Sub-Chapter 8.1: The Dragon Beyond Myth
The night over Eventide Castle was unnaturally still.
From the high balcony of his chamber, Lucifell stood in silence, his dark cloak stirring slightly in the cold wind rolling down from the peaks of the Zorel Mountains.
Beside him stood Kestrel, her boots resting lightly on the stone railing where the grappling rope still hung.
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Below them stretched the endless dark sea of Mournvale Sea.
Black waters.
Black sky.
Black horizon.
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For a moment, neither of them spoke.
*Then the sea moved.*
Not waves.
Something deeper.
A low rumble rolled across the water, like a mountain shifting beneath the ocean.
*Lucifell's eyes narrowed.*
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*The clouds above the sea suddenly twisted.*
*Lightning split the sky.*
But the lightning did not descend.
*It spiraled.*
The storm began to form a shape.
*The mist stretched outward across the sky like colossal wings.*
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*Kestrel frowned.*
"What in the..."
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Then the sea rose.
*A massive shape burst upward from the black waters.*
Not a ship.
Not a creature.
A catastrophe given flesh.
A dragon.
But not like any dragon known to the world.
The creature towered above the waves like a moving fortress.
A mountain-sized.
With length so roughly around 45–75 meters from nose to tail tip, for the wingspan around 250–400+ feet, and the weight is around 2,000–4,000 tons.
And when its wings unfurled...
*The storm itself seemed to bow before it.*
This was Tiamatus.
One of the Six Primordial Ancient Beasts-creatures so old that most civilizations believed them to be nothing more than bedtime myths.
Even Kingdom of Heaven held no record of them.
And yet…
Here it stood.
Alive.
Awake.
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The monster's central head burned with molten fire.
Crimson scales cracked with glowing magma.
*Flames poured from its nostrils like a living volcano.*
The Fire Core Head.
Around it branched four serpentine necks.
Each a sovereign of an element;
The Water Head shimmered with deep ocean blue scales, *mist swirling around its jaws like breaking tides.*
The Wind Head howled with violent currents,
*its pale green scales rippling as if the sky itself obeyed it.*
The Lightning Head crackled violently,
*violet scales flashing as arcs of electricity danced across its horns.*
The Ice Head,
*exhaled frost so cold the surrounding clouds began to freeze into glittering crystals.*
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Lucifell did not move.
But his mind was already racing.
"Impossible."
Even during his centuries in Heaven…
Even during the wars of angels…
There had never been a single record of such beings.
And yet this creature radiated ancient authority.
A power older than kingdoms.
Older than gods.
*The sea trembled beneath its claws.*
*The storm thickened.*
*Lightning flashed again...*
And suddenly the world felt smaller.
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Beside him,
*Kestrel let out a low whistle.*
"Well…"
*She said casually.*
"That's new."
*Lucifell slowly turned his head.*
Just slightly.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
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He studied her.
Her posture.
Her breathing.
Her tone.
Too calm.
Too natural.
Too… confident.
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The real Kestrel would not be this composed.
Not alone with him.
Not after climbing into his private chamber.
And certainly not while standing beside a man she had once confessed her heart to.
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Lucifell remembered that moment clearly.
Years ago.
When he had still been a captain.
When she had spoken softly, nervously.
When her cheeks had burned red.
And when he had rejected her carefully.
Diplomatically.
Because his heart had belonged to Leinca.
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But this woman beside him…
Showed none of that hesitation.
*Lucifell's eyes shifted downward briefly.*
The grappling rope.
The claws digging into the balcony.
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*Then his gaze moved to the mountains surrounding the castle.*
The Zorel peaks.
Vertical stone.
Sheer ice cliffs.
No lycan scout could climb this.
Not even with tools.
And Lucifell always prepared for the worst scenario.
Always.
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Slowly…
*His hand moved to the hilt of his sword.*
The Lightbearer.
His voice was calm.
*Flat.*
*Cold.*
"The storm."
He said quietly.
"Is not the only anomaly tonight."
*"Kestrel" tilted her head.*
"huh?"
*Lucifell finally turned fully toward her.*
*His eyes were emotionless.*
The eyes of The Nightbringer.
"You made one mistake."
He said.
Silence.
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The wind howled across the balcony.
*Lightning illuminated the sky behind them.*
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*"kestrel" smiled slightly.*
"And what would that be?"
