Dust still hung in the air, covering the ruins of the plaza. A green flash from the dragon split the night, striking the last remaining old building. We gasped for breath, trying to stay quiet, but the dragon wasn't done yet.
Lyona crouched behind the rubble. "Makoto… this is different. Its waves… they're faster now, more… complex."
I nodded, staring at the temporal patterns that were getting harder to read. Every flash of light made our shadows move slightly backward, then forward again—the time distortion growing wilder. I felt pressure in my head, like a foreign voice whispering between each vibration: "Not your time yet… Not your time yet…"
"We can't hold this," I admitted, my voice nearly drowned by the roaring wind and the dragon's rumble. "The crystal… our shield isn't enough!"
Lyona bit her lip, eyes fixed on the dragon. "If we keep this up… the entire plaza could collapse before we figure out the right attack pattern. We need to… divert the dragon's attention, force its waves into a safe path."
I looked at her, then toward the east side of the plaza. "I have an idea… but you'll have to trust me."
She gave a short nod. "We've always trusted each other, right?"
I took a deep breath, pressing the blue crystal I carried. Energy flared, creating double shadows of us—temporal illusions. The dragon swooped down, attacking our shadows while we slipped into the narrow street. Sparks of light hit the walls, stones shattered, and we were almost pulled away by the wave.
"Quick! We need to get to the roof!" Lyona shouted. "From there we can see the full pattern of its attacks!"
I grabbed her hand, pulling her with me up the narrow stairs leading to the rooftop. A green flash struck the plaza again, destroying part of the building and sending a whirlwind of wind that slammed us into the wall.
"Do you feel that?" Lyona asked, her breath ragged. "There's… something behind this dragon. Someone… or something directing the waves. Not Makoto B."
I nodded slowly, my eyes catching a glimpse of a temporal entity above the clouds. Our eyes met for a split second—the entity judging, examining. As if wanting to see how long we could endure.
"This dragon… is only a part of their test," I whispered, my voice nearly lost. "That's why the waves are getting wilder."
Lyona swallowed hard, staring at the wrecked city below. "We… didn't succeed yet, did we?"
I shook my head. "Not yet… but we lasted longer than they expected. That… means something."
Another green flash hit the roof, throwing us off balance. I grabbed her hand so she wouldn't fall, debris slicing through the air around us.
"Makoto… we have to hold out until morning… but I'm scared…" Lyona whispered, her voice soft, almost fragile.
I looked at her, steadying my own tension. "Me too… but we can't give up. We don't know what they want yet—but we have to survive. Together."
In the distance, the dragon dove again, its wave twisting time around it—our shadows stretching, folding, spinning, making coordination difficult. I heard that strange whisper again: "Not your time yet… but they see you…"
And for the first time, I truly realized: this wasn't just a battle against a dragon, but a trial from temporal entities that could alter our perception, time, and reality.
We looked at each other, breathing hard, hands tightly clasped, preparing for the next wave.
And that night… we didn't succeed.