Episode 1: Enter Yin Pendragon
Long ago, at the beginning of the first creation, the Big Bang gave birth to more than stars, planets, and countless universes.
From the first explosion of light came eight mythical creatures.
They were ancient beings who possessed authority over the concepts that governed existence and nonexistence.
Creation.
Destruction.
Life.
Death.
Chaos.
Judgment.
Dreams.
Infinity.
Each Ancient Ruler controlled a different portion of the Omniverse, watching over worlds, realms, dimensions, and universes from the shadows. They rarely showed themselves to mortals or even gods.
Their purpose was not to rule everything.
It was to keep everything in balance.
Creation could not be allowed to spread without Destruction.
Life could not exist without Death.
Chaos could not be left unchecked without Judgment.
Even Dreams required limits, or reality itself would become lost within them.
For millions of years, the eight Ancient Rulers performed their duty.
None of them sought complete control.
None of them attempted to stand above the others.
At least, that was what they believed.
One god rejected the order they had created.
He considered balance nothing more than a chain placed around the necks of powerful beings. He believed that anyone strong enough to seize control deserved to possess it.
Using forbidden knowledge, he created twelve powerful beings.
They were gods, demons, valkyries, beasts, spirits, dragons, and entities that could not be placed within any known race. Each one was granted a rank, and every rank represented the strength and authority they carried.
Together, they became known as the Fallen Twelve.
Their existence began the first Multiversal War.
Worlds burned.
Kingdoms vanished.
Stars were thrown across space as weapons.
Countless men, women, and children were caught between powers they could never understand.
The Ancient Rulers fought bravely, but the war refused to end. No matter how many times the Fallen Twelve were defeated, they returned.
Their bodies could be destroyed.
Their souls could be shattered.
Their names could be erased from history.
Yet somehow, they always returned.
The Ancient Rulers eventually accepted the truth.
The Fallen Twelve could not be killed.
Their existence had become connected to something even the rulers themselves could not fully understand.
With no other choice, the three strongest Ancient Rulers stepped forward.
Judgment.
Destruction.
Creation.
Together, they created a divine seal known as the Stigmata of Genesis.
The war ended when the Fallen Twelve were sealed inside a universe separated from the rest of existence. A place where no ordinary god, mortal, or concept could reach them.
Balance was restored.
However, the Ancient Rulers understood that their victory would not last forever.
Before vanishing, they created new gods to watch over the countless multiverses in their absence.
They also forged eight legendary weapons.
Each weapon carried a portion of their authority and power. They were meant to remain hidden until the day eight new wielders appeared.
Heroes capable of protecting the Omniverse when the Fallen Twelve returned.
As millions of years passed, the story of the war faded.
History became legend.
Legend became myth.
Myth became nothing more than a story told to children before bed.
Eventually, even those stories disappeared.
The worlds forgot the Ancient Rulers.
They forgot the eight legendary weapons.
They forgot the Fallen Twelve.
But the Fallen Twelve never forgot them.
Forty-Five Million Years Later
The Capital of the Pendragon Kingdom
The Pendragon Kingdom was known throughout Eolorial as the Kingdom of Dragons.
It was one of the largest and most powerful nations in the western region of the world. Dragons of all shapes and sizes flew above its cities while many other species lived peacefully beneath them.
The capital was built between several massive mountains.
Black stone towers reached toward the clouds. Crimson banners carrying the royal dragon crest hung from every wall, and enormous bridges connected different sections of the city.
At the highest point of the capital stood the Pendragon Castle.
Inside that castle, chaos was unfolding.
A tall man with messy black hair rushed through the halls while nearly knocking over every servant unfortunate enough to cross his path.
Leon Pendragon was known as the strongest black dragon alive.
He was the king of the Pendragon Kingdom.
At that moment, however, he looked less like a legendary dragon and more like a panicking husband who had forgotten how doors worked.
"Your Majesty, please slow down!"
Leon ignored the servant behind him.
He turned a corner too quickly and crashed shoulder-first into a wall.
The wall cracked.
Leon stared at it for half a second.
"Sorry."
He continued running.
The nearby servants looked at the damaged stone.
"Did the king just apologize to the wall?"
