The Shadow Dragon's breath weapon wasn't fire—it was something far worse.
Darkness poured from its maw like liquid night, and wherever it touched, reality seemed to wither and die. The silver grass turned black and crumbled to ash. The ancient trees groaned as their trunks began to rot from the inside out.
"Move!" Ryze shoved me hard to the left just as the wave of corruption swept through where I'd been standing.
We rolled behind one of the massive trees, and I could hear the wood creaking ominously as the dark energy ate into its base. Whatever that breath weapon was, it didn't just destroy—it unmade things, reducing them to less than nothing.
"What is that thing?" I gasped, pressing my back against the dying tree.
"A dragon that was corrupted by void energy. They're supposed to be extinct—the original dragons sealed them away before their own imprisonment." Ryze was checking his gear with practiced efficiency. "But if one is here..."
"The prison seals are breaking down," I finished. "Just like you said."
"Faster than I expected." He pulled out what looked like a compass made of the same crystal as our swords. The needle was spinning wildly. "The sanctuary is half a mile north, but we'll never make it on foot. Not with that thing hunting us."
The Shadow Dragon's voice echoed through the forest like a funeral dirge. "You cannot hide from us, little flame. We smell your fear, taste your weakness. Surrender, and we will consume you quickly."
[SHADOW DRAGON ANALYSIS COMPLETE]
[THREAT ASSESSMENT: EXTREME PLUS]
[CORRUPTION LEVEL: 89%]
[WEAKNESS DETECTED: PURE DRAGON FIRE]
[WARNING: HOST FIRE PURITY INSUFFICIENT FOR DIRECT CONFRONTATION]
I stared at the system message. "It has a weakness. Pure dragon fire."
"Your fire isn't pure enough yet," Ryze said, reading my expression. "At your current level, you might as well be throwing matches at a forest fire."
"Then what do we do?"
"We run, and we pray the sanctuary wards hold." He pointed through the trees. "There's a stream about two hundred yards that way. Shadow Dragons hate running water—it interferes with their corruption field. If we can reach it—"
A massive claw punched through the tree we were hiding behind, missing my head by inches. The Shadow Dragon had circled around while we were talking, and now its burning red eye was staring directly at me through the hole it had made.
"Found you."
I threw myself sideways as the claw swiped again, this time taking a chunk out of the tree the size of a refrigerator. Splinters of corrupted wood rained down around us, each piece hissing with dark energy.
"Run!" Ryze was already moving, his crystal blade glowing as he carved a path through the undergrowth.
I followed, my newly awakened senses screaming warnings as the Shadow Dragon burst through the treeline behind us. Its wings, each one easily thirty feet across, sent hurricane-force winds through the for est as it took to the air.
[DRAGON INSTINCTS: MAXIMUM ALERT]
[FLIGHT RESPONSE ENGAGED]
[SPIRITUAL ENERGY: SURGING]
[AWAKENING POINTS +1]
[CURRENT TOTAL: 6]
The extra awakening point came with a surge of energy that made my legs pump faster. I was keeping up with Ryze now, something that should have been impossible given his obvious experience.
"The stream!" he shouted over the sound of massive wings. "I can see it!"
Behind us, the Shadow Dragon's breath weapon carved another swath of destruction through the ancient forest. Trees that had stood for centuries crumbled to nothing in seconds, leaving a trail of absolute emptiness in the creature's wake.
The stream was maybe fifty yards ahead when disaster struck.
My foot caught on a root, sending me tumbling face-first into the silver grass. I rolled and came up with my crystal sword ready, but the Shadow Dragon was already diving toward me, claws extended.
There was no time to run, no time to think. Pure instinct took over.
"Dragon's Wrath!" I shouted, not even sure why I was naming the attack.
Fire exploded from my blade, but this time it was different. Instead of the silver-white flames from before, the fire burned with hints of gold and crimson—colors I somehow knew were closer to true dragon fire.
[DRAGON'S WRATH: EVOLVED FORM ACTIVATED]
[FIRE PURITY: INCREASED TO 34%]
[DAMAGE POTENTIAL: MODERATE]
The wall of flame caught the Shadow Dragon mid-dive. It shrieked—not in pain, but in surprise—and pulled up sharply. Where my fire had touched its dark armor, I could see actual damage. Not much, but enough to prove the system right about its weakness.
"Impossible," the creature hissed, landing heavily twenty feet away. "Your flame should not burn us. You are too weak, too untrained."
"Yeah, well, I'm full of surprises." I was breathing hard, but the fire felt stronger in my chest now. More controlled. "Want to see another one?"
The Shadow Dragon's eyes narrowed. "You begin to awaken. Interesting. Perhaps we will not simply consume you. Perhaps we will corrupt you instead. A Shadow Dragon heir would be... useful."
"Not happening." But even as I said it, I could feel something trying to worm its way into my mind. A whisper of dark promises, of power without struggle, of strength without the pain of growth.
