Draeven's POV
I tear through the Crimson Tower like a storm of fire and fury.
Guards try to stop me. I burn through them without slowing. Mages throw spells. Their magic shatters against my flames like glass.
Nothing will keep me from that ritual chamber.
Through my bond with Serina, I feel her weakening. They're still draining her blood. Still hurting her. The rage inside me grows hotter with each second.
But I can't go back to her yet. She gave me an order: save her brother.
And I will obey. Not because the contract forces me. Because she asked.
I reach the top floor. The doors to the ritual chamber are twenty feet tall, made of enchanted steel.
I blow them apart.
Inside, the scene makes my ancient blood boil.
A boy lies on a stone altar. Kai—I recognize him from Serina's memories bleeding through our bond. He's unconscious, covered in glowing symbols. Black crystals surround him, pulsing with dark magic.
And standing over him, chanting in the old language, is a woman in crimson robes.
She looks up as I enter. Her eyes widen.
"Impossible. You shouldn't be able to—"
I cross the distance in a heartbeat and grab her throat.
"Stop the ritual. Now."
She chokes, terrified. "I—I can't! It's already—"
I tighten my grip. "Wrong answer."
"Wait!" She gasps. "Kill me and the boy dies! The ritual is tied to my life force! If I die before it's complete, the backlash will destroy his soul!"
I freeze. Feel through the magical connections around us. She's telling the truth.
Clever. They made sure I couldn't just kill everyone.
"Then finish it," I snarl. "But reverse the binding. Free the boy instead of trapping him."
"That's not how this works! I can't just—"
I let a bit more fire leak into my hand. Her skin starts to blister.
"You have remarkable motivation to figure it out."
Her hands shake as she pulls out a black crystal. "This... this holds the Dragon Sovereign's soul fragment. If I release it instead of binding it to the boy, the ritual might redirect..."
"Do it."
She throws the crystal to the floor. It shatters.
Black smoke pours out, swirling toward the ceiling. For a moment, I feel her—my sister, Aelith. Her presence, weak and confused after three thousand years of imprisonment.
Brother?
I'm here, I send back through the ancient bond between dragon siblings. Rest. I'll find a way to free you properly.
The smoke disperses, drawn back to wherever her soul has been sealed.
The symbols on Kai's body flicker. Turn from black to gold. The boy gasps and his eyes snap open.
"Where—" He tries to sit up, panicked. "Rina! Where's my sister?"
I release the mage. She collapses, coughing.
"Your sister is alive," I tell Kai. "But in danger. Can you walk?"
He staggers off the altar, weak but determined. "I can run if it means saving Rina."
Good. I like this boy already. He has the same fire as his sister.
"Then run. Get out of this tower. Find somewhere safe to hide."
"But Rina—"
"I will get her. You have my word."
Kai studies me for a long moment. Then nods. "You're the dragon, aren't you? The one she summoned."
"I am."
"Thank you for healing me." He heads for the door, then looks back. "Please... she's all I have. Don't let them kill her."
"They would have to kill me first."
He smiles slightly, then runs.
I turn back to the mage. She's trying to crawl away.
"Where is the main ritual chamber? The one for resurrecting the Dragon Sovereign."
"I don't—"
I step on her hand. Not hard enough to break it. Just enough to hurt.
"Try again."
"Basement! The lowest level! But you can't stop it!" She's crying now. "Lord Corwen has fifty mages down there! The ritual is almost complete! Even if you—"
An explosion rocks the tower.
Then another.
The floor tilts. Cracks spread across the walls.
"What did you do?" the mage screams.
I smile coldly. "I may not be able to fully manifest, but I can still send my fire through this entire building. Every support beam. Every foundation stone. This tower is coming down."
Her face goes white. "You'll kill everyone! Even your contractor!"
"Serina is in the basement. The strongest part of the structure. She'll survive the collapse." I start walking toward the door. "Everyone else? That depends on how fast they run."
