The corridors echoed with the sounds of battle as a group of agents raced through the winding passages. Their footsteps pounded against the tiled floor, urgency propelling them forward. Time was of the essence if they hoped to stop the cult from enacting their nefarious plans.

Leading the charge was Lilia, her heart pounding in her chest as she navigated the halls. She turned to Akari, her brow furrowed in confusion. "How is it that nearly all the Bureau's capable agents were away during this attack?" she demanded, her voice tinged with urgency.

Akari's expression hardened, her pace never slowing. "There was a major incident in Germany," she explained, her tone clipped. "Our allies there requested immediate assistance, so most of our advanced teams were deployed."

Collins chimed in, his face grim. "It seems the Children of the Apocalypse were aware of our diminished presence. They struck the moment our plane touched down in Europe."

Lilia's eyes narrowed as a disturbing thought crossed her mind. "Could it be that there's a mole within the Bureau?" she suggested, her voice laced with suspicion. "How else would the cult know the precise timing of your departure?"

Collins nodded grimly, his expression darkening. "It's a possibility we can't ignore. But for now, we need to focus on stopping their plans. We can deal with potential leaks later."

As they raced deeper into the facility, the eerie atmosphere intensified with each step. The air itself seemed to pulse with an oppressive magical energy. Many of the less experienced agents visibly struggled against the stifling pressure, their faces contorted in discomfort. Yet curiously, Lilia found herself invigorated by the same energy that suffocated her companions.

With every breath, Lilia felt raw power surging through her veins, banishing the lingering fatigue from shattering the barrier. It was as if she had spent her entire life breathing air deficient in oxygen, and only now could she fill her lungs to their true capacity. The sensation was exhilarating, lending a newfound spring to her step as they delved further into the heart of the structure.

Suddenly, the sound of clashing steel and shouted incantations echoed through the halls ahead. They turned a corner to find a chaotic melee underway, heroes locked in desperate battle against a horde of cultists. Blazing spells and superhuman feats filled the air as the two sides vied for dominance.

To Lilia's surprise, the cultists were holding their own against the heroes' superior powers. Shimmering auras and mystic glyphs surrounded the robed figures, clear evidence of magical enhancements elevating them to match their opponents.

Collins cursed under his breath, watching the pitched struggle with a grim expression. "They must be channelling the dark energies saturating this place," he surmised tersely. "It's giving them the boost they need to keep pace with trained supers."

Akari moved to join the fray, talismans at the ready, but Collins caught her arm. "No! We don't have time," he barked, his voice strained. "We have to reach the core before it's too late!"

Torn, Akari hesitated only an instant before giving a curt nod. Together, the group raced past the clashing forces, making for the far door leading to the subterranean levels. A few cultists made to block their path, but Lilia swept them aside with a negligent wave of her hand, the surging energies within her finding an outlet. They crashed into the walls and crumpled, dazed, allowing the agents to pass unimpeded.

Beyond the door, a dizzying spiral staircase stretched down into the depths, lit by led lamps lining the walls. The group began their descent, the sound of their echoing footfalls intermingling with the distance chants drifting up from below.

"Whatever they're attempting, the invocation sounds nearly complete," Collins panted, taking the steps two at a time. "We may only have minutes to stop this."

As they raced downward, the chanting grew louder, the foreign words taking on a hypnotic cadence. Lilia found herself straining to make out the unfamiliar syllables, some buried instinct insisting they were important. Frustratingly, the echoing distortions masked the specifics, rendering the chant an indistinct susurrus.

The dizzying descent finally ended, opening into a soaring chamber dominated by an immense pulsing structure of pipes, coils, and cables - the TSEC Core, the beating heart keeping New Atlantis afloat. But Lilia's gaze was immediately drawn to the cluster of robed figures kneeling in a circle before it, their fervent chanting rising to a crescendo.

In the circle's centre, a woman in ornate regalia stood with arms upraised, her voice soaring above the others. Shattered remnants of some crystalline artifacts lay strewn at her feet, still emanating fading currents of power.

"That must be what they used to create the barrier," Lilia surmised, eyeing the broken shards warily. "At least we won't have to worry about them pulling that trick again."

The cultists, alerted by their presence, whirled to face the intruders. A woman in ornate robes stepped forward, her eyes glinting with a fanatical light. "Welcome, interlopers," she greeted cordially, her voice dripping with false warmth. "You've stumbled right into our trap, just as planned."

