Ash could feel the change happening to him. His wolf instincts roared within, and his dragon blood boiled with unrelenting fury. His body surged forward, transforming, growing stronger by the second, his spine cracking as his muscles bulged and his bones shifted. His claws extended, scraping against the stone floor with a deep, guttural sound. He could hear the beat of his heart in his ears, feel the rage coursing through his veins.
But the dragon inside him—that force—was even stronger. It burned hotter.
The dragon.
Ash's transformation wasn't just a physical one; it was a spiritual war. His body was morphing into a creature of both beasts—half-wolf, half-dragon—but the dragon demanded control. And it wasn't going to be denied.
His eyes turned to a glowing amber, brighter and more intense than before, as the dragon's magic filled him. The air around him seemed to bend under the weight of his energy, and heat radiated off his skin, turning the arena floor beneath him to ash. The growl that rumbled in his throat wasn't just animalistic; it was primal, ancient.
"Ash!" Violet's voice cut through the fog of his transformation. Her call pierced his mind, like a tether pulling him back to reality. But the dragon wanted more. The power, the chaos, it was seductive.
Cassius stepped back slowly, sensing Ash's change. "Now that's more like it," he said with a grin, showing off his sharpened fangs.
But before he could attack, a forceful shout echoed from the edge of the arena.
"Enough!"
It was Professor Kaelen. His voice rang with the authority of someone who had seen far too many battles. He stepped forward, his eyes glowing faintly under his furrowed brows. He wasn't shouting in anger—he was commanding. Ash could feel the weight of his presence, the immense power the professor exuded. But something else shifted, too. There was a warning in Kaelen's