THE TRUE DRAGON BLOODLINE HEIRESS

In the country of Crete, there stood a house so enormous that calling it a mansion felt almost disrespectful. It was more like a private kingdom. The estate stretched across hundreds of acres of perfectly maintained land, surrounded by towering walls, enormous iron gates, fountains, gardens, and rows of ancient trees. The main building rose above everything around it, with countless windows reflecting the golden sunlight of the evening. Security guards stood at every entrance. Helicopters occasionally crossed the sky above it. And beyond the walls, the people of Crete knew exactly who lived there. Mrs. Sterling Fox. She was the richest and most influential woman in the world. Her wealth was beyond imagination, but money was only a small part of her power. Sterling had connections in almost every major government. Presidents listened when she spoke. Ministers sought her approval. Powerful businessmen waited for her decisions before making their own. There were very few people in the world who could tell Sterling Fox what to do. One of them was her personal adviser. Tabitha Neobon. Tabitha was a woman of remarkable intelligence and ability. She was Sterling's closest adviser and had mastered almost everything she had ever put her mind to—business, politics, strategy, negotiation, security, and even the ancient traditions of the Fox family. She had been beside Sterling for years. And Sterling trusted her completely. But there was another person Sterling trusted when it came to something far older than money or politics. His name was Chief Justice. He was the chief Dragon Seer of the Fox family. For generations, the Fox bloodline had carried a mysterious connection to an ancient power known as the Dragon Rite. According to the oldest family records, the Dragon Rite was not simply a supernatural ability. It was a living power. An ancient force that chose its own vessel. No member of the family could decide who would inherit it. No ritual could force it. And no amount of wealth could buy it. The Dragon chose. Only the Dragon. That evening, Sterling was lying comfortably in her private chamber when Chief Justice entered. Sterling was heavily pregnant. She already had an eldest daughter named Amy, who was five years old, and everyone in the estate was eagerly waiting for the arrival of her second child. Chief Justice approached the bed. Without saying a word, he gently placed his hand over Sterling's stomach. He closed his eyes. For several moments, he remained completely still. Then his eyebrows lifted. Sterling noticed immediately. "What is it?" she asked. Chief Justice opened his eyes. "Madam..." Sterling waited. "You are carrying twins." For a moment, Sterling simply stared at him. "Twins?" Chief Justice nodded. "A boy and a girl." Sterling's face immediately brightened. A soft laugh escaped her lips as she placed both hands over her stomach. "Two children." Tabitha, who was standing nearby, smiled. "Congratulations, Madam." Sterling looked at her happily. "Two more children." But Chief Justice remained unusually serious. Sterling noticed. Her smile slowly faded. "Chief Justice," she said, "what aren't you telling me?" The old seer took a slow breath. "There is something you must understand." Sterling looked at him. "Tell me." "The Dragon Rite..." He paused. "Only one of the twins can inherit it." Sterling's expression changed. "Only one?" She looked down at her stomach. "But they're twins. Why would the Dragon choose only one?" Chief Justice shook his head. "Because the Dragon Rite was never meant to belong to both." Sterling frowned. "Then who decides which child receives it?" Chief Justice looked directly into her eyes. "Not us." He placed a hand against his chest. "The Dragon chooses its own vessel." Sterling remained silent. Chief Justice continued. "We cannot choose the boy because he is a boy. We cannot choose the girl because she is a girl. We cannot choose based on age, status, or preference." His voice became solemn. "The Dragon Rite chooses the child it wishes to dwell within." Sterling slowly nodded. "And there is nothing we can do to change that?" "Nothing." Sterling looked down at her stomach again. For a moment, she wondered what would happen if the Dragon chose one child over the other. Would the children understand? Would one feel less important? She eventually smiled. "Then we will accept its choice." Chief Justice bowed his head. "That is the only way." --- The day finally came when Sterling went into labor. The entire estate was placed under strict security. Doctors and nurses rushed through the private medical wing while Sterling fought through the pain of childbirth. Hours later, the first cry filled the room. Then came another. Two newborn cries. Two children. A boy and a girl. Sterling had given birth to twins. She held them both close to her chest, exhausted but happier than she had ever been. Nearby stood Amy, now five years old. She stared at the babies with wide eyes. "They're so small," she whispered. Sterling smiled. "You were that small once." Amy immediately shook her head. "No, I wasn't." Sterling laughed softly. Chief Justice entered the room. The moment his eyes fell upon the twins, the atmosphere changed. He slowly approached the newborn boy first. He studied him carefully. Then he turned toward the girl. He stopped. Something had caught his attention. On the left side of the little girl's neck was a strange mark. It looked like a small spot at first, but it stretched downward along her neck in a pattern unlike anything Chief Justice had ever seen. He leaned closer. His eyes widened. "The mark..." he whispered. Sterling looked at him. "What is it?" Chief Justice didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stared at the newborn girl. Then he looked at Sterling. "The Dragon has chosen." Sterling's heart skipped. "Which one?" Chief Justice slowly pointed toward the little girl. "Her." Sterling looked down. Her daughter was sleeping peacefully in her arms. "The girl carries the Dragon Rite." A silence fell over the room. Sterling held both children tighter. Then something impossible happened. The little girl's eyes suddenly opened. For a brief moment, her eyes were no longer ordinary. Her eye lenses flashed a brilliant orange. Chief Justice froze. Tabitha stared in disbelief. Even Sterling couldn't move. The newborn looked directly at her mother. And then... She smiled. Sterling's eyes filled with wonder. "My little girl..." She gently touched the baby's nose. The orange glow remained for another moment. Then it slowly disappeared. The baby giggled. Sterling laughed softly and tickled her. "Oh, you're going to be trouble, aren't you?" The baby laughed again. Across the room, Amy was holding her crying twin brother. "Mommy!" Amy called. "He's crying!" Sterling looked toward her son. "Bring him here, sweetheart." Amy carefully approached her mother with the baby in her arms. Sterling looked at her newborn son. She smiled. "Your name will be Drake." Amy repeated the name. "Drake." Sterling nodded. Then she looked at her daughter. The little girl was still staring at her mother. Sterling gently touched the strange mark on her neck. "And you..." She smiled. "Your name will be Aura." Chief Justice lowered his head. "Aura," he repeated. He looked at the little girl with reverence. "The chosen vessel of the Dragon Rite." Sterling looked at him. Then she looked back at her daughter. She pulled Aura closer to her chest. "No." Chief Justice looked at her. Sterling smiled softly. "She's not a vessel." She kissed her daughter's forehead. "She's my daughter." For the first time that night, Chief Justice smiled. Outside the enormous estate, thunder rolled across the dark sky. The lights of the city flickered beneath the storm. And somewhere far beyond the walls of Sterling Fox's kingdom, something ancient seemed to stir. Something that had been sleeping for centuries. Something that had just chosen its new heir. Aura Fox. The girl with the Dragon Blood.