Morning arrived beneath a sky covered in dark clouds.
By sunrise, the rumors had already spread through the noble district like wildfire.
The heir of House Greyhound had corrupted a Blessing Crystal.
Some called it a curse.
Others whispered that demons had touched the Greyhound bloodline.
Most simply laughed.
Servants lowered their heads when Zeal walked past them through the eastern wing of the estate. Knights avoided eye contact. Even the maids who once treated him kindly now looked uncertain.
Fear had replaced pity.
And Zeal hated it.
Inside his room, silence filled the air.
The curtains remained closed while rain tapped softly against the windows. The room itself was simple compared to the luxurious chambers used by other noble heirs.
No gold statues.
No enchanted weapons.
No trophies.
Just books, training gear, and an old wooden desk.
Zeal sat near the window, staring silently at the black scale resting in his palm.
It had appeared during the night.
Smooth.
Cold.
Covered in crimson vein-like lines.
Every few seconds—
it pulsed.
Like a heartbeat.
Zeal's expression darkened.
"What are you…?"
The scale suddenly grew warm.
A violent pulse traveled through his hand.
He immediately dropped it onto the desk.
CLANG.
The sound was metallic.
Not flesh.
Not bone.
Metal.
Like armor forged from something alive.
The scale trembled slightly.
Then black smoke began rising from it.
Zeal instantly stepped back.
The smoke twisted unnaturally before forming symbols in the air.
Ancient symbols.
Dragon symbols.
The moment Zeal looked at them—
pain exploded inside his head.
Images flashed through his mind.
A battlefield.
Mountains collapsing.
Black dragons falling from the sky.
Thousands of demons kneeling before a massive figure covered in scales and crimson fire.
And standing at the center of it all—
was a giant dragon with golden eyes.
Its gaze slowly turned toward him.
Toward Zeal.
Heir…
Zeal gasped violently and stumbled backward into the wall.
The vision vanished instantly.
His breathing became uneven.
Sweat covered his face.
"What… was that…?"
A knock suddenly came from the door.
Zeal quickly hid the scale inside his pocket.
"Enter."
The door opened carefully.
An elderly servant stepped inside.
"Young Master… Lord Greyhound has summoned you."
Zeal's eyes narrowed slightly.
His father rarely summoned him personally.
Usually someone else handled matters involving the "worthless son."
"I'll come."
The servant hesitated before speaking again.
"The family elders are also present."
Zeal already understood what that meant.
Judgment.
—
The Greyhound council chamber felt colder than usual.
Large silver dragon banners hung from the stone walls while seven elders sat around a circular table covered in glowing documents.
At the head of the room sat Darius Greyhound.
Cold.
Emotionless.
Powerful.
Even sitting still, the pressure surrounding him filled the room like heavy chains.
This was the strength of a Platinum-Rank Authority user.
The authority of House Greyhound.
And Zeal's father.
The moment Zeal entered, several elders frowned.
One elderly woman immediately spoke.
"The corruption must be investigated immediately."
Another elder nodded.
"If demonic influence exists within the bloodline, the heir should be isolated."
"He is a danger to the family."
Zeal remained silent.
He was used to this.
Since childhood, the elders had treated him like a defect.
No talent.
No authority.
No value.
Now they finally had an excuse to fear him openly.
Darius finally spoke.
"Step forward."
Zeal obeyed.
A glowing magic circle activated beneath the floor.
Several chains of silver light emerged around him.
Testing restraints.
Zeal's jaw tightened.
One elder placed another Blessing Crystal onto the table.
Smaller than yesterday's.
But stronger.
"This crystal is designed to identify corrupted mana," the elder explained coldly. "Touch it."
Zeal didn't move.
"Now."
The pressure in the room intensified instantly.
Even without activating his authority, Darius' presence alone crushed the air.
Zeal slowly stepped forward.
The moment his fingers touched the crystal—
BOOM.
Black lightning exploded inside the chamber.
The crystal shattered instantly.
Every candle in the room went dark.
The chains around Zeal broke apart violently.
And for one horrifying second—
black scales spread across Zeal's right arm.
Sharp claws formed at his fingertips.
Vertical reptilian pupils appeared in his eyes.
The room froze.