"He's nervous."
"He's terrifying when he's nervous."
Leon finally reached the royal bedroom and threw open the doors.
"Is everyone okay?!"
The doors struck the wall hard enough to shake the room.
Several healers jumped.
Leon stood in the doorway, breathing heavily. His black royal cloak was hanging from one shoulder, his chains were tangled, and some of his hair covered one of his glowing red eyes.
On the large bed rested Himeko Pendragon.
The queen's long crimson hair spread across the pillows behind her. She looked exhausted, but a warm smile appeared on her face when she saw her husband.
Two newborn children rested in her arms.
"Hey, Leon," Himeko greeted weakly.
Leon stared at the twins.
His entire expression softened.
Himeko looked down at the child resting against her right arm.
"This is Durandal."
The baby girl possessed bright crimson hair. Two small horns grew from the sides of her head, marking her as a dragon from the Pendragon bloodline.
Then Himeko looked toward the other child.
"And this is Yin."
Yin had a much softer and more feminine face than his sister. His messy red hair already possessed several strange black sections mixed through it.
Unlike Durandal, Yin had only one horn growing from the center of his forehead.
Leon slowly approached the bed.
For a man who could crush mountains with his bare hands, he suddenly moved as carefully as possible.
He sat beside Himeko and held out his arms.
"Can I?"
Himeko carefully passed Yin to him.
Leon looked down at his son.
Yin's shaded red eyes slowly opened. There were no visible pupils within them, only a deep red color that seemed strangely empty and beautiful at the same time.
"He's so beautiful," Leon whispered.
Himeko noticed the tears forming in his eyes.
"Are you crying?"
"No."
"You are."
"I am not."
A tear rolled down his cheek.
Himeko smiled.
"You're the worst liar in Eolorial."
Yin reached up and grabbed Leon's index finger.
Leon froze.
The strongest black dragon's lower lip began trembling.
"He grabbed me."
"Yes, Leon."
"He knows I'm his father."
"He probably thinks your finger is food."
Leon ignored that.
Durandal began giggling from Himeko's arms.
Leon looked between both children with a proud smile.
"They're perfect."
The peaceful moment did not last long.
The bedroom doors slammed open again.
An elderly woman walked into the room without asking permission. A younger man followed behind her while carrying several books beneath one arm.
The younger man resembled a smaller and far nerdier version of Leon. He had dark hair, glasses, and none of Leon's intimidating presence.
The elderly woman looked toward Himeko.
"It seems the Fire Dragon of Pure Destruction managed to survive."
Himeko's eyes narrowed.
"I just gave birth, and I can still throw you through the wall."
"That means your condition is excellent."
Leon sighed.
"Grandmother, now is not the time."
The elderly woman ignored him and walked closer to the twins.
Her attention immediately moved toward Yin's single horn.
The Pendragon royal family had followed an ancient law for thousands of years.
Any royal heir born without a large amount of mana would be removed from the royal family and banished from the kingdom.
The rule existed because dragons considered magical power proof of a strong bloodline.
The elderly woman believed rules should never be broken.
Not even for the children of the king.
She reached toward Yin.
Both babies suddenly yawned.
Leon smiled.
"They even yawn at the same time."
Yin and Durandal opened their mouths wider.
A beam of darkness suddenly erupted from Yin's mouth.
At the same moment, a violent stream of fire exploded from Durandal.
The two attacks collided in the center of the room.
Everyone's eyes widened.
The combined blast tore through the ceiling and vanished into the sky.
A deafening explosion shook the castle.
Pieces of stone fell around the room.
Silence followed.
Leon slowly looked upward.
There was now a massive hole where the ceiling had been.
A dragon flying above the castle looked down through the opening.
It quickly flew away.
The elderly woman's hand remained frozen above Yin.
The younger man pushed his glasses back up his nose.
"Well."
Nobody responded.
He stared at the smoke rising through the hole.
"It appears my little brother has produced two unusually powerful children."
Leon looked down at Yin.
Yin sneezed.
A small spark of darkness escaped his nose.
The younger man stepped backward.
"I would like to correct myself."
Leon raised an eyebrow.
"They're terrifying."
