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The dragon grunted, baring its teeth as if it were a massive dog with a fiery temperament.When Lissana's brother reached out to touch the dragon's tough, scaly skin, it let out a low grunt. Lissana gently caressed the dragon's head and spoke soothingly. "That's it, everything is fine. You're safe. We will protect you, little one." As the dragon calmed and the tension eased, Lissana turned to Tarik and told him to approach. "Don't get closer, Tarik! Lissana, step away from that dragon!" a voice commanded. When the fire tornado appeared in the city, Fay immediately sensed that something was wrong. He used a parchment of teleportation to reach the city.He hurried to the spot where he had seen the fire tornado. When it finally subsided, he saw blood and Lissana standing near the dragon that had been attacking the city. Seeing his daughter approaching such a lethal creature filled him with dread. "Lissana, get away from that dragon!" Fay shouted as he readied an arrow. Lissana tried to shield the dragon, grasping the shaft of the arrow with her hand. "Don't shoot! Please, don't shoot!" "What do you think you're doing, Lissana?" Fay demanded. "He won't harm us. Please lower your bow," she pleaded. "This beast is a monster!Step away from it and come with me!" "I won't do it! I freed him; don't kill him!" Lissana insisted. "Lissana! Get back!" Fay shouted again. Lissana shook her head defiantly. Tarik stepped in front of his father and said, "Don't worry, Father. The dragon won't harm us. If it intended to, it would have done so already. Lissana has freed him from his torment." Fay studied the dragon's eyes closely. Tarik was right; the dragon's once-dead black eyes now sparkled with life and freedom. "Even if it is no longer controlled by darkness, dragons are creatures of destruction.We cannot leave it alive," Fay warned. The dragon began to grunt again, and Fay's bow tightened in his grip. "Daddy, stop! The dragon is getting scared. Lower your bow," Lissana urged. She continued to stroke the dragon's head, trying to calm it. "Calm down, little one. Everything will be fine. There's nothing to fear. No one will harm you; I will protect you." Fay had read in books that dragons were cruel creatures, but at that moment, this dragon resembled a frightened dog. "Is he really not going to attack us?" Lissana asked. "Don't worry, it won't happen," she replied.While they were distracted, Abril noticed a fire tornado with a bright light at its center. Her blood ran cold; she had seen that power when Lissana lost control of her abilities. Cira reveled in the chaos, taking advantage of the moment when the fire whirlwind formed in the city. The dragon flew low to the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust that obscured their vision. Alessandro used his wind magic to disperse the cloud that had blinded them. The barrier the magicians had raised to keep the monsters at bay had been shattered. The creatures surrounded them.Cassian quickly constructed earthen walls to protect them from the onslaught. It had only been a minute, but Cira was already plotting her next move. The magicians quickly raised a barrier around themselves again. Sirius informed Cassian that he had defeated the walls he had created to confront the women. As the walls faded, Abril saw Cira climbing the temple stairs. A mocking smile crossed her face as she hurried to enter. They were surrounded by monsters, and the dragon was among them, trying to break through the barrier with its claws. "Damn it!We have to reach Cira before she takes the key!" Alessandro exclaimed, searching for a way out of the situation. Abril was worried about Lissana and wanted to rush out to find her. But it wasn't the time for that; first, she had to stop Cira from stealing the key of Hades. "Lissana is strong; she will be fine," Abril repeated to herself, focusing on the battle ahead. She studied the monsters surrounding them. They were different; they didn't seem to have come from Hades. "They were created," she stated.Alessandro was puzzled by Abril's words and asked, "What do you mean?" "These monsters are human. They will use the darkness within them to eliminate the dragon," Abril explained. "Remove the barrier; I'll handle the monsters," she instructed Sirius. Sirius trusted Abril and obeyed without hesitation. When the barrier disappeared, Cassian stopped raising columns of earth to confront the dragon, while Alessandro used his wind magic to disable the maintenance. Abril unleashed her power, her silvery flames surrounding the monsters.noveldramaThe horsemen struggled to keep the burning creatures at bay, their cries echoing with pain. As the flames engulfed them, their human forms flickered into view for a brief moment. Abril told Kiara that she would take care of healing them while she raced toward the temple to stop Cira. Abril sprinted through the temple corridors, praying to the God of the heavens that it wasn't too late, that Cira hadn't yet gained control of the other key of Hades. But the God did not answer. Cira held the key of Hades in her grasp when Abril arrived. "You're too late, sister," Cira taunted.Abril lunged at Cira with her daggers in response. "It's not too late yet, but you're here." "You can't stop me, sister." "Just as you stopped our father, I will stop you," Cira retorted. "I see I haven't yet made you understand. I am stronger than our father. My power comes from the darkness, and if I have the key that opens the gates of Hell, I am not the same as the one you faced before." This time, you will need more than your flames to defeat me." Cira produced the other key of Hades, which she had hidden in a small bag. A chill ran through Abril's body.Cassian had been right; compared to the key they had kept, the one Cira possessed was indeed dark and evil. Smoke billowed from the keys, swirling around Cira's body. When she spoke again, her voice was cold and unsettling, layered over her own. "You cannot prevent me from opening the gates of Hades. This world will be conquered by the dark king, the destroyer of worlds. His army waits on the other side, ready for the gates to open, and the world will be consumed by darkness."