I was Reborn To Kill The Dragon King

Lyra’s POV “Run, Lyra!” I heard the voice roar loudly behind me but I couldn’t run. The castle was burning bit by bit. Flames climbed the stone walls, turning the entire corridor red. I tried to breathe in but my lungs met a wall of grit and ash, making it more difficult to find my way. I started walking to the end of the corridor, barely able to see. My hands covering my nose and my eyes half-open, staring at the man at the end of the hall. His face looked familiar. Perhaps I knew him but I couldn’t remember how. Something inside me already recognized him way before my mind could make sense of his face. Black hair, blood running down the side of his face nearly covering his eyes. And those eyes… Golden eyes that burned brighter than the flames surrounding him. He was holding a sword, blood dripping from its blade. My blood. I looked down and a sharp pain tore through my chest. My dress was already covered in blood. “No,” I whispered as I started to fall slowly. The man dropped the sword and rushed towards me. “Lyra!’ His voice sounded terrified. He caught me before I hit the floor, pulling me against his chest as my strength disappeared. I stared up at him with a blurry vision. “Why…” My voice barely came out. “Why did you kill me?” His expression shattered. A little tear rolled down his eyes. “I…I didn’t.” I wanted to believe him. I wanted to understand why but before I could put my thoughts together, a figure appeared behind him. A woman. My breath skipped. She had my face, my hair. She looked exact like me: except she was smiling and I was about to take my last breath. “Please don’t leave me again,” he whispered. Again? What did that even mean? I reached for him but my fingers were already too weak. The woman behind him raised her hand and the flames suddenly turned white then she smiled even wider this time and everything went black. I woke up choking on air. My hands flew to my chest as I sat upright, my heart pounding so violently that I thought it might break through my ribs. For a few seconds, I couldn’t tell where I was. The flames were gone, the blood was gone, even the man was gone and the only thing that remained was darkness. I dragged in another breath and looked around my room. Pale morning light slipped through the curtains falling across the wooden floor and the small table beside my bed. My blanket was twisted around my legs, and sweat had dampened the back of my nightdress. I placed my hands shakily against my chest. There was no wound or blood. Just the dull ache left behind by a dream that felt too real. I closed my eyes again and all I could see was the man’s face. My eyes immediately opened. I had never seen the man in my life. At least, I was certain I hadn’t. Yet when I remembered those golden eyes staring at me, I felt something strange move through my chest. It wasn’t fear but recognition. A soft knock came from my bedroom door. “Lyra?” I quickly wiped the sweat from my forehead. “I’m awake!” The door opened, and Mira stepped inside. Her gray hair was tied neatly at the back of her head, and she was already dressed for the morning. “What happened?” She asked. “I had a dream.” “Of course you did. I heard you scream.” She walked toward the bed and pulled open the curtains, filling the room with morning light. “Go wash your face. Breakfast is getting cold.” I grabbed the clothes from the chair, but paused at the bathroom door. “There was a castle,” I said. Mira stopped folding my blanket. “It was strange. There was a man there. I couldn’t see his face clearly.” She went still. “And it was a dream?” “Yes.” She let out a little laugh before she started. “Dreams can be strange.” “You’ve never said that before.” She gave me a knowing smile. “Well, maybe you’ve never had a dream worth discussing.” Before I could question her, the smell of fried eggs and warm bread drifted into the room. That was my favorite food to have for breakfast. My stomach growled loudly. Mira laughed. “There’s your real emergency.” I rolled my eyes and followed her downstairs. Breakfast was quiet at first. I noticed Mira kept avoiding my eyes, but whenever I tried to ask about the dream, she changed the subject. “So, are you helping me at the market today?” she asked. “Probably.” “And the fence?” “I’ll fix it.” “Good.” That was Mira. She could turn any serious conversation into a list of chores. I decided to let the dream go. At least, for now. After breakfast, I carried the empty basket outside while Mira stayed behind to clear the table. The morning air was cool, and dew covered the grass. I had just bent to pick up the basket when I noticed something strange. The garden was unusually silent. The birds weren’t singing as they used to. I straightened slowly while trying to look back at the forest. Nothing moved between the trees. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me. I stopped walking and stared deep into the forest, I didn’t see anyone or anything. I turned back towards the house but a sharp c***k came from behind. Another branch snapped and this time, it was closer. Something dark rushed out of the trees before I could turn back fully. I screamed and stumbled backward. The creature moved too quickly for me to understand what I was seeing. It had long claws, dark skin, and eyes that glowed an unnatural red. I ran. I barely made it to three steps before the creature stood in front of me. The creature lunged and the first thing I did was to throw my hands up instinctively. Heat exploded through my body causing Golden fire to burst from palms. The creature flew across the garden and crashed into a tree. I stared at my hands “what..” The creature slowly pushed itself up again but this time, it looked at me with fear. Its eyes widened as it whispered, “The Queen…” I started to sweat. Before I could ask questions, it charged again. The golden fire erupted from my hands once more, brighter than before, but the creature was already upon me. I tried to summon the fire, but nothing happened. Panic seized me. The creature was almost on me when a powerful force struck it from the side. It flew across the garden and crashed into the trunk of a tree. I stood frozen, staring at the spot where it had landed. Someone was standing between us. The stranger didn’t move immediately. He stood with his back to me, his shoulders steady as the creature struggled beneath the tree. Dark hair fell across his forehead, and a thin line of blood ran down the side of his face. The creature let out a low growl and charged. He turned. For a second, everything around me seemed to disappear… and that face. I had seen it before. Not here, not in my life but somewhere else. My heart began to pound as the memory flashed through my mind. The burning castle, the blood on my dress, and the man who had held me as I died. I took a step backward. The stranger looked directly at me then the creature lunged at him. He didn’t move. At the last second, he raised one hand. A burst of dark red fire struck the creature mid-air and sent it crashing into the ground. It tried to rise. He walked toward it, his expression cold. “Who sent you?” The creature snarled instead of answering. With one swift movement, he struck it again. The creature fell still. I stared at him, barely breathing. He turned toward me and for a brief moment, no one spoke. His eyes widened as if he had seen something impossible. “Lyra.” My heart dropped. “How do you know my name?”