Chapter 21
The sky split open. Not with lightning or thunder, but slowly and unnaturally. At first, it looked like nothing more than a thin crack in the clouds, a dark line cutting across the sky above the battlefield. Then it began to widen, the edges pulling apart as if something unseen was forcing it open.
Darkness poured from the tear. It wasn't smoke or shadow. It felt deeper than that, older, like something that did not belong in this world. The battlefield fell silent.
Hundreds of dragons hovering above the hidden city stopped moving, their massive bodies hanging in the air as every creature turned toward the widening rift.
Ariana felt it immediately. The golden power in her veins recoiled violently, like it was trying to escape her body. Pain shot through her chest and down her arms, forcing her to steady herself before her knees gave out "Something's wrong," she whispered.
Nearby, Kael froze mid-battle with the Abyssal. Moments ago, the creature had been fighting fiercely, claws striking and eyes burning with rage. Now it had gone still. Both of them were staring at the sky.
High above, the Dragon King swept through the clouds before descending closer to the palace. His voice echoed inside Ariana's mind. The prison is opening. Her heart pounded. "You said Augustus was sealed."
"He was." The Dragon King's tone had changed, heavier than before. But the seal weakens whenever a new Sovereign awakens.
Ariana felt her stomach drop. "You mean I caused this?" There was a brief pause.
"Not intentionally." The answer came low and steady. "But yes."
Above them, the floating fortress hovered beneath the growing tear. Malrec stood at its edge, arms raised, as glowing runes carved into the structure burned with dark energy. Power streamed upward into the rift, feeding it and forcing it wider.And Malrec looked satisfied. Far too satisfied.
Below, Kael shifted back into his human form. Dust clung to his skin, and blood ran down his shoulder, but he ignored both as he stared at the sky. His eyes were still white. The Wolf King had not faded. "That doesn't look good," he muttered.
Ariana let out a shaky breath. "That's your professional opinion?" Kael glanced at her, a faint hint of humor crossing his face. "I'm trying to stay optimistic."
Another pulse of energy rolled out of the tear, shaking the mountains. Loose stone fell from the palace walls, and dragons roared uneasily as their cries echoed across the valleys. Even the Dragon King shifted. Ariana noticed immediately. "You're afraid."
"Yes." The answer came without hesitation. The word hit harder than she expected. "You're the king of dragons." The dragon hovered above them, wings steady. Augustus was the king of everything. Silence followed.
Then the tear widened again.
Something moved behind it. A massive shape pressed against the opening, its presence heavier and stronger than anything they had felt before. The air itself seemed to tighten around it.
Kael stepped closer to Ariana. "You still standing?"
"Barely."
"Good."
She stared at him. "That's good?"
He shrugged. "If you fall right now, we're all dead." Despite everything, she let out a small laugh.
Above them, Malrec lowered one hand. The runes dimmed slightly, and the tear stopped expanding. It stabilized, like a doorway finally forced open.
Malrec's gaze settled on Ariana. "This was never about killing you." His voice carried clearly across the city.
Ariana narrowed her eyes. "Could've fooled me."
"I needed you to awaken fully."
Her stomach tightened. "You used me."
"Yes."
Kael stepped forward. "Bad idea."
Malrec ignored him. "The prison could only be opened by Sovereign power."
Ariana felt cold. "So you used me to break the seal." Malrec nodded. "Exactly."
Behind the rift, the darkness shifted again as something enormous pressed against it.The Dragon King roared.
He is waking.The Abyssal reacted instantly. It pulled back from Kael, spread its wings, and launched into the sky. Within seconds, it disappeared into the clouds.
Ariana blinked. "Even that thing is running." The man beside her spoke quietly. "Because it knows what's coming."
Kael's wolf stirred again, the white in his eyes brightening. "Then let him come." Ariana turned to him. "You can't be serious."
Kael rolled his shoulders. "If this Augustus wants a fight… we'll give him one." The Dragon King's voice echoed again. You do not understand.
Ariana swallowed. "Then explain it."
The answer came slowly. Augustus was the first Sovereign, the one who ruled before the bloodlines divided.
Her chest tightened. "You said he was defeated."
He was. But he was never destroyed.
The tear widened again. Then something emerged.
A massive hand emerged from the tear, larger than a palace tower and covered in glowing runes that shifted across its skin.
Ariana's breath caught. "That's not possible."Kael stared upward. "That's definitely a hand."
The mountains shook as the creature forced its way through. Dragons scattered, and the sky lit with flashes of gold and silver as the world struggled to contain what was emerging. Malrec lowered his arms. His work was done.
Ariana glared at him. "You're insane."
"Perhaps," he said calmly. "But the world survived centuries without a Sovereign." His gaze hardened.
"And it will survive without you."
Kael stepped forward. "Try it." Malrec gave a faint smile. "That won't be necessary."
Ariana looked back at the sky as the figure emerged fully. A head came into view, not a monster or a beast, but a man, impossibly large, with burning gold eyes. The Dragon King's voice trembled. "Augustus."
The name spread across the battlefield like a warning. The giant looked down at the world, then at the dragons, the city, and finally at Ariana. The moment his gaze met hers, the power inside her surged violently.
His voice rolled across the mountains.
"So…" A slow smile formed."…another one has taken my throne."Ariana's heart raced.
Kael stepped beside her. "Yeah." The giant's eyes narrowed. "And the Wolf King stands beside her." Kael didn't look away.
"You've been busy while I was gone," Augustus said. Then he raised one massive hand. The sky erupted into flames. Dragons screamed. The city shook. And the First Sovereign stepped back into the world.