The screen went black.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Kai stood frozen.
For years, he had searched for answers.
For years, he believed his mother was gone.
But now…
She was alive.
Axel looked at Kai carefully.
"Bro… you okay?"
Kai didn't answer immediately.
His eyes stayed on the empty screen.
"She knew…" Kai said quietly.
Leo frowned. "Knew what?"
Kai stepped closer to the screen.
"She knew I would find this place."
Silence.
The commander looked uncomfortable.
"That message was never supposed to be seen."
Kai turned sharply.
"Why?"
The commander looked away.
"Because if Dragon discovered she left it…"
A pause.
"They would erase everything."
Axel clenched his fists.
"So you knew she was alive this whole time?"
The commander didn't respond.
Axel's anger grew.
"You knew and nobody told Kai?"
Kai raised a hand.
Stopping him.
"No."
Everyone looked at him.
Kai's voice was calm.
Cold.
"Let him speak."
The commander looked surprised.
"Kai…" Leo whispered.
"You're different."
Kai looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
Leo hesitated.
"Before, you would have already lost control."
Kai looked down.
"I almost did."
A quiet moment passed.
"But I'm tired of letting anger decide my actions."
Axel smiled slightly.
"That's actually the most normal thing you've said in a while."
A small silence.
Then the building shook again.
Warning alarms returned.
Leo checked his device.
"Uh… guys?"
Everyone looked at him.
"We have a problem."
The commander walked closer.
"What happened?"
Leo turned the screen around.
A Dragon symbol appeared.
INCOMING ATTACK
The commander's face changed.
"No…"
Axel noticed.
"You know who that is?"
The commander nodded slowly.
"The original Dragon faction."
Kai narrowed his eyes.
"Original?"
The commander looked at him.
"The ones who started everything."
Suddenly—
The lights went out.
Darkness covered the facility.
A voice echoed through the speakers.
"Kai."
Everyone froze.
The voice continued.
"You have learned too much."
Kai stepped forward.
"Who are you?"
A short laugh answered.
"The person who knows what you truly are."
The doors at the end of the chamber opened slowly.
A figure walked through the darkness.
Not a soldier.
Not a scientist.
Someone different.
The commander whispered:
"…The Dragon King."
Kai's eyes narrowed.
The figure smiled.
"Finally…"
A pause.
"I get to meet the Hidden King."