The mansion was quiet.
Too quiet.
Kael sat on the couch, head lowered, shoulders trembling as silent tears fell onto his hands.
The same couch.
The same place where strength and pride were often expected.
But not today.
The door opened.
Alzwalt stepped inside.
He paused the moment he saw him.
"…Kael."
He walked forward slowly, his expression softening just slightly.
He sat down beside him.
Then spoke gently—
"Hey buddy…"
"…come on. A real man doesn't cry."
A brief pause.
"…We shed tears in silence."
Kael didn't look up at first.
His voice cracked.
"I had the knife in my hand…"
"It was at his throat…"
"I wanted to attack…"
"…but I couldn't even move."
His fists clenched.
"I'm too weak."
Silence filled the room.
Alzwalt exhaled softly.
"…Hey."
He placed a hand on Kael's shoulder.
"Don't say that."
"You are not weak."
A pause.
"You're just a victim of your age."
Kael's eyes trembled slightly.
Alzwalt continued, calm but firm.
"You wouldn't understand certain things without experiencing them first."
A moment passed.
"…I'm sorry, Kael."
"I should've left a clone… or taken you with me."
His tone carried genuine regret.
"But don't worry about it."
"I'll teach you properly from now on."
He leaned slightly forward.
"Take this as your first lesson, okay?"
Kael wiped his face slightly, still shaken.
"…Okay…"
Alzwalt nodded once.
"Though you have no circuits…"
"You have strength."
He gave a faint smile.
"And Arata said you were good at martial arts, remember?"
Kael blinked.
Then recalled.
The restaurant.
The conversation.
"…Yeah…"
Alzwalt stood up.
"Come on."
"Let's go outside."
The days that followed were no longer ordinary.
They became repetition.
Discipline.
Endurance.
Growth.
Alzwalt trained Kael relentlessly—but not harshly.
Structured.
Intentional.
Kael's body was pushed beyond its limits, then rebuilt stronger each time.
He learned breathing.
Balance.
Movement.
Timing.
Martial fundamentals refined to perfection.
No circuits.
No innate abilities.
Just the body.
And will.
Six months passed.
Kael changed.
Not just physically—but mentally.
His posture improved.
His reactions sharpened.
His resolve deepened.
He was no longer the same boy who once froze at the edge of a blade.
Far away—
Beyond the known boundaries of Kael'Ar—
A dark translucent realm stretched infinitely.
Silent.
Empty.
Timeless.
A single droplet fell.
Plink.
It rippled through the stillness.
A boy stood within it.
Fighting.
Breathing heavily.
Covered in wounds.
Surrounded by monsters that endlessly reformed.
There was no rest.
No escape.
No concept of time.
Only survival.
He had no access to his power.
Only a sword in his hand.
And instinct.
He fought.
Again.
And again.
Until exhaustion began to erode his mind.
His thoughts blurred.
His sense of self began to fracture.
At one point—
He stopped moving.
"…Why am I fighting…?"
His voice echoed faintly into the void.
The monsters approached.
Unrelenting.
Endless.
His vision distorted.
Eerie faces of ancient beings appeared around him.
Whispers.
Visions.
Mental horrors pressing against his consciousness.
Then—
A massive black dragon emerged from the darkness.
Its jaws opened wide.
And it bit into his side.
Pain surged through him.
His vision flickered.
He was collapsing—not just physically—but mentally.
Deep within his subconscious—
A memory surfaced.
A phrase.
Ancient.
Embedded in his being:
"Born without birth, yet older than time.
It devours the strong, yet fears the divine.
To conquer it, you must become less…
Or lose yourself within its endless abyss."
Silence.
Then—
Something clicked.
The boy remembered.
"…Kaelen Veystrum."
Humanity's Hero.
His expression shifted.
His breathing stabilized.
His eyes sharpened.
"…This isn't me."
He closed his eyes.
And repeated the phrase in his mind.
The moment he did—
Everything changed.
The monsters vanished.
The darkness dissolved.
The translucent void transformed.
A vast forest emerged.
Giant trees stretched endlessly into the sky.
Animals of all kinds moved freely—coexisting without conflict.
Lions.
Birds.
Wolves.
Deer.
Creatures of every form imaginable.
Peaceful.
Balanced.
Alive.
The only thing absent—
Was a dragon.
Kaelen sat on a rock in silence.
Days passed.
