The dragon's head turned slowly upward, massive eyes like golden suns focusing on the two humans suspended impossibly above the water's surface. Intelligence blazed in that ancient gaze, not animal cunning but the kind of consciousness that had witnessed the birth and death of civilizations.
Pressure began building in the space around them, spiritual force so profound that Ashcroft felt his knees buckle. The air itself seemed to thicken with power beyond mortal comprehension, while the dragon's presence pressed against his consciousness like the weight of mountains.
"I... I can't..." Ashcroft gasped, his academic composure crumbling as forces beyond his understanding overwhelmed his senses. The pressure was building toward levels that threatened to crush his very soul, reality itself becoming too heavy to bear.
