The Dragon's Awakening
"Dragon…," Boomer's voice was a whisper, smothered by the thunder pounding above Skyfire Mountain. His eyes fixed on the sky, he was unable to express the fear mixed with awe coursing through his veins.
Out of the blackness of the stormy sky, figures began to fall. Their auras were brighter than lightning, each figure with a presence strong enough to make all onlookers nervous. These were not common cultivators; they were the crème de la crème of the academy.
Among them, one figure hung suspended in mid-air. Middle-aged, with a handsome face and a composed demeanor, he alone inspired a momentary faltering in the otherwise self-assured males. His respect-showering every action,Pick up a copy of ENTANGLED: OTHERWORLDLY OBSESSIONS tonight. Every day matters when you need
"That's not a dragon," a man stated matter-of-factly, hands clasped behind his back, voice carrying above the storm. The declaration ran a chill over all of their spines.
"It only looks and acts like a dragon," he went on, his eyes fixed on the creature as it danced among lightening-filled clouds. "To have a creature imitate a dragon this well, someone must have had interaction with a real dragon. But why let this creature loose in a place such as Skyfire Mountain?"
"That's why it hasn't hurt anyone," whispered one of the men. "We'd all be dead if it were real," he added.
"Even if it's a fake, we have no idea why it's appeared at Greenhold Academy," said this middle-aged man, gliding with an air of effortless grace, scanning the teenagers before him. "And you people. you have guts,"
Kai and Boomer were below him, their eyes fixed on this sight. They were not alone in disobeying the evacuation order, a fascination with the legend proved a potent glue.
"These scoundrels," grumbled one of the high-ranking men, scowling. "Violating lockdown just for a look…"
But Kai did not care about their disapproval. His mind was fixed solely on the dragon. Every motion, every turn of the dragon's slithering form, seared itself into his mind.
The FreeMind Meditation burst forth in him, lightning and thunder raging inside his War Soul Palace. A phantom dragon manifested in this sea of stormy turmoil in his mind, with each flash of lightning illuminating a scale on this dragon and each peal of thunder echoing in his very bones. His mind wavered before this intensity, but he found no way to tear his eyes away. Every movement, every glint in this dragon's eyes, seared itself into him.
A flash of lightning struck right between his eyes, burning the image into his brain. The storm's hum resonated in his own flesh, compelling a growl deep from within him. He was no longer observing—he had become a receptacle, taking in all the information of the creature.
"Watch out!" shouted Boomer warningly, sensing Kai's change, but he shouted a split second too late.
The dragon, with an impossible speed and fury, dived towards him. Where its nose touched the space between his eyebrows, it appeared to pierce into his very essence. A stabbing pain ran through him with all the ferocity of a raging storm, an ear-shattering scream bursting forth from his very throat, as if a real dragon had burst into his mind.
"Boom!"
His awareness shattered, scattering into a thousand shards across the stormy expanse of War Soul Palace.
"You've finally. grown up."
A voice thundered inside his mind as his body slumped weakly backwards. The storm raging around him began to clear, and the distortions in space ceased to exist.
"What…?" The men watching murmured among themselves, their eyes fixed on Kai's lifeless body. "What just happened?"
"That poor guy. it looks as if he got attacked by a fake dragon," someone else noted in amazement.
"Courageous act. Let's see if he's alright," a third one commented.
"He's all right," answered the middle-aged man matter-of-factly. "But I'll take him in and have him checked out anyway," he added, his eyes boring into Boomer with a sense of trust-ruling authority.
"Elder, can I come with?" Boomer asked tentatively.
"No need. He's safe; I'm taking him only as far as the academy," replied the man, with eyes shining with a strange, persuasive conviction. Boomer nodded, feeling a deep sense of trust in the elder. "Take good care of him, Elder," he said.
Lee Grund
When Kai finally woke up, he found himself with a complete, undamaged body—a rather pleasant surprise. His mind dived immediately into his War Soul Palace, where the storm was still raging around the Word Tree. The dragon was still flying aloft, majestic and unstoppable, living up to all the legends.
"How can I believe it actually entered my War Soul Palace?" A thrill ran through him in combination with the uneasiness. He had already fainted twice since he started developing. A bitter smile appeared on his lips. Fainting a couple of times more might be worthwhile if these situations were to bring him power in return.
Something didn't feel right. A look down showed strange clothes on his body. His environment wasn't right either—quiet, upscale décor in a privileged household instead of the familiarity of his dorm room.
Opening a highly polished door, he entered a pavilion. Inside, a young woman sat in repose, her eyes intent on a sketch. Next to her, a middle-aged man sat drinking tea, exemplifying composure and authority. Everything seemed peaceful, to the point of being serene, in contrast to the tumult Kai had left behind.
He crept up quietly, his eyes drifting to her artwork. She did not simply draw these images because she was talented; her lines shimmered with Spiritual Mana.
"This. this is an amulet," he breathed in wonder. "She's an Inscriber? That's a rare thing. an incredibly
"Have you seen one before?" the elder asked, setting his teacup aside and focusing on Kai.
"Not in front of each other, but in books," Kai answered. "A shield is being drawn on the scroll with Metal Spiritual Mana. That must be a defense magic," he stated.
"You can see it?" The elder's eyebrows went up in surprise.
Kai nodded. His experience in FreeMind Meditation had heightened his awareness greatly.
The man smiled. "Do you want to learn?"
"Yes!" Kai replied promptly, bowing. "Disciple Kai Dawnsworn shows respects, Master," he added
He moved with purpose, knowing how much it meant to learn this skill. To be an Inscriber is not only a very uncommon profession but a prestigious one, requiring a great deal of skill and a solid grounding in Spell Craft magic.
"You're as shameless as they claim," a young woman observed, setting her brush aside to direct a pointed glance at him. Kai just smiled, not embarrassed in the least. Taking in her gorgeous face, he quipped with a grin, "Well, well, well. Look what's become a recurring Her green eyes narrowed, a glint of amusement flickering despite her scolding. And so, this storm of Skyfire Mountain's stories had brought him to this place, to this knowledge, to this challenge—and perhaps, to a new start.