I leave her there and head down. Down through floors of panicking mages and guards. Down through smoke and fire and screaming.
Down to where Serina waits.
The bond between us pulses with her heartbeat. Weak. Fading. But still there.
Hold on, little flame, I send through our connection. I'm coming.
Kai? Her thought is barely a whisper.
Safe. Free. Running far from here.
Thank you. Relief floods through the bond. Now save yourself. Let me go. The building is collapsing—
Never. I pour more of my power into her, keeping her alive. You freed me from three thousand years of darkness. I will not abandon you to die in theirs.
I reach the basement level. The door is reinforced steel. I blow it open.
Inside, fifty mages turn to face me. At the center of the room, Serina hangs from chains, pale and bleeding. Lord Corwen stands over her with a knife.
Behind him, a massive crystal pulses with dark energy. Inside it, I see Aelith's true soul, slowly being corrupted and bound.
"Stop right there, dragon!" Corwen presses the knife to Serina's throat. "One more step and I cut her open!"
I stop. My flames burn hotter, but I don't move.
"You care about her," Corwen says triumphantly. "The mighty World-End Dragon, controlled by a worthless slum girl. How pathetic."
Serina's eyes meet mine. Even half-dead, there's fire in them.
Trust me, she sends through our bond.
Always, I respond.
Then she does something that makes my ancient heart skip.
She smiles.
"You made three mistakes," she tells Corwen weakly.
"What?"
"First, you assumed I'm helpless." Golden fire suddenly erupts from her hands, melting her chains. She drops to the ground, free. "Second, you forgot that I have dragon fire in my veins now."
Corwen stumbles back. "Impossible! You don't have enough power—"
"Third." Serina's smile turns sharp. Dangerous. "You assumed Draeven is the most dangerous thing in this room."
She raises her hands. The dragon fire I've been feeding her through our bond explodes outward.
It's wild. Uncontrolled. Beautiful.
The blast hits Corwen and twenty mages, sending them flying. The crystal behind them cracks.
"NO!" Corwen screams. "The soul! If that crystal breaks—"
It shatters.
Aelith's soul bursts free in a wave of silver light. I feel her consciousness expand, finally free after three thousand years.
But something's wrong.
The ritual wasn't complete, but it was close enough. Aelith's soul is free, yes—but it's also unstable. Fragmenting. Without a proper anchor, without the full ritual, she'll dissipate into nothing.
Die. Again.
Brother, her voice echoes in my mind. Let me go. I'm tired. Three thousand years is enough.
NO! I roar, both out loud and in my thoughts.
I reach for her soul with my power. Try to hold her together. But I'm too weak. The incomplete bond with Serina means I don't have enough strength.
Then I feel Serina's hand on my arm.
"Use me," she says. "Use our bond. Use my body as her anchor."
"That will kill you," I growl. "Your human form can't hold two souls."
"Then make me not human." Her eyes burn into mine. "Complete the bond. Make me your true contractor. Give me enough power to hold her."
"Serina, the second trial—accepting my heart-fire—it will change you forever. You won't be fully human anymore."
"Good." She grips my arm tighter. "I don't want to be human. Humans betrayed me. Used me. Tried to kill me." Tears stream down her face. "But you kept your promise. You saved Kai. You came for me."
The tower shakes. Another explosion. We're running out of time.
"Please," Serina whispers. "Let me save your sister. Let me be strong enough to matter."
I look at this small, broken, fierce girl who freed me. Who trusted me. Who just risked everything to help me save the only family I have left.
How can I say no?
"The pain will be worse than anything you've experienced," I warn her.
"I know."
"You'll be bound to me for life. My contractor. My anchor. Mine."
"I know."
"You might not survive."
"I know." She smiles through her tears. "Do it anyway."
I place my hand over her heart.
"Then let's burn together, little flame."
Fire explodes between us as the second trial begins.