Victoria stood small beneath the towering presence of ancient beasts with her fists clenched, her spine stiff despite the fear biting into her bones.
The colossal scarlet dragon's molten eyes glowed with judgment. Beside him, the salamander once smug with mischief now bowed so deeply his face almost scraped the fiery floor.
It was silent in the abyss. Silent enough to hear her own breathing.
Then, the dragon spoke his voice rolling like thunder across eternity.
"Answer her, Salamander."
The salamander's flame flickered not from heat, but humility.
"Yes… my lord."
Slowly, his burning gaze slid toward Victoria.
His voice echoed not just in the cavern, but inside her skull.
"Listen well, human. I won't repeat myself.
"You are a Spirit Tamer."
The last two words hit her like a blade heavy and sharp with meaning.
"A Spirit Tamer," he continued, "is a human born with the potential to wield spirits of other creatures as weapons forging pacts between realms. You command spiritual essence, reaching across dimensions to call beings tied to elemental domains, forgotten heavens, infernal hells, and worlds beyond mortal names."
His flames darkened, becoming almost pitch black.
"Your ability… if nurtured without stupidity… ranks among the S-Class Gifts. Few ever awaken it. Fewer survive it."
Victorias eyes narrowed. "What makes it so dangerous?"
The salamander let out a low, humorless laugh.
"Because you are weak."
His words cut deeper into her pride.
"Your summoning power scales with your strength. The stronger you grow, the greater spirits you can command. But if you dare summon a being whose power exceeds your own AND without their agreement?"
His body crackled embers rising like sparks from a funeral pyre.
"They will consume you."
"Your body."
"Your soul."
"Your memory."
A vision flashed before her eyes showing herself burning alive, screaming, erased.
The salamander continued, voice colder now.
"Beasts are ranked F through S Tier. You summoned a C-Tier fire spirit—me—and nearly tore your soul apart just to stand before me."
His gaze hardened.
"I terminated our contract. Consider it mercy rather than weakness if the other humans didn't interfere I would have stayed and drained the life out of you. Call me again too soon…"
He leaned close, his fangs inches from her spirit form.
"…and I won't hesitate to devour what remains of your tiny life force."
Then, without waiting for reply, he bowed one last time to the dragon and stepped backward into a shimmering portal of heat. Vanishing.
Only silence remained.
Victoria forced her breathing steady and raised her chin toward the scarlet dragon.
"So that's it? I nearly died because I used the wrong words?"
The dragon's heavy tail struck the ground. Her soul realm trembled.
"You spoke words of binding sacrifice. A summoning oath born of ancient blood. Those words were never meant for mortal tongues I don't know who in-trusted you with a tome containing this knowledge. How foolish indeed."
His voice dropped lower and more aggravated.
"That section of the vows you read belonged to royal war mages, whose souls were reforged in dragon flame. They commanded armies of spirits—not as allies…"
His eyes narrowed.
"…but as slaves."
Victoria's heartbeat thudded painfully.
"So I misused something powerful."
"You misused something forbidden. And the world answered."
She gritted her teeth.
"Then I'll learn. I'll train. I'll survive and one day, I'll summon every spirit here. Even you!"
The air froze.
The abyss itself seemed to hold its breath.
Then suddenly.
Laughter.
Not mocking. Not amused.
Violent.
A storm of power.
Smoke rippled as the dragon lowered his head until Victoria could feel the heat of his breath scorch her ethereal skin.
"You threaten a king?" he rumbled, a terrifying grin stretching across his fanged maw.
"No, girl…"
His voice dropped to a whisper that felt like a blade pressed against her throat.
"You invite war."
The ground beneath her cracked with fiery veins as the soul realm pulsed in warning.
"Walk this path, Spirit Tamer… and the realms will watch."
ScarLite looked upon the other cells.
"Not just my realm of fire is watching you and I don't think the other kings and queens will be to accepting of you either. They see you. They stay listening, and watching from the shadows for now."
His massive wings spread casting the entire corridor into flame-lit shadow.
"For the moment… fate shields you. But if ever you stumble…."
Amber fire swirled around him, reshaping into a towering portal of blood-red flame.
"know that predators do not chase the strong."
His figure vanished into the blaze.
"They wait for fear."
Right before disappearing completely, a final whisper slithered into her mind cold enough to freeze her blood.
"Grow powerful… or be hunted. Either way, child your fate has already begun."