We returned from Rûmar when the sun was already leaning toward the horizon, leaving the sky in red tones that looked like fire spread across the clouds. The vibration of the fissure still echoed in my bones — as if that huge thing down there was breathing slowly, watching us.
"I wish I hadn't heard that," muttered Vespera, hugging her own arms. "I don't like things that crawl underground."
Elara nodded. "I felt something strange too. As if the presence in there… recognized us."
"Recognized?" I asked. "Like a memory?"
"Like a predator."
Liriel closed her grimoire, thoughtful. "Whatever it is, it's not a common creature."
Rai'kanna walked ahead, apparently calm, but I noticed tension in her movements. Her small wings trembled slightly.
"Don't worry," she said firmly. "Tomorrow we'll find out more. But for today… the king wants to speak with you."
"He asked us to go to the palace?" I asked.
"Yes. And afterwards… there's something I want to show you."
Vespera whispered behind me: "Does that sound good? Or like a trap?"
"Considering who called us, maybe both," I replied.
When we arrived at the palace, we were greeted by guards armed with lances of flaming crystal. Drathen was standing before the central flame — a column of blue fire that never diminished. His golden eyes reflected the light like a dragon ready to roar.
"You did a good job in Rûmar," he said. "The villagers have already reported the outcome. But what is awakening in that fissure… requires further study."
"Study?" I asked.
The king nodded.
"Yes. And for that, you must consult the Flaming Scriptures."
Liriel raised a brow. "The… original scriptures of the dragons?"
"Exactly."
Rai'kanna stepped forward. "I can escort them there."
The king looked at her with an expression of resignation. "I imagined."
"And why not?" she retorted.
"Because you turn everything into a spectacle."
Rai'kanna smiled. "At least that way no one falls asleep during the process."
Vespera whispered: "She has a point."
The king took a deep breath.
"Takumi," he called. "What you faced today was only the first sign. The fissure is… restless. And if something is manipulating the creatures to climb up, we must discover it quickly."
"We'll do our best," I replied.
"I know." The king looked me up and down, assessing every detail. "You've defeated two generals. No other guild has managed that. You may not seem… conventional, but you have strength."
Vespera let out a quiet "phew." Elara tried to look serious, but looked proud. Liriel avoided smiling — but couldn't completely.
Rai'kanna crossed her arms.
"Are you done praising them? I want to take Takumi to the scriptures before the day ends."
The king frowned. "Don't speak like that, girl."
"But it's true."
"Rai'kanna…"
"Fine, fine, father."
She turned to us.
"Follow me."
We descended through a narrow corridor behind the throne. The temperature rose immediately. It felt like walking into a living volcano. The walls were made of a mixture of stone and gigantic fused scales, glowing with a pulsing red.
"What exactly are these scriptures?" I asked.
Rai'kanna smiled sideways.
"Relics. Memories. And warnings. They were left by the first dragons that populated these lands."
"Real dragons?" Elara asked.
"Those who flew before civilizations existed. Before humans, before demi-dragons… before everything."
"So they wrote?" Vespera asked, surprised.
"Dragons don't write like you do," Rai'kanna replied. "The scriptures aren't texts. They're… impressions."
Liriel tensed. "Impressions of ancient energy."
"Exactly."
The corridor ended at a huge door made entirely of white scales.
The door opened slowly when Rai'kanna touched a glowing rune.
Inside, the air felt liquid — warm, but pleasant. The room was circular, lit by hundreds of golden crystals stuck to the walls. At the center, a large oval stone pulsed with a soft red.
"This is the Stone of Arkhall," said Rai'kanna. "It holds the scriptures."
We approached. The surface felt alive — breathing.
"And how do we… read this?" I asked.
"Place your hand on it."
I looked at the girls.
Liriel nodded. Elara remained alert. Vespera had already taken two steps back.
"Go on, hero," she muttered.
I swallowed hard and placed my hand on the stone.
The sensation was immediate.
Heat.
Light.
Sound.
As if something invaded my mind — but without violence. It was a heavy, ancient, deep presence.
I saw images.
Huge dragons flying between flaming mountains.
Cities made of living crystal.
Creatures crawling in the shadows.
Fissures opening.
And a flame — bright but unstable — struggling to stay lit.
The vision shifted.
Dragons roared against something invisible.
Shadows formed tentacles that stretched across the ground.
And then I saw… black scales twisting open into distorted shapes.
A voice echoed — not with words, but with intent:
"Corruption does not arise. It is awakened."
I pulled my hand away quickly, gasping.
"Takumi!" Liriel ran to hold me. "What did you see?"
I leaned on her for a few seconds, catching my breath.
"Ancient fissures… corrupted creatures… and a force beneath the earth. Something… waking up."
Rai'kanna narrowed her eyes. "Waking up?"
"Yes. Something that shouldn't."
Elara looked at the stone. "Is there anything else?"
"Yes."
I took a deep breath.
"A message. Left by the ancient dragons."
"What message?" Rai'kanna asked.
I looked back at the stone.
"That corruption doesn't arise out of nothing. It needs to be… guided. Led by someone."
Silence fell like a heavy stone.
"So the monsters aren't climbing up on their own," Liriel concluded.
"No," I replied. "Someone is clearing the way."
Vespera sighed deeply. "Great. It's always someone making a path for monsters to come up. Never just a natural problem."
Rai'kanna touched the stone gently.
"If someone is manipulating the fissures… then we need to find out who. And fast."
"I agree," said Elara.
I breathed in deeply.
The flame inside me pulsed — as if agreeing too.
As we left the room, Rai'kanna walked beside me.
She didn't say anything, but her gaze was more serious than ever.
"Takumi," she finally called. "The vision… did it hurt you?"
"No. Just tired me."
"You saw more than you told us?"
"Maybe."
"And why would you hide something?"
"Because I don't understand it yet."
She watched me for a few seconds.
Her eyes were liquid fire — but not aggressive. Curious.
"Be honest with me," she said. "I know when you're lying."
"I'm not lying."
"You're hiding."
I sighed. "I just need time."
"I'll give you time," she said. "But not much."
The other three approached, clearly listening.
"Takumi," said Liriel, "we need to rest. Tomorrow we go to the second area of the fissure."
"And probably find more monsters," Vespera added.
"And perhaps the source," said Elara.
Rai'kanna crossed her arms.
"And when we find it… I want to be on the front line."
I took a deep breath.
I looked at the red sky through a tall window.
And I felt — not fear.
But expectation.
Something down there truly was waking up.
And this was only the first warning.