The throne room was vast and imposing. Blazing torches flickered against the cold stone walls, their flames casting restless shadows throughout the chamber. At the far end stood a throne forged from black iron and molten lava, radiating an intense heat that seemed to consume the room itself.
Seated upon the throne was Sebastian.
Tall and strikingly handsome, his crimson hair danced like living flames. His burning eyes held the excitement of a man whose greatest dream had finally come true.
"At last..." he said calmly as he rose from his throne. "My perfect creation awakens."
Standing before him was Thomas.
His body had changed. He was noticeably taller now, his physique lean yet far more muscular than before. He slowly looked around, trying to understand what had happened.
Sebastian descended from the throne and began circling him.
"You are the dawn after the endless night," he continued. "The Light Element... the balance to that cursed darkness that haunts our world."
Thomas barely heard him.
Something was wrong.
The candles lining the room were painfully bright.
He squinted, hoping it would ease the burning sensation in his eyes, but it only made the flames seem even brighter. Every crack in the walls became perfectly visible. Every scratch, every chip in the stone, every tiny imperfection stood out with impossible clarity.
The darkness was gone.
There were no shadows left.
Sebastian continued speaking, but his words became distant and muffled, fading into meaningless noise.
Then Thomas heard it.
A cow.
"Moo..."
His eyes widened.
The sound came from somewhere beyond the fortress doors.
That couldn't be right.
The Black Iron Fortress wasn't surrounded by farms or villages.
Another moo echoed through his ears.
Thomas quickly covered them with his hands.
It made no difference.
A dog barked.
Children laughed.
The rhythmic clang of a blacksmith's hammer striking hot steel rang through his mind.
Merchants shouted as they tried to attract customers.
He could hear an entire village.
A village that was miles away.
His breathing became uneven.
Without thinking, he slowly raised his hand.
Brilliant rays of light erupted from his palm, flooding the throne room with a radiant glow that erased every remaining shadow.
Sebastian smiled.
"You are my spear..." he said quietly. "...my salvation."
Thomas stared at his glowing hand.
He didn't understand what was happening.
And he certainly didn't feel alright.
---
Far away, Tomora stood atop a lonely cliff overlooking the desolate battlefield.
A strange pressure swept through the air.
His body stiffened.
He tightened his grip around the flower Patricia had once given him.
What the hell is that? he wondered.
Ezra slowly looked toward the distant horizon.
"Tomora... can you feel it? I sense a very scary energy."
Tomora remained silent for a moment before answering.
"Don't worry."
The words left his mouth almost automatically.
Truthfully...
He had no idea what to say.
He felt it too.
Whatever had just awakened possessed an overwhelming aura unlike anything he had ever experienced.
He clenched his teeth and looked down at Patricia's flower, gripping it tighter than before.
---
Connor, Ashley, and Ash quietly made their way through the forest.
Without warning, all three came to a stop.
They looked up at the sky simultaneously.
"What is that?" Connor asked.
Ash's expression hardened.
"Whatever it is..." he muttered, "...it's dangerous."
"Yeah," Ashley agreed.
Almost instinctively, Ashley reached for Ash's hand.
Ash gently held hers.
Neither of them realized they had done it.
Neither of them let go.
For the first time in a long while...
They were scared.
---
Not far away, Ishimo stood atop the branch of a towering tree beneath the moonlit sky.
A small campfire crackled below.
Resting beside it was Cuppy.
A faint smile spread across Ishimo's face.
"Would you look at that..." he murmured. "It's finally started."
Cuppy tilted her head.
"What? You mean it's all about to end?"
Ishimo turned around so quickly that the leaves around him rustled.
Standing before him was a breathtaking woman.
Her long white hair shimmered beneath the moonlight, while silver eyes reflected the dancing flames with an almost heavenly glow. Her pale skin looked impossibly delicate, and a flowing white robe completed her graceful appearance.
She was simply...
Majestic.
Ishimo immediately frowned.
"What did I tell you about taking that form, Cuppy?!"
She blinked innocently.
"What? I don't see anything wrong with it."
"Turn back into your dragon form. Now."
She folded her arms.
"Why should I listen to you?"
"Cuppy."
His voice grew firmer.
She pouted.
"Okay, fine. Jeez."
A soft flash of light surrounded her.
Moments later, the elegant woman was gone.
In her place was the tiny chrome dragon.
She fluttered through the air before landing comfortably on Ishimo's head.
Ishimo sighed and pulled a piece of meat from his pocket.
Cuppy's eyes lit up.
She happily devoured it.
"Prrrr."
A small chuckle escaped Ishimo.
"What am I gonna do with you?"