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The fabled Void Dragon civilisation of old had vanished; Eren was right. The once-beautiful Pyrral now lay in ruins, its skies and valleys filled with untamed Void Dragons.
As we ascended, the mutated Dragons recognised my presence, drawn to the Runes and the unmistakable aura of a Dragon Deity. They joined me as we ascended into the higher realms.
Some Void Dragons followed immediately, while others lingered, unsure of what to do with their newly reclaimed freedom. I ignored those who hesitated and with Parvak cleared, we set our sights on Orun.
We flew together until we reached the concentration wall of energy. I placed my hand against its surface, letting my senses probe its structure.
"It's solidified. I don't think I can break the bonds."
I murmured.
"Energy is child's play."
Antares said, sweeping his palm over the surface, leaving faint ripples in the impenetrable barrier.
"So you can manipulate more than one Fragment?"
"I've surpassed the Energy scope, so yeah. But since I didn't learn each Fragment, I might face some difficulties."
He explained and the solid surface beneath his palm started melting. He targets the Etheric Filaments, breaking the Energy bonds.
"How did you do that?"
I asked, curiously.
"The filaments are all you need to break."
Antares said, his voice calm, precise.
"You can either sever it by brute force, or try something like this."
The semi-solid surface stilled, then began to swirl, forming a vortex that opened into a portal.
"Looks like I'll be stuck here for a while."
I muttered. It's easy for someone like him, I barely know what to do when tampering with the structure of existence.
"What do you mean?"
"My abilities are limited to Neosis and Arcanocysts manipulation."
I explained.
"I'll teach you something new."
He said, his tone patient.
"Bind your energy with the natural particles around you. Start small ten percent, then twenty, and so on, all the way to ninety, and finally a full hundred. Once that bond is stable, analyse a single Energy particle completely. Learn how it works, how it behaves, reacts, and interacts. You don't need to bind in order to manipulate Energy, but keeping the bond ensures no mistakes are made."
"You've done that?"
I asked, intrigued.
"Yes. I am analysing Ether now. Once complete, I will awaken the 2ND STEP."
"2ND STEP? What's that?"
He smiled faintly, a glint of something unspoken in his eyes. "Long story short, according to White, it is just a series of stages required to attain Ether. Think of it like cultivating Ether itself. The higher the STEP, the greater your control, the more you can dominate existential forces."
"I thought once you've analysed it, you can do anything?"
"Not yet. Analysing is just me getting to know how it works. You can't just raise your hand to cast a foreign spell. You have to know one or two things about it."
"You're right. Now.. let's..."
The moment his hand crossed the threshold of the portal, he was pulled in without warning.
"Anta. You all, stand back. Zhou, I leave the rest to you."
I called, before diving after him.
The instant I entered, I found myself suspended in an endless expanse of blue, stretching beyond comprehension. There was no trace of Antares, though he had just gone in.
"Someone untouched by the Abyss… someone who bears the Runes of Light."
The voice echoed, distant yet intimate, as if it came from everywhere and nowhere at once.
"I recognise those Runes, though I have never seen them in person. Are you truly the Dragon Deity?"
It asked, curiosity threaded with something heavier.
"I am."
I replied, letting the faint glow of my Runes flare, illuminating the infinite blue around me.
"And you are… the protector of Orun. Tyrant of the Deep Skies, Orvak, the Leviathan."
"You know."
It rumbled, it's voice calm but edged with power.
"You know far too much. If you possess knowledge, then you should also know Orun is no mere Realm. It has been expanding since creation, and so have I. By now, Kalidor itself could vanish into the Ocean Abyss as easily as a needle disappearing in the ocean's depths."
"I am aware of that."
I said.
"And of the fact that no being has set foot here since creation, aside from those two deities."
"That's… odd. How do you know?"
"Did you not hear me the first time?"
I said, my tone dropping low, thick with authority.
"I am the Mother of Dragons, Vel'Arixia."
The words reverberated through the expanse, shaking the Ocean Abyss itself, a presence impossible to ignore, a power both ancient and absolute.
"Only those bearing the inherited powers of the Star Dragon can accomplish the unimaginable. Yet even that pales here. Valtonix himself could not shake Orun when he challenged me."
"I am different."
I continued, my voice steady and commanding.
"I have inherited Supreme Vajrako's knowledge, Supreme Valtonix's strength, Supreme Vel'Korvus's body and spirit, and, finally, First Supreme Vyrakos's will."
"That's impossible."
The Leviathan murmured, disbelief trembling in its tone.
"Are you sure?"
I asked, frustration tinging my words as I floated in this unknown Realm, holding the entirety of Orun in my palm.
The Ocean Abyss shrank before me, compressed to the size of a snowball, while the Leviathan within it dwindled to the size of a sardine, swimming helplessly through the illusion of vastness I had created.
"Forgive my insolence, Your Supreme."
It said, bowing its head in deference.
I drifted back into Orun, where the Leviathan's immense form expanded to fill my vision once more, its head alone capable of blotting out the world.
"Where is the Star that fell in here?"
I asked.
"Right here…"
Antares's voice replied, and he emerged to stand beside me. A faint, dull silver aura radiated from him, pushing back the abyssal energy that swirled around us.
"This place is dangerous. We must leave at once."
He warned, holding his breath as if he'll drown.
"Dangerous for you."
I said, a smirk tugging at my lips.
"Orvak, create a tunnel between Parvak and Naerys. That will be your punishment."
"I accept."
Before he could finish, a passage opened, and I flew toward Parvak to meet the others.
"Jeez… I thought it was an attack or something."
Ton muttered, exasperated.
"Yin, Yang, lead the way. You all follow them; I'll be right behind."
I instructed. My children obeyed, trailing after my first two as we entered the tunnel, leaving the abyss behind us.
The tunnel was transparent, allowing them to witness the wonders of Orun up close. A once in a lifetime view.
Orvak glided alongside it, its immense form casting shifting shadows through the glasslike walls. Its very presence was enough to unsettle the others, even though they knew it couldn't touch them while I was here.
They made their way successfully to the other side and we followed suit.
"You want a partner? You seem lonely."
I asked.
"I'm sorry, but I'll have to reject it. Let's keep Orun the way it was created."
"Fine by me. See you later."
I said, then shot out of the tunnel in a burst of light.
I expected the long-awaited beauty of the upper Realms, the open skies, the glowing forests, the splendour I had imagined countless times. Instead, the heavens were choked with an army of Dragon-kin.
To be continued...