The bond dies. So does the rider. Unless... The bond between a dragon and their rider is neural architecture, shared consciousness — a second heartbeat that cannot be removed without killing both. When Ryn's bonded dragon Kivith dies saving strangers, the connection holding their mind together begins to unravel. Bond severance is almost always fatal. Even a new bond is no guarantee — and the ancient dragon emerging from the shadows of the Sacred Caverns knows that well. He's is not offering comfort nor pity, but a choice. Eskarith has outlived seven riders. Has spent half a century in deliberate seclusion. He emerges now because Kivith left something in Ryn, something old and urgent, something important , and their dying body is running out of time to carry it. 'Partnership without comfort. Purpose without ease. Life without forgetting what you've lost. Choose quickly.' - Content warnings: on-page death and grief, body transformation, LGBTQ+ characters and themes.