Auryn moved quickly. Pulled leather travel gear from the chest at the foot of his bed.
Light armor. Dark cloak. Sturdy boots.
Borin entered carrying supplies.Some Waterskins, dried meat and Hard bread.
"Three days east," Borin muttered. "That's rough country. Bandits. Maybe worse."
Auryn buckled his armor. "I know."
"And you're going alone?"
"You're staying here." Auryn met his gaze. "Someone needs to watch the court while I'm gone. Keep eyes on everyone. Especially the advisors." He made sure to emphasize the end of his statement.
Borin's jaw tightened. He knew what he had to do but he still worried.
"Lad, you just survived an assassination attempt. Going alone is—"
"Necessary." Auryn's tone left no room for argument. "I need you here. Managing the territory. Being my eyes."
The dwarf stared. Then sighed. "You've changed. More than just the colour of your eyes."
"The poison refined me. Remember?" This was the lying pamphlet he was handing out for anyone who asked.
Borin didn't look convinced. But he nodded. "Fine. But you take this."
He pulled a small vial from his belt. Dark red liquid.
"Troll's blood. Very rare. Accelerates healing. One dose. Use it if there is no other option."
Auryn took it. Tucked it into his belt pouch. "Thank you."
"Come back, you hear? I didn't save you from poison just to lose you to stupidity."
Auryn smiled slightly. "I'll come back.I promise"
---
There was a sudden knock at the door. Soft. Hesitant.
Borin and Auryn shared a quick glance then Borin opened it.
A woman stood in the doorway. Silver hair cascading over her shoulders. Amber eyes wide with worry. A red elegant gown that somehow made her look fragile and strong all at once.
Auryn's vision shifted automatically. Author's Eyes activated. Yellow aura enveloped her. Conflicted.
Memory fragments burned into his mind.
Lyra. His wife. My wife.
She stepped inside. Saw the travel gear. The packed supplies. Her face fell.
"Auryn." Her voice was gentle. Hurt. "I heard you woke. I came as soon as I could."
She moved toward him. Arms reaching for an embrace.
Auryn stepped back instinctively.
Her hands froze mid-air. Hurt flashed across her face but she quickly hid it.
"I'm fine," Auryn said. His tone cold and distant.
"Fine?" Her voice cracked slightly. "You were poisoned. Unconscious for three days. And now you're... leaving?"
"Territory business. I'll be back before the council."
She studied him. Her amber eyes saw too much. Seeing through him.
"You're different." It wasn't a question. A firm statement.
"Your eyes. Your voice. Even the way you stand. Are you okay?" She looked at Borin. Inquiring with only her eyes.
Auryn's stomach tightened. She was too perceptive. "The poison changed me," he said carefully. "And for the better."
"Changed you?" She stepped closer. Searching his face. "Or replaced you?"
The words hit like a bullet. Auryn forced his expression to be neutral but his eyes betrayed him briefly.
"I survived. That's what matters." He retorted instantly.
His words carried silence that lasted. Lyra's yellow aura flickered. He could feel the numbing confusion.
"The man I married would've told me where he was going," she whispered. "He would've trusted me."
Guilt twisted in Auryn's chest. He didn't know what to say.
She loved him. Loved Auryn. And I'm not him... His thoughts sank but he couldn't show weakness. Not now.
"I need to do this alone," he said quietly. Turning away from her. Her eyes glistened as she blinked rapidly.
"Safe travels then. My lord."
The formality in her voice cut deeper than anger would have. She turned and left without uttering another word or looked back.
---
Lyra's POV
The corridor felt longer than it should have.
Lyra's hands trembled. She barely held them together. Forced them still.
That wasn't Auryn. The thought clawed at her and refused to leave.
His eyes. Not just the colors—though that gold was unnatural—but the way he looked at her.
Like a stranger assessing a situation. Not a husband seeing his wife.
Auryn had always been distant. Burdened by responsibility. But he'd never run from her touch.
Never looked at her like she was... an obstacle.
Or replaced you?
She covered her mouth. She'd said it without thinking. The words coming out from her hurt. But his reaction.
In that moment—so brief she almost missed it—the fear that flashed through his eyes.
Not offense. Not confusion. Not guilt. Fear.
Like she'd uncovered something he desperately needed hidden. Lyra stopped walking. Her hand pressed against the wall.
What happened to you, Auryn? She thought
The poison should've killed him. Everyone claimed so. But he survived. He changed.
But Into what?
She wanted to turn back. Demand answers. Refuse to leave until he told her the truth.
But the way he'd looked at her...
