Zulietas eyes fluttered open, her body aching from exhaustion. The air was thick with silence, interrupted only by the eerie rustling of unseen creatures. As she sat up, her surroundings came into focus a land unlike any she had ever known.

  Towering above her were unicorns, but not the graceful beings of legend. These creatures were dark and menacing, their horns jagged, their wings massive and feathered black. Their bloody teeth glistened as they exhaled slow, heavy breaths.

  She turned, only to be met with a cluster of white-furred rabbits at first glance, soft and delicate. But as they bared their sharp, glistening fangs, she realized the truth. Man-eaters.

  Beyond them, other creatures lurked in the shadow beasts with shifting forms, glowing eyes, and scales that shimmered with unnatural colors. Then, she saw baby dragons.

  Their small bodies pulsed with color, their wings too delicate for flight, their scales marked with ancient patterns. These were creatures of myth, ones her father had told her about in bedtime stories. Extinct, they had said. But here they were alive..

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  Her fingers instinctively reached for the old book she had carried for years. As she flipped through the delicate, faded pages, her breath hitched. The very creatures before her were drawn in recorded in history, believed to be lost forever.

  A rustling sound sent a jolt through her.

  From the shadows, figures emerged not beasts, but people. And yet, they were unlike any humans she had ever known. Some bore large, feathered wings, others had curved horns, and their glowing eyes held secrets she could not yet understand.

  She stumbled back, her body tensing.

  Then, a small figure stepped forward.

  She was no more than seven or eight years old, her black hair falling in soft waves, her eyes a deep, piercing blue. Tiny horns curled from her head, and her small black wings twitched as she hesitated.

  Then, slowly, she reached out and took Zulieta hand.

  Her body trembled, and before she could stop herself, tears began to fall.

  The little girl said nothing she simply tightened her grip, leading Zulieta deeper into the unknown.

  A wave of emotion surged through Zulieta, crashing over her like a storm. The touch so soft, so familiar felt just like her little sister.The sister she had lost.