The world was silent.
Or maybe it was just him.
Kairo floated in an endless void, his arms hanging limp at his sides, his body motionless, as he floated endlessly without knowing the destination. The colors around him shifted between black and gold, as if the sky couldn't decide what time it wanted to be. He tried to breathe, but the air was weightless, soundless—like he was caught between one heartbeat and the next.
Then, light erupted.
A scorching, blinding sun burned on the horizon, its heat pressing against his skin. Beneath it marched a horde of giants—each the size of fortress towers—bellowing roars that shook the ground. Their bronze armor gleamed, their weapons were slabs of metal, and every step felt like it could crush the land itself.
Opposite them, a cold silver moon rose, leaking frost-blue light that bled into the battlefield. dragons—sleek, scaled, and majestic—swirled in the moonlit sky. Their eyes glowed like shards of frozen stars, and their breath painted the air with mist.
The two armies roared. The sun's heat rolled forward in waves. The moon's chill lashed back like spears of ice.
Kairo's heart pounded as they collided. The giants' earth-shattering stomp met the dragons' bone-rattling dive, the clash so violent that the very air screamed. Swords of burning steel shattered against icy claws. Mountainous shields were dented by snapping jaws. Fire and frost tore the world apart.
And in the chaos—
A pull.
Kairo felt his body being dragged backward, away from the carnage. The world spun, the noise faded, and he was falling—no, sinking—into darkness.
When his vision cleared, he was underwater. Not just underwater, but submerged in an endless ocean, the sunlight and moonlight from before gone, replaced by infinite blue stretching in all directions.
Shapes moved in the depths—strange creatures with too many eyes, serpentine silhouettes gliding past, and massive fins brushing against unseen currents. The deeper he looked, the more alien it became. Schools of glowing fish scattered before shadows too large to comprehend.
And then he saw it.
Far below, where the water turned almost black, something was trapped.
A dragon—no, something beyond a dragon. Its scales shimmered faintly in shades of emerald and silver, but enormous chains coiled around its body, binding its wings and neck, forcing its head low. The chains pulsed with runes he couldn't read, each one glowing faintly with a pale, cold light. The creature's eyes opened—slitted, sharp, and ancient—and its gaze pierced directly into him.
When it spoke, the ocean itself seemed to tremble.
> "Mortal....hear me."
Its voice was a paradox—majestic, commanding, and yet laced with something mournful.
> "These chains are not the end. Break them..and the tides will change."
Kairo's lungs burned. He tried to speak, but his words dissolved into bubbles.
> "Will you...help me."
The weight of that voice crashed against his mind, and before he could answer, the pressure became unbearable. The chains rattled, the runes flared, and something yanked him upward. He was ripped away from the ocean floor, the dragon's eyes following him until they vanished into the dark.
Kairo woke with a start.
His breaths came in sharp gasps, sweat dampening his face. The air around him was cold, the ground hard beneath his back. It took a moment for the flickering shadows to resolve into familiar shapes.
The Shadow Reaper stood silently beside him, its skeletal frame wreathed in faint violet mist, lance resting casually on its shoulder. Its empty eyesockets glowed faintly, watching—not with menace, but vigilance.
"...Still here," Kairo muttered, forcing himself upright. His body ached from head to toe, but nothing felt broken. He quickly scanned the area until he spotted the others.
Shiri was slumped against a rock, chest rising steadily—alive, just unconscious. A few meters away lay the boy, still unmoving, his lime-green hair mussed, the faint glint of his sword's hilt catching the light. Even now, the boy's draconic features stood out—small horn curling from his temple, patches of faint scales along his jaw and neck.
Kairo dug into his pack, hands fumbling until he found the last healing vial. The liquid inside glimmered faintly gold. He knelt beside Shiri first, carefully pressing it to the naga's lips.
Shiri groaned, his golden-brown scaled tail shifting against the dirt before his eyes opened slowly.
"Tch… Did we win?" His voice was raspy.
Kairo smirked faintly. "We're still breathing, aren't we?"
They both glanced at the boy.
Kairo didn't hesitate. He poured the last drops of the vial into the boy's mouth. The child stirred, his eyelids fluttering, but didn't fully wake. His breathing, though, was stronger. That was enough.
The victory was still fresh, though fatigue made it feel distant.
The boss—that massive nightmare of claws and shadows—was gone. The battle was over.
Shiri stretched, his joints popping. "You didn't abandon him," he said quietly, nodding toward the boy. "Even when the fight could've gone either way."
Kairo raised a brow. "And?"
"And…" Shiri's slit-pupiled eyes narrowed, his tone suddenly serious. "You value your people. I've seen it. That's rare."
He coiled his tail, leaning closer. "I've decided—I'll join your territory officially. But on one condition."
Kairo tilted his head. "Let me guess. You want first pick of the loot?"
Shiri's grin was all teeth. "Second in command. Equal to you in say. Otherwise, I walk."
Kairo studied him for a long moment, then nodded. "Deal."
Back at the territory, the air felt different. Stronger. Brighter. The Territory Core hummed faintly with new energy.
They gathered the loot from the boss fight.
Weapons—some broken, others too large for any of them to wield—were sorted into piles. Bundles of rare herbs and monster parts were tucked away for crafting. Among the haul, one thing stood out: a crystal the size of Kairo's forearm, glowing faintly green with swirling patterns trapped within its depths.
Shiri's eyes widened. "That's… a tier 3 relic."
Kairo's fingers tightened around it. "And with the territory at Tier 2, we've got the slots to activate it."
The Territory Core pulsed as he approached. He held the relic over its surface. Lines of light extended from the core to the crystal, pulling it in. Energy surged through the room, rattling the walls.
The air grew heavier, the glow from the core intensifying until it was nearly blinding. Then—a figure emerged.
A kabolt—its scales deep emerald, its build smaller than Karhix but still towering over Kairo. Its amber eyes locked onto him before the creature dropped to one knee, lowering its head in wordless allegiance.
Kairo exhaled slowly, his earlier dream still lingering like a whisper.
Chains.
A voice.
And a promise.
Something told him the real battle was only beginning.