The ancient Elder Dragon turned his gaze toward the right, where a golden Dragoness stood on one of the closer pillars. Her eyes, the hue of amethyst, held a touch of curiosity as they briefly met mine before she lowered her head in deference to the Elder's attention.

"You will lead him, Celestine," the Elder proclaimed.

"Your word is my command, my lord," Celestine responded with a graceful bow.

Turning to face me, she offered a sweet smile that left me inexplicably at ease. There was something captivating about her demeanor, though I couldn't quite put my finger on it. A silent question lingered in my thoughts, 'What was that?'

Grandmother's sudden voice beside me snapped me out of my reverie. "Don't be fooled by her seemingly harmless demeanor, child. She's a crafty old lizard, that one."

"I thought as much, considering she's standing there," I replied, nodding in understanding.

The Elder's gaze returned to Grandmother as he continued, "I'll grant your request this time. You may accompany him."

"Thank you, Elder," Grandmother replied with a respectful bow.

"Now go, the others are waiting by the Gates. Celestine, I leave him in your hands," the Elder declared, ending the discussion.

I exchanged a solemn nod with Grandfather, our silent communication acknowledging the weight of our impending mission. With one last glance, I turned and followed Grandmother away from the council's presence.

Cosmic mana enveloped us, and we materialized on the edge of a floating island in the celestial expanse. The enchanting orange-hued sky continued to cast its gentle light upon the wondrous world surrounding us.

Grandmother, in her Dragon form, stood to my left. Her stern expression was a precursor to the weight of her words. "Listen to me very carefully, Aether. Celestine is not just there to guide you. She is also there to keep an eye on you."

"But I'm not planning to do—"

Grandmother cut me off, her words firm. "Listen to me. We Dragons are not as united as we like to portray. Just understand that Celestine is not your friend. She may be an ally for now, but do not trust her. Do you understand?"

I nodded with earnest understanding. "I don't know what's going on, but I understand, Grandma. Don't worry."

"Good. No matter where we go, you will stay by my side and do exactly as I say, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Good. Now, here she comes. Remember what I said."

Moments later, the golden-scaled Dragoness approached. Her physique was nothing like that of a muscular Earth Dragon, yet she exuded a graceful charm. Her draconic visage was enchanting, and her amethyst eyes—

'Wait! What's happening?' I blinked and shook my head, attempting to dispel the inexplicable thoughts that had crossed my mind.

Celestine seemed briefly taken aback by my reaction but swiftly regained her composure. She walked toward us and addressed Grandmother with a gentle smile. "It's been a while."

"Indeed it has."

"Well, aren't you going to introduce me to this cute one over here?" Celestine asked with her face just inches from mine, her eyes filled with amusement.

Grandmother's expression remained stoic as she responded, her tone carrying a hint of impatience. "Aether, my grandchild. Now, are we leaving, or are we going to waste more time?"

Celestine playfully pouted and returned, "So cold, fine. Let's go." Her amethyst eyes traveled over me from head to toe, and a peculiar smile played upon her lips, sending an inexplicable shiver down my spine.

Stolen novel; please report.

Celestine confidently led the way, and we followed in her wake, soaring toward yet another massive floating island. This one dwarfed the previous, and even from a distance, the imposing figures of Dragons congregating around a colossal teleportation gate were unmistakable.

Upon landing before the assembled group, the weight of their combined presence pressed down on me, intensifying as their collective attention settled upon us. Four elder dragons stood before me, two fire Dragons, one resplendent golden Dragon, and a regal azure Dragoness. The sheer force of their presence was suffocating, but I refused to bow beneath its weight. Instead, I inhaled deeply, summoning my inner strength as I stood resolute, keeping stride with Grandmother.

"So, this is the renowned Voidwalker?" one of the fire Dragons commented, his gaze scrutinizing me with keen interest.

"It is my privilege to stand among you," I responded with a humble bow.

The water Dragoness nodded in agreement and spoke with a tone of urgency, "We should proceed."

Celestine beamed and turned her attention to me, her voice oozing with an easy familiarity. "Now then, would you be a dear and start up this old gate here?" she asked as if it were the simplest task in the world.

"Start it up, you say? I've never attempted that before," I admitted honestly.

"Oh, it's not so difficult, dear," she reassured, her tail gently caressing my head, sending another unexpected shiver down my spine. "You just need to tap into your cosmic mana, delve deep, deep within yourself. I'm sure you know what I mean," she added, a mischievous grin playing upon her lips.

"Enough of this! Let's just get on with it!" the golden dragon interjected impatiently. Celestine maintained her gaze, urging me deeper with her eyes, and then gently pushed me toward the immense gate with her tail.

I stumbled forward and stood before the colossal structure, overwhelmed by its sheer scale. This gate was unlike any I had encountered before, and I took a moment to glance at Grandmother, who offered a reassuring nod. Gathering my resolve, I closed my eyes, and with a deep breath, I reached into my soul space to connect with my cosmic mana.

Cosmic mana stirred within me, forming an instinctive connection with the colossal gateway. It felt as if I was standing at the precipice of a massive, hungry void, an abyss yearning to be filled. What was intriguing, however, was that my cosmic mana, usually rebellious and chaotic, seemed eager to oblige this connection.

"Is this the influence of the previous cosmic pillar?" I pondered internally, allowing a slender strand of my cosmic mana to extend toward the gate.

For an observer, nothing seemed to change. No visible alterations graced the gate's colossal structure. However, the elder dragons gathered around us grew increasingly impatient, audible grumbles and discontent among them. The fiery dragons grumbled audibly, while the Golden Dragon regarded me with a mix of annoyance and anticipation.

I understood that I needed to concentrate, focus, and gather my thoughts. But the task at hand was far from trivial – activating a teleportation gate that had remained dormant for centuries was no small feat.

"Alright, Aether," I muttered to myself, trying to infuse a sense of ease into my voice. "Just a simple task—only activating a centuries-dead teleportation gate. No pressure."

With a deep breath, I closed my eyes and dived further into my cosmic mana, fully committing to the task at hand.