SOMETHING BENEATH THE EARTH
The shaking grew stronger.
At first it felt like distant thunder beneath the ground.
Then the entire forest began trembling.
Loose stones rolled across the clearing. Cracks widened through the dirt like veins spreading outward.
Rowan looked down nervously.
“…Okay.”
“That’s definitely not normal.”
Lucian turned toward the mountains.
His sharp eyes scanned the ground.
“It’s coming from below.”
The Alpha King frowned.
“Below?”
Elias’s face slowly drained of color.
“No…”
Lucian noticed immediately.
“You know what this is.”
Elias shook his head slowly, panic creeping into his voice.
“He wouldn’t…”
The Blood Emperor chuckled softly.
“Oh, I absolutely would.”
Aria’s glowing silver eyes locked onto him.
“What did you do?”
The shaking intensified.
A loud cracking sound echoed from beneath the clearing.
The giant beast they had been fighting growled weakly as the ground beneath it shifted.
The Blood Emperor smiled wider.
“That creature?”
He gestured toward the collapsing beast.
“Just a distraction.”
Rowan blinked.
“You’re kidding.”
The Blood Emperor shook his head.
“I needed time.”
Lucian’s eyes sharpened.
“For what?”
The answer came a second later.
The earth exploded.
A massive section of the clearing collapsed inward as something enormous forced its way upward from beneath the ground.
Warriors stumbled back.
Trees snapped and fell as the forest floor split open.
Aria stepped backward instinctively.
Silver energy flared around her again.
Something dark rose from the massive hole in the earth.
At first it looked like stone.
Then it moved.
Rowan’s jaw slowly dropped.
“…Nope.”
Lucian stared in disbelief.
“That’s impossible.”
A gigantic shape began pulling itself out of the ground.
Claws the size of swords dug into the dirt.
Wings—massive and torn—unfolded slowly from its sides.
And its body…
It wasn’t wolf-like.
It was something far older.
Something monstrous.
The Alpha King’s voice turned deadly quiet.
“…A dragon.”
The creature lifted its enormous head.
Black scales covered its body like armor.
Two burning red eyes opened slowly.
Smoke drifted from its mouth.
The forest went silent.
Even the monsters stopped moving.
The Blood Emperor spread his arms proudly.
“Allow me to introduce my true masterpiece.”
Lucian looked at him sharply.
“You resurrected a dragon?”
The Blood Emperor shrugged slightly.
“Resurrected isn’t the right word.”
Elias whispered in horror.
“…You created one.”
The dragon finally pulled its entire body free from the earth.
It was massive.
At least three times larger than the earlier beast.
Its wings stretched wide, blotting out part of the sky.
Rowan slowly took a step back.
“I officially regret leaving the fortress.”
The dragon’s glowing eyes slowly scanned the clearing.
Then they stopped.
Directly on Aria.
Lucian muttered quietly,
“…Of course it did.”
The Blood Emperor nodded toward her.
“It recognizes power.”
Aria’s silver eyes narrowed.
The Primordial spirit inside her stirred violently.
Ancient power meeting ancient creature.
The dragon opened its mouth.
A low rumble echoed from its throat.
The sound alone made the ground vibrate.
Rowan swallowed.
“Please tell me it doesn’t breathe fire.”
The dragon inhaled slowly.
Lucian sighed.
“…It breathes fire.”
The Alpha King stepped forward immediately.
Golden energy exploded around him again.
“Everyone move!”
The dragon’s chest glowed bright red.
Then—
It unleashed a massive wave of flame across the clearing.
The fire roared like a living storm.
Trees ignited instantly.
The heat was overwhelming.
Lucian grabbed Aria’s arm and pulled her aside just as the flames swept past them.
Rowan dove behind a fallen tree.
“Yep!”
“Definitely breathes fire!”
The Alpha King charged straight through the edge of the flames.
Golden power shielded him as he launched himself toward the dragon’s head.
But the creature moved faster than expected.
Its massive claw swung through the air.
The King barely dodged the strike.
The ground exploded where the claw landed.
Lucian’s eyes narrowed.
“This is bad.”
Rowan peeked over the burning tree.
“That’s an understatement.”
Aria stepped forward again.
Her silver energy slowly flared brighter.
The dragon’s red eyes locked onto her.
For a moment—
The two ancient forces simply stared at each other.
The Blood Emperor smiled behind them.
“This is what I wanted to see.”
Lucian turned toward him.
“You’re insane.”
The Blood Emperor shrugged calmly.
“Maybe.”
Then he gestured toward Aria and the dragon.
“But tonight…”
“…we find out which ancient power truly rules this world.”