Echoes Under the Lake
The glow beneath the water pulsed again—soft, rhythmic, like a heartbeat.
Azlea stood at the edge of the underground lake, arms folded, eyes narrowed. Beside her, Rio fidgeted, tail twitching, while Anugus scanned the cavern with quiet intensity.
"Tell me I'm not the only one seeing that," Rio whispered.
"You're not," Azlea replied. "And I don't like it."
The light shifted, revealing something beneath the surface—
A structure.
Ancient.
Angular.
Not natural.
Anugus crouched near the edge, dipping his fingers into the water. Ripples spread… then stilled unnaturally fast.
"…There's mana here," he muttered. "Old mana."
"Old as in…?" Rio asked nervously.
"Old as in—don't touch unless you want to become a cautionary tale."
Rio immediately stepped back.
"Noted."
They turned, trying to find another exit.
That's when Azlea saw them.
"…Don't look," she said.
Rio, of course, looked.
And froze.
"…Are those… bones?"
Not just bones.
Skeletons.
Hundreds.
No—thousands.
Scattered. Piled. Half-buried. Some clutching rusted weapons. Some reaching forward like they had died crawling.
The air felt heavier.
"Yeah," Azlea said quietly. "We're not the first ones to get stuck here."
Rio swallowed.
"…Great."
Anugus stood.
"We keep moving."
"Moving WHERE?" Rio snapped. "We've walked in circles for an hour!"
Azlea exhaled slowly.
"He's right. Panic won't help."
Rio groaned.
"I hate calm people."
Meanwhile—
"LEFT! LEFT! LEFT!"
"I AM IN LEFT!"
"YOUR OTHER LEFT, YOU IDIOT!"
Dazai and Kaizer sprinted through the cavern tunnels, dodging blasts of ice, fire balls , wind slashes and crackling arcs of electricity.
Behind them—
Wyverns.
A lot of wyverns.
"WHY ARE THEY STILL CHASING US?!" Kaizer yelled.
"Maybe because we ran through their HOUSE?!" Dazai shot back.
"I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS THEIR HOUSE!"
"IT HAD EGGS, KAIZER!"
"LOTS OF THINGS HAVE EGGS!"
"…Not THAT many!"
A blast of fire slammed into the wall beside them.
They turned a corner—
Jumped—
Slid—
Rolled—
Then—
Silence.
They slowed down.
Looked behind.
Nothing.
"…We good?" Kaizer asked, breathing heavily.
"…I think so," Dazai said.
They straightened.
Kaizer puffed his chest.
"See? Easy."
Dazai smirked.
"Yeah. We handled that like pros."
They turned around—
—and froze.
A massive wyvern lay ahead.
Gigantic.
Elegant.
Terrifying.
Its scales shimmered with faint blue light. Frost gathered around its breath. The air itself felt tense near it.
"…We're dead," Kaizer whispered.
"…We're dead," Dazai agreed.
They slowly turned—
CRACK
A small rock shifted under Kaizer's foot.
The wyvern's eye snapped open.
Bright.
Sharp.
Aware.
The Queen Awakens
The creature rose slowly, wings stretching wide.
Power radiated from it.
Electric sparks danced across its scales.
Frost formed in the air.
And then—
A voice echoed inside their heads.
"Why… are you here?"
Kaizer grabbed his head.
"…Did it just TALK?!"
Dazai steadied himself.
"…Psychic magic."
The wyvern's gaze locked onto them.
"Answer me."
Dazai stepped forward.
"…I'm looking for my father."
The wyvern went still.
Then—
Its eyes glowed faintly.
Scanning.
Reading.
"…You're not lying," the voice echoed.
Silence.
Then—
"Leave. I spare you."
Kaizer scoffed.
"Spare us? We were already leaving!"
Dazai added bluntly,
"Yeah, we're not interested in fighting you."
The moment the words left—
The wyvern's expression changed.
Its eyes trembled.
And then—
Tears.
[Not interested in fighting you these words triggered a memory that had gave her a scar in her heart)
"…Wait—what?" Kaizer blinked.
"…Did we just make a WYVERN cry?" Dazai whispered.
They both panicked.
"Hey hey hey—no no no, we didn't mean it like that!"
"We're sorry!"
The wyvern turned away slightly, trembling.
