Chieftain Karam

The rusted chains bit into my skin, hollowing my flesh as I felt the heavy vibrations which travelled through the walls and floor of the fortress down into the dungeon.

My wrists restricted with mana suppression cuffs as the more I struggled in them the more strongly they held on to me. I stirred slowly, the heavy chain went rattling as a jarring noise reverberated through the cell.

I looked up as the bind on my neck tightened, observing the demons who stood post outside the cell, they conversed in confusion, their faces terrified by the shaking of the walls as a heavy foreboding rose in the air.

“What is happening up there?” A demon whispered from the side—he was Urnes, the demon assigned to stand guard outside my cell for the past few months. His voice was laced with trepidation as he looked at his companion. “The entire fortress is shaking, and the shockwaves are travelling to the levels below. Just what kind of monsters are fighting up there?”

His companion, a young demon with green eyes turned to him with a frown—Verhu, the other demon who had been appointed here with Urnes. “There’s nothing to be worried about, His Excellency can take care of any intruder all by himself, and he also has his battlegroup of elite demons with him. No intruder can hope to infiltrate Esparossa and not be caught and apprehended no matter how strong they are.”

As if to calm his demon companion, he added with a few words of reassurance. “And His Excellency is a direct descendent of the Noros clan, you know how strong and resourceful those of the Noros are, and their patron is a Seraphim. Plus, Lord Ankewelt is someone directly appointed to take control of things here by the leader of the Seraphims, Lord Ashmedai.”

“Y-Yeah,” his companion Urnes sputtered as his face bloomed a little, the anxiety lessened, as he moved his gaze to the inside of the dark and damp cell where overgrown moss and a gut wrenching smell was pungent in the air.

“You hear that, you filthy orc. Your people have no hope left of winning this war. This war, at best, is lost for all of you.” He barked with a condescending tug of his lips, his eyes looked down at me through his nose.

I clenched my jaw tightly as the chains tightened around me like a vice, the more I struggled the harsher the restraining became, as I kept staring back at Urnes who had the same pigment of eyes as his companion. My face was expressionless, eyes indifferently glaring at the demons, but the internal maelstrom raged on within me like a hurricane.

I didn’t respond, only looked as the demon who spat on the floor with a distasteful frown.

I will get my chance eventually! I muttered inwardly, as I felt another shockwave shake the entire dungeon, travelling from above.

Whomever were fighting up there were not normal. I could feel it through the shaking of the entire fortress, the battle was something that I couldn’t put my head around. Just the sheer force left everything shaking.

After a few more shockwaves, everything returned back to normal, only silence remained inside the dungeon, the same unbothered silence which I'd survived for the past few months since being captured.

After a few minutes passed, I heard muttering voices from outside the cell.

“Is the battle finally over?” Urnes asked, his tone hesitant and unsure as he looked at his companion.

“It has to be. His Excellency must have finally disposed off the intruder.” Verhu mused as he crossed his arms and leaned against the rusted bars of the cell.

“Heh, seriously, who would be dumb enough to infiltrate the fortress knowing that an elite battlegroup of demons are stationed here?” Urnes scoffed with a chuckle as both him and his companion laughed and talked about some trivial matters.

But suddenly, both of the demons jolted to their feet, as a painful and twisted scream reverberated through the dungeon. The scream had came from the upper level, and it appeared so painful and excruciating that even I seemed fearful of what had happened.

“What was that?” Urnes asked, his facial expression twisted into a scowl as Verhu shared his companion’s trepidation.

An air of foreboding rose in the air as I saw a dim light emanating from outside the cell, coming from the right entrance.

The light widened and expanded slowly as Urnes shouted with traces of fear in his voice, his body quivered as if what he was looking at was horrendously abnormal.

“Who the hell are you?” Urnes appeared struck for some reason, his eyes projected a dim surge of flames, a fiery conflagration which seem to paint the entire area in front of him.

He and Verhu lunged in the direction of the flames, as I saw the abnormal fire lurch rampantly and saw the flames which surged like they had a will, a life of their own.

