Kaer stepped into a world that didn't belong to any map.
From the edge of a high cliff, he looked out over a vast plain covered in strange vegetation. In the distance, a winged reptilian creature with scaled skin moved slowly, hunting.
The trees bore violet leaves that shimmered faintly under the sun. The grass was a deep, unnatural green—and when touched, it pulsed with a subtle electric vibration.
The air itself felt heavy, filled with drifting particles like transparent snow.
Some flowers bloomed in vivid colors, each petal a different shade, as if painted by something beyond nature.
Then—
A dragon soared above him.
Majestic.
Like a falling star given life.
Kaer followed its movement carefully, studying it.
A predator.
Focused. Efficient.
It hunted creatures on the ground and in the air alike, using hypnotic eyes and a piercing cry that could paralyze its prey. Its claws carried venom—swift and lethal.
Kaer watched in silence.
Then raised his hand.
The dragon circled once… twice…
And descended.
"Welcome to this world, stranger."
"I am Kaer," he replied. "And yes—I come from another world. I'm looking for the Collector."
The dragon tilted its head.
"He is difficult to find. More often… he finds you. He collects rare things from different worlds."
A pause.
"Are you one of those things, stranger?"
Kaer met its gaze.
"And what if I interest you?"
The dragon huffed softly.
"I doubt it. But continue."
"If you help me find him… you won't see him in this world again."
Silence.
Then—
"You claim power. Show me."
Kaer lifted his hand.
Three ancestral wolves materialized behind him, their forms tearing through the air like echoes of something ancient.
The dragon's eyes sharpened.
"…Very well. I will help you."
A pause.
"You may call me Garhan."
In the distance, a group of armed men gathered around a large fire.
The Collector's guards.
Numerous. Well-equipped.
Dangerous.
"We'll draw them into a trap," Garhan said. "There is a narrow pass nearby."
Then he let out a sharp call.
The sky darkened.
Five dragons descended, forming a silent, deadly formation.
"My brothers," Garhan said.
The attack was swift.
One dragon struck the camp—then retreated toward the narrow passage.
The guards followed.
None returned.
The dragons' scream shattered their coordination—panic spreading like fire.
Kaer and Garhan moved toward the Collector's camp.
One by one, the remaining guards were lured out.
One by one, they fell.
By the time they realized—
it was too late.
Only the Collector remained.
And three personal guards.
They stood before the largest tent.
"You do not belong to this world!" Garhan roared, launching forward.
The battle ended quickly.
The Collector collapsed—
And as his body hit the ground…
It changed.
A demon.
His true form revealed too late.
Garhan turned to Kaer.
"My thanks."
A pause.
"Follow me. I know what you seek. I was tasked with guiding you… to our mistress."
They traveled to a tower hidden among towering mountains.
There—
Kaer met Uverta.
Young. Beautiful. Unreachable.
She wore a white dress traced with faint blue lines, like flowing energy. Her long silver hair fell freely across her back.
She invited him to sit.
They spoke.
Of worlds.
Of missions.
Of things that should not exist.
"I know why you are here," Uverta said.
"For the Ring of Paradox."
She stood and approached him slowly.
"You will have it."
No hesitation.
"No price. No condition."
Her eyes locked onto his.
"Only those who possess the Potion of Infinity truly need it."
A faint smile.
"And you… are one of them."
She removed the ring from her finger and placed it into his palm.
Then—
she stepped closer.
Too close.
Her fingers brushed his chest, slow… deliberate.
"You're already reacting," she whispered softly. "Do you find me that irresistible?"
Kaer didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
Time shifted.
Slowed.
What followed was not rushed—it unfolded with tension, curiosity, and something deeper than desire.
A test.
A connection.
A game neither of them fully controlled.
Her presence was overwhelming—warm, intense, alive.
She guided the moment, never losing control, yet never fully distant.
"Don't rush," she murmured. "Let it build."
Their closeness deepened, movement blending with breath, silence with sensation.
For a while—
there was nothing else.
Later, they lay together in quiet stillness.
Time lost meaning again.
Four days passed like a single breath.
When Kaer finally prepared to leave, Uverta stood before him once more.
"I know what they say about dragons," she said softly. "That we are harbingers of death. That we appear before disaster."
A pause.
Her gaze sharpened.
"Wherever you are… speak my name."
Another step closer.
"And I will come."
A faint smile.
"My scream brings death… only to our enemies."
She turned away.
"Farewell, Kaer."