monstrous strength turning them into living siege engines.

For the first time in its history, Camelot's defenders and its monsters fought as one.

The irony wasn't lost on Noah.

He stood on the steps, his arms folded, the cold wind whipping through his hair. His mana burned within him, begging to be unleashed. But he didn't move. Not yet.

The hybrids, the cursed ones who were meant to destroy Camelot, were now its only salvation.

He could feel the twisted harmony of it all. The world balancing on a knife's edge. This had to be the plan in the first place.

To turn the citizens of Camelot into hybrids. Nothing else made sense.

Even so, he couldn't help the thrill rising in his chest.

The dragon was magnificent. A force of nature that burned brighter than anything he had ever seen.

Every roar set his blood alight, his dragon instincts awakening further. His heart pounded, not with fear, but excitement.

Another explosion rocked the courtyard as the dragon slammed its claw down, crushing a squad of mages. The King rallied again, leaping forward, his sword blazing.

Noah's gaze followed him, and then drifted upward.

The dragon spread its wings.

It was bleeding and scorched, its scales cracked, but it was still unbroken. Its eyes burned with fury.

It reared back, inhaling deeply, and then unleashed a roar that split the heavens.

The sound tore through the air like a shockwave. Windows shattered across the palace. Horses screamed. Men clutched their ears, blood pouring from them.

Then, with a single beat of its colossal wings, the dragon launched itself into the sky.

Dust and ash spiraled into the air as it ascended, breaking through the palace towers and soaring to the rest of the city beyond the palace gates.

"No!" the King roared, watching as it left the palace behind. "After it!"

The soldiers and hybrids surged forward as one, spilling out into the streets.

The dragon's massive shadow swept across the city, the citizens screaming in panic as they sought to outrun a dragon.

Noah remained standing on the steps leading out of the ballroom. Smoke soon began trailing into the sky.

He exhaled slowly.

And then, he felt it behind him.

Noah froze.

He was not alone, with some of the nobles still scrambling around him, but he knew exactly what he had felt. Abyssal energy.

But this one… was different.

It wasn't diffuse like the corruption in the ballroom or the hybrids. This one was more focused.

And it was close.

He turned slowly, his instincts igniting. The hair on the back of his neck stood up.

He glanced towards the open ballroom doors. That was where it was coming from.

Without hesitation, Noah began walking. His boots crunched on shattered crystal as he stepped back into the ruined hall, just in time to see the tail end of a cloak as someone left the ballroom.

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