The plateau was silent, the morning mist curling around the jagged rocks like ghostly fingers. Danny Chan, Swift, and Jake stood shoulder to shoulder, their breaths forming thin clouds in the cool air. The attack from the magical child had left all three shaken—not physically, but in that unshakable sense of danger that gnawed at the edge of their consciousness.
Danny broke the silence. "You felt that, didn't you?" His golden eyes narrowed, scanning the treeline where the child had vanished. "The energy lingered… not gone, just… hiding. They will return. And next time, they will be stronger."
Jake tightened his fists, muscles taut. "I didn't even get to land a real hit. That energy—it's like nothing I've felt before. Faster than chi, stronger than brute force, and it doesn't obey the rules. How do you fight something that ignores all rules?"
Swift gave a small, sardonic laugh. "Rules are overrated. You survive by reacting faster than your opponent, and by learning what they fear." He looked out over the plateau with sharp, predatory eyes. "But something else is coming too. I can feel it. There's a weight in the air… a darkness far older than any magic we've seen."
Danny frowned, instinctively sensing the shift. "You mean… Bones?"
Swift's jaw tightened. "Yes. I thought he was confined to Espearia, but energy like his doesn't just die. The destruction he caused… that power doesn't stay in one place. It lingers, it waits. And I've been feeling tremors in the ether. He's coming. I don't know when, but he's coming here—to this world."
Jake's eyes widened. "Bones? You mean the one who destroyed Espearia?"
Swift nodded grimly. "That's the one. And trust me, kid… you don't want to meet him unprepared. He doesn't fight like a Dragon or a human. He doesn't obey physics. He's pure destruction given form."
Danny's expression darkened. He felt the old weight of responsibility pressing against him again—the same pressure that had driven him through years of Golden Dragon training. "Then we have no choice. We must be ready. Not just for the magic-using child, but for Bones. Two threats, one world, and if we fail…" His voice faltered, and he clenched his fists, the golden aura of his chi flaring briefly.
Jake swallowed hard. "Then we train harder. We have to."
Swift smirked, but there was no humor in his eyes. "That's the plan, kid. Because neither of these things will wait for us to catch our breath."
The day's training began at the base of the plateau. Danny led the exercises, combining Golden Dragon techniques with improvisational drills to integrate both Swift's Silver path and Jake's Bronze path. Every strike Danny made was precise, every movement deliberate, and every decision designed to push both students beyond the limits of their strength and coordination.
Jake struggled at first, his Bronze Dragon style raw and unrefined compared to the disciplined flow of Danny's Golden Dragon techniques. But as they sparred and adapted together, Danny's guidance allowed him to shape his energy, harnessing it into controlled strikes and defensive bursts. Swift, moving between the two, taught the subtle art of instinctive timing, showing Jake how to anticipate rather than merely react.
Hours passed. Sweat poured, muscles ached, and the air shimmered with the mingling energies of three Dragon paths converging. And all the while, Danny's senses were alert—not only to the physical realm but to traces of something darker, something alien. Faint whispers brushed the edges of perception, like shadows sliding across the edges of vision, always just out of reach.
Danny paused mid-motion, eyes narrowing. "Do you feel that?"
Swift and Jake froze simultaneously, every instinct screaming. A tremor ran through the plateau, subtle but undeniable—a resonance unlike any natural force. It was a cold, predatory hum that set their teeth on edge.
Swift's hand went to his sword, fingers tightening on the hilt. "That's him. I can feel Bones moving in some pocket of this world. Not here yet, but close. Too close for comfort."
Jake shivered, his Bronze Dragon aura flickering in nervous bursts. "How… how can one being be so powerful? We're training, getting stronger, but…" He shook his head, struggling to comprehend the scale of the threat.
Danny's golden aura flared brighter, his voice firm. "We will be ready. Bones may be coming, but he does not know our strength yet. We fight together, we anticipate, and we learn from every challenge. This is the only way to survive."
As if in answer, the air shifted again. The faint, chaotic energy signature of the magical child returned, weaving through the plateau with erratic pulses. It danced around rocks and trees, intangible yet threatening, as if the child were observing their training, learning from them as much as they were from him.
Swift clenched his jaw. "We have two threats now. One is raw chaos—unpredictable, untamed magic. The other is calculated destruction, ancient and relentless. And they'll converge eventually. That's why training isn't just about strength—it's about adaptation."
Danny nodded. He turned to Jake. "Remember this lesson: every opponent has weaknesses, even the ones that seem invincible. Observe, analyze, and exploit those weaknesses without hesitation. The child uses magic without discipline; Bones relies on sheer destructive power. The mind can overcome both if the body is ready."
Jake swallowed again, muscles trembling from exhaustion, but determination burning in his eyes. "I… I understand, Master Chan. I won't fail."
The sun dipped toward the horizon, bathing the plateau in a fiery glow. Danny, Swift, and Jake paused to breathe, surveying the vast expanse of land that stretched below them. Forests, rivers, and mountains sprawled out, unaware of the dangers creeping toward them. But Danny could feel it—the shadow of Bones crossing interdimensional lines, the pulse of the magical child gathering strength.
Danny exhaled slowly. "The world we protect is fragile. It may seem endless, but it is not. Our enemies will come, and we will not have the luxury of time. Bones… the child… they are the first of many tests. We must prepare for the storm that follows."
Swift's smirk returned, darker this time. "Storm, huh? I prefer a good fight, not a gentle breeze."
Danny shook his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips despite the weight of the moment. "You'll get your fights, Swift. All of them. But remember—this is no longer just about skill or speed. It's about survival, unity, and knowing when to strike. Everything else is secondary."
Jake's fists tightened once more, his aura pulsing in tune with Danny's. "Then we train until we are ready. No excuses."
The three of them stood in silence, watching the sun sink below the horizon. Shadows lengthened, blending with the mist that clung to the plateau. Danny felt it—the faint pull of interdimensional energy, the subtle whispers that told him Bones was closer than they thought. The magical child's chaotic energy lingered like a wound in the forest. And somewhere, in the edges of reality, a storm was gathering.
Danny's mind hardened. "Tomorrow, we push further. Harder. Faster. We will not be caught unprepared. And one day, when Bones finally arrives, we will be ready to meet him… together."
Swift's eyes glimmered in the fading light. "Good. I've been waiting for a challenge like this."
Jake clenched his teeth, muscles coiled like springs. "I won't let you down. I will become stronger."
Danny nodded. "Then rest tonight. Tomorrow, we train as one. Because the convergence of Dragon paths is only the beginning… and the world beyond these mountains will test us in ways we cannot yet imagine."
And far beyond the plateau, in a shadowed corner of the cosmos, a familiar hum of destruction resonated. Bones had arrived.