Himeko began laughing despite the exhaustion in her body.
Leon looked at the destroyed ceiling before returning his attention to the twins.
Neither child seemed aware of what they had done.
Durandal had already fallen asleep.
Yin was still holding Leon's finger.
The old dragon law would not be used that day.
But five years later, everyone would discover that Yin's first breath attack was the only sign of magic he would ever show.
Five Years Later
"Prince Yin!"
A five-year-old boy sprinted through the halls of Pendragon Castle.
His bare feet slapped against the polished stone while his messy red-and-black hair bounced behind him.
"Prince Yin, stop running!"
A maid chased after him while carrying a towel, soap, and a clean set of clothing.
Yin looked over his shoulder.
"No!"
"You need to take a bath!"
"I took one yesterday!"
"That was three days ago!"
"It still counts!"
"It absolutely does not!"
Yin turned a corner and nearly ran directly into a knight.
The knight moved out of the way just in time.
Yin pointed at him while continuing to run.
"You didn't see me!"
The knight slowly looked toward the maid chasing him.
"I saw nothing."
"Traitor!" the maid shouted.
Yin grinned.
Despite being only five, Yin was already infamous throughout the castle.
He climbed furniture.
He hid inside the library overnight.
He stole food from the royal kitchen despite being perfectly capable of asking for it.
He occasionally bit servants who attempted to drag him into the bathtub.
Unfortunately for the maid, Yin was also much faster than most children his age.
He reached another hallway before suddenly stopping.
His mother stood directly in front of him.
Himeko Pendragon wore a simple black-and-red royal dress. Her long crimson hair was tied behind her head, and her golden-red eyes stared down at her son.
Yin slowly looked behind himself.
The maid was catching up.
He looked back at Himeko.
"Mother."
"Yin."
"Lovely weather."
"We are indoors."
"It probably looks lovely outside."
Himeko crossed her arms.
"Why are you running from the maid?"
Yin pointed behind himself.
"She wants to drown me."
The maid nearly dropped the towel.
"It is a bath!"
"That's what she wants you to think."
Himeko stared at him.
Yin stared back.
Neither moved.
Himeko finally reached down and picked him up.
Yin's legs continued moving through the air.
"No!"
"You smell like the training yard."
"I was training!"
"You fell into the mud."
"That was part of the training."
"You tried to fight a bush."
"The bush attacked first."
The maid bent over, struggling to catch her breath.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Himeko carried Yin away while he looked back at the maid as though he had suffered a terrible betrayal.
Inside one of the castle's training rooms, Leon watched everything through a floating magical orb.
Durandal stood beside him.
The five-year-old princess already carried herself with more discipline than many adult knights. Her crimson hair was tied into a high ponytail, and she wore a smaller version of the red-and-white training uniform used by royal guards.
Several books floated around her.
One was about the history of Eolorial.
Another explained basic magic formations.
A third book was written in an ancient dragon language most adults could not read.
Durandal understood all three.
Leon dismissed the orb.
"Your brother has more energy than I did at his age."
Durandal lowered the book in front of her.
"Mother said you destroyed half a village when you were five."
"That was an accident."
"You tried to breathe fire at a bee."
"It was a very aggressive bee."
Durandal stared at him.
Leon cleared his throat.
"Return to the lesson."
Durandal raised one hand.
A small golden flame appeared above her palm.
Unlike ordinary fire, it remained perfectly still. Its shape did not change, and none of its heat escaped into the room.
Leon nodded proudly.
"Excellent control."
Durandal closed her hand, causing the flame to disappear.
"Will Yin train with us today?"
Leon's expression softened.
"Not today."
Durandal looked toward the door.
"He keeps asking."
"I know."
"Then why don't you let him?"
Leon remained silent for a moment.
"He can train his body and study swordsmanship, but I cannot teach him magic that his body refuses to produce."
Durandal lowered her eyes.
Yin had shown no signs of magic since the day he was born.
No fire.
No darkness.
No mana.
Nothing.
The same nobles who praised Durandal as a dragon prodigy considered Yin a stain upon the Pendragon family.
Some even questioned why Leon had refused to follow the old law and banish him.
Durandal hated them.
