## 1. The Sunrise on Bella Hill
The eclipse was gone. No one knew how it began, but everyone knew when it ended. The atmosphere of total darkness dissipated, and the sun rose again, bringing with it a comforting warmth and a light that seemed to wash away the carnage of the night.
The sunrise touched the green grass on the top of a hill. There, beneath a wooden cross, Bella was buried. Hiroshi was kneeling, praying that his friend would have a deserved rest. The orange glow of the sun was rising on the horizon, a beautiful sunrise for an eternal death.
"I will name this hill **Bella Hill**," Hiroshi whispered.
He closed his eyes, feeling the warmth on his face. "I promise, I will save the village. I don't know if I can save or change this world, but I will help those you loved."
## 2. The Voice in the Mind
"Empty words coming from the mind of a fragile, weak, and insignificant human."
The voice was firm and merciless, and it came from everywhere.
"Who's there?" Hiroshi replied, looking around. He searched the forest, the sky, the stones. Someone could be hiding, but Hiroshi didn't expect the voice to come from his own mind.
"Besides being a failure, he's lost. Well, nothing can be expected from you." The voice echoed again, leaving Hiroshi irritated and uncomfortable.
"Show yourself! Or are you afraid of my presence?" Hiroshi replied, provoking the individual.
Hiroshi made the worst possible choice. His mind traveled elsewhere. A red throne of pure iron, red sand all around. In the center of the place, Hiroshi was in a defensive stance.
"I was taken somewhere else. Did someone use magic? Who are you?" Hiroshi shouted, provoking.
"You incompetent, I am in your mind, I am you!" Hiroshi didn't understand until he saw a black Dragon with blue eyes emerging from the only place that had no light, dark, empty. Behind the throne, the Dragon emerged, immense, imposing, terrifying, and sovereign.
"You are..." Hiroshi spoke, surprised to see the Dragon that swallowed him.
"Yes. Now shut up, human," the Dragon replied with a cold gaze, bringing its face close to Hiroshi. Its eye was bigger than Hiroshi's body.
Hiroshi gave a sincere smile. "I'm glad all the loneliness was taken from you."
The Dragon laughed, echoing throughout the room. Its wide arms and claws the size of a tree touched its chest, guffawing as if it had heard a bad joke.
"I feel lonely? Me?? Hmmmm, you are funny."
Hiroshi crossed his legs and sat on the floor. "Why did you let me live? It doesn't matter, I want to thank you."
The Dragon watched Hiroshi kneel and bow his head in respect.
"Hmmmm," the Dragon murmured, staring intently at Hiroshi.
"My friend died. In the end, everything was in vain. I will be killed by the king at some point. This world is cruel and disgusting. I just want to go home and, if possible, help this village." Hiroshi's words were harsh, but sincere.
The Dragon took a deep breath, blowing over Hiroshi's entire body. "Hmmmm," it murmured again. "Get on my hand, boy."
Hiroshi climbed without questioning. "You still haven't answered my question, Lord Dragon."
The Dragon pulled Hiroshi close to its eyes and analyzed every detail of his body. "You will take me to the capital, boy. I will help you with your revenge."
## 3. The Draconic Agreement
Hiroshi remained silent, he didn't answer, he just extended his hand. The Dragon was confused. "What are you doing, you idiot?"
"In my world, we shake hands to confirm an agreement between two trustworthy people," Hiroshi replied, smiling.
"But who said I'm trustworthy?" the Dragon replied, laughing.
"Hahahahaha! You are. I can feel it. Actually... I feel that you are always sad. I want to help you change that. Maybe, taking you to the capital will change it. I would do this without any agreement, just to help you." Hiroshi's smile bothered the Dragon.
"You are a very innocent person. You really are not from this world!" The Dragon shook its head in denial.
The Dragon extended a single claw and brought it close to Hiroshi's hand, thus finalizing an agreement.
"I am in your mind, boy, inside you. Remember, your body is undergoing a modification. It's good and bad, that depends on your point of view." The Dragon was skillful with words.
"I'm not innocent. My hands smell of blood. I'm as disgusting as a royal soldier." Harsh, but true, words from Hiroshi.
"You are not the same, boy. You haven't seen what they can do yet." The Dragon knew more than it let on. "I am known as **Kerchack, The Eclipse Dragon**."
Hiroshi jumped back and his eyes widened, astonished. Pointing his fingers at the Dragon, he shouted: "You are inside me and now you tell me that it was you who created that sinister eclipse? Wait, the Leper King's soldier was looking for information about the eclipse. Why does everyone fear this eclipse?"
"Just get to the capital, boy." The Dragon didn't want to say more than necessary.
## 4. The Dragon's Status and Symbiosis
Hiroshi stared intently at the great Dragon to try to read its status, but...
> **Status Kerchack (Lunar Eclipse Dragon)**
>
> **IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE STATUS. YOUR LEVEL IS TOO LOW.**
>
> **IMPOSSIBLE.**
>
> **IMPOSSIBLE.**
>
> **ERROR.**
>
> **ERROR.**
>
> **DRACONIC SYMBIOSIS QUEST UNLOCKED.**
>
> **TRY TO RESIST SYMBIOSIS OR YOU WILL DIE.**
>
> **SYMBIOSIS START: 1%**
>
> **CHANCE OF FAILURE: 99%**
>
> **QUEST UNLOCKED**
>
> **DEATH TO THE KING (INFORMATION BLOCKED)**
>
> **QUEST UNLOCKED**
>
> **LEVEL 0 (Kill Ford)**
>
> **If completed:**
>
> **Items:** Draconic Blood
>
> **Ability:** Death Breath
Several pieces of information appeared on the screen for Hiroshi.
At that moment, he knew that everything had changed for the worse.
***
**END OF CHAPTER 7**