He won't tell me. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
Lyra swallowed hard.Determination burned in her eyes.
She'll get to the bottom of this. She'd understand what happened.
She moved further down the corridor. Away from the stranger wearing her husband's face.
---
Back to Auryn:
Borin watched her go. Then turned to Auryn. "That was cruel, lad."
"I know." Auryn's jaw tightened. "But I can't give her what she wants. Not yet."
"And what's that?"
"Her husband." Auryn looked away.
He couldn't think about that now. Couldn't afford the distraction
----
The castle had a side gate. Less guarded. More discreet. Auryn moved through shadowed corridors. Hood up. Cloak hiding his features.
A dark horse waited for him there.
Borin stood beside it. Provisions in the saddlebag. Coin purse. Flint and steel in hand.
"You didn't have to—"
"Shut up and take it."
Auryn mounted. The horse shifted beneath him. Muscle memory guided his hands. Auryn's body knew how to ride even if Julien never had.
It felt both familiar and strange.
"Four days," Borin said. "Council's in four days. Don't be late."
"I won't." He assured.
"And lad?" Borin's silver aura pulsed. "Whatever you're hunting out there... make sure it's worth it."
Auryn met his gaze. "It is."
He spurred the horse and rode out.
---
The streets were mostly empty. Curfew kept citizens indoors after dark. Auryn guided his horse through alleys. Avoiding main roads. Avoiding patrols.
He passed glimpses of life. A tavern with laughter spilling out. A brothel with red lanterns and indulging shadows. Beggars laid on cold stone like beds. Auras flaring grey.
Auryn looked away. He kept riding.
This is the empire Auryn died protecting. Rotting from the inside. I need to understand first before I can reshape.
He approached the city gates and the two guards there both had silver auras. They were loyal.
At least it's not all rotten. He thought.
They recognized him immediately, straightening up.
"Your Highness." One stepped forward. "Alone? At this ungodly hour?"
"Personal matter," Auryn said. Voice even. Authoritative. "Tell no one I left."
The guard hesitated. Then nodded. "As you command." They opened the gates. Auryn rode through. Heading into the wilderness.
The moon hung full and bright overhead. Casting silver light across the road.
Behind him, the city's lights faded. Ahead, there was only darkness.
Golden text flickered in his vision.
══════════════════════════
[COUNTDOWN ACTIVE: 95:42:18]
[DESTINATION: CINDERFANG RUINS]
[DISTANCE: 220 KILOMETERS]
══════════════════════════
Auryn spurred his horse faster. He had to claim his goal and return stronger.
---
Hours passed…
The landscape shifted. Small farmlands faded into thick forests. Quiet villages dotted the roadsides. All peaceful under the pale moonlight.
Auryn's thoughts drifted. Back to Earth. Back to Julien.
The hospital bed. Emilia's tears. The novel on his phone.
I studied civilizations. How they rose. How they fell. Rome burned. Babylon crumbled. Egypt faded. And from their ashes, new worlds grew.
He'd obsessed over it. The patterns. The inevitability. Maybe that's my purpose here. Not just survive but to rebuild.
Something stirred in his chest. Not thought. Instinct. A primal urge to CLAIM. To HOARD. To DOMINATE.
His hands tightened on the reins. He could feel his fingers tingling. His dragon heart slamming against his chest.
Is this Auryn? Is this what being a dragon feels like?
The notification from earlier surfaced in his memory.
══════════════════════════
[SOUL INTEGRATION: 67%]
[WARNING: Prolonged integration may alter personality]
══════════════════════════
Am I disappearing? Becoming someone else?
He didn't have an answer. Neither did the system. It remained quiet allowing the unknown eat away at his thoughts.
He rode faster. If he was indeed changing, only time would tell.
The forest edge appeared as it got past midnight. It was too dangerous to ride through darkness. One thing he remembered from the novel.
Bandits, beasts and forsakens—Feral devil failures. They hunted in the cover of the dark.
Auryn found a small clearing. Dismounted and tethered his horse. Built a small fire, just enough warmth but not bright enough to draw attention.
He sat. Back against a tree. Bedroll beneath him. Obsidian sword hilt resting on his shoulder.
Author's Eyes activated passively. Scanning the darkness.The forest showed no auras. Animals didn't register.
But on the distant road behind him—gray aura. Moving.
Auryn's hand moved to his sword hilt. He didn't sleep. Just dozed off. Light and ready.
It was barely an hour later then rustling sounds came.
His eyes snapped open.
Six yellow glowing eye stared from the darkness. Menacing and coordinated. It watched like a predator stalking prey. A deep growl resounded.
RARRGH—-