In the Kingdom of the Drakhaens…
Commander Kisho stood before the Black Dragon, not bowing at once. He knew… what he was about to say would not please him.
The stone hall was silent. Dim light filtered through the high windows, and the air carried the weight of decisions yet to be made.
The dragon sat upon the throne… in his full human form. Long black hair. Deep eyes. Nothing in his appearance suggested that he was a dragon. Slowly, he lifted his gaze toward Kisho.
—"Speak."
Kisho stepped forward.
"We need to restore Villiam's power."
Silence.
The dragon's expression did not change… Yet the air in the hall seemed to sink, as if the pressure had suddenly increased.
Kisho continued, his tone direct and military.
"We failed to restore the protection of the Black Stone seals.
The number of sorcerers increases every day… and their army grows faster than we anticipated.
Our losses on the eastern borders alone have exceeded estimates threefold.
Soldiers are dying… stones are being lost… and the kingdom's power is eroding, little by little."
He paused, then added:
"If a large-scale attack occurs… we will not have the luxury of time."
The dragon did not respond.
Kisho went on.
"Villiam possesses the power of the White Dragon Stone. His presence near Lilithia is essential… especially with the Black Stone involved. We cannot allow a sorcerer to steal it again.
And..."
—"No."
The word was calm. Yet it cut the sentence like a blade. Kisho raised his head:
"My lord... Villiam believed all these years that Arkam cursed him and stole his power, and you..."
He did not finish.
—"I said… no."
The black eyes fixed on him.
—"Villiam will not return to the war."
Kisho's features stiffened.
"With all due respect… this is not an emotional decision. The military situation demands...."
—"I know the situation."
The dragon's voice did not rise. And yet… Kisho felt the ground beneath his feet grow heavier.
—"I know the number of our dead. I know how many stones we have lost. And I know what the sorcerers are planning."
A brief silence.
—"Nevertheless… Villiam will not be summoned."
Kisho stepped forward half a step, sharpness entering his voice for the first time.
"My lord… if the kingdom falls, there will be nothing left to protect.
Villiam is not a child… he is a strategic weapon. His presence could change the entire balance of the war."
A faint gleam passed through the dragon's eyes. Something… closer to irritation. Or anger. But his voice remained low.
—"Villiam… is not a soldier for this war."
The words fell heavily in the hall. In Kisho's mind, the meaning was clear.
Contempt. Rejection. A refusal to acknowledge his worth.
He clenched his fist.
"My lord… the kingdom..."
—"The discussion is over."
For a brief instant… Something appeared behind the black gaze. Swift. Fleeting. But Kisho did not catch it. He bowed slowly, with visible difficulty.
"…As you command."
He turned to leave. And before he reached the door, The dragon spoke calmly.
—"Monitor the southern borders as well."
Kisho stopped.
"Our reports show no activity there."
—"They will."
Silence.
Then the dragon added:
—"And send a reconnaissance team to the northern mountains."
Kisho frowned.
"The Azraqeen ure Mountains?"
The dragon did not answer directly. He only said:
—"What has been dormant longer than this kingdom… has begun to move."
_
In another place, far from the kingdoms… Where Villiam and Lilithia were,
Lilithia arrived two steps ahead of him. She stopped at the threshold of a crooked wooden door and silently looked inside.
An old house. Cracked walls… dust covering the floor in a thin layer.
Villiam entered behind her and closed the door halfway. The wood scraped softly… then the space fell silent.
A moment passed without words. Lilithia finally spoke, without turning.
—"…Aren't we going back to the Drakhaen Kingdom?"
"We will return," Villiam said calmly.
Then, after a second:
"But not now."
She turned toward him. Her features were weary… The marks of battle had not yet faded… And the grief left by Atsuro's death lingered clearly behind her eyes.
—"Why?"
Villiam exhaled slowly.
"My brother… the Black Dragon… expelled me. So we'll have to spend some time here."
Her eyes widened slightly.
He added :
"We need to stay away from the kingdom for a few days… at least. Especially after what happened… after Atsuro's death… and with you here with me."
He stepped closer :
"I don't want any harm to reach you… because of me."
She froze. Then, softly:
—"Villiam…"
She hesitated.
—"Why… didn't you tell me before?"
He met her gaze.
She added :
—"I've known you for some time… Yet you hid all of this…"
She didn't finish.
He moved closer… until he stood directly before her. Slowly, he raised his hands… And gently cupped her cheeks.
The gesture wasn't sudden. It felt… natural. He smiled. A warm smile… calm… unforced.
"Lilithia…"
A brief pause. His eyes held hers.
"Don't you trust me?"
Time seemed to stop. It wasn't the words that struck her. It was the warmth.
