The dawn broke gently over the village of Stella, the sun casting its warm, golden light over the dense jungle canopy. Birds sang in the distance, and the air was thick with the scents of dew and earth, mixing with the faint aroma of the herbs used to treat the village’s wounded. Rhea stirred from her makeshift bedding in one of the intact huts, the weight of yesterday's revelations still sitting heavily in her chest. Despite the peace of her homeland, her mind was anything but still.

Lector was already awake, perched near the window, peering outside with a fish in his mouth. His breakfast couldn't wait, but now he was prepared to learn about his companion's history. His little burgundy form seemed dwarfed by the massive palm trees that towered over the village. His usual cheeky demeanor was gone, replaced with a quiet understanding of the gravity of their situation. When he noticed Rhea stirring, he padded over and gently nudged her with his nose.

"It's a big day, huh?" he said quietly.

Rhea sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Yeah. I need answers, Lector. I can’t shake this feeling that everything I’ve been through, everything that’s happening to our people, is connected to me somehow."

Lector nodded, his usually light-hearted eyes serious for once. "You’re right to think that. We just need to figure out what those connections are. Your mom will have more to tell you today. I can feel it."

Rhea stood and stretched, the knots of tension in her muscles loosening slightly as she prepared for the day ahead. She didn’t say anything else, but the look on her face said it all—she was ready to finally face her past and find out the truth about her father.

Later that morning, Rhea stood in the center of her village, looking around at the remnants of what was once a vibrant community. Now, it was a place of ruin, barely held together by the strength and resilience of her people. Her heart ached as she watched the healers tend to the injured, the elderly and the young doing what they could to help repair the damage.

"Rhea," a soft voice called from behind.

She turned to see Talis approaching, her mother’s graceful, dark-skinned elven form moving with a quiet dignity despite the turmoil around them. Her long hair, woven with intricate braids, swayed as she walked, and the deep green robes she wore blended almost seamlessly with the jungle backdrop. There was no denying her strength—she commanded respect with every step she took.

"We need to talk," Talis said, her voice low but insistent.

Rhea nodded, her throat tight as she followed her mother to a secluded area in the village, a small hut that had somehow survived the destruction. Inside, the air was cool, the scent of pine and earth filling the space. Lector, ever faithful, followed quietly, his paws silent on the wooden floor.

Once inside, Talis motioned for Rhea to sit. They faced each other, the tension thick in the air. Rhea knew this was the moment she had been waiting for—her mother was finally going to reveal the truth about her father. "Rhea," Talis began, her voice steady but laced with emotion, "there are things I should have told you long ago. Things about your father, about our people, and about why we are in danger now."

Rhea nodded, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She felt a strange mixture of anticipation, fear, and pride swirling in her chest. She had always known her mother carried secrets, but she had never imagined they would be as monumental as the truth she was about to hear.

"You know the history of Stella," Talis said, her voice soft but filled with the weight of centuries. "Our people, how we fought to keep this land free from those who sought to claim it. Our people, the Stellan tribes, have always been independent, fierce, and united under the Sun Empire. We've always been proud, strong, dignified people. But we’ve never been free from the eyes of outsiders, especially not Bosco."

Rhea listened intently, nodding. She knew all of this. Every Stellan child was raised on stories of the Sun Empire, the wars with the Sevese, and the eventual peace that had been won through blood and sacrifice.

"What you may not know," Talis continued, her eyes darkening, "is how deeply connected your father was to that fight. He was part of something much bigger. He believed in the independence of Stella so fiercely that he was willing to sacrifice everything for it, including his life. He was a leader, Rhea, a revolutionary."

Rhea blinked, feeling her stomach tighten at the mention of her father. She had never known him—only fragments, stories told in passing by her mother or the elders. He had died when she was just a child, or so she had been told. But now, something in her mother’s voice told her that she was about to learn much more than she had ever expected.

“Your father was a warrior,” Talis said, her green eyes locking onto Rhea’s. “He believed in Stella’s freedom more than anyone I had ever met. He despised the idea of colonization, of outsiders trying to control our land, our people. And he fought against them with everything he had.”

Rhea’s breath hitched. “Mother. Who... was he?”

Talis hesitated for a moment, as if the name she was about to say carried a weight too heavy to bear. “His name was @Mzuma.”

Rhea’s heart nearly stopped. The name was legendary in Stella, whispered in awe and reverence. Mzuma was the man who had led the resistance against Bosco during the darkest days of the Stellan wars. He had been a force of nature, a man with unmatched skill, and, some said, the blood of the gods flowing through his veins. He had been a rallying point for the Stellan people, the symbol of their unbreakable will to remain free.