The purple, no, iridescent flames lurched on to anything and began to consume the walls, the cell bars and the floor. It devoured everything within its path like a hungry and rampant beast, like a tidal wave of destruction, an unstoppable force of nature which had been set loose upon the world, which shouldn’t have been released.

I heard the jarring screams of the demons enter my ears, their voices twisted and pierced, as I stirred to my feet, the chains rattling in the cell as my mana was still suppressed, making me unable to do anything.

Like a puppet who had its strings severed.

Then, it finally revealed itself. The cause of this conflagration; this destruction.

He was tall, his glossy hair, black and long was dishevelled and covered a part of his face, his masculine and sharp features smeared with blood as he stood amidst the chaos which consumed a part of the cell. An animalistic and twisted grin played on his lips, his eyes predatory, as I focused on his dark lavender eyes which burned with the ecstasy and rush of victory.

He was the cause of this harrowing scene, the flames lurched on to his body, his arms were enveloped by the thick shroud of the iridescent flames which seem to devour his flesh slowly, burning him and his mana away, as if using him as a source to keep itself alive.

I swallowed hard, my eyes widened in horror as I felt the emotion of fear rise from inside me, my body quivered within the binds. Gone was my pride and confidence from a moment ago, I knew from just a glance that this was something I couldn't fight or resist against. This was true destruction, a force which felt nothing behind; no traces of life.

The young man lacked the pointy ears of an elf, and was far taller to be rolled out as a dwarf. His mana was potent, so much so that he was on the same level as me, or perhaps even stronger, but all of that seemed insignificant in this moment, as I saw his twisted grin arch further, a perverse sense of ecstasy emerged on his face and in his bloodthirsty eyes. The flames seemed to respond to this rage and hunger for death and destruction.

Suddenly, the flames seem to dim for a split second as he turned to me and entered the cell through a narrow gap which had been opened by the onslaught of the flames, he gritted his teeth as he flicked his wrist and the flames dimmed considerably, as if he struggled under the weight of the blaze himself, trying to retain control and force the iridescent fire to respond to his will.

But I realized late that the flames produced no heat, they weren’t searing, unlike a normal flame. They were cold...and not just some ordinary cold, a hollowing cold which left nothing behind—which even burned away the essence of an individual.

My gaze followed the young man and suddenly in his hand, an anchor like device appeared from the empty air, as he threw it immediately before the flames could try to lurch on to it.

I recognized the device immediately, it was a compass, the compass which the orcs possessed.—the device which had been taken from us.

The young man took a breath, his face twisted further as he spoke, his struggle evident. “ Za-Zalar en dar fa. Tor en fa'vor...bal kor Tseige.” “(Za-Zalar sent me. Take the compass...and go to Tseige.)” He spoke in the common tongue, but his voice sounded so demonic and hoarse that I felt wary of each word.

“ Fa'kor dor an." (Everyone is there!)” He added as he waved his hand and the flames bit into the chains around the cell, as they seem to destabilize, giving me the chance I needed as I pushed my mana and used brute strength to break free from the cuffs as I felt my mana return after months.

I immediately took the compass from the floor as I dodged the flames and warily exited the cell through a narrow gap which the flames had left untouched. My feet lifted from the floor as I cautiously arrived outside.

I turned behind and spoke. “Thank you, young man.” With a final glance at the flames devouring the exit, I looked away and immediately strode closer to the cells beside mine.

I quickly helped the others escape as I reached for the last cell in the dungeon, where there was a secret exit which led to the outside of the fortress.

***

Mordian Astrionyx

The cold wind breezed past my scaled skin as I rushed through the air, I tried to reach out to Jiwoo, but, he had conjured a thick barrier between us—but one which had many holes in it, it was close to collapsing, as I felt the agony of my bond slowly leak on to me

Just what had happened during his battle? I questioned with a frown. Then what did that vision try to convey? Did it have a completely different meaning from what I'd interpreted?

I was close to reaching the fortress, it was now barely visibly and the sight which caught my eyes was abnormal.

My body hurtled through the air with unimaginable speed, propelled towards the distant fortress. Yet, the landscape below me was a nightmarish tableau of raging infernos that devoured acres of land.

