Sakolomé had awakened at dawn, resuming the journey to the castle of Ysolongue alongside the others.
Zelongue, however, had not deemed it appropriate to accompany the group.
Upon their arrival, Ysolongue finally got to meet two figures she had only known through tales of the past: Lingyin and Jin Muleo, the dragon men. Both proud and imposing, they warmly welcomed an heir with a personality much gentler than that of Zelongue.
A detail that did not fail to touch Ysolongue... but not as much as the absence of her brother. She felt a pang of sadness, as if she had committed a fault unknown to her.
Salomé then placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, breaking this inner silence.
Shushu, meanwhile, had waited for no one: upon seeing Sakolomé, he leapt up and settled on her head as if he had never left.
Shortly after, Ysolongue found herself facing the egg of the Eleventh Heir. Its black surface seemed to absorb the very light, swallowing every reflection. Lingyin, standing beside her, was also watching it with narrowed eyes.
The young heir then called a meeting. Members of the Church of the Sealed Dawn demanded the egg... but Ysolongue had no intention of surrendering it to them.
In the castle's great hall, heavy tension hung around the table.
Kai, Salomé, Ysolongue, Sakolomé, Lingyin, Jin Muleo, and Rivhiamë stood there alongside representatives of the Church. The silence barely held.
One of the priests finally broke the restraint:
— If you don't give us that egg, the monster will destroy the world of the Myths. You must give it to us, or what comes next will be beyond control.
Ysolongue replied without hesitation:
— This egg carries the Eleventh Dragon Heir... my little brother. I cannot entrust him to you.
The priest furrowed his brow:
— Because of your family stories, you would be willing to condemn the world?
The door then opened.
Zelongue entered, his golden eyes sweeping the room like a blade. He stopped at the priest.
— And what proves that if we give you this egg, you will truly neutralize the creature?
He stepped forward, each footfall echoing in the silence.
— You wouldn't even be able to neutralize me if I attacked you. And you claim to be able to stop an entity perhaps more powerful than me with a creature still trapped inside an egg? I seriously doubt it.
His words fell like stones.
— I've never trusted your Churches. You are nothing but manipulators. None of you... none... will leave with that egg.
The priestess Inès stood up, fuming:
— So you have no awareness of the threat hanging over us?
Zelongue tilted his head, a cold smile on his lips:
— Don't make me laugh.
Then, pointing at Ysolongue:
— Do you even know who this girl is? A dragon heir. A guardian of the world of the Myths. She will never let this world fall. No more than I will.
The Church members remained frozen. The tension became almost tangible, and the revelation weighed on the room like an anvil.
Salomé could not suppress a smile: Zelongue had returned, and he stood by their side.
Ysolongue, however, was stunned: this brother who had kept his distance had just stood up to defend her cause.
The priest resumed, more nervous:
— The prophecy speaks of an egg... not an heir. What proves it is indeed a dragon?
Zelongue responded immediately:
— My sister believes it. And that is enough. She is the most attached to the creatures of the world of the Myths... far more than I am. If she says so, then it's true.
Sakolomé, standing back, gave a proud smile.
It was clear that Zelongue had made a decision... and would not back down.
Zelongue stepped toward Ysolongue, a slight smile at the corner of his lips.
— Hello there... it's been a while.
She stared at him, speechless, her eyes nearly wet.
— We have a lot to talk about, I know... he continued in a grave voice. But for now, I want to apologize. I let my ego blind me. I think we, the dragon heirs, will have to set it aside if we want real cohesion.
He paused, looking her straight in the eyes.
— And you... you seem to be the only one who understood this before me.
Touched, Ysolongue rose suddenly and threw herself into his arms.
Zelongue held her with unexpected gentleness.
— You are no longer alone. It's over.
Standing apart, Sakolomé observed the scene with a discreet smile. It had to happen... he thought.
Everyone seemed moved... except the members of the Church of the Sealed Dawn.
The priest broke the silence with a sharp tone:
— Tsss... You're settling your family issues while the world races toward its doom?