Her gaze fixed on Lilia, a sneer twisting her lips. "Especially you, False One. Your presence here is an affront to the true order of things."

Lilia tensed at the cryptic name, a thrum of unease running through her. "What do you mean, 'False One'?" she demanded sharply. "Explain yourself!"

The woman chuckled darkly, shaking her head. "It matters not. Soon, you will all be dead, and the truth will be irrelevant."

As if on cue, a shimmering portal tore open behind the cultists, its edges crackling with arcane energy. Through the rift, Lilia caught a glimpse of a vast subterranean cavern, its ceiling studded with countless glowing blue lights that cast an eerie radiance over the scene. In the distance, a colossal structure loomed, its details obscured by the portal's distortion.

The image tickled something in Lilia's memory, a nagging sense of familiarity that she couldn't quite place. But before she could dwell on it further, a massive shape emerged from the portal, its very presence seeming to warp the fabric of reality around it.

A gargantuan black dragon stepped into the chamber, its scales glistening with an otherworldly sheen. Bluish highlights danced across its hide, giving it an almost metallic appearance. The membranes of its wings black as if wrought from pure shadow, the edges smouldering with an eerie blue glow that resembled slowly burning embers. Darkness oozed from its eyes, a palpable aura of dread emanating from its very being.

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The agents immediately fell into defensive stances, weapons at the ready. But Lilia stood transfixed, her eyes widening in recognition. She had seen this dragon before, in the world of Endless Fantasy. It was a Styx Dragon, a rare and fearsome beast that players could acquire as a mount from a one-time event. It was marketed as 'scary looking, but actually very cute once befriended.'

The dragon surveyed its surroundings, its gaze sweeping over the assembled cultists who knelt in reverence before it. The woman who had summoned the beast pointed an accusing finger at Lilia and the agents, her voice trembling with zealous fervour.

The cultists prostrated themselves before the nightmare beast, reverent murmurs spilling from their lips. Their leader stepped forward, arms spread in exultation.

"Dark one, I beseech you! Strike down these blasphemers who dare to interfere with our sacred rites! Let their blood be an offering to your glory!"

The dragon's eyes narrowed, its attention fixing on the intruders. It took a menacing step forward, its maw opening to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth. But as its gaze fell upon Lilia, something shifted in its demeanour.

Recognition flashed in the dragon's eyes, followed by an overwhelming surge of joy and affection. In that instant, the dragon forgot the cultist's command, its entire being focused solely on the figure before it.

That's when realization slammed home with the force of a thunderbolt. That sleek onyx hide, those unearthly blue patterns... It was a bit larger than in the game, but she was certain she knew this dragon.

"Blightwing?" Lilia called out to it by the name she had given to dragon she had raised from a hatchling within the game.

The dragon's reaction was immediate and unmistakable. Its tail began to wag furiously, like an overexcited puppy greeting its beloved owner. With a joyful trill, Blightwing bounded forward, closing the distance between them in a few ground-eating strides.

Before anyone could react, the dragon lowered its massive head and gave Lilia an affectionate lick, its rough tongue nearly knocking her off her feet. Lilia couldn't help but laugh, her heart swelling with a mix of amazement and relief.

The others stood in stunned silence, their mouths agape at the surreal scene unfolding before them. The cultists, too, seemed at a loss, their eyes darting between their summoned beast and the so-called False One.

"What is the meaning of this?" the robed woman demanded, her voice shrill with disbelief. "Destroy the interlopers, now!"

But Blightwing paid her no heed, its attention solely focused on Lilia. It nuzzled against her, rumbling deep in its chest with contentment.

Lilia reached up and stroked the dragon's snout, marvelling at the smooth scales beneath her fingers. "It's okay, Blightwing," she murmured soothingly. "I'm here now."

As she spoke those words, a flicker of uncertainty passed through her mind. She wasn't the real Lilia, the one who had raised Blightwing from a hatchling. But the dragon didn't seem to care about that distinction. To Blightwing, she was Lilia who had raised it, its beloved mother and companion.

The cultists, realizing their control over the dragon had been usurped, began to murmur anxiously among themselves. Some edged away, their eyes darting to the exit as if contemplating escape.

The leader's eyes glinted with a manic fervour as she watched the heartfelt reunion between Lilia and Blightwing. A sharp, derisive laugh escaped her lips, cutting through the tender moment like a knife.