The conflagration painted the sky, fortress walls, and the surrounding water in hues of fiery chaos. Flames and blood cascaded from the sky, transforming the environment into a burning hell that intensified as I neared the fortress.

My eyes followed the flames devouring everything in its path, and soon my gaze landed on Jiwoo who was slowly walking out of the fortress.

The gates succumbed to the onslaught of the flames, several demons stumbled out, their bodies coated with iridescent flames as they vanished, their screams filled the air.

My gaze fixed upon Jiwoo standing amidst the blazing maelstrom. The flames had an eerie, iridescent quality, a shade to the destructive spectacle. His face contorted into a malevolent grin; an unsettling distortion of triumph etched across his features as he mirthfully laughed. Panic gripped me as I descended, the edges of my form flickered as I transformed back into my humanoid form, my feet making contact with the ground, blades of grass squashed under my feet.

Approaching Jiwoo, I witnessed the toll the iridescent fire exacted on him. His form was consumed by the inferno, his right hand vanished up to the elbow, leaving only a skeletal stump. The left hand, though still intact, had its fingers succumbing to the relentless onslaught of the cold destruction.

Desperation fuelled my attempt to reach out through our mental link, only to encounter a formidable and thick barrier, a thick wall he had erected to shield his thoughts; to protect himself from any outside interference.

"M...ordian," his voice, weak and hoarse, reverberated in the fiery surroundings. His gaze met mine, ravenous purple eyes revelling in the destruction surrounding him.

"What have you done?" I questioned, my words cutting through the air like a frigid blade.

I realized my own face wore a frown, a testament to the gravity of the situation. Jiwoo inclined his head, brows knitted into a frown, and his purple eyes reflected the burning flames that ravaged not just his body but also his mind. The barrier began to crumble, unveiling a torrent of his thoughts, a cacophony of agony and lamentation, mixed with the rush of victory and absoluteness.

A vicious, vindictive smile played on his lips, making him look like the very incarnation of destruction and chaos. As if he was no longer the man I used to know.

"JIWOO!" I boomed, taking a step forward, but he remained fixated on the devastation around him.

His eyes looked away with a delightful intrigue, as if he found this chaos soothing.

His gaze settled on to me, his eyes glaring daggers. "Why have you come here, Mordian?" His voice carried an animalistic and hostile edge, causing an involuntary step backward as caution prickled the hair at the back of my neck. “I’ve won, even without your help. Where were you when I needed you?” He jabbed with a dark melancholy lacing his words.

His thoughts appeared unstable.

"You've come to stop me! To get in my way! You're all the same, always hindering me from reaching my goal. I thought you were my ally, Mordian, my bond, my friend, the one person I could trust wholly—if not the rest. But then why?"

His voice sounded broken and disoriented, his face twisted with a confused and perplexed scowl.

I projected my thoughts, attempting to breach the turmoil within him, yet he shrugged them all away as if they were a nuisance to him. His face displaying a sharp edge of annoyance as his eyes grew cold. His mind withered as the flames intensified, consuming everything in their path.

“In the end, the arrogance you ancient races have had since birth, enveloping yourself in this pathetic cocoon of superiority that the world itself revolves around you, makes me sick and full of loathe for your kind.” He spat with a venomous tone.

A condescending glint rose in his eyes as he shouted through the spectacle of destruction. "But that's the same reason why your race and all the others lost and perished, due to their arrogance. Isn't that right? Huh, Mordian?!!!” He roared as the mana and demonic energy around us shook.

I didn't let his remark go, as my face pulled into a sharp frown. My eyes grew cold as I took a nonchalant glance at Jiwoo, trying to appease my anger.

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"You aren't thinking straight right now. Calm yourself. That flame is corrupting and destroying you." That's all I could say while keeping my own rage doused, which was bubbling up steadily.

Jiwoo sneered, his nose wrinkled viciously. “And why the fuck do you care?”

I felt something within me stir, as I felt our minds connect, the wall now fully crumbled as every emotion Jiwoo felt leaked into my mind. He was an open book to me.

“You wouldn’t even care if I died right now. You only care about yourself—your revenge. Our partnership was only based on the mutual benefits of our agreement. I've known that since the day we made a covenant, you despised me, wanted me dead, but you held back on multiple occasions, because I benefited you—allowing you to escape that cavern and your binds!”

