Sam, Jolly, and Fin sat at the edge of the crater where the dragon had fallen. The battle's aftermath spread around them—scorched earth, shattered debris, and an eerie silence that had replaced the chaos.
Fin stared at his hands, still processing everything that had happened. The dual cores inside him had gone quiet after the explosion, leaving him hollow.
"You should eat something," Jolly said, offering him dried meat from her pack.
He shook his head. "Not hungry."
Sam sighed, adjusting his damaged shield. "It's been three hours. You need to keep your strength up."
"For what?" His voice came out harsher than intended. "The mission's over. The dragon's dead."
"And you nearly died killing it," Jolly replied. "That was... I've never seen anything like that before."
Fin closed his eyes, trying to block out the memory of Juliana's face as she faded away, her life force pouring into him. The warmth of her sacrifice still lingered somewhere deep inside.
