Deep within my heart, fear lingered, nagging insistently at my mind. My magic had always been unpredictable, but this…this loss of control was terrifyingly new, and dangerously powerful. I couldn't risk harming those I cared about again.
Morning came like an unwelcome visitor, sunlight rudely intruding into the ruins of my room through gaps in the shattered walls and broken windows. My head pounded mercilessly, a vivid reminder of last night's chaotic events. As I lay curled up beneath a hastily conjured blanket, my heart sank at the devastation surrounding me. The luxurious furnishings, carefully chosen and elegantly arranged just days ago, now lay splintered, burnt, and scattered across the floor like fallen soldiers on a battlefield.
Smaug lay stretched out lazily nearby, his golden eyes blinking open with mild disinterest. He let out a yawn, unbothered by the fact that half his scales were singed from last night's magical onslaught.