"…It's not your fault."
Its voice softened.
"…It's just… my past."
Dazai exchanged a glance with Kaizer.
Then stepped closer.
"…Tell us."
"…You're clearly not okay."
The wyvern hesitated.
"…It's none of your business."
Kaizer folded his arms.
"Yeah, well, now it kinda is."
"…We don't just ignore someone crying."
Silence.
Then—
The wyvern exhaled slowly.
"…Fine."
Winter's Story
"I am Winter."
"Queen of this nest."
"Granddaughter of the last Dragon King."
The air grew heavier.
"My husband… killed my grandfather."
"…What?" Dazai whispered.
"He slaughtered my kin… to take the throne."
Her voice trembled.
"And me?"
"…He left me."
Silence.
" I born in a bloodline where rulers used to be born but me I am not enough to matter among them"
Her gaze shifted toward two large eggs behind her.
"…I've been losing strength ever since."
"I will not live long enough to see them hatch."
Dazai clenched his fists.
Kaizer looked away.
"…That's messed up," he muttered.
Dazai stepped forward.
"…Is there anything we can do?"
Winter laughed softly.
A broken sound.
"You?"
"You're children."
Kaizer frowned.
"…We're not useless."
Winter looked at them again.
Long.
Careful.
Then—
"…Take care of them."
She glanced at the eggs.
"When I'm gone."
Dazai didn't hesitate.
"…We will."
Kaizer nodded.
"Yeah."
Then—
Dazai froze.
"…Wait."
Winter narrowed her eyes.
"What?"
"…Familiar contract."
Silence.
Kaizer blinked.
"…You serious?"
Dazai looked at Winter.
"If we form a contract…"
"…You don't die."
Winter's eyes sharpened.
"…Explain."
"Blood exchange."
"Bond of life."
"You become my familiar."
"And you live on."
Winter scoffed.
"You think you can handle me?"
Dazai smiled faintly.
"…No idea."
"…But I'll try."
Winter stared at him.
Then at her eggs.
Then back at him.
"…Do it."
The Ritual
Dazai cut his palm.
Winter pulled a scale free.
They exchanged blood.
The air went silent.
Nothing happened.
"…Did it fail?" Kaizer whispered.
Then—
SCREAM
The mountain shook.
Winter roared in agony.
Energy exploded outward.
Kaizer stumbled.
"WHAT DID YOU DO?!"
"I DON'T KNOW!"
Winter's body began to crack.
Light burst from within her.
Then—
She collapsed.
Ash.
Silence.
"…No…" Kaizer whispered.
"…Did we just kill her?" Dazai said, horrified.
Then—
The ashes stirred.
A small figure rose.
A dragon.
Tiny.
Bright.
Alive.
"…Winter?" Dazai asked.
The small dragon blinked.
"…Yes."
"…What happened to me?"
Dazai exhaled.
"…No idea."
Kaizer grinned.
"…But you look kinda cute now."
Winter glared.
"…Say that again."
"…Nope."
New Bond
Winter hovered weakly.
"…I don't feel… sick anymore."
Dazai smiled.
"…Then it worked."
Kaizer grabbed one of the eggs carefully.
"…We're really doing this, huh?"
Winter nodded.
"…Thank you."
Then—
She dissolved into shadow.
Entering Dazai.
He flinched.
"…Okay that's new."
Meanwhile—
Azlea slammed her fist against a wall.
"…We're going in circles!"
Rio groaned.
"I KNEW THIS WAS A BAD IDEA!"
Anugus turned.
"…Wait."
The water—
The structure—
It opened.
"…That wasn't open before," Azlea said.
"…We go in?" Rio asked.
"…We don't have a better option," Anugus replied.
Azlea raised her hand.
Water parted.
Anugus reinforced it with vines.
They stepped forward—
—and the structure pulled them in.
The Dungeon
The door slammed shut behind them.
Dark.
Cold.
Ancient.
Rio turned slowly.
"…I hate this."
Azlea stepped forward.
"…Stay sharp."
Then—
A sound.
Bones scraping.
They turned.
Skeletons.
Hundreds.
Moving.
Awakening.
"…You've got to be kidding me," Azlea muttered.
Anugus cracked his knuckles.
"…Guess we fight."
Rio whimpered.
"…I miss the lake..."