Demonic Dragon: Harem System

The flight cut through the sky like a blade. The clouds were nothing more than blurs at the edge of her vision. Cristine, nestled between Strax's hot black scales, kept her eyes fixed on the horizon, but her mind was miles behind, at the foot of Eldoria's fountain, where her sister lay amid blood and silence.

The wind whipped her face, but it wasn't enough to mask the pain that grew inside her like a stifled scream.

Yennifer.

The two had always been one. Two mirrored souls who grew up between walls of stone, steel, and promises made at the foot of the bed during stormy nights. Promises that they would always be together. Promises that cannot be broken. That cannot be allowed to be broken.

And now...

Cristine clenched her hands tightly on Strax's scales. Her breathing was heavy, restrained. Her eyes burned, not from the wind, but from what she was struggling not to cry. The idea of losing Yennifer was like drowning in fire—a pain that didn't burn on the outside, but on the inside, in the parts of the heart where even time dared not touch.

She remembered when they were children and Yennifer defended her from three older boys — alone, bleeding, but standing. Always standing. And now, it was Cristine who was coming, who had to stand, before it was too late.

"She's strong," she murmured, more to herself than to Strax. "She has to be..."

The dragon did not respond with words. But Cristine felt the slight vibration in Strax's body — like a deep, reassuring rumble. And then, a voice echoed through the magic that bound their minds together.

"She's still alive. Feel it."

Cristine closed her eyes for a second, trying to feel. The wind, the smell of the sky, the warmth of Strax's back... and there, deep within her essence, like a tenuous string made of hope and memory: the bond with her sister. There was still something there. Weak, but present. Like a thread of mana about to break, but not broken.

"If she dies, Strax..." Her voice faltered. "If she dies, I don't know what I'll do. I don't know who I am without her anymore. It's like... half of me is falling apart along with her core."

Strax didn't answer right away. Instead, he sped up. The air around them condensed and roared, a wave of energy cutting through the sky like black thunder. The trees and mountains below became indistinct blurs. Cristine leaned with the movement, feeling her stomach churn. She held on tight, but even the physical discomfort couldn't compete with what was going on inside her.

Then, finally, Strax spoke—his low, deep voice echoing in her mind like a drumbeat beneath her chest:

"You will still be Cristine. She will still be Yennifer. And even if everything ends, you will continue. Not because of weakness... but because of her."

She trembled. The words were simple, but each syllable seemed to pierce her skin like a cruel and necessary truth.

Cristine nodded slowly, tears now overcoming her resistance and streaming silently down her cheeks.

"She made me promise that I would never let her be consumed by magic. She said that if the day came... I should bring her back, or burn her before she became something else."

Strax responded only with silence. A respectful silence. He knew the weight of promises between sisters.

Cristine continued, staring into the void. "I never thought it was real. I never thought she... that I would have to choose."

"You won't," Strax replied, with a firmness that seemed to bend the very air around them. "She's still here. And we're going to bring her back."

The sky changed color. The horizon revealed a green plain dotted with golden towers rising from the ground like blades of light. Lumen was near. The temple of Thal-Vor shone like a star in the middle of the forest.

Cristine held her breath when she saw the tops of the white domes among the trees.

Strax roared. A deep, guttural sound that cut through the silence of the skies like a declaration.

He began to descend.

But he did not land.

In midair, his body began to glow—his scales trembled, his wings folded like a cloak of shadows, and then the draconic form dissolved into a spiral of energy that sparkled like fire dust.

Cristine let out a small cry, but she did not fall.

Strax, now in his human form, held her in his arms. Strong, steady, as if holding her in his arms was the most natural thing in the world. They descended together, and quickly. The wind enveloped them like a fierce curtain, but Strax protected her with a magical field as soft as the touch of a feather.

Cristine clung to him, not out of fear — but out of instinct.

The ground was rapidly approaching: the clearing south of the city, surrounded by tall trees and ancient mosses. It was the entry point before the magical barrier that protected Lumen. A place where they could land without raising the alarm.

Strax bent his knees, controlling the fall perfectly. The impact was cushioned by a wave of mana that made the leaves rustle as if blown by a sudden wind.

He landed silently. His boots touched the ground with precision. Cristine was still in his arms.

For a moment, they stood there, still.

The sound of the forest was calm. But inside, their hearts beat like war drums.

Strax looked at Cristine, still in his arms. His golden eyes shone softly.

"Are you okay?"

She didn't answer right away. She just looked at him. For the first time, without words, just... gratitude. And fear.

"Put me down." Her voice was firmer now.

Strax obeyed, gently. She smoothed her hair, wiped her face with her forearm, and looked toward the trail that led to the secret entrance to Lumen.

"Let's go."

Strax followed her. Without saying anything. But present. Each step he took was an invisible shield around her.

The entrance to Lumen appeared before them, guarded by luminous runes carved into ancient stone. Cristine ran her hand over the surface, and the runes faded in reverence — recognizing her presence.

They entered.

A few more minutes and they would be before the Temple of Thal-Vor.

And the truth.

Whether Yennifer still breathed... or was nothing more than a memory in a body about to fall apart.