Tears welled down his eyes, as blood dripped from his mouth. I listened quietly at him, seeing him pour his heart out, not because I could tolerate his words, but because some of the things he had said were true.

I had thought like that in the beginning—true, that I needed his help to escape my imprisonment, but that wasn’t all, not the entire truth...

I'd changed...realizing the trust and faith he placed in me, I couldn’t seem to appear indifferent to him as much as I tried.

As if we shared a deeper connection, which couldn’t be described easily.

One way or another, I had grown fond of Jiwoo’s presence. He was my bond, my ally, and...my friend. The first person I'd come to trust after several centuries.

Our time may have been short, but it was enough to remind me what I wanted to do, it had deeply influenced me, the trust and loyalty of my bond had felt alien to me at first, but it was genuine. And I felt pangs of guilt rise within me as I came face to face with my own emotions.

And I realized then, that it wasn’t just his trust I had been ignoring—it was my trust in him too. I had always known, deep down, that Jiwoo had kept struggling, but even when he struggled, he continued to rise back up, knowing he needed to do something for his circumstances—no one else will do it for him.

Where I on the other hand, was gnawed by my own doubts and fears ever since. I wanted to trust Jiwoo, but somehow I couldn’t bring myself to do it before.

But I knew what I needed to do now.

I couldn’t fail him. Not now. Not ever.

“Let’s end it all today!!” He shouted, his arms being devoured by the hungry flames.

‘Mordian... Please...’

A faint whisper echoed in my mind, barely audible beneath the storm of venomous shouts and curses swirling around me. I latched onto that fragile plea, the thread of desperation pulling me closer to my bond’s true voice. It trembled, weak and broken, as if all the strength had bled from it. A surge of emotions crashed over me—pain, fear, guilt.

Jiwoo opened up to me completely. All of his pains and sorrows visible to me. His emotions like a tableau of sorrow and guilt; like a raging storm, a tsunami that could drown anything.

‘Mordian...please...’ He pleaded again, his inner voice thick with raw emotion.

Jiwoo had always concealed his suffering, burying it so deep that no one could ever see his fragility. But ever since we had bonded, I could sense it, faintly—his guilt and the raw, jagged emotions festering in his heart. They clawed at him from the inside, suffocating him. He had continued to shoulder this guilt and loss since his past life. Even now, he was struggling to correct the mistakes he had made, trying to become better.

And that same suffering had now surfaced as an insurmountable rage in the form of this all consuming flame.

“Why won’t you just die and leave me alone!” He shouted under the mania of the destructive flames which seem to destroy him slowly and painfully.

‘I don't want to hurt my loved ones with this power. I don’t want to hurt you, Mordian... kill me... please...’ He pleaded, as if afraid that he might do something irreparable in this euphoric state.

‘Help me...’

His plea shattered something in me. The weight of it pressed on my chest, threatening to suffocate me.

I couldn't let him die, not like this. Jiwoo trusted me, even with his own life. I had always known it, but for too long, I had feigned ignorance, pretending that his faith in me was a burden I didn’t need to carry.

The truth was...I was afraid of his trust. That I might fail him, like all the others I had.

Now, as his voice trembled with fear and resignation, I could feel the weight of that trust in every fractured thought he sent me. He had placed his fate in my hands—not out of desperation or the spur of the moment, but out of trust and faith, that I would do the right thing in this moment. Jiwoo had always believed in me, even when I couldn’t believe in myself.

He had shown me, that there was still hope in living—that I could get my revenge. He had also lost everything at one point in his life—his past life—and he understood my pain better than anyone, because he had experienced similar loss equal to mine.

He had saved me at my lowest point, and now it was my turn to return the favour.

My arms turned limp momentarily as the stirring inside me stopped and I finally came to a decision. As that final speck of doubt disappeared.

I had always been indecisive in my choices, I’d lost one family once, all my people, my loved ones, even my parents, but now, I will do everything in my power to protect him. He was my bond, and I wouldn’t fail him, even if that is the last thing I do.

