The morning sky above the academy was painted in hues of crimson and silver. Clouds drifted lazily like ancient beasts sleeping in the heavens. But Raizen had no time to admire beauty. Today… he was about to break one of the oldest rules in existence.
Deep within the lower library—a place forgotten by most and feared by the rest—Raizen stood before a massive black gate sealed with twelve different magical locks. Each seal represented an ancient element: Fire, Ice, Darkness, Light, Earth, Wind, Spirit, Void, Thunder, Blood, Time… and Dragon.
Yes. Even Dragon was a seal.
Raizen stared at them, his glowing silver eyes flashing with anticipation. His fingers moved, drawing forbidden runes mid-air, ancient dragon scripts that even the teachers no longer remembered. With every rune he drew, one lock trembled and clicked open, until…
BOOM!
The black gate cracked open slightly with a ghostly groan, revealing a narrow staircase spiraling downward into pure darkness.
"Let's meet again, ancient knowledge…" Raizen whispered as he descended, the air growing colder with every step.
The deeper he went, the heavier his body felt.
Magic pulsed in the walls, whispering to him in forgotten tongues. Voices of dragons—arrogant, angry, curious—all calling to him.
He reached a vast chamber at the bottom, circular, with glowing dragon statues carved into obsidian pillars. In the center floated a giant tome bound with scales, its pages alive with energy.
The Codex of Draconis.
Raizen stepped forward, and the book responded. The room lit up with golden flames that didn't burn but bathed him in power. His veins pulsed. His blood screamed. His soul trembled.
The book opened on its own.
"First Spell: Breath of Eternal Ashes."
Raizen read the script.
A dragon spell—meant for a dragon's throat and lungs.
But he was no dragon. He was a human.
…A human with a dragon's heart.
"Let's see if I can do what dragons fear," he muttered and bit his thumb, drawing a circle on the floor with his blood. He began chanting.
The air shook.
Flames twisted in the air.
His body felt like it was being torn apart and rebuilt at the same time. Muscles ached, bones cracked, but something inside him laughed—his dragon blood.
BOOOOM!
A massive wave of black-gold fire erupted from his mouth, smashing into the far wall and carving deep lines into the stone. The fire roared like a dragon in agony, but it was beautiful—powerful.
Raizen collapsed, panting, steam rising from his body.
He had done it.
He had cast his first dragon spell.
But it came at a cost. A piece of his soul felt missing burned to power the magic. His vision swam, and his heart skipped a beat. Still, a grin crept across his lips.
"So, this… is just the beginning."
Suddenly, he wasn't alone.
A deep voice echoed across the chamber.
"You awaken power that should not be touched, young mortal."
From the shadow of the ceiling, a pair of glowing eyes appeared. Then wings. Then claws.
A translucent spectral dragon hovered above, ancient and wise.
Raizen didn't flinch. Instead, he stood slowly and bowed.
"Teach me," he said with fire in his voice.
"You are bold… and foolish," the dragon growled. "But perhaps… worthy."
The dragon's claws carved runes into the air, sending them toward Raizen. One by one, they entered his chest, marking his soul. A pact was formed.
"The Draconic Path is open to you now. But tread carefully. With every spell, a part of your humanity burns away."
Raizen simply smirked.
"Then let it burn."
Back in the academy, alarms flared.
Magic detectors screamed.
Elders stirred.
"Someone just awakened a Forbidden Spell."
"Impossible. All dragon magic was sealed after the Immortal War."
"Then someone… is breaking history."
Professor Lyara, the immortal elf sorceress who hadn't left her chamber in 300 years, opened her eyes.
"The Dragonblooded… he lives again."
Raizen walked out of the forbidden library calmly, his robes burned at the edges, eyes still glowing faintly. He looked more beast than man.
Students moved aside. Whispers followed him.
"What happened to him?"
"His aura… it's terrifying."
He ignored them all. Except one.
A girl with crimson hair stood leaning on a pillar, eyes sharp as blades.
"You're changing," she said.
Raizen looked at her with a dangerous smile.
"I'm evolving."