The sky burned.
Flames licked the edge of a crumbling battlefield. Smoke curled in spirals through the air, and
the screams of creatures—some human, some not—echoed through the chaos.
In the heart of the inferno stood a colossal dragon.
Its scales shimmered like molten gold, wings torn, chest heaving with labored breath. Behind it,
the shadow of a hybrid creature—half-dragon, half-man—fought off encroaching darkness,
shielding the dying beast with its last ounce of strength.
Artemis stood frozen in the midst of it all, untouched by fire, but paralyzed by the weight of
something ancient and vast.
Then the dragon turned its massive head.
Its eyes, deep as oceans and old as time, locked onto his.
"Artemis…"
The voice wasn't spoken. It resonated, shaking the earth, the sky, his soul.
"You must remember who you are…"
The battlefield fell silent. The fire no longer roared—it listened.
"The blood of flame runs through you. The world will burn… or be saved… by your choice."
The sky cracked open above them, light bursting from the void like a dying star.
And then—everything collapsed.
Artemis awoke with a start, gasping.
His chest rose and fell rapidly, damp with sweat. The pendant around his neck was pulsing with
faint red-orange light, warm like the final ember of a dying fire.
He stared at it.
This wasn't just a dream anymore. Something—someone—was calling him.
He sat up, breathing heavily, the dragon's voice echoing still in his mind. "You must remember…"
He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat there, staring at the floorboards. His fingers
twitched. Without even realizing, he grabbed a scrap of paper and began to draw: horns, burning
eyes, ancient wings.
When he finished, he held the rough sketch up to the light.
It was the same dragon from the dream.
By mid-morning, Artemis was at the table with his family, poking at his food. The warmth of his
home contrasted sharply with the chill in his chest.
"Didn't sleep again?" his mother asked gently.
He forced a small smile. "Weird dreams. That's all."
Kael , who had dropped by before heading to help at the stables, raised an eyebrow. "More
dragon stuff?"
Artemis hesitated.
"Yes."
Kael's joking grin faded.
"You're not just messing with me, are you?"
"No," Artemis said quietly. "This time it… spoke. It called me by name."
Kael stared at him. "That's… different."
Artemis whispered.
"I think it's the same voice from before. But stronger now."
There was silence between them as the others continued eating, unaware of the weight settling
between the two boys.
Kael leaned in. "There's an old seer in the village edge. If anyone knows about dragon dreams
and glowing pendants, it's probably that old man."
"I'll think about it," Artemis muttered, already knowing he wouldn't wait that long
Later that afternoon, Artemis found himself back near the edge of the forest. The air here was
cooler, the trees darker, like they held secrets in their roots.
He stepped forward. A wind stirred.
Heir of fire…
The whisper returned, soft this time, like a breeze across flames.
His pendant glowed again, and this time, a faint symbol shimmered beneath his skin on the back
of his hand—a crescent entwined with a flame.
It faded as quickly as it had come.
Artemis took a step deeper into the trees.
The truth wasn't waiting in the village.
It was waiting in the shadows.