The warmth of his hands. A calm, deep heat… slipping through her skin into something deeper. Her pupils widened slightly.
—"This… warmth…" she whispered unconsciously.
She stopped. Something stirred inside her… But the image didn't fully form.
—"It reminds me… of something…"
She blinked slowly, met his eyes again, and whispered to herself:
"Villiam… still carries the same calm as the first time I met him."
Villiam didn't ask what she meant. He only leaned closer… Until his forehead rested against hers.
"It doesn't matter."
His voice was low… reassuring.
"I'm here."
Her breathing slowly steadied. For the first time in a long while… She felt something resembling safety.
Time passed.
The abandoned house grew quieter as night approached. Wind slipped through the wooden cracks, whistling faintly… as if the place itself were breathing.
Lilithia stood by the broken window. She looked outside… though she saw nothing in particular. Behind her, Villiam sat on the edge of an old table, watching in silence.
At last, she spoke.
—"Villiam."
He lifted his head slightly.
—"We must return."
He didn't answer at once.
—"To the Drakhaen Kingdom."
Silence.
—"We can't stay like this."
She turned toward him slowly. Her eyes were different now… Calmer… yet deeper.
—"I need to become stronger."
She paused.
—"Not just for myself."
Her voice lowered.
—"I want them… to trust me."
He understood.
She didn't say the name But it was clear.
Atsuro.
Her fist clenched unconsciously.
—"I made a promise…"
Her breath wavered, then steadied.
—"And I couldn't protect him."
Villiam stepped forward. But she continued before he could speak :
—"That won't happen again."
There was no sharp emotion in her voice. Only cold, steady resolve.
—"If I keep running… I won't change."
He moved closer.
"Lilithia..."
She shook her head.
—"I'm scared."
The confession came with unexpected honesty.
—"But… that's exactly why I want to return."
Silence. Then she met his gaze.
—"Help me."
She didn't say how. But the meaning was clear. Stay with me. Fight with me. Don't leave me alone on this path.
Villiam looked at her for a long moment. Then he breathed slowly.
"You know… returning means war."
—"I know."
"And we may gain more enemies than we're used to."
—"I know."
"And I may not always be able to protect you."
She stepped closer.
—"I'm not asking for that."
Silence.
—"I want to be able to fight beside you."
Something shifted in his eyes. Pride… concern… and something deeper, not fully revealed. He reached out and gently rested his hand on her head.
"You've already grown stronger."
She shook her head.
—"Not enough."
A faint smile touched his lips.
—"It will never be enough… for you."
A brief pause. Villiam said :
"Alright."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"We'll return."
He hesitated, then added:
"But this time… you won't be alone."
She didn't notice when he moved closer. Or when her fingers caught the edge of his coat. But they did. She said nothing. And she didn't let go.
_
Meanwhile, in the mountain where Kai and Skyler stood,
Silence returned. But it wasn't the silence of safety. It was the silence that comes after the senses are drained… not after danger has passed.
Skyler knelt on one knee, struggling to steady himself. Blood flowed from his shoulder, dripping slowly onto the cracked stone.
His breaths were heavy… uneven… Yet he didn't release his weapon. His grip tightened around the metal hilt. Sunlight slipped briefly between his fingers… then faded.
Kai reached his side with unsteady steps. His knee still trembled from the transformation… Silver energy pulsed beneath his skin like living pain.
He paused… Then caught Skyler's arm before he could fall. Neither of them looked at the other.
"…It's not over yet," Skyler murmured, exhausted.
A brief silence.
"I know," Kai replied, calm and rough.
Skyler tried to stand. This time… he succeeded. His body swayed But Kai didn't let go. They stood side by side, as they always had. The dim sun to their right… Pale silver to their left.
For a moment… Nothing moved.
Then, The air trembled. Not like an earthquake. But as if the void itself… had drawn breath. They froze.
Kai felt it first. That same sensation. Not danger But the feeling that the world… no longer followed fixed laws.
"Skyler…" he whispered.
But Skyler had felt it too. His grip tightened. Sunlight tried to flare… Then hesitated.
Deep within the mountain A sound emerged. Not heard… But perceived. One pulse. Then another. As if something immense… Was opening its eyes for the first time in centuries.
Skyler's pupils widened slowly.
"…Kai."
—"Yes."
Stone cracked in the distance… a thin line forming. A line… glowing. Not the color of lava. But deep gold. Like sunlight born within the earth.
"…What is this…?" Skyler whispered.
Kai answered slowly, his eyes narrowing.
"I think…"
He stopped. Because the sensation was now unmistakable. Not merely a threat. But The beginning of something far greater.
"That… it has begun now."