Kael woke up choking on smoke that didn't exist.
His lungs burned. His skin felt too tight, like it didn't quite belong to him anymore. For a terrifying moment, he thought the forest was still on fire—that Cinder was still roaring, that nobles were still screaming.
Then someone slapped his face.
Hard.
"OW—!"
He bolted upright.
Pain exploded through his skull, sharp and very real.
"Oh good," Iris said cheerfully. "You're alive. I was about to try stabbing you next."
Kael blinked.
Slowly.
The world came into focus.
They were in a cave—natural, shallow, hidden behind a curtain of thick hanging roots and stone. A small fire crackled at the center. The air smelled like herbs, dirt, and something faintly metallic.
He looked down.
Bandages.
A lot of them.
His chest was wrapped tight. His arms were smeared with ointment. His hands—
He froze.
Gold.
Faint, scale-like patterns shimmered across the backs of his hands before fading back into skin.
"…I'm dead," Kael muttered. "This is hell."
Luna snorted. "If this were hell, Iris wouldn't be allowed in."
"Rude."
Nyx crouched nearby, sharpening a blade. "You've been unconscious for eleven hours."
Kael swallowed. "Cinder?"
A massive shape shifted behind him.
Warm.
Solid.
Cinder lay curled protectively along the cave wall, wings folded, breathing slow and deep. Its chest rose and fell with the steady rhythm of something that no longer needed to prove it was alive.
Complete wings.
Fully formed.
Beautiful.
Terrifying.
Kael exhaled shakily.
"…You're real."
Cinder cracked one eye open.
Snorted.
Then pressed its snout gently against Kael's shoulder.
Kael laughed weakly. "Yeah. You too."
The System chimed faintly, like it was speaking through a headache.
[Host consciousness stabilized.]
[Post-synchronization recovery ongoing.]
[Warning: permanent changes detected.]
Kael grimaced. "You don't say."
Luna handed him a waterskin. "Drink slowly."
Kael did.
The water tasted… different.
Richer.
He frowned. "Did water always taste like mana?"
Nyx paused mid-sharpen.
"…No."
The System chimed.
[Draconic sensory bleed-through detected.]
[Effect: irreversible.]
Kael stared at the water like it had personally betrayed him.
"So," Iris said lightly, sitting cross-legged. "You want the good news or the bad news?"
Kael took another sip. "If the bad news includes me exploding, tell me that first."
Iris shrugged. "Nah. That already happened. Sort of."
Luna elbowed her.
"The good news," Luna said carefully, "is that you saved us. You broke noble-grade restraints, killed a titled lord, and survived a forced synchronization that should have liquefied your organs."
Kael blinked.
"…And the bad news?"
Nyx slid her blade into its sheath.
"You've been classified."
The System chimed again, louder this time.
[Global notice acknowledged.]
[Host status updated.]
A translucent screen flared into existence.
Kael's breath caught.
[SYSTEM UPDATE]
Name: Kael Ardent
Status: Independent Beast Tamer
Threat Rating: UNDEFINED
Anomalies Detected:
– Unauthorized Evolution Catalyst
– Draconic Synchronization
– Bond Override Authority
Notice:
You are now under observation by the following entities:
– Imperial Registry
– Noble Coalition
– Dragon Ecclesia
– Unknown Parties (7)
The screen vanished.
The cave felt very small.
"…Seven?" Kael croaked. "Why seven?"
Iris grinned. "Because five would be boring?"
Luna rubbed her temples. "This is bad."
Nyx nodded. "This is very bad."
Kael stared at his hands.
"…I just wanted to survive."
The System chimed again.
Hesitant.
[Designation protocol pending.]
[Draconic bond exceeds unnamed threshold.]
Kael frowned. "What does that mean?"
Nyx's expression hardened. "It means the System wants to name you."
Silence slammed into the cave.
Luna went pale. "That's impossible. Names are for—"
"Legends," Iris finished quietly.
The System continued.
[Name assignment increases host authority.]
[Risk: catastrophic attention escalation.]
Kael laughed weakly. "Can I say no?"
The System paused.
[Refusal acknowledged.]
[Note: refusal may be temporary.]
"…Great."
Cinder stirred uneasily.
Kael felt it—an echo of instinct, ancient and heavy.
Names mattered.
Far Away, Bells Ring
Miles away.
In a marble tower overlooking a golden city, bells rang.
Deep.
Resonant.
A man in white robes froze mid-step.
"…That tone," he whispered.
Behind him, massive stained-glass windows depicting dragons flared with light.
"The wings," another priest murmured. "They're complete."
A third voice trembled. "A bonded one… outside the Covenant."
The man clenched his staff.
"Summon the Cardinals."
In a candlelit hall drenched in velvet and fear, nobles shouted over one another.
"A dragon answered him!"
"He broke imperial restraints!"
"He killed Lord Varron!"
An older woman slammed her cane against the floor. "Silence!"
The room quieted.
Her eyes burned.
"Find him," she said coldly. "Alive or in pieces. I don't care which."
A shadow at the edge of the room smiled.
Kael lay back against the cave wall.
"…So," he said. "What's the plan?"
Nyx didn't hesitate. "We disappear."
Iris snorted. "With that?" She nodded at Cinder, whose tail alone could probably crush a house.
Luna sighed. "We need information. Control. Allies."
Kael stared at the fire.
Then smiled.
A small, crooked, Eren-Yeager-before-everything-went-to-hell smile.
"Then we steal it."
Everyone stared.
"…Steal what?" Luna asked.
Kael's eyes gleamed.
"Answers."
The System chimed.
[Intent registered.]
[Danger level: extreme.]
Kael shrugged. "Story of my life."
Cinder rumbled approvingly.
Kael tried to stand.
Pain flared—but it didn't stop him.
His body adapted.
Muscles responded faster than his thoughts. Balance came naturally. His heartbeat felt… stronger.
The System chimed softly.
[Draconic physiology assimilation: 3%]
Kael swallowed.
"…That's new."
Nyx watched him carefully. "You're changing."
He nodded. "Yeah."
Iris smirked. "At least you're hot now."
Luna choked. "IRIS!"
"What? I'm being supportive!"
Kael laughed despite himself.
Then winced.
"Okay. Less laughing."
Cinder suddenly stiffened.
Head lifting.
Eyes narrowing.
The cave grew colder.
The System flared.
[Warning.]
[High-tier presence detected.]
[Threat level: unknown.]
Kael's blood ran cold.
"…Already?"
A voice echoed from outside the cave.
Calm.
Ancient.
Amused.
"Come out, little dragon."
The cave trembled.
Cinder growled—low, furious.
Kael stood.
Hands shaking.
Heart steady.
"…Looks like the world didn't wait."