The air was thick with tension, the very sky trembling above the academy's ruins. The once-bright training grounds now lay in silence, broken only by distant rumbles of thunder.
The Sage, his true form revealed a majestic silver-scaled dragon, wings torn and body marked with deep wounds stood breathing heavily. His scales shimmered faintly under the moonlight, but their gleam had dimmed. Every breath sent small ripples of light across his battered frame.
Across from him stood his rival Rynvar, the ancient dragon of the East. Unlike the Sage's Western draconic form, Rynvar's body was long and serpentine, his movements fluid like water, yet filled with malice. His gray scales reflected no light, absorbing it instead, while his white eyes glowed with an eerie emptiness.
"You've fallen far, old friend," Rynvar's deep, commanding voice echoed, reverberating through the air. "The Silver Elder Dragon reduced to a weakling… protecting humans?"
The Sage snarled, his voice trembling with pain but filled with pride. "You wouldn't understand, Rynvar. I chose this path because I saw the future they could build."
Rynvar's grin stretched wide, fangs gleaming. "Future? You mean their chains?" He spread his claws, forming a sphere of gray energy that twisted the air around it. "You've forgotten what we are. Let me remind you."
He lunged forward, slamming into the Sage with overwhelming force. The Silver Elder was thrown back, crashing into the rubble. Dust and magic flared violently as his wings flared out, shielding his face.
"I won't let you harm them…" the Sage growled, rising again despite the damage. His scales cracked, light leaking from the wounds. "If I must die protecting them, then so be it."
Rynvar chuckled darkly. "Then die, 'protector.'" He unleashed his breath a torrent of pure gray fire that distorted space around it. The Sage countered with a beam of silver flame, and the two attacks collided midair, splitting the sky in half.
Both dragons roared as the world around them trembled from the clash.
But as the energy storm settled, it was clear who stood stronger. Rynvar hovered effortlessly, his body unscathed, while the Sage dropped to one knee, his light fading.
Rynvar gazed down at him with a mix of pity and disdain. "You were a great rival once, but your loyalty made you weak." He lowered his claw, charging it with crackling energy. "Don't worry… I'll find your little human and finish what you couldn't."
The Sage's eyes widened. "No… you stay away from her!"
Rynvar smirked. "The girl with silver hair, right? The one who hides behind mortal flesh… Milly, was it?"
The Silver Elder let out one final, desperate roar and lunged but Rynvar vanished in a swirl of smoke before impact. The sound of his laughter echoed across the realm as the Sage collapsed, his form shrinking back toward his human shape, barely conscious.
Meanwhile...
High above the ruins, Simni, in her true robotic form, stood in the shadows, observing the chaos unfold. Her blue optics flickered as she scanned for Rynvar's energy signature. "He's moving toward her…" she muttered.
When she turned, she saw Milly, still faint but stirring. Simni clenched her fists. "Not this time."
Rynvar's aura drew closer, a twisted smirk forming on his draconic face as he sensed them. But when his gaze met Simni's, his breath hitched. His instincts screamed danger. He recognized her instantly the Fifth Pillar of Chaos of the Forgotten Army.
"You…" Rynvar's tone faltered. "The machine… the Fifth Pillar."
Simni's blue optics glowed brighter, her tone cold. "You have no right to speak that title."
A silent standoff followed, the air between them thick with energy and history. The battlefield was no longer about humans it was a clash between the remnants of the Forgotten Age itself.