Alix doesn't answer. His eyes turn back toward the dragon as the ground beneath them begins to tremble.
The air grows heavy—dense enough that even Mero's smoke flickers. A low, guttural sound rolls through the grove, more felt than heard.
Then two eyes open.
The dragon exhales, each breath shaking the surrounding trees. Its scales shimmer with molten veins of gold and black, ancient runes faintly glowing along its wings. It raises its head slowly, gaze settling on the monster standing among the corpses of its guardians.
When it speaks, its voice isn't just sound—it's vibration, resonating through mana, through earth, through bone.
"You…"
The dragon's pupils narrow to slits, faint arcs of lightning flickering in its breath. "It's you who massacred the beasts in my territory the other day."
Alix meets its gaze without flinching, the faintest smirk curving his lips. "Ah," he says quietly, "so this is your domain."