[CORRUPTION ATTEMPT DETECTED]
[DRAGON BLOODLINE: RESISTING]
[MENTAL FORTITUDE: STRAINED]
[WARNING: PROLONGED EXPOSURE DANGEROUS]
"Liam!" Ryze's voice cut through the mental fog. "The stream! Get to the stream!"
I shook my head, clearing the whispers, and sprinted for the water. The Shadow Dragon roared in frustration and took to the air again, but this time it was more cautious about my fire.
The stream was crystal clear and maybe ten feet wide, flowing over smooth stones that seemed to glow with their own inner light. The moment my feet hit the water, I felt the oppressive weight of the Shadow Dragon's presence lift from my shoulders.
"Sacred water," Ryze explained, splashing into the stream beside me. "It's naturally resistant to corruption. The dragon can't use its breath weapon here without risking damage to itself."
The Shadow Dragon landed on the far bank, its red eyes burning with frustration. "Clever, little flame. But you cannot stay in the water forever. And when you emerge..."
"When we emerge," I said, surprised by my own confidence, "I'll be stronger."
Something in my tone must have convinced it, because the creature actually took a step back.
[CONFIDENCE THRESHOLD REACHED]
[DRAGON PRIDE: AWAKENING]
[INTIMIDATION FACTOR: INCREASED]
[NEW ABILITY UNLOCKING: DRAGON'S PRESENCE (BASIC)]
I could feel it—a new power settling into place alongside the fire. Not something flashy or destructive, but something deeper. The ability to project dominance, to make enemies think twice before attacking.
The Shadow Dragon felt it too. Its massive head tilted as if reassessing me.
"You grow stronger by the moment. How curious." It began to pace along the bank like a caged predator. "Tell us, little heir—do you know why the dragons were truly imprisoned?"
"Because they were too powerful?" I kept my sword ready, though the running water was making me feel more secure.
"Because they were betrayed." The creature's voice dropped to a whisper that somehow carried perfectly across the water. "By those they trusted most. The seals that bind them were not made by enemies, but by allies who feared what the dragons might become."
Ryze stiffened beside me. "Don't listen to it. Shadow Dragons are master manipulators."
"Are we, mage? Or do we simply speak truths that others dare not acknowledge?" The creature's gaze fixed on Ryze. "You know what he is. What he could become. Yet you train him anyway. Do you truly believe you can control a dragon's awakening?"
"I'm not trying to control anything," Ryze said tightly. "I'm trying to give him the tools to control himself."
"Noble. Foolish. But noble." The Shadow Dragon's attention returned to me. "When your true power awakens, little heir, remember this moment. Remember who tried to help you, and who tried to use you. The distinction may save your life."
[CRYPTIC WARNING LOGGED]
[TRUST PARAMETERS: ANALYZING...]
[INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR CONCLUSIONS]
Before I could ask what the creature meant, it spread its massive wings and launched itself into the air.
"We will meet again, dragon child. When you are stronger, and the choice between corruption and destruction becomes... clearer."
With that ominous pronouncement, it disappeared into the night sky, leaving only the smell of sulfur and the echo of beating wings.
"What did it mean?" I asked Ryze. "About betrayal and control?"
"Nothing you need to worry about right now." But his eyes were troubled as he watched the sky. "Come on. The sanctuary isn't far, and dawn is still hours away."
We followed the stream deeper into the forest, the sacred water providing a corridor of safety through increasingly dangerous territory. But the Shadow Dragon's words kept echoing in my mind.
Who tried to help you, and who tried to use you.
I glanced at Ryze, walking silently beside me with his crystal sword still drawn. He'd saved my life multiple times already, had shown me nothing but patience and guidance.
But he also had secrets. Big ones. And the more I learned about this world, the more I realized that everyone had their own agenda.
[TRUST LEVEL WITH RYZE: EVALUATING...]
[CAUTION ADVISED]
[NEW OBJECTIVE: DETERMINE TRUE MOTIVATIONS]
The sanctuary appeared through the trees like something out of a fairy tale—a small temple made of white stone that seemed to glow with inner light. Ancient symbols covered every surface, and the air around it hummed with protective energy.
"Finally," Ryze said, visibly relaxing. "These wards have held for over a thousand years. We should be safe here."
But as we approached the entrance, I noticed something that made my blood run cold.
The ancient symbols weren't just decorative. They were chains. Binding circles. Prison seals.
And they were all pointed inward.
"Ryze," I said slowly, "what exactly is this place?"
He paused at the threshold, his hand on the door handle. When he turned to look at me, his storm-cloud eyes held something I'd never seen there before.
Guilt.
"It's not a sanctuary, Liam. It's a testing ground." His voice was barely above a whisper. "And you're the test."
The door swung open, revealing darkness beyond. But in that darkness, something moved. Something ancient, powerful, and very, very angry.
What had I walked into?