Warmth surged through Cactus's talons, a living current from the crystal’s smooth surface. Prismatic light, once dormant, now flared, painting the cavern walls in shifting hues of sapphire and emerald. A low thrum vibrated through the stone floor, growing in intensity, a deep, resonant hum that spoke of ancient power awakening. “It’s reacting,” Moonwatcher whispered, her scales reflecting the swirling colors. Her eyes, wide with wonder, fixed on the crystal. Kinkajou gasped, flapping her wings excitedly. “It’s like it knows we’re here! What’s it doing?” Winter kept his silence, a subtle tension in his posture. His eyes darted between the crystal and Cactus, a flicker of suspicion in their depths. Suddenly, the thrum intensified, vibrating through Cactus’s very bones. The crystal pulsed, a beat like a colossal heart. Then, with a crackle of static, a shimmering projection erupted from its core, expanding into the cavern. It wasn't a map, nor a simple message. It was a dragon. A SandWing, ancient and regal, materialized before them. His scales were a dusty gold, faded with time, etched with intricate patterns. A jeweled collar, heavy with history, rested around his neck. His expression was one of profound weariness, lines of worry carved deep around his eyes. This was no ordinary SandWing. This was a king. “Greetings,” the holographic monarch began, his voice surprisingly clear, though tinged with an echo that spoke of centuries past. “If you see this, then the worst has come to pass. Or perhaps, the truth has merely begun to unravel.” Moonwatcher leaned closer, mesmerized. “A king? From when?” Cactus felt an unsettling familiarity in the king’s gaze, a subtle curve to his snout, a proud set to his jaw. He’d seen it before. In himself. In the ancient portraits of his royal lineage that he’d dismissed as mere artistic stylization. “For generations,” the monarch continued, pacing within the shimmering confines of the projection, “our lineage has guarded a secret. A flaw, some called it. An anomaly, I preferred to believe. A variation in the very essence of our SandWing blood, passed down through the royal line.” Cactus’s heart hammered against his ribs. Anomaly. He knew that word. The Oracle had used it. *Genetic anomaly*. His mind raced, connecting the dots he’d stubbornly ignored. “We thought it dormant,” the king sighed, a heavy sound that seemed to reverberate through the cavern. “A curiosity. Harmless. But with the advent of the Great Machine, the Oracle… it changed everything.” Moonwatcher looked at Cactus, her brow furrowed. “He’s talking about the petrification, isn’t he? The 'genetic anomaly'…”

Chapter 25: The Royal Anomaly