A young man, broken and betrayed, trudged through the torrential storm, his body numb to the rain that soaked through his tattered clothes. His long, black hair hung in damp, tangled strands, matted to his face and shoulders, giving him a wild, untamed appearance. His green eyes, once filled with determination and hope, now held only emptiness—a haunting reflection of the pain and loss he had endured. His skin was pale, weathered from the harsh elements, and his face bore the marks of his struggles, with a deep bruise along his jaw and a cut over his brow His party—his supposed allies—had cast him aside, abandoning him for his perceived weakness. They whispered behind his back, left him for dead. And now, with nothing left to lose, he wandered aimlessly, searching for shelter in the cave that loomed ahead like a yawning mouth.
The darkness within swallowed him whole as he stepped inside, the storm's fury no longer audible. The cold stone of the cave sent a shiver down his spine, but he barely felt it. His thoughts were numb, his heart hollow. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for anymore. Death? Peace? Or just the sweet relief of escaping the weight of a world that had forsaken him?
The deeper he ventured into the cave, the more the walls seemed to come alive. Luminous moss clung to the stone, casting an eerie glow that made the shadows dance. As his footsteps echoed through the silence, the moss seemed to respond, pulsating with soft, rhythmic light. It wasn’t just the strange glow that caught his attention—it was the way it seemed to recognize his presence, as if the cave itself was aware of his despair.
He moved further, the moss now pulsing brighter with each step, like a heartbeat guiding him forward. Then, without warning, a hidden passageway revealed itself in the stone, a subtle shift in the wall, as though the cave had decided to unveil its secret to him. He stepped through, as though drawn by something beyond his will, deeper into the unknown.
The passage twisted and turned, narrow and winding, until it opened into a vast, cathedral-like chamber. There, lying in the center, was a creature of legend—a dragon. Its scales shimmered with ancient iridescence, reflecting the soft light of the moss. The air around it hummed with power, and a sense of awe, fear, and recognition washed over him. This dragon, thought extinct for centuries after being hunted to the brink of oblivion by humans, lay before him—undisturbed, untouched.
The man froze, heart racing, not out of fear, but out of a strange, surreal mixture of wonder and loss. He had come here seeking death, but instead, he had found the last of a species condemned by the very people who had cast him aside. A bitter laugh bubbled in his chest as he whispered to the sleeping beast.The dragon stirred slightly, a low growl rumbling in its throat, but it remained asleep. The man took a step closer, the weight of his own failure and loss heavy on him.
"I thought I was the last one with nothing to lose," he murmured, eyes lingering on the creature’s ancient form. "But maybe… maybe we’re not so different, after all."
.The ancient dragon stirs,its eyes opening slowly as he stood there.It regards him with a calculating gaze,its scales glistening in the soft glow of the moss.After a moment,it speaks in a rumbling voice
.’’A human,alone and unafraid.’’The young man is not afraid as he is ready to die anyways.
’’A Dragon.
’’The Dragons eyes narrow,impressed by his lack of fear.It sits up slowly,its massive form towering over the young man.
’’You should be terrified,’’it growls.’’I could incinerate you where you stand.’’
It pauses studying the young man intently.
’’Might as well do,I have nothing left to live for,my dreams are dead.
The dragon inhales deeply,black flames beginning to flicker in its throat.But then it pauses,its eyes gleaming with an unusual light.
."Wait,"
it hisses, a dark rumble echoing in its throat
. "I can taste your fear... it reeks of nothingness."
It sniffs the air again, eyes gleaming with cold malice.
"You carry no purpose, no will to fight. You are already forgotten."
The human’s eyes darken, haunted by memories of the betrayal. He takes a shaky breath before speaking, their voice cold and void of emotion.
"You’re right," he says quietly, looking at the dragon with hollow eyes.
"I have nothing left. No friends, no loyalty, just broken promises and lies. My own people turned their backs on me." He laughed bitterly, the sound hollow.
"I’m a ghost now… just waiting for it all to end."
The dragon regards him silently,the flickering flames in its throat dying down.Finally,it exhales smoke curling from its nostrils as it looks down upon him.
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’’Interesting. A human willingly facing death. That takes… guts.’’It lowers its massive head, bringing its eyes to his level, but there was no fear in the young man. Not now. Not after everything
The dragon's eyes softened for a moment, their gleam flickering like a dying ember. Then the man noticed something—a long, jagged cut running across the dragon's nose, still raw and freshly healed, though not fully mended. His eyes widened, his mind racing.
“I… I can heal that,” he said, his voice more certain than he felt.
His hand twitched at his side, as if reaching for something, but he had nothing left but empty space. He hesitated, unsure of what to do next, but the words had already left his mouth.
The dragon’s great head tilted slightly, as if considering the offer. The chamber was still, save for the sound of the man’s labored breaths and the soft crackle of the glowing moss.
"You would heal me?" The dragon’s voice was laced with amusement, but there was a glint of curiosity in its eyes. "A creature who has nothing left to live for, offering to mend a wound such as mine?"
"The young man’s gaze fell to the ground, the weight of his own words crashing over him. Once, he had been the healer of his party—trusted to mend wounds, to offer comfort, to be the one they relied on. But now, he was alone, abandoned by those he had cared for. 'I am... I was a healer in a party before,' he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. 'I may have lost everything, but... that doesn't mean I don't still have something to offer.
The dragon’s gaze lingered on him for a moment longer, its massive, serpentine form motionless as if weighing his soul. Then, in an almost imperceptible motion, the great creature dipped its head lower, granting the young man a closer look at the wound.
"Then show me, human," the dragon said softly. "Show me if you still have the strength to heal, even if your heart is broken."
