Belze listened to the dragon in front of him. He had no intention of fighting.

"It's going to sound crazy, but the future depends on her not leaving. If she leaves, this world is doomed. I have to stop it," the dragon said.

As soon as he heard this, something rang in his ears. He listened closely and heard the voice of the Time Monarch.

"He is telling the truth. Let him pass. Let him make his choice," the voice said.

Belze then saw a quick glimpse of a dragon shrouded in darkness holding the woman, Nera, stitched together. There was a towering cradle made up of faces and a half-developed fetus. The entire world was filled with darkness while people underneath fought each other while monsters of all kinds did as they pleased. When the world and universe vanished, only a sky of eyes looked back, but the vision was cut short.

Belze couldn't tell how the dragon looked like, but it was towering above everything alongside the cradle. The dragon was the only part that was cloudy in his vision. Everything else seemed clear as day.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

Belze moved aside and let the Crimson Black Knight pass. He didn't know what the vision meant or when it would happen. He also had no idea what roles anybody played towards that future. However, he felt no fear from the path ahead as if he wasn't alone.

"Thank you," the knight said as he hurried past him.

Belze didn't want the knight to harm Nia, yet couldn't decide whether he should help either of them. He didn't know whether it was the black dragon in front of him that was prophesied or Nia. Everything was happening too fast for his mind to comprehend. He needed to time to think things over. He looked at his silver body and questioned what he was. He was no longer human, but he didn't feel like a raging animal, either. As time passed, only questions remained about himself and his choices. Was he the Silver Merchant, messenger of the Time Monarch, or Belze, a child from a small village, he pondered.

He walked away slowly and as he did, he saw two horses. They once belonged to the silver merchant. Belze took one step closer and saw that they were made of silver gears invisible to the eyes of normal life. With the flick of his hand, one of the horses dematerialized and buried itself in the sand, and the other grew silver reins. Belze looked at his hands and wondered how he could do what he was doing, but no answer came. He hopped onto the silver horse and hit the reins. As the horse galloped faster, Belze opened a portal in front of them and they disappeared.