She hated how they smiled at her and insulted Yin in the same sentence.
Leon placed a hand on her head.
"Your brother's path may be different from yours."
"What if he never finds it?"
"He will."
"How do you know?"
Leon smiled gently.
"Because Yin is far too stubborn to remain lost forever."
Himeko carried Yin back into his room.
It was comfortable but not overly decorated.
Most royal children possessed rooms filled with expensive furniture, magical decorations, and servants waiting nearby.
Yin had asked for books.
A lot of books.
They were stacked on his desk, beside his bed, and even beneath it. Maps of Eolorial covered the walls. Several wooden weapons rested in one corner, including a sword Yin had made himself.
Himeko placed him on the floor.
"Bath."
Yin crossed his arms.
"No."
"Yin."
"No."
A faint flame appeared around Himeko's hand.
Yin immediately pointed toward the bathroom.
"I suddenly understand the importance of hygiene."
"Good."
Himeko's flame vanished.
She crouched in front of him and fixed several strands of his messy hair.
"You've been avoiding the servants again."
"They stare at me."
Himeko's expression changed.
"They stare at everyone."
"Not like they stare at me."
Yin looked toward the floor.
"They think I'm useless."
Himeko placed both hands against his cheeks and gently forced him to look at her.
"You are not useless."
"I don't have magic."
"That does not decide your worth."
"It decides everyone else's."
Himeko's eyes softened.
She knew how many times Yin had heard people whispering about him.
The nobles called him weak.
Some servants called him cursed.
Other children refused to play with him because their parents warned them to stay away from the magicless prince.
Himeko wanted to protect him from every cruel word.
But even she could not remain beside him every second of his life.
"You are my son," Himeko told him. "That will never change."
Yin gave her a small smile.
Himeko kissed his forehead.
"Take your bath. I'll return later."
After she left, Yin stood alone in his room.
He slowly walked toward the window.
From there, he could see the training courtyard below.
Durandal stood beside Leon while several flames floated around her. She moved one hand, and every flame transformed into a different shape.
A bird.
A sword.
A dragon.
Leon said something to her, causing Durandal to nod before changing the spell again.
Yin raised his own hand.
He concentrated as hard as he could.
Nothing happened.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
His fingers curled into a fist.
"I wish I had magic."
He did not want to be stronger than Durandal.
He did not care about becoming king.
He only wanted to stop feeling like he was a mistake.
A knock came from the door.
Yin quickly wiped his eyes.
He assumed one of the maids had returned to make sure he took his bath.
He opened the door.
A young girl stood outside.
She was slightly taller than him with long brownish-pink hair falling past her shoulders. A red flower rested near the side of her head, and her deep red eyes examined him with immediate curiosity.
The first thing Yin noticed was her scent.
She smelled like clean rain and the sea.
It was calm.
Fresh.
Comforting.
His heart began beating faster.
Yin blinked several times.
The girl stared back at him.
Neither of them spoke for a moment.
Amani Roya had been excited when her father told her she would meet the children of the Pendragon family.
Her father constantly spoke about Leon.
According to him, Leon was a powerful king, an excellent teacher, and somehow the only person who could burn soup while using no fire.
Amani wanted to see whether his children were just as strange.
She had been led to Yin's room by one of the servants.
The door was made from divine wood and had the Pendragon dragon crest carved into its center.
Before knocking, Amani paused.
She could not sense any mana from the other side.
That was strange.
This was supposed to be the room of a royal dragon.
Even an ordinary dragon child should have possessed enough mana for her to sense.
Maybe he's hiding it.
If so, the spell was far better than anything a five-year-old should have been able to perform.
Great. Father is going to make me practice magical analysis again.
Lost in thought, Amani knocked without realizing it.
The door opened.
A boy stood on the other side.
The first thing she noticed was his eyes.
They were a shaded red color without any visible pupils.
Then she noticed his face.
He possessed long eyelashes and soft features that made him look almost like a girl. His messy red hair reached his neck, with black strands mixed throughout it.
Finally, she noticed his height.
He was short.
Even shorter than her.
This is King Leon's son?
Amani still could not sense any mana.
Not hidden mana.
Not weak mana.
Nothing.
