It was dark... but it was warm... comfortable... and safe...

Magnus remembered a time where it was only like this but he couldn't fully pinpoint it. He couldn't remember the scenes but he could remember the emotions.

He couldn't move, just like before. What did he do then?

What did I do then?

As if eternity passed, Magnus remembered some aspects of it.

He breathed.

The darkness quickly became engulfed in light.

Too bright...

Magnus would have closed his eyes if he were human but dragons have the most evolved eyes in the world. He became quickly accustomed to the light.

Feeling a bit wet and sticky, the dragonet slowly climbed out of its broken shell. Magnus's scales were gold in color and due to his age, the scales had a dull sheen.

He wiggled his body to remove some of the liquid that came from his egg.

The gold dragonet looked around.

It was a cave but it wasn't dark. It helped that the dragon's eyes were sharp and the cave was illuminated by crystals. Thousands of crystals protruded everywhere, on the ceiling, the walls, and the floor. When Magnus inhaled the air around him, he felt the thick presence of magical energy in the cavern.

The crystals are beautiful and they looked valuable as well. While this beautiful environment would cause awe in anyone, the dragonet's reaction only consisted of a stomach growl. Magnus was annoyed by this feeling.

It approached a nearby crystal. It raised its claw and touched the crystal. Magnus immediately felt refreshed as a wave of energy rushes towards him.

Then he chomped on the crystal. The diamond-like crystal shattered like glass under the strength of the infant dragon. With crystal shards in his mouth, Magnus started chewing.

Tastes nice.

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The dragonet's hunger was satiated by the crystal's innate energy. Magnus' body seemed to become tougher as the consumed energy reinforced bones, muscle, and sinew.

Despite his great hunger, a single bite was enough to satisfy Magnus. He did not finish the crystal.

After satisfying his first concern, the dragonet then looked around. It was confusing for him.

It had old memories but none of them covered how to handle this age but at the same time, those old memories were fuzzy, as if fading in and out of existence. It was concerning but as the memories slowly disappear, the concern fades just as fast.

For now, Magnus' main concern was to explore the cave.

The area where Magnus was born was the main area of the cave. It had the most crystals and, after a more thorough look, some metals that protruded from different parts of the ground. The crystals seemed to release some light, giving the cave a soothing ambiance. The main area was circular in shape with a flat ground where Magnus could walk in.

There was a small pool of water by the side. It was releasing some form of a mist which enriched Magnus' senses.

Magnus drank from it before he turned his attention to the pathway leading out of the main area.

The pathway was smooth and the crystals seemed to regulate the temperature as well, not that Magnus needed it. The dragonet's claws had a bone structure that allowed it to scale almost any environment, even a smooth marble ceiling.

The pathway leads to an uphill path which leads to another big cavern. This cavern is dotted with crystals and metals as well but their sheen and magical aura seemed to pale in comparison to the ones in the main area. It still exuded a lot of magical energy but compared to the main area, it was unbelievably scant.

Magnus looked around and noticed that there are some other inhabitants of this cave. Magnus huffed his nose and it felt like the whole cavern stopped. All the creatures turned their attention toward the gleaming dragonet.

The creatures have never seen a dragon before but even if a thousand years pass, instinct reminds us of our greatest fears. The creatures knew that the small but shiny dragon represented millennia of sleeping power so they stopped moving to give it the rightful deference it deserved.

Magnus huffed again as if to release the creatures. The creatures quickly scuttled away, afraid of being called once more. The young dragonet continued on his travel, his purpose is to reach the outside of the cave.

Magnus followed the pathway once again. As Magnus traveled towards the exit, the crystals and metals slowly started to become less common. It wasn't too long before Magnus reached the cave entrance where it looked like any normal cave entrance, albeit covered with natural leaves, vines, and old tree branches.

Magnus approaches the shrubbery and as he is about to touch the shrubbery, he feels a compulsion to stop as if his senses are telling him that he is far too weak to survive the outside area yet. Magnus huffs again, a bit annoyed.

Despite the instinctual fear, he feels an old memory that tells him to stop acting like before and face his problems head-on. So, Magnus steps forward.

The feeling of grass on his claws is a bit wet. It's morning. Magnus breathes in. He sighs in pleasure as he feels the touch of nature on his body.

Magnum walks forward to explore this huge forest.