Even the elders looked terrified.
Then the transformation vanished.
Silence filled the chamber.
One elder whispered shakily:
"…Monster."
Zeal stared at his trembling hand.
His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
What was happening to him?
Darius slowly stood from his seat.
For the first time in years—
emotion appeared in his eyes.
Not disappointment.
Not anger.
Fear.
"You will leave for the Royal Academy immediately," Darius said coldly.
The elders looked shocked.
"My Lord—"
"The academy will monitor him."
One elder slammed the table angrily.
"You would send that thing among the noble heirs?!"
Darius' gaze became icy.
"That 'thing' is still a Greyhound."
The room immediately fell silent.
No one dared argue further.
Darius looked directly at Zeal.
"You will attend Eryndor Royal Academy beginning tomorrow."
Zeal's expression changed slightly.
The Royal Academy.
The greatest institution on the continent.
A place where noble heirs trained to fight demons and lead armies.
Only elite bloodlines were accepted.
Normally, Zeal never would have qualified.
But now…
they wanted him gone.
"Understood," Zeal replied quietly.
Darius stared at him for several seconds.
Then he spoke words Zeal would never forget.
"If you lose control…"
The pressure in the room sharpened instantly.
"…I will kill you myself."
—
That night, Zeal stood alone on the balcony outside his room.
Rain continued falling over the estate.
The cold wind felt strangely comforting.
His thoughts remained chaotic.
The visions.
The scales.
The voice.
None of it made sense.
He clenched the black scale tightly in his pocket.
Then—
he sensed someone nearby.
Smoke drifted through the darkness.
"You really are interesting."
Zeal sighed.
"Do Ashfields normally sneak into other noble estates?"
Chloe Ashfield stepped from the shadows calmly beneath a black umbrella.
Silver eyes.
Dark academy uniform.
Elegant posture.
Even in silence, she carried herself like royalty.
Smoke curled around her fingers lazily.
"How did you get past the guards?" Zeal asked.
"They never noticed me."
Of course they didn't.
The Ashfield Smoke Authority specialized in concealment.
Chloe slowly approached him.
"You're leaving tomorrow."
Zeal narrowed his eyes slightly.
"You hear information quickly."
"Everyone in the noble district is talking about you."
"That bad?"
"Worse."
She studied him carefully.
"For the first time in years, the other noble families are afraid of House Greyhound."
Zeal laughed quietly.
"Afraid of me?"
"Yes."
The answer came instantly.
That surprised him.
Chloe stepped closer.
"Yesterday," she said softly, "your eyes changed."
Zeal remained silent.
"You're hiding something dangerous."
The rain intensified around them.
Smoke drifted between the two silently.
Finally, Zeal spoke.
"I don't know what's happening to me."
For a moment, Chloe looked genuinely surprised.
Not because of his words—
but because he sounded honest.
The future heir of House Ashfield had spent her life surrounded by liars, manipulators, and nobles obsessed with status.
But Zeal's confusion felt real.
That made him dangerous.
And strangely lonely.
Suddenly—
Zeal grabbed the balcony railing violently.
Pain exploded through his chest again.
Cracks of black energy spread beneath his skin.
His breathing became unstable.
Chloe's eyes widened.
"Zeal—"
Then she saw it.
A shadow.
A massive dragon-shaped shadow behind him for a split second.
Its golden eyes opened in the darkness.
The pressure alone made the surrounding smoke tremble violently.
Even Chloe instinctively stepped back.
Fear crawled down her spine.
Not fear of Zeal.
Fear of whatever existed inside him.
The vision vanished instantly.
Zeal nearly collapsed.
Chloe caught his arm before he fell.
The moment she touched him—
she felt heat.
Not normal body heat.
Something monstrous.
Something ancient.
Then the voice echoed again inside Zeal's mind.
Clearer this time.
The seal weakens.
Zeal froze.
His silver eyes slowly widened.
Because this time—
the voice sounded closer.
Much closer.
Like something standing directly behind him.
END OF CHAPTER 2Next Chapter — The Black ScaleZeal begins his journey toward Eryndor Royal Academy while mysterious forces begin watching him from the shadows. Meanwhile, Lucius Lockwood finally arrives at the capital.