Still, the boy did not seem dangerous.
At least not yet.
Amani extended one hand.
"Good evening. My name is Amani Roya, from House Roya."
Yin stared at her hand.
Amani waited.
"What's your name?"
Yin's mind was still attempting to understand why a girl had appeared at his door.
He slapped both hands against his own cheeks.
Amani raised an eyebrow.
Yin slowly began closing the door.
"Sorry. Wrong room."
Amani blinked.
"If you're looking for my sister," Yin continued quietly, "go down the hall and turn right."
He did not sound angry.
He sounded hurt.
Amani placed her foot between the door and the frame.
Yin stopped closing it.
He looked down at her shoe.
Then back at her.
"What are you doing?"
"Stopping you from closing the door."
"I noticed."
"Then why did you ask?"
Yin stared at her.
Amani stared back.
For some reason, neither of them was willing to admit how strange the conversation had already become.
Amani pushed the door open slightly.
"I'm not here to meet your sister."
Yin frowned.
"Everyone comes here for Durandal."
"I didn't."
"She has magic."
"So?"
"She's better."
Amani's eyes narrowed slightly.
There it was.
That was why she could not feel any mana.
The boy was not hiding it.
He did not possess any.
It also explained why he immediately assumed she wanted his sister instead of him.
Amani lowered her extended hand.
"I heard the prince who lives here knows how to make a special snack."
Yin looked confused.
"What snack?"
"I don't know. It's special."
"I don't make snacks."
"Then someone lied to me."
"Probably."
"Well, I traveled across half of Eolorial to try it."
"You came all the way here for food?"
"Yes."
"That's stupid."
"Food is never stupid."
Yin looked at her for several seconds.
Amani placed her hands behind her back.
"Your sister is busy anyway, so I'm not switching rooms."
She paused.
"And I still didn't hear your name."
Yin opened the door a little more.
He could sense the large amount of magic inside her.
It was even stronger than Durandal's current magic.
She knew he was magicless.
Yet she was still standing there.
Maybe she did not care.
Or maybe she was simply waiting for a better moment to laugh at him.
"My name is Yin Pendragon," he finally said. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
He extended his hand.
Amani smiled.
"That's more like it!"
She grabbed his hand and shook it aggressively.
Yin's entire arm moved with her.
"Nice to meet you too, Yin. I was worried I came all the way here for nothing."
Yin felt as though his shoulder was about to leave his body.
What kind of strength is this?!
He pulled his hand away and held his arm.
Amani looked into his room.
It was far less decorated than she expected from a prince.
There were books everywhere, but not much else.
"Do you have your own kitchen?"
"No."
"Can we use the royal kitchen?"
"No."
"Why?"
"The cooks don't let me inside anymore."
"What did you do?"
"That is private information."
Amani became more interested.
"Did you burn something?"
"No."
"Explode something?"
"No."
"Poison someone?"
"It was one time, and they survived."
Amani stared at him.
Yin looked away.
"I have a library."
"That doesn't help us make food."
"It has books about food."
"That only helps slightly."
Yin grabbed her hand and stepped into the hallway.
"The library is in the northern wing."
The moment he realized he was holding a girl's hand, his face turned red.
He had never held hands with anyone outside his family.
Amani either did not notice or did not care.
That somehow made it worse.
Yin kept walking while trying to look calm.
She said she'll answer questions.
He wanted to know why she had come.
He wanted to know why she was acting friendly.
Most importantly, he wanted to know when she planned to reveal the joke.
The Royal Library
The Pendragon Royal Library occupied several floors of the castle.
Its shelves stretched so high that the upper sections disappeared into darkness. Magical crystals floated through the air, lighting every aisle.
Some books moved on their own.
Others whispered whenever someone walked past.
One particular book attempted to bite Yin's hand.
He slapped it back onto the shelf without stopping.
Amani looked around.
"Your books are violent."
"Only some of them."
"How many have bitten you?"
"Not important."
"That means several."
Yin led her toward the far-left corner of the library.
The shelves in that area appeared almost endless.
Amani stopped beside a table.
"Whoa."
Yin looked at her.
"This place is huge."
"It's smaller than the eastern archive."