"Mzuma?" Rhea repeated, her voice barely more than a whisper. "My father… was the Mzuma?"

Talis nodded, her eyes filled with both pride and sorrow. "Yes. He was the one who united the rebels, the one who refused to bow to the Boscan invaders. His blood runs in your veins, Rhea. That same fire, that same defiance—it’s part of who you are."

Rhea sat in stunned silence, her mind racing. She had always known her father was a warrior, but this… this was something else entirely. To think that the man who had shaped Stella’s history, who had fought so fiercely for its independence, was her father—it was almost too much to process.

"He was a dragon’s offspring," Talis added quietly, her voice trembling slightly. "That’s why he was so strong, so fearless. The dragons of old had been long gone from these lands, but their legacy lived on through him. That’s why Bosco feared him, why they still fear you. They know that the blood of Mzuma runs in your veins."

Rhea shook her head, trying to make sense of it all. The literal child of a dragon. That would explain her magic, why she was born a Dragon Slayer when so many others had to learn the magic or obtain a lacrima to rival its power. "But… if he was so powerful, so revered, why didn’t he come back? Why didn’t he—"

"He knew," Talis interrupted gently. "He knew he had a daughter, and I promise you...he had people watching over you—whether we could see them or not. But the war… the rebellion—it was bigger than any of us. He believed that what he was fighting for, the future he was trying to create, was for you, for all of us. He didn’t come back because he couldn’t. He was fighting to give you a future."

Rhea felt a surge of anger, followed quickly by guilt. She wasn’t angry at her father for not returning—she understood now that he had been fighting for something far greater than himself. But she was angry that she had never known, that she had grown up in the dark about who she truly was.

"Why didn’t you tell me sooner?" Rhea asked, her voice shaking. "Why did you keep this from me?"

Talis sighed, her gaze dropping to the floor. "Because I didn’t want you to grow up under the weight of his legacy. I wanted you to have your own life, to make your own choices. I thought that by keeping you in the dark, I was protecting you. But now… I see that I was wrong."

Rhea closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She understood her mother’s reasoning, but it didn’t make the sting of not knowing any less painful.

"Do you know if he’s still alive?" Rhea asked quietly, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Talis shook her head. "I don’t know. After the war, he disappeared. Some say he died, others say he went into hiding. No one has seen him in years."

The room fell silent for a long moment as Rhea processed everything she had just learned. Her father was Mzuma. The legendary rebel leader, the man who had stood against Bosco, who had fought for Stella’s independence, was her father. And now, it seemed, Bosco was coming after her because of him.

Lector, who had been silent for most of the conversation, finally spoke up, his small voice filled with awe. "Rhea… your dad was a dragon-born rebel leader? That’s… that’s incredible." The exceed seemed more excited than even Rhea, his tail wagging to and fro as if he awaited the next parts of the story.

Rhea managed a small smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Yeah. It’s a lot to take in." At least now, she finally had some clarity.

Talis reached into the folds of her robe and pulled out a small, intricately designed ring. It was forged from a dark metal, with a swirling pattern that seemed to shift and move in the light. At its center was a gemstone, a deep mixture of blues, reds and gold that glowed faintly with an inner fire.

"This," Talis said, holding the ring out to Rhea, "was made by your father. He had one, and I had one. And now, this one is for you. It’s part of your legacy, part of who you are."

Rhea took the ring, her fingers trembling slightly as she slid it onto her finger. The metal was cool against her skin, but the moment it touched her, she felt a warmth spread through her, a connection to the father she had never known. She stared at the ring on her finger, the weight of it more than just physical. The intricate design shimmered faintly, as if it held a power waiting to be unlocked. She had never felt so connected to a past she hadn’t fully understood until now. The knowledge of who her father was—filled her with both pride and an aching sense of loss. She had spent her life wondering about him, and now she was carrying his legacy, the very reason she was being hunted.

"I don’t know what the future holds, Rhea," Talis said softly. "But I do know that you are your father’s daughter. You have his strength, his fire. And whatever comes next… we’ll face it together." Talis was a master at making things seem easier than they were, it was how the tribe had always pulled through. She took on the harder tasks with a smile, and through her, the village found the courage to do the same.

Rhea nodded, her heart heavy but resolute. She wasn’t alone in this. She had her mother, her tribe, and the legacy of her father to guide her.

"We’ll figure out how to deal with Bosco," Rhea said, her voice steady. "And they’ll regret ever coming after us."

Talis smiled faintly, her eyes filled with pride. "I have no doubt of that."