And something told me inside that if let Jiwoo die today, than the ramifications of that would be catastrophic. But what could I do to save him?

He was controlled by the destruction encompassing his mind, and from the way the flames seemed, it would be difficult to approach him. They wrapped around him like an armour, an made any physical and energy based attack useless.

Did I have no choice except for killing him? I clenched my teeth as I thought.

‘Please...’ His thin voice sounded out.

I started to suppress the curse within me, as I felt my strength increase several folds, but as soon as I did that, the struggle of maintaining the curse began to wrap around me like a vice. I felt my entire body scream as I felt my heart tightening.

This was the second time today that I'd suppressed the curse. And each time I did that, the toll it exacted on me was unbearable, and it became more rampant and less obedient And the time for maintaining it also shortened with each suppression.

I had transformed into my true form to cover the distance faster, and maintaining my dragonic form with the curse's suppression had further weakened me, and I barely had any mana left. I had wasted a lot of it by transforming earlier.

But I had no choice...

I determined my mind as I lunged forward, Jiwoo standing quietly in his spot, unmoving. As if he wanted this to happen.

The flames which rose in front of me like a sturdy wall dimmed suddenly, as if their essence was squeezed and jerked, as they withered from the area from where I could reach Jiwoo faster.

I conjured a small projectile, as Jiwoo’s face contorted from fighting against the urges of the destructive fire.

I twisted my body as a surge of those iridescent flames lurched at me from the side, I thrust my hand forward, the small projectile shot toward Jiwoo, as the flames were caught and held still as the projectile was able to reach near his heart—the flames were suppressed as it revealed his entire chest.

It thrust into his skin and pierced his flesh as it reached for his heart, but the moment my vision turned to his face, an understanding and resigned expression surfaced on my bond’s face.

I hesitated as I jerked my wrist and the projectile crumbled and vanished before it could pierce his heart. His healing factor had stopped working as the flames feasted on his flesh.

I pulled back as Jiwoo's left hand tried to reach me—it had now vanished up to his elbow—, his thoughts were now fully doused by the chaos which ravaged his mind, as the pleas disappeared entirely.

I floated in the air as I created some distance. My body barely avoided the flames as Jiwoo grunted and plummeted to his knees.

His arms tried to grab his squirming head, but he simply screamed under the sharp stinging which I perfectly felt as my own.

I felt the rebound from the curse already kick in as my strength started to dwindle. I felt an unbearable amount of pain surge through me, as I felt I could lose consciousness at any moment.

What more could I do? I couldn’t bring myself to kill Jiwoo! Then what could I do to usher his mind away from the flames?

There was no solution...

But, perhaps there was. Just like how Jiwoo had placed his trust in me, it was my turn to place mine in him.

I didn’t care anymore. I had already lived a long and unfulfilling life—most of it as a prisoner. But it was Jiwoo who had come into my life, who had instigated this chain of change. He was like an extraordinary force which made the world accommodate his passing.

I’d felt the same when I saw him manipulate the mana around him. It was the mana that told me, that he was different.

And I’d witnessed the same in the cavern when he had separated both of us from the flow of time—through that vision...

I took a breath as my mana dimmed and I took a step forward. Carefully manoeuvring through the fiery grassland.

If I was meant to die today, then so be it.

***

Seo Jiwoo

I screamed as my head threatened to burst under the mania, my veins squirmed like worms moving uncontrollably as my heart beat like a drum, my body experienced unbearable spasms, my vision dyed with blood and the iridescent flames. My arms—both of them—had disappeared as the flames had devoured them whole, leaving only skeletal stumps.

I had spat curse after curse at Mordian as I tried to fight against the power which gnawed away at me—a relentless fury of destruction. But deep within my heart, I knew this wasn’t me, the real me, it was the destruction talking.

But suddenly through my blurry and bloodied vision, I saw a tall shadow fall over me. I was barely able to focus on the figure that stood in front of me—his figure painted through the dim rays of light which brightened the dark sky and the iridescent flames.

The flames suddenly dimmed, as I felt the bottom part of my stomach fall.

W-Why?! I muttered through tears.

