Caden strode into the Grand Library, his footsteps echoing off the polished marble floors. Soaring shelves stretched up to the vaulted ceiling, packed with countless tomes of dragon lore, history, and arcane knowledge.
He had spent countless hours here as a youth, poring over the texts his father Alastair teasingly referred to as "Caden's hoard." Now he returned again, his scholar's heart set on a mission.
Making his way to the Rare Books Collection, Caden's fingers trailed over a secured case holding ancient firsthand accounts of dragon-gifted interactions. These fragile, yellowed pages held the key to understanding Aria's strange behavior at the barbecue and untangling the mysteries of Lyra's orphanage.
As he carefully spread the delicate manuscripts out on the reading table, a famili
