The instructor raised his voice again."The last one…"His eyes landed on Alex."Alex."Silence fell once more.All eyes turned—Toward him.
While Alex was walking to the center, all of the Dragonborn were looking at him. They were also curious about what talent Alex might awaken. Draco remembered the night before the awakening ceremony.
[Flashback]"Father, you and Uncle Zevi have been friends for years, but how did it happen? An arrogant dragon and a human being friends is unheard of. Even David and the other noble families are okay with it, that we are friends with Alex."
"It is confusing, especially when we spar with him. We can't win against him. It is common knowledge that a dragon is several times stronger than a human. But it seems Alex is not human—he is a monster compared to us," Draco added.
Kaeltharion just looked at his son while he was complaining, then smiled while saying these words:"Alex's family is a little special, you see… His mother comes from a family line of powerful magicians, and his father comes from the strongest swordsmen. So, can you imagine now how special Alex is?"
"But even if they come from those powerful families, Alex's parents are just normal people. If they are that powerful, then why are they here like outcasts, thrown away by their clans?"
"You see, the Supreme Magus Clan, where Alice belongs, is so powerful that they could dominate an era as rulers. But they didn't do that because what they seek is truth and enlightenment."
"Ruling or dominating the world holds little value for them. But whenever people of different races see their clan crest, they give way and pay respect—either out of fear or genuine reverence," the emperor added.
"But bad things happened back then. Zevi fell in love with Alice, but both clans forbade relationships outside the clan. They value bloodline purity."
Draco was still immersed in his father's story.
"In their logic, marrying outside the family will weaken the talent and their child's bloodline. Zevi's family is a top family across the world, but dominating it? It is possible, but it would cost them so much—not like the Supreme Magus Clan."
"Zevi was persistent in winning Alice's heart, and he successfully did. They secretly had a relationship, and their love bore fruit—they had Alex. But when the Supreme Magus Clan found out, they wanted to abort the child. Alice resisted."
"When Zevi learned what the Supreme Magus Clan intended, he stormed into their stronghold alone, killing anyone blocking his path to rescue his wife and unborn child."
Kaeltharion's voice deepened as he continued:"He managed to rescue his wife and returned home to the Sword Sovereign Clan. Then the Supreme Magus Clan summoned and gathered their army to annihilate the Sword Sovereign Clan. Before the clash, the Supreme Magus Clan gave the sword clan a choice: kill Zevi and the unborn child, or face annihilation."
"Zevi, as the young master of the clan, would be protected and wanted to fight to the death. They would die, but they would take the enemy with them and let a third party benefit from the chaos. Zevi didn't want that, so he chose to die and sacrifice himself."
"But then Alice wanted to die with him and didn't want him to die alone. So they decided to fight their way out. They were hunted while fleeing, and we saw them on accident and rescued them. In the end, however, they were crippled and lost their strength."
"They are not just human, my child… they are the strongest of them all."
Then he returned to the present and looked at Alex in the center.
Alex placed his hands on the monolith. The stone shone brightly in multicolored light. At the same time, the numbers glowed with it—a sign of dual awakening.
1234567
All the numbers lit up in golden color. The multicolored light didn't diminish; instead, it produced a projection in the sky, creating an aurora borealis. The air shimmered as if reality itself was bending to witness the moment. Every Dragonborn, from the smallest hatchling to the towering elders, leaned forward. Their scales reflected the dazzling colors, and the soft hum of collective awe filled the arena.
Then—
CRACK!
The stone cracked under the pressure. Alex immediately withdrew his hands. The audience gasped. Shock rippled across the faces of everyone present. Draco and the others stood frozen, mouths agape. Even the smug Betty could not hide her fright, her usual sharp tongue silenced by awe.
"Ohhh, wow," Alex murmured, amazed and speechless. His heart raced, and a tingling warmth spread from his hands to the rest of his body. He could feel the dual awakening—a perfect harmony between his inherited magics and the swordmaster energy of his lineage. It wasn't just power; it was resonance, a force that seemed to bend the very laws of nature.
The aurora projection above continued to grow. Colors swirled like living ribbons, reflecting images of his parents—Alice and Zevi—locked in the moments that had forged him. He could almost feel their love, their sacrifice, guiding the energy through him. A quiet resolve settled deep in his chest, stronger than any fear.
The emperor's gaze was fixed on Alex, his voice trembling with reverence."Friend, your son is more monstrous than you are. Is it really the spirit of humans that will never die? Every generation, a genius is born from your race, refusing to be trampled by other races—or is it the planet's blessing to all of the natives of this place?"
Around them, whispers and murmurs spread like wildfire. "Did you see that?" "It's impossible!" "He's not human…" Even the seasoned warriors and elders of the Dragonborn muttered among themselves, voices tinged with disbelief and awe. The projection above them painted the arena with colors no eyes had ever seen, shapes twisting and bending like abstract forms of dragons and swords clashing in harmony.
Draco stepped closer to the edge of the platform, his eyes locked on Alex. A part of him feared that what they were witnessing might be too great for even a dragon to comprehend. Yet another part of him swelled with pride. Alex, the boy who had grown among them, the one they had once doubted, now stood as a force that no one could ignore.
The other Dragonborn shifted uneasily, their curiosity giving way to caution. Some of the younger ones took small steps back, instinctively feeling the raw energy that radiated from Alex. The elders, however, remained still, silent, their sharp eyes reflecting both recognition and calculation.
Alex, standing at the center, felt every gaze upon him. He did not flinch. He did not falter. His hands still tingled from the energy, and as he looked up at the projection in the sky, he saw not just light and colors, but the echoes of his lineage—the sacrifices of his parents, the courage of his ancestors, and the promise of the future he was yet to forge.
A sudden, low rumble vibrated through the arena, as though the planet itself was acknowledging him. The projection above pulsed rhythmically, the aurora rippling with a life of its own. For a moment, the world seemed to stand still, watching Alex, as if the universe were bearing witness to the birth of something monumental.
Even Betty, who had always prided herself on her composure and keen insight, stepped back. Her hands clenched slightly, and for the first time, a flicker of fear and respect crossed her face. The energy Alex exuded was unlike anything she had encountered. It was not just strength or skill—it was presence, a force that could not be ignored, a declaration that this boy, this hybrid of human and swordmaster blood, was destined for greatness.
Kaeltharion, observing his son and the scene unfolding, felt a swelling pride. The story of Zevi and Alice, of love and sacrifice, had culminated in this moment. Their struggles, their defiance of the clans and their enemies, had not been in vain. Their legacy lived on—not just in Alex, but in the awe and respect he commanded from every being present.
As the energy slowly began to settle, Alex withdrew his hands completely. The projection lingered a moment longer, shimmering like a memory before fading into the night sky. The audience remained silent, each of them processing the scale of what they had just witnessed.
Finally, the emperor spoke again, his voice carrying over the quiet."Your son… is beyond comprehension. Let all who witness this remember it—the day a new force awakened among us. One born of sacrifice, lineage, and destiny."
Alex looked around at the faces before him—the Dragonborn, his peers, the skeptics, and even the doubtful Betty—and a small smile touched his lips. He had awakened, and the world had seen it. But more than that, he had inherited a promise, a power that would shape the future itself.