A streak of golden light tore through the night like a falling meteor, carrying a thunderous dragon's roar as it slammed straight into the center of the clearing. Violent air currents swept outward, whipping the bodyguards' suits until they snapped loudly, even forcing the campfire to bow low. Kai instinctively raised an arm to shield his face. The pocket watch in his palm flared with brilliant blue light, resonating from afar with the golden radiance as a familiar warmth flowed through his arm and spread across his body.
As the light faded, a massive dragon covered in golden scales appeared before them. Its wings were folded behind its back, its scales gleaming under the moonlight. A pair of amber, vertical pupils burned like torches as they swept over everyone present. When its gaze settled on the pocket watch at Kai's chest, the enormous head lowered slightly, releasing a deep, rumbling sound—almost like a salute.
"A dragon! The Guardian Dragon of Aurora!" Linore cried out in shock. Her sword clattered to the ground as disbelief filled her face. "The legends say the Guardian Dragon fell into slumber after the Starfall Event. How could it awaken now?"
Ironhammer was equally stunned, his smithing hammer trembling in his grip. "It's the resonance of the Starcore shard! The Starcore holds the origin power of both worlds—the Guardian Dragon can sense its call!"
The lead bodyguard had gone deathly pale, his hands shaking uncontrollably around his steam rifle. He never could have imagined that a routine encirclement would summon a creature from legend. Against humans, these mechanical forces were unstoppable—but before a dragon's absolute power, they were nothing more than scrap metal.
"Fire! Open fire!" the leader screamed hysterically, terror saturating his voice. "Kill it! Kill them all!"
The bodyguards snapped out of their daze and raised their steam rifles, unleashing a barrage toward the dragon and the three companions. Bullets shrieked through the air, striking the dragon's scales with crisp metallic clangs, but not even a scratch was left behind.
The dragon let out a furious roar and spread its wings wide. A violent gale exploded outward, sending the bodyguards tumbling in all directions, weapons flying from their hands. The dragon raised one massive claw and casually swept it aside—several unlucky guards were flung into tree trunks with bone-crushing force, collapsing unconscious.
Kai stared at the scene, his heart pounding wildly. He could feel the Starcore shard within the pocket watch beating faster and faster, powerful energy pouring relentlessly into his body. Fragmented images suddenly flashed through his mind—shattered skies, burning lands, elves and dwarves wailing in despair. They were memories of the Starfall Event, carried within the Starcore itself.
"Kai, now's our chance!" Ironhammer's shout snapped him back to reality. "The dragon's power can temporarily tear open the barrier. We must leave now!"
Kai nodded sharply, gripping the meteor-iron wrench as he felt the energy surging inside him. Linore recovered as well, scooping up her sword and positioning herself protectively at Kai's side. Ironhammer hoisted his hammer onto his shoulder, eyes locked warily on the remaining bodyguards who still struggled on.
The dragon seemed to understand them. It raised its massive head, opened its jaws, and released a stream of golden flame. The fire carried no heat, but an otherworldly force, shooting straight into the sky. The heavy, leaden clouds above suddenly split apart, revealing a glowing fissure suffused with faint blue light—the magical radiance of the Aurora Continent.
"Now! Follow me!" Linore shouted, grabbing Kai's hand and sprinting toward the rift. Ironhammer followed close behind, his hammer swinging again and again to knock unconscious any guards who tried to block their path.
The dragon remained beneath the rift, its wings beating ceaselessly as it drove back all who charged forward. Its amber eyes stayed fixed on Kai's retreating figure, filled with expectation.
Pulled along by Linore, Kai ran with all his strength. The magical aura spilling from the rift grew stronger with every step—a warm, pure force utterly unlike the cold steam machinery of Eros.
Just as they were about to enter the rift, a deafening noise erupted behind them. Kai glanced back to see the bodyguard leader holding a black grenade, staring at them with vicious hatred.
"Trying to run? Dream on!" the man snarled, finger hooked around the detonator. "If I can't have it, neither can you! We'll all die together!"
Kai's face went pale. He tried to turn back, but it was already too late. With a twisted grin, the leader yanked the pin free. The grenade hissed violently, flashing with a deadly red light.
"Watch out!" Linore shouted, shoving Kai forward with all her strength.
Kai stumbled into the rift and turned just in time to see the leader clutching the grenade as he charged toward the dragon. The dragon roared in fury and tried to strike him away—but it was too late.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion erupted, flames shooting skyward. Kai saw one of the dragon's wings torn open by the blast, golden blood pouring out in streams. The dragon screamed in agony, yet still stood firm, shielding the rift and refusing to let a single bodyguard pass.
"Dragon!" Kai's eyes burned red as he struggled to go back, but a powerful force seized him, dragging him toward the far side of the rift.
Tears filled Linore's eyes as she held him tightly. "Don't look back! This is the dragon's choice! We must live—only then can we stop Victor and avenge all who were lost!"
Kai clenched his teeth, tears streaming down his face. As the dragon's silhouette faded into the firelight, he swore silently to gather every Starcore shard, repair the barrier, and restore peace to both worlds.
Beyond the rift lay a lush forest. The air was filled with the fragrance of grass and leaves, sunlight filtering through the canopy in golden beams. Kai, Linore, and Ironhammer crashed heavily onto the grass and lost consciousness.
In the moment before they faded out, the pocket watch at Kai's chest pulsed with blue light, merging seamlessly with the surrounding magic. Far away in the sky, a faint figure appeared—an elf woman clad in white robes. She gazed at the three figures on the ground and smiled softly, a look of quiet relief on her face.