The young man stood still, the weight of the dragon’s words echoing in his chest. He swallowed, gathering what little resolve he had left. The world outside, the storm, the betrayal—it all felt so distant now, like it belonged to someone else. Here, in the presence of this ancient being, he had a purpose once more, no matter how fleeting.
He extended his hand, his fingers trembling. A soft light began to glow from his palm, faint at first, but growing brighter with each passing moment. He could feel the magic pulsing through him, the last spark of hope he had buried deep within himself. His breath quickened, the strain of his own exhaustion threatening to pull him under, but he focused, guiding the magic toward the dragon’s wound.
The dragon’s massive head remained low, watching him intently, its eyes unreadable as the young man’s magic swirled around the jagged cut on its nose. The glow intensified, wrapping around the wound like threads of pure light. The man winced with the effort, his body drained, but he couldn’t stop now. The magic surged, flooding the cave with a soft, warm light.
Slowly, the jagged cut began to knit together, the edges of the scar closing as if time itself was rewinding. The wound faded, leaving only a faint, barely visible scar where it had been.
The man lowered his hand, exhaustion settling over him like a heavy cloak. He staggered back a step, his legs shaking beneath him, but he felt... lighter. Not physically, but in some deeper, unspoken way. The emptiness inside him had lessened, if only for a moment.
The dragon remained still for a long time, its gaze fixed on him, its breath slow and deep. Then, with a deep, rumbling growl, it raised its head, the faintest trace of respect in its eyes.
“Your magic... is weak,” the dragon said, its voice still heavy but now tinged with a strange warmth.
“But your heart, human, is something I had not expected.” It shifted slightly, the massive weight of its body pressing against the ground as it rose to its full height, towering over him. The light from the moss flickered as if in response to the dragon’s movement, casting eerie shadows across the cavern walls.
“You have given me something no one else has—your compassion, despite everything you’ve lost.”
The young man’s breath caught in his throat, his eyes locking with the dragon’s. He hadn’t done it for praise, but hearing those words stirred something deep inside him. He had given what little he had left, and for the first time in what felt like forever, he felt... seen.
The dragon’s eyes softened, and a low rumble escaped its throat. “The world has forsaken you, human. But perhaps... there is still a purpose for you, after all.”
The man swallowed, uncertain whether to believe the dragon’s words, but something in his chest—a spark, a flicker of something long forgotten—began to stir. “And you?” he asked, his voice shaky. “What purpose do you still have, after everything that’s happened?”
The dragon’s gaze turned distant, its ancient eyes searching the darkness beyond the cavern. “I have lived longer than most, and seen the rise and fall of empires,” it murmured, its voice like the rustling of ancient leaves. “I have witnessed the extinction of my kind. Perhaps it is time for something new to emerge from the ashes.”
The young man felt the weight of the dragon’s words, a shared sense of loss between them, two beings at the end of their respective journeys. “Perhaps we can help each other,” he said quietly, his voice stronger now, a quiet determination rising within him.
The dragon’s eyes shifted back to him, its gaze piercing, but there was no judgment in it. Only understanding.
"Perhaps, human," it said. "Perhaps’’
"So, what’s a dragon doing in a secret cave like this?"
The dragon’s expression shifted, its ancient gaze turning contemplative. “I am Exarion,” it rumbled, voice thick with the weight of centuries. “The last of my kind. Once, we ruled both land and sky, our power and wisdom shared freely with humans. We lived in harmony, alongside the other races of this world. There was peace—true peace—between us all.”
A flicker of sorrow passed across the Exarion’s eyes as it gazed into the cavern’s shadowed depths, its voice lowering, heavy with the weight of untold years. “But in their greed, in their blind pursuit of dominion, they turned on us. The humans, once our allies, hunted us to the brink of extinction, breaking the fragile balance we had forged.”
It gazed into the darkness, distant and haunted, as if searching for echoes of a forgotten time. "Now, I am all that remains... a fading memory in a world that no longer remembers,but i believe there are others like me also in hiding.’’
The young man listened in silence, the weight of Exarion's words settling heavily on him. He took a breath, finding his voice amidst the overwhelming revelation.
"My name is Rey," he said, but what you’re saying… about the power you shared with humans—how did it work? How could you grant us strength?"
Exarion’s great head turned back toward him, its ancient blue eyes narrowing slightly as it regarded Rey, as if measuring the depth of his question.
“Ah, the Dragon Bond,” the dragon rumbled, its voice deepening with reverence. "It is not merely magic, nor just power. It is a merging of souls, a union forged in trust and shared purpose. The bond was never meant to be taken lightly. Through it, we dragons would enter the human’s soul—our essence, our very being, joining with theirs. We became one, intertwined beyond the physical realm, sharing our wisdom, our strength, and our magic.”
Exarion's gaze drifted into the depths of the cave once more, its ancient mind recalling long-lost memories. "In that bond, the human would gain the strength of a dragon. Their body would grow stronger, their mind clearer, their magic more potent. But the cost, Rey… the cost was great. The bond was not just power; it was a transformation of the soul itself. You would be changed—forever. There was no turning back once the connection was made."
The dragon's eyes returned to him, piercing yet somehow filled with understanding. “The dragons who shared the bond did so not out of arrogance, but out of respect. It was a gift, yes, but it was also a responsibility. One that neither race could take lightly."
Rey stood frozen, feeling the weight of Exarion's words pressing upon him. The idea of such a bond—becoming one with the dragon, sharing its essence—was a concept he could barely wrap his mind around. But the potential it offered… it stirred something deep inside him.
Rey nodded, feeling a strange sense of resolve settle in him. It wasn’t just the power he sought now—it was something deeper, something that would rebuild the very core of who he was. He wasn’t just going to survive anymore; he was going to rise.