Mordian...he was...the flames had taken a hold of him and were slowly turning to devour him. He bent down coming to eye level with me, two golden eyes which radiated the same light like the sun came into my vision, the flames caught on his arm and hungrily climbed up his shoulder as I saw a thin smile over his hardened features, he brought both hands forward and held my shoulders tightly.

His grip gentle and firm, as I could see and feel his panic and pain through our mental link.

He was going through this suffering just to bring me back. To help me...

Why? Why are you doing this? Why for someone like me?

‘No...you must end him. Kill Mordian! He’s an obstacle in your path!’ The voice at the back of my head said. ‘Kill—'

No...Mordian is my bond. I can’t...

I tried to shake the flames away, but they just wouldn’t listen. They attacked me with more ferocity as I tried to resist.

Then I was stirred away from those mania-filled thoughts as I felt Mordian’s grip on my shoulders tighten.

His expression conveyed trust, concern and support—and for the first time I felt Mordian’s true emotions, his true feelings. As if he was saying that he was there for me—that I could fully trust him.

“Don’t let this destruction control you, Jiwoo. I know you can do it. You're better than this. This power is merely an extension of your true capabilities. Don’t allow this corruption to stir you. Take back control, fight the destruction.”

Mordian said as the cold flames lurched on to him more strongly, he winced under the weight and ferocity of the blaze as his face distorted with an agonizing scowl.

“Trust me.” He said as his grip from my shoulders weakened and his body laid on the ground with a thud as the flames began to dance on his form, his flesh beginning to burn and disappear, and I knew if nothing was done, Mordian would be gone.

I can’t let him die... I thought in desperation. I tried to do something, before something irreparable happened.

But the flames refused to let go. Their persuasive voice echoed in my mind like a lullaby. It was sweet and strange, but soothing. It drove me to madness.

I jerked my head back and then struck it into the cobblestone ground, as I tried to jar loose the hold of destruction from over me. It refused to let go, so I bashed my head again as trails of blood leaked from my forehead. The entire ground became dyed in the colour of my blood and my face too, as I kept bashing my head continuously.

The flames continued to consume my body as Mordian laid in front of me, unconscious.

Please...not him...you can take me instead, but please not him...I begged the flames, pleaded desperately as if they would respond, but there was no response.

The flames remained indifferent to any pleas I shouted.

I tried to reach within, trying to do anything to jar loose the hold of destruction, but I had no options.

Acausality was useless, so was Mind’s Eye and leap, the flames were connected to me, and as long as I had mana and life left, they would continue to burn, until they devoured everything.

And I felt it, at the base of it all was Ruler’s Authority. This accursed skill had put my life in danger several times. It was what connected me to the destruction, working as a conduit between me and the chaos—through it I'd been able to tap into this power, but it wasn’t Ruler's Authority that brought this mania, it was the flames itself, they were cause of it all.

I tried to influence it, break my connection with the skill, but everything remained useless. The power was firm, unmoving, unresponsive.

Please...

When I thought all was lost, I felt a surge of warmth spread across my body, as a window opened in front of me.

I couldn’t focus on the details, as I felt my body loosening, the weight of the blaze and pain lessened, as I felt my mind clear up, my thoughts and calm returning to me.

Ruler’s Authority struggled like a rampant beast, the skill winced under my control as the power-struggle continued until I was able to win.

Without any delay, I reached within and severed my connection with Ruler’s Authority, as I felt a big burden from over me release, the maniacal screams and shouts disappeared instantly, replaced by silence, as I was able to finally breathe, as I witnessed the iridescent flames withering away from existence, as the entire grassland and the fortress, consumed by the flames settled—the flames vanished within the passing breeze.

I immediately looked down at Mordian who laid still, but relief washed over me as I witnessed he only had a few flesh wounds which weren’t too serious. The flames weren’t able to devour him in time.

But there was a bigger problem right now. Mordian didn’t have enough mana to sustain his body. As my thoughts returned to me, I realized late that he had suppressed his curse twice in short intervals.

I thought as my arms had started to heal and had reached up to the forearms, as my wounds slowly recovered.

My head squirmed under the sharp vertigo, as I reached out my growing hands and placed them on Mordian’s chest.