"There's another one?"
"Three."
Amani slowly turned toward him.
"Are dragons normally big readers?"
"No."
"Then who reads all this?"
"I do."
"How many books?"
Yin shrugged.
"A few thousand."
"You're five."
"I get bored."
Amani pulled out a chair and sat down.
"That is the least normal thing you've said so far."
Yin sat across from her.
He had always preferred books over people.
Books did not whisper about him.
Books did not ask why he had no magic.
Books did not compare him to Durandal.
Through reading, Yin learned about other kingdoms, magical theories, forgotten wars, ancient races, legendary weapons, and creatures that supposedly no longer existed.
His knowledge was the one thing nobody could take from him.
Yin folded his arms on the table.
"So why are you here?"
Amani looked at him.
"I already told you."
"You lied about the snacks."
"I still want snacks."
"That doesn't answer my question."
Amani leaned back in her chair.
Yin's expression had changed.
The playful confusion was gone.
He was watching her carefully now.
"Did someone tell you to come here?" he asked.
"My father told me where your room was."
"That's not what I mean."
Yin's fingers tightened against his sleeves.
"Did someone tell you I don't have magic?"
Amani remained silent.
"Did you come to see what a useless dragon looks like?"
"No."
"Then why me?"
"Because I wanted to meet you."
"You don't know me."
"That is normally why people meet."
Yin frowned.
Amani sighed.
Small talk clearly was not going to work.
The boy expected every friendly word to hide something cruel beneath it.
"I'm not here to ridicule you for not having magic."
Yin looked away.
"My mother came to discuss diplomacy between our kingdoms," Amani continued. "I came because I wanted to meet someone my age."
"You could meet Durandal."
"I could."
"She's smarter than me."
Amani glanced toward the countless books surrounding them.
"That seems difficult to prove."
"She has magic."
"I don't care."
Yin's eyes returned to her.
"You should."
"Why?"
"Everyone else does."
Amani rested her arms against the table.
"Do you think magic is the truth of this world?"
Yin tilted his head.
"What does that mean?"
"People act as if magic decides everything. Strength. Intelligence. Worth. Status."
Amani lifted one hand.
A small sphere of water formed above her palm.
"But magic is a natural tool. It's an extension of the body."
The sphere slowly changed into several different shapes.
A bird.
A flower.
A tiny dragon.
"It's useful, but it isn't what makes someone alive."
Yin watched the water.
Amani continued.
"When a person lacks one ability, they often develop something else. Someone without sight may learn to understand the world through sound or touch far better than other people."
The water dissolved into mist.
"If you were born without magic, then maybe something else inside you became stronger."
Yin lowered his gaze.
"You don't know that."
"No. I don't."
Amani's answer surprised him.
She did not pretend to have all the answers.
"But neither do the people calling you useless," she continued. "They looked at what you lack and decided there was nothing else worth finding."
Amani pointed at him.
"That is lazy thinking."
Yin stared at her finger.
"You don't need to believe everything people say about you."
"They might be right."
"They might be wrong."
"What if they're right?"
"Then find something they forgot to measure."
Yin's eyes widened.
Amani leaned back.
"Don't decide you're a failure because of something you cannot control. Find whatever exists inside you instead of magic."
Silence filled the corner of the library.
Amani slowly realized how long she had been speaking.
She looked away.
"Sorry. I said too much."
She grabbed the nearest book and opened it.
The book was upside down.
Yin noticed.
He normally would have laughed.
Instead, his vision began to blur.
Amani glanced over the book.
Yin's eyes had filled with tears.
"I hate you," he whispered.
Amani lowered the book.
"What?"
Yin wiped his face with one sleeve.
More tears immediately replaced the ones he removed.
"Why would you say those things?"
"Because I believe them."
"Don't you care about your reputation?!"
Amani stared at him.
"If people see you with me, they'll laugh at you too!"
His voice cracked.
"You have more magic than almost everyone in this castle. You could be friends with Durandal or another prince."
Yin covered his eyes with one arm.
"So why would you choose me?"
Amani finally understood why he sounded angry.
He did not hate her.
He hated that her kindness felt impossible.
He believed anyone who stayed beside him would eventually regret it.