"You think this changes anything, False One?" she sneered, her voice dripping with contempt. "Our plan was never about the core. It was merely a distraction, a ploy to lure you here."

With a dramatic flourish of her robes, the leader began to weave spells with her hands and chant in an ancient, guttural language. The air around her crackled with dark energy, and a shimmering portal began to form at her feet.

"We will meet again," she promised, her words laced with menace. "But don't think it will be as easy next time."

Before anyone could react, the leader stepped into the portal and vanished, her mocking laughter echoing in the chamber long after she had disappeared.

The remaining cultists, seeing their leader abandon them, scattered like frightened rats. They scrambled for the exits, desperate to escape the wrath of the agents and the dragon. However, their attempts were short-lived as Lilia and the agents swiftly moved to intercept them.

Lilia's newfound power surged through her veins, and she found herself moving with a speed and grace she had never possessed before. She effortlessly subdued the fleeing cultists, her hands a blur as she struck precise pressure points to render them unconscious.

Akari and Collins joined the fray. Together, they made short work of the remaining cultists, restraining them with practiced efficiency.

However, as they moved to secure the last of the prisoners, a chilling scene unfolded before their eyes. Several of the cultists, their faces contorted in a mixture of fear and fanatical devotion, began to convulse violently. Before anyone could intervene, they collapsed to the ground, their lives snuffed out by some unseen force.

Lilia and the agents rushed to the remaining cultists, desperately trying to prevent them from suffering the same fate. They managed to save three of them, restraining them tightly to ensure they couldn't harm themselves or others.

As the chaos finally subsided, an eerie calm settled over the chamber. The only sound was the gentle humming of the TSEC Core, its pulsing lights casting an ethereal glow over the scene.

Akari turned to Lilia, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What is the meaning of this, Lilia?" she demanded, gesturing to the dragon. "How do you know this creature?"

Lilia sighed, running a hand through her hair as she considered how best to explain the peculiar situation. "This is Blightwing," she began, switching to a whisper as she explained the last part. "Back in the game, Blightwing was a dragon I raised from a hatchling."

"Akari, we have a more pressing issue," Collins interrupted, his gaze sweeping over Blightwing's massive form. "There's no way we'll be able to move it out of here undetected. And once the other heroes arrive, it will be next to impossible to cover up what transpired."

Suddenly, a voice echoed in Lilia's mind, a voice that sounded like a young child.

"Mom?"

The voice was soft, tinged with a childlike innocence that sent a shiver down Lilia's spine. It was certainly Blightwing, speaking to her telepathically in a way she had never exhibited in the game. She had always imagined Blightwing's voice to be more mature and rougher, befitting a dragon.

"Please don't send me away," the voice continued, a plaintive note entering its tone. "It's so lonely there, so dark and cold."

Lilia felt her heart constrict at the palpable loneliness and fear laced through those words. Despite the immense size of the dragon before her, she couldn't help but picture a lost and frightened child, yearning for comfort and familiarity.

Instinctively, she reached out with her mind, seeking to soothe the anguished presence she felt entwined with her own.

"I won't send you away," she promised, the words forming in her thoughts with startling clarity. "But we need to find a way to conceal you, at least for now."

As if in response to her words, a veil of shadows engulfed Blightwing. When it faded, a young slightly androgynous human girl stood in the dragon's place. She looked to be around nine or ten years old, with jet-black hair, obsidian eyes, and porcelain skin.

Before Lilia could fully process this shocking transformation, the child darted forward, throwing their slender arms around her waist in a fierce embrace.

"Did I do well, Mom?" she asked, their voice ringing with a mix of hope and trepidation.

Lilia could only stare down at the child, her mind reeling from the sudden turn of events. She opened her mouth, but no words came out, her usual eloquence failing her in the face of such a profound impossibility.

Around them, the agents watched the scene unfold in stunned silence, their expressions ranging from outright disbelief to guarded wariness.

"I... I didn't know you could do this," she finally managed, her voice little more than a whisper.

Blightwing puffed up her chest with pride, a wide grin splitting her face. "I practiced really hard," she declared. "I wanted to surprise you when you come back!"

The young dragon stood proudly before her, chest puffed out in a display of childlike pride that was equal parts endearing and amusing. Lilia couldn't help but marvel at the stark contrast between Blightwing's current form and the fearsome beast she had witnessed mere moments ago.

With a renewed sense of purpose, Lilia turned to Collins and Akari, her expression resolute. "Now, let's get out of here before the heroes arrive,"