The morning sun spilled through the thin curtains of Alex's room, casting warm streaks of light across his scattered books and drawings. But the comfort of the sunlight couldn't calm the turmoil inside him. The strange pulse he had felt the night before had grown stronger, like a heartbeat syncing with his own.
Alex sat on the edge of his bed, clutching the smooth stone he'd discovered near the woods outside Graystone. It was unlike anything he had ever seen—dark, almost metallic, yet strangely alive. A soft hum seemed to emanate from it, filling the room with a quiet energy that made his skin tingle.
He tried to remember how he had found it. The day before, during a solitary walk along the forest's edge, his eyes caught a faint glimmer beneath a fallen tree. Curious, he had reached down and pulled the stone free from the earth. At the time, it had seemed just a trinket, but now it felt like a key—something much greater.
After breakfast, Alex slipped the stone into his pocket and headed out the door. School felt heavier today, the usual corridors and classrooms twisting into a maze he didn't recognize. His friends were there, but their voices sounded distant, as if he was hearing them underwater.
During lunch, Alex's friend, Maya, waved him over. Maya was one of the few people who didn't treat him like an outsider. With her wild curls and fearless smile, she was a force of nature in their small town.
"Hey, Alex," she said, sliding next to him. "You okay? You've been quiet all day."
Alex hesitated, then decided to share a little. "I found this stone yesterday. It feels... weird. Like it's alive."
Maya's eyes widened. "A weird stone? Sounds like a story from those old legends my grandma talks about—the ones about the Planet Core and the mutants."
Alex frowned. He had heard whispers of those legends too—stories of people touched by the Planet-Bound Core Resonance, gaining animal powers or worse. But no one spoke openly about the dragon, the ancient force said to be sealed beneath the earth.
"Do you think... it could be real?" Alex asked quietly.
Maya shrugged but looked around nervously. "In Graystone? People say the government's watching. They don't want anyone messing with the old powers."
Alex nodded, feeling the weight of those words. The government was one of the three powerful factions in the world—the others being a ruthless mafia backed by alien races, and the mutants themselves, many of whom lived in hiding. Each group wanted control, and Alex was just a kid caught in the middle.
As the day wore on, strange things began to happen. The stone pulsed faintly in his pocket, its rhythm syncing faster with his heartbeat. During gym class, a sudden surge of energy lifted him off the ground—just for a moment—before crashing him back down. No one noticed, or if they did, they said nothing.
Walking home, Alex felt eyes on him. A shadow shifted near the alley, vanishing before he could see more. He quickened his pace, heart hammering. Was it the government? The mafia? Or someone else?
At home, his parents noticed his distracted mood but said little. His father, who worked at the local factory, was tired from long shifts, and his mother worried silently about the increasing rumors of unrest.
That night, unable to sleep, Alex stared at the stone on his desk. The soft glow had grown stronger, illuminating strange symbols etched faintly into its surface—symbols that seemed to move and shift when he wasn't looking directly.
Suddenly, the room filled with a voice—a low, ancient whisper echoing in his mind.
"The Dragon stirs, bearer of the silent flame. Rise, and bind the fire within..."
Alex gasped, dropping the stone as a surge of warmth spread through his chest. His pulse quickened, and for a moment, he saw visions—vast skies aflame with dragonfire, cities crumbling beneath shadowed wings, and a figure cloaked in scales that shimmered like starlight.
The vision faded as quickly as it came, leaving Alex breathless and trembling. He knew, without doubt, that his life was no longer ordinary. The dragon's power was awakening inside him, and with it came a destiny he could neither understand nor escape.
Tomorrow, he would have to face the truth—and the dangers that awaited.