Ramien and Damien of the Ashen Line.
When their names were called, they stepped forward together—
Damien careful to remain one step behind.
Professor Giga stared a bit too long at Ramien before attempting to call the next name.
Their mother rushed to them immediately, pulling both into her arms as if afraid they might vanish if she let go. Relief spilled from her in quiet sobs, hands trembling as she held them close.
Their father, however, noticed the difference at once.
The space between the brothers.
The way Damien lowered his gaze.
The stillness in Ramien's eyes.
They moved aside, away from the crowd.
"What happened?" their mother asked, her voice rushing ahead of her thoughts. "What kind of dragon would dare do this to the academy?"
Ramien didn't hesitate.
"It was me, Mother."
Silence.
"Excuse me?" she said faintly, as if she hadn't heard him correctly.
"Xyldrak did it," Ramien continued, his voice flat. "He acted to erase Damien."
Their parents spoke at the same time.
"What?!"
For the first time since the battle, something shifted. The cold glaze over Ramien's eyes cracked, color slowly bleeding back into them. His composure faltered—just for a moment—but it was enough.
"I can't control him," he said, his voice finally breaking. "Not anymore. Just like when we were five… he chooses his own targets. And now—now it's Damien."
His breath hitched. Tears welled, uncontained.
"When he takes over, I feel nothing," Ramien admitted. "No fear. No guilt. Nothing at all. And even after the battle… that emptiness hasn't left—not until now"
Damien remained silent behind him.
One step back.
As always.
"We sealed him without telling you," Ramien continued, his voice hollow. "That's what made him turn against my brother. And now… it's destroyed the entire academy."
"But no one knows Xyldrak belongs to Ramien," Damien added quickly, lifting his head for the first time.
Their father exhaled sharply, tension easing from his shoulders—just a little.
"Good. That's good," he said. "Then we can still protect both of you."
But fate, it seemed, had no interest in mercy.
Only a few hundred names had been called—
from the thousands who once filled Blackspire Academy.
Parents whose children were not named broke down in grief. Others shouted in fury, demanding answers, demanding justice. The air trembled with sorrow and rage.
Professor Giga rose into the air, forcing her presence upon the crowd.
"Please, calm yourselves," she called out.
But who could be calm, knowing they would never see their child again?
"The one responsible is a dragon," Professor Giga continued, her voice steady despite the weight behind it. "And his master did not act of his own will. We have determined two possible punishments."
The Ashen family stiffened.
"You said no one knew Xyldrak belonged to Ramien," their father murmured under his breath.
"He never exposed him," Damien replied quietly.
Yet Professor Giga was not just anyone.
Ramien and Xyldrak shared the same blue-veined energy.
Ramien had vanished during the whole battle.
And patterns, once seen, could not be unseen.
For someone like her, the truth was never far away.
"The first punishment," Professor Giga announced, "is to sever the bond between dragon and master—an act that would reduce the master's lifespan by half."
Their mother's breath caught, her hand flying to her chest.
"The second," Professor Giga said, hesitation finally breaking through her authority, "is execution."
The word fell heavy over the assembly.
Overseer Donald fell trying to save her.
Her own niece was gone.
Her pet phoenix—gone.
And in that moment, justice and grief stood on the same blade's edge.
The instant the words left her lips, Ramien's energy shifted. Frost rippled across his skin in slow, deliberate waves. His eyes became a piercing, icy blue, and horns curled downward, then curved back upward until their tips hovered just beneath his throat. His skin shimmered, alternating between smooth flesh and glinting scales.
Far away in the Soul Sea, Xyldrak's energy surged once more. His focus was still Damien—but if the academy turned against Ramien, he would unleash his full wrath on them all.
To the world, and even to Ramien himself, Xyldrak appeared ruthless. Yet every strike, every roar, was driven by one purpose: to protect his master.
Professor Giga's gaze locked on Ramien, and the room followed. The truth was undeniable now—Ramien was the source of the chaos. Parents and students alike saw him for what he was: the center of the storm.
"Everyone, wait! We can—" their mother pleaded, voice breaking. But no one was listening. Not yet. And Ramien, standing there with frost curling from his skin, gave the impression that nothing—and no one—would be able to stop him, his gaze daring anyone to make the first move.
And the parents made their choice. The second option.
"Do you really think you can harm me?" Ramien asked, voice low but sharp, each word dripping challenge.
"We will give our all to repeat history," boomed King Tharox, current ruler of the Dragon Empire, bearer of the Golden Bloodline. His voice carried across the assembly ground like a hammer.
"You share the same energy as King Renard," Tharox continued, eyes narrowing at Ramien. "Your presence poisons the land—and we shall purify it."
Ramien's mother teetered, on the verge of fainting.
"Let's see you try," Ramien said, wings stretching from his back.
"Father, please—you can't kill him!" Reinna's voice trembled as she gripped Tharox's hand.
"And why is that?" the king asked, unwavering.
"Didn't you say you would protect whoever I hold dear?" she asked, cheeks tinged with red.
"Him?" Tharox questioned.
Reinna nodded.
"I'm sorry," he said, voice heavy, "but I cannot leave him to roam freely."
A low laugh cut through the tension. It was Ramien.
"I knew it," he said, wings fully unfurling. "You mortals always sacrifice one to save thousands. But when it comes to me… no one goes scot-free."
"Ramien, wait!" his mother pleaded again, but he only turned toward her. His eyes shifted, changing from the helpless blue she knew to the icy, unyielding gaze of Xyldrak.
Historians had delved into King Renard. They found the truth about the dragon of a forbidden lineage—the ones with downward curving horns, they were brutal, aggressive, and unforgiving. And now, Fate had given the same dragon to Ramien.
Every parent, student, and professor there understood, in that frozen moment, the full weight of what they faced.
Xyldrak moved first.
With a surge of frost-laced power, the dragon launched himself toward King Tharox, the air splitting in his wake. The ground trembled as the clash began.
Ramien and Damien's parents did not hesitate. They would not abandon their son to fate. Power flared as they transformed, stepping into the battle without a word.
On the far side of the assembly ground, Derian stood with his parents—more precisely, with his father.
The man looked exactly like him, save for the way his skin shifted between deep red and molten orange, an ethereal glow rippling through his presence.
"The dragon's brother?" his father asked calmly, eyes fixed on the unfolding battle.
"Yes, Father," Derian replied.
"Does he know?" the man asked, one brow lifting.
Derian glanced at him—then looked away.
"No."
A pause.
"When do you intend to tell him?" his father continued, watching as Xyldrak clashed with the king and the Ashen parents.
"When the time is right," Derian said quietly.
His father studied him for a long moment. Then, orange mist swirled around his form as he stepped closer, placing a firm hand on Derian's shoulder.
"Then you already know," he said evenly, "that I will not intervene."
Derian stiffened.
"If what you believe is true," his father added, voice steady, "prove it."
And with that, he vanished.
Derian stood still, thoughts racing—until a sudden impact snapped his attention back to the present.
A massive boulder slammed into the ground beside him.
The battle was close to him now.