Without any delay, I used mana rotation and focused all of the mana I had left into his body, as the mana in the atmosphere moved as well—as I transferred it all to Mordian.

With barely any mana left, all I could do was give the final remnants of it to Mordian before I reached backlash.

The process left me completely drained and exhausted beyond my limits as I made the mana travel from inside me into his mana veins and body as Mordian’s body pulled it in instantly to sustained itself.

It took me five minutes to transfer all of my leftover mana to him, as the process required extreme concentration which left me mentally and physically drained. My breathing heaved as I felt weak in my bones.

I felt the edges of my eyes dim slowly as my body winced under all the pain and suffering it had gone through, my mana dimmed and I finally reached backlash and soon resigned in the embrace of slumber.

***

Mordian Astrionyx

My eyes jolted open as I stirred, my arms and skin stung like a hot brand had been placed all over my body. My skin had been burned from several places, but the injuries weren’t life threatening.

Soon all the memories came rushing in as I looked around me and my vision went to Jiwoo who laid unconscious in front of me, his arms had healed slightly, but they still lacked their knuckles and fingers, he was smeared with blood and gruesome wounds which still required healing.

I stumbled in his direction as I crashed, my body felt extremely lethargic.

There was barely any mana left in my body, but I could feel there was some foreign mana intermingled with my own, not originally my own, but I was familiar with this mana...

It couldn’t be...

I looked at Jiwoo who was in a worse condition than backlash; he had no mana and his condition was deteriating fast. His flesh wounds had stopped healing and his entire body was covered in blood.

He needed an emitter right now, or he would die.

You fool...I grunted as I started manipulating mana rotation immediately to recover some of my mana.

But he didn’t have time. But I suddenly remembered about something. That item that could help.

I reached into my collar and grabbed the crystal that Aurora had given me, which contained an emitter's healing magic.

I brought the crystal closer, as I broke it in my palm and soon a bright teal light enveloped Jiwoo’s body as I saw his breathing regulate slightly.

But this could only help temporarily...

By now I had recovered a little bit of my mana, as I leapt in the air and transformed into my dragonic form, my body expanded and the light around me flickered, as onyx scales and jagged horns grew from my head and my hair turned jet black.

I picked Jiwoo up with care and placed him over my back as gently as possible as I took flight.

If I flew at my top speed it would take between eighteen to twenty-four minutes to reach Tseige where we could find an emitter. But it was still too far, and late.

But there was no other choice.

I flew at a moderate speed as I allowed Jiwoo to balance over my back, his body and mind weaker than I'd expected.

‘Jiwoo, hold on!’ I tried to usher his crumbling mind toward me, but his breathing turned even thinner.

And as time passed it became evident that he was breaking down. His mind crumbling alongside his body as he winced painfully.

I could no longer feel his thoughts, his mind like a broken mirror, only the shards—which were like his fleeting essence—remaining which told me that he was still alive.

His breathing turned even shallower as I hurled in the air. I increased my speed as I struggled to maintain my true form, with barely any mana left inside me, the light around the edges of my form flickered.

I was on my last rope...

But I wouldn’t let my bond die...

After a few more minutes which felt longer then eternity, finally the outer wall of Tseige fortress appeared in my vision, as I saw the sun completely rising, casting hues of golden and orange to shroud everything, as I saw several guards standing post outside.

They seem to recognize me as a cacophony of voices and chants echoed around the fortress.

My head split by a sharp headache as I almost lost balance mid-air, my mana began to burn away faster, my form flickered and blurred as I lost focus and my body began to turn back into my humanoid form.

My mind whirled as everything around my vison spun, I plummeted down and crashed into the outer wall of the fortress as it collapsed under my weight.

Dust and debris rose in the air, as I checked on Jiwoo and he was fine. I had protected him from the fall at the last moment as I laid my bond down on a lab of cobblestone nearby.

Amidst the sea of people gathered in the courtyard, I saw Aurora approach, she wore looks of shock and relief as I pointed at Jiwoo and spoke in my heavy and hoarse voice, as my body shifted and slowly returned to my humanoid form.

“He needs an emitter. H-Hurry up.” Just as I said, my body completed its transformation and my consciousness drifted away.