Zelongue slowly turned his head toward him, his golden eyes narrowing. Pure hostility read in his gaze.
— I said this egg will go nowhere.
His aura burst forth suddenly, filling the room like a burning tide.
Ysolongue recoiled instinctively. The air grew heavy, suffocating. Kai, Shushu, Lingyin, and Jin Muleo struggled to breathe.
For the Church members, it was worse: their knees trembled, and some felt as if their souls were cracking.
— By the way... I don't want to see you here anymore. Get out.
The aura intensified, denser, almost tangible.
Rivhiamë raised her hand, spreading a protective layer over Kai, Lingyin, Jin Muleo, and Shushu, then over the Church members who had already collapsed to the floor, panting.
They all then understood the fundamental difference between Zelongue and Ysolongue.
She, gentle, patient, ready to listen and discuss even though she had the power to crush them with a single gesture.
He, authoritarian, imposing his will like a law carved in stone, leaving no room for refusal.
Rivhiamë broke the tension in a neutral tone:
— I know this matter concerns the creatures of this world, and that neither humans of the Existence nor I, demon of the Hells, have a say. But... your reaction is a bit excessive, I find.
Ysolongue nodded gently.
— She's right, Zelongue. Calm down, please...
Zelongue fixed her for a moment, then gave a long sigh. His blazing aura faded like a smothered ember.
— Fine... then I will let you handle it, Ysolongue.
A smile passed between them, frank and conspiratorial.
In the heir's gaze, something had just changed. With her brother's support, she felt stronger... and a little less like the person she had always been.
Suddenly... CRACK.
A sharp noise echoed in the room. All eyes turned to the black egg, which cracked slowly. Shards of shell fell, and a blinding light burst forth, flooding the room with an almost unbearable glare.
The Church members collapsed to the ground, crushed by an invisible pressure.
— What is... that? gasped one of them.
The light slowly retracted, as if sucked in, revealing the broken egg. From the heart of what remained emerged a small golden glow, which floated for a moment in the air before darting to the window and disappearing outside.
Sakolomé rose abruptly.
— What could that be?
Outside, the glow exploded.
KABOOM.
The ground vibrated, walls trembled, and in the distance, the entire world of the Myth seemed to rumble like an angry volcano. In the sky, a colossal reptilian form appeared, winding around the world as if encircling reality itself. Its golden scales reflected all lights, its legs were so massive they seemed capable of crushing entire universes.
Then, the creature broke upon itself, its shape contracting, reshaping... until it took on that of an old man.
He now stood before the castle. His long robe, covered with celestial patterns, fluttered in the wind. His white hair and beard radiated a soft but infinitely powerful light.
Raising his head to the windows where all watched, he declared in a clear voice:
— The condition to free me... has been fulfilled.
Sakolomé frowned.
— The condition?
Salomé added.
— What condition?
The man took a peaceful step toward the castle.
— I am the creator of the world of the Myths. The Dragon-God Orlongue. Father of all the Dragon Heirs.
A stunned silence fell over the room.
Wide-eyed, everyone struggled to grasp what they had just heard. But it was Zelongue who appeared most shaken.
— Nonsense... How can we be sure you are not a liar?
Orlongue cast a piercing look at him, and Zelongue instinctively stepped back. In those eyes, he saw... himself. Not his reflection, but his essence, laid bare.
— No... no, this is impossible... I'm dreaming... I will surely wake up...
The old man resumed, serene:
— I believe it is no longer necessary to justify myself. I was originally the dragon of Zeus, created after the war of gods and demons to carry his praises. But I ended up acquiring autonomy.
He raised his hand, haloed with a golden glow.
— With this freedom, I created this world, vaster even than the Existence. And I created you... my Heirs. But I knew that sooner or later, your ego would be your greatest enemy. So, I voluntarily sealed myself in an egg. The condition for my release was not the repentance of all my children... but of at least one.
His finger stretched out, pointed directly at Zelongue.
— You. Your repentance was to set aside your pride... to listen to your sister Ysolongue.