Then weeks.
Then seasons.
Time flowed differently—but it flowed.
Spring.
Summer.
Autumn.
Winter.
Again.
He remained still.
Unmoving.
Observing.
Adapting.
Understanding.
One day—
Rain fell.
Kaelen sat in the rain, unmoving.
A giant cobra approached him.
Slowly.
It stopped behind him.
And then—
It raised its body.
Shielding him from the rain.
Time passed again.
And then—
Spring returned.
The world around him began to change.
Not externally—
But because of him.
His presence radiated divine energy.
Flowers began to bloom.
Trees grew taller.
Fruit began to form.
Water became clearer.
Life flourished around him.
Kaelen opened his eyes.
And in that moment—
He understood.
The power of a Primordial Dragon.
The essence of a Dragon Bearer.
Kaelen rose to his feet.
His hybrid form manifested naturally.
White wings extended.
White curved horns formed.
A white tail with a red stripe flicked behind him.
His control was perfect.
No strain.
No resistance.
He walked forward.
Animals around him began to bow.
Not out of fear—
But recognition.
He moved through the forest.
Toward the edge of the realm.
He placed his hand against the barrier.
And—
Reality shifted.
He reappeared instantly within the main hall.
Lord Zenith sat calmly within the chamber.
He smiled.
"…Good work, Kaelen."
"You are now a Dragon Bearer."
Kaelen slightly bowed.
"Thanks to you too, ancestor."
Zenith chuckled.
"…It's been a while since someone called me that in my real body."
He leaned back slightly.
Then raised his hand.
The space around them opened.
Ancient elder dragons began to manifest.
Magnolia.
Grid.
Maximus.
Deverox.
Xenop.
Each one appeared in their full presence.
Magnolia looked at Kaelen.
"…Oh? Kaelen."
"You survived."
"Congratulations."
Kaelen tilted his head slightly.
"Hey… why do you sound surprised?"
Magnolia looked away slightly.
"…Why wouldn't I be?"
Kaelen squinted.
"…What was that?"
Zenith laughed softly.
"You did survive the abyss after all."
"I can't blame him."
"Only three people in history have done that."
"You'll be the fourth."
Kaelen exhaled lightly.
"…It wasn't easy."
"I nearly lost myself for a moment."
Magnolia nodded.
"…It's all in the past now."
Magnolia then looked at Zenith.
"…Ancestor… are you back?!"
Zenith smiled.
"Pretty much."
"And they haven't died yet… so I can't remain in eternal rest."
Magnolia nodded slowly.
"…I see… so it's because of that person…"
Zenith responded simply.
"Yeah."
Zenith then created a small portal and handed Kaelen a dragon egg.
"Take care of this."
"And make sure she's treated well."
Kaelen held the egg carefully.
"…Thank you. I will, ancestor."
Then—
He vanished.
Kaelen reappeared in the city.
Back to normal life.
He returned to his human form.
Almost instantly—
Civilians gathered around him.
Phones raised.
Excited voices.
Some took pictures.
Others approached him.
An old lady handed him food.
A small girl stepped forward and gave him a lollipop.
"…Thank you for saving us from the skeleton monster, mister hero."
Kaelen smiled gently.
"It's my duty, little one."
The girl's mother smiled and led her away.
Kaelen began walking home.
As he walked—
His thoughts settled.
"…How can I not protect these kinds of people…"
"They received kindness…"
"…and they gave back kindness—and more."
His expression softened.
"I'll do everything to protect them…"
"…even if it means dying."
A few minutes later-
Kaelen arrived at his house.
The door opened.
Inside—
His mother and father were waiting.
Selene Veystrum—master of the Chrono Circuit (Stage 8).
Tavren Veystrum—master of the Gravity Circuit (Stage 9).
They immediately approached and hugged him.
"…Kaelen… are you alright?"
Kaelen hugged them back.
"…Yeah. I'm fine."
He paused slightly.
Then his senses shifted.
A subtle presence.
Another life.
He turned his gaze toward his mother.
And noticed—
Selene's condition.
"…?"
His eyes widened slightly.
"…Mom…"
Selene placed a hand on her abdomen.
"…Yes."
Kaelen's expression softened.
"…A baby?"
Tavren smiled.
"…You're going to be a big brother."
Kaelen stood there for a moment.
Then smiled.
Genuinely.
"…Yeah…"