As William stepped through the door and vanished from the hall, the space returned to its previous stillness. The faint echo of his footsteps faded, and the carved wooden doors sealed shut as if nothing unusual had occurred.
Storm Dragon Yun Long remained seated on his cushion without moving, his hands resting lightly on his knees. His gaze stayed fixed on the empty air where William had stood only moments earlier.
For a long time he did not blink.
The conversation had disturbed an old layer of memory that he rarely allowed himself to revisit. From time to time he let out a quiet sigh, not out of frustration, but out of the weight of remembrance.
***
20,000 years ago....
When the continent of Aris was vastly different from what it had become, the ancient Empire of Storm-Bridge stood tall beside the mighty Sky Break Empire of Titans.