Yin slowly extended his free hand toward her.
"I want you to be my first friend."
His shoulders shook as he continued crying.
"I don't want to be lonely anymore."
A small smile appeared beneath the tears.
Amani looked at his hand.
Then she took it.
Yin looked up.
Amani's grip was much gentler this time.
"Fine."
Yin sniffed.
"Fine?"
"You can be my friend."
His eyes widened.
"But I have conditions."
"What conditions?"
"You're not allowed to close the door in my face again."
Yin nodded quickly.
"And we're still making snacks."
"I told you I don't know how."
"Then we'll learn."
Amani raised another finger.
"And you're not allowed to call yourself useless around me."
Yin hesitated.
"That might be difficult."
"I'll hit you with a book every time."
"That sounds painful."
"It's education."
"That isn't education."
"It will teach you to stop."
Yin stared at her.
Then he laughed.
It was quiet at first.
Amani smiled when it became louder.
For the first time in Yin Pendragon's life, he had made a friend.
Not someone ordered to stay beside him.
Not someone who pitied him.
Someone who chose him.
Yin did not know how important that moment would become.
He did not know that Amani would spend years analyzing his strange behavior, arguing with him, preventing him from making terrible decisions, and occasionally helping him survive those decisions after he ignored her.
He did not know that one day he would stand against gods, monsters, and beings that even reality itself could not kill.
At that moment, he was only a lonely five-year-old boy holding the hand of his first friend.
But somewhere far beyond the world of Eolorial, something ancient noticed him.
And smiled.
Somewhere Deep Within a Sacred Void
A demonic bat flew above oceans of fire.
The sealed universe around it showed no signs of ordinary life.
Broken planets floated through a black sky. Ancient chains stretched between dead stars, covered in symbols belonging to Judgment, Destruction, and Creation.
At the center of the void stood a massive castle.
Its towers pierced the darkness.
Its walls were built from black stone and the bones of forgotten gods.
The bat flew through an opening near the highest tower and entered the throne room.
A man sat upon a throne in complete darkness.
Only his glowing blue eyes could be seen.
The bat landed and immediately lowered its head.
"Your Majesty, I bring good news!"
The man remained silent.
The bat swallowed.
"I have located five of the eight heroes."
The blue eyes became brighter.
"Five?"
The single word caused the entire castle to tremble.
The bat pressed itself lower against the floor.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The man slowly leaned forward.
Ancient chains covered his arms, neck, and chest. Every chain burned with the power of the Stigmata that had kept him trapped for forty-five million years.
"I want all eight awakened."
His deep voice echoed across the sealed universe.
"I will not allow them to grow stronger."
The bat raised its head slightly.
"The remaining heroes have not awakened their true powers."
"Then force them."
The man's fingers tightened around the arms of his throne.
Stone cracked beneath his hands.
"I will destroy them before they become anything like the heroes who came before them."
The bat quickly spread its wings.
"I won't fail you, Lord Leviathan, the Planet Eater!"
It flew from the throne room before Leviathan could respond.
The castle began to shake.
Leviathan rose from his throne.
His humanoid body expanded.
Black scales covered his skin.
His arms transformed into enormous wings while several horns tore through his head. His body continued growing until it destroyed the ceiling above him.
Within seconds, Leviathan's true form became larger than a moon.
Orange light burned inside his chest and mouth. His enormous wings stretched across the fiery sky while the chains of the Ancient Rulers tightened around his body.
Leviathan roared.
The sound shattered several floating mountains.
Cracks spread across the sealed universe.
"Finally!"
He laughed as the chains struggled to contain him.
"After forty-five million years, I will have my revenge on those blasphemous gods!"
His glowing eyes turned toward the distant boundaries of the prison.
Beyond them were worlds that had forgotten his name.
Gods who believed the Fallen Twelve were only myths.
And eight heroes who did not yet understand what they were.
Leviathan's mouth opened into a monstrous grin.
"This time, I will kill the heroes before their legend can begin."
Far away in the Pendragon Kingdom, Yin continued laughing beside Amani.
Neither child noticed the black star that had appeared in the sky above Eolorial.
To Be Continued ➡️