WARNING!!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! minor violence and mention of bløxd (yes, I spelled it wrong so that I can stay on scratch) (Down\/ ) The air in the NightWing’s laboratory didn't smell like the rainforest or the sea; it smelled of scorched herbs, old parchment, and the metallic tang of bløxd. Deep within a hollowed-out cavern, illuminated only by the dim, flickering glow of fire-moss, a massive NightWing named Soulstealer stood over a single, pulsing egg. It had once been the vibrant, forest-green of a LeafWing, but now it was webbed with strange, glowing silver veins—the mark of his interference. "Almost time," Soulstealer hissed, his voice echoing off the stone walls. In his talons, he held a vial of shimmering golden liquid—the distilled essence of a SkyWing’s legendary heart-fire and the predatory instinct of an Eagle. With a steady talon, he dripped the serum onto the shell. The egg didn't just absorb it; it shuddered. Suddenly, a crack spidered across the surface. But it wasn't a clean break. A sharp, curved white claw—far too large for a hatchling—pierced through the shell like a dagger. Then came the feathers. Not the smooth scales of a dragonet, but wet, dark crimson down that bristled along a tiny spine. As the shell shattered, a dragonet tumbled onto the cold stone floor. She was a chaotic masterpiece of forbidden science. She shook out her wings—not membranes of skin, but heavy, dark forest-green feathers that felt like silk and steel. She looked up, and instead of the clouded eyes of a newborn, two piercing, bright yellow orbs locked onto the NightWing. She didn't chirp or squeak. She let out a low, predatory hiss, her stiff tail lashing behind her for balance as she stood on wobbling, powerful talons. Soulstealer leaned in, a wicked grin stretching across his face. "Hello, Volocoraptor," he whispered. "You aren't a dragon. You are a miracle. And soon, the world will see exactly what you can do." Raptor tilted her head, her white horns catching the dim light. Even then, in the shadows of the lab, she knew she wasn't meant for a cage.