Lucifell drew his sword.
*A flash of divine steel cut through the darkness.*
Without hesitation...
He slashed.
*The blade tore cleanly through her body.*
From shoulder to waist.
The cut was perfect.
Lethal.
For a normal body.
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For a moment…
Everything froze.
Then...
She laughed.
*A soft, delighted laugh.*
Her body split apart slowly.
Not blood.
Not flesh.
Shadow.
*Black mist poured from the wound.*
*Her form collapsed and reassembled like smoke twisting in cold wind.*
The air temperature dropped instantly.
Frost spread across the balcony stone.
Ozone burned the air.
The figure standing before Lucifell was no longer human.
Her body stretched into something spectral.
Semi-transparent.
Her robes were long and tattered black cloth that drifted as though underwater.
Her face remained hidden in darkness.
Only two glowing cyan eyes burned from within the void.
Ancient.
Cold.
Hungry.
A wraith.
But not an ordinary one.
Because she spoke clearly.
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*Her voice echoing with layered whispers.*
"Well…"
She said slowly.
"You're far more observant than most men, Nightbringer."
*Lucifell did not lower his sword.*
"Identify yourself."
*The wraith tilted her head.*
Her glowing eyes studied him with amusement.
"hmm…"
She said softly.
"That would ruin the game."
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Far below them...
The ocean roared again.
*And Tiamatus spread its wings across the storm.*
A war older than the world had just begun.
And Lucifell was standing in the middle of its opening move.
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Sub-Chapter 8.2: The Prophecy of the Void
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The storm over Mournvale Sea continued to swell like a living wound in the sky.
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Far below the cliffs of the Zorel Mountains, the ocean churned violently around the colossal body of Tiamatus.
*Five heads moved slowly through the mist.*
Five elements breathing at once.
Fire.
Water.
Wind.
Lightning.
Ice.
*Each roar sent tremors across the sea.*
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Yet the most dangerous thing on the balcony of Eventide Castle was not the dragon.
It was the wraith standing in front of Lucifell.
*The spectral figure tilted her head slightly, her glowing cyan eyes studying him like an predator examining a rare prey.*
"So,"
*she whispered, her layered voice echoing softly.*
"The famous Nightbringer."
*Lucifell's sword remained steady.*
"Identify yourself."
*The wraith chuckled quietly.*
"You really are exactly as the stories describe."
Cold.
Precise.
Unmoved.
*She slowly drifted backward, her tattered robes rippling like smoke.*
"You know," she continued,
"most kings panic when they see a creature like that."
*Her glowing gaze shifted toward the storm where Tiamatus moved through the waves.*
"But you didn't even blink."
Lucifell did not answer.
*The wraith smiled.*
"I like that."
*Lightning flashed across the sky.*
For a moment the storm illuminated the massive dragon below.
Then she spoke again.
"Tell me, Nightbringer…"
"Do you believe in destiny?"
Lucifell answered immediately.
"No."
*Her smile widened.*
"That's unfortunate."
*The air around her grew colder.*
"Because I have seen yours."
*Lucifell's eyes narrowed slightly.*
*The wraith's voice dropped to a whisper.*
"In most futures… your kingdom burns."
"In many others… Heaven collapses."
Her glowing eyes locked onto his.
"But in every single future I see…"
She paused.
"You die."
Silence filled the balcony.
Lucifell's expression did not change.
*But the sword in his hand shifted slightly.*
*The wraith laughed softly.*
"Oh don't worry."
"It's not soon."
*Her gaze returned toward the sea.*
"First the world has to break."
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As if answering her words...
*The ocean exploded.*
A thunderous roar shook the mountains as Tiamatus surged forward through the waves.
Its massive wings spread across the storm.
*The Fire Head unleashed a pillar of flame that illuminated the entire coastline of Mournvale.*
The creature was moving toward the kingdom.
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*Lucifell immediately turned toward the sea.*
And at that exact moment...
*A familiar voice echoed inside his mind.*
"Commander."
The telepathic link was unmistakable.
Alquine.
*Her voice carried urgency.*
"I sense a massive anomaly near the sea."
Lucifell responded instantly through the connection.
"Yes."
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"What is it?"
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*Lucifell's gaze remained on the advancing dragon.*
"Something that should not exist."
A moment of silence followed.
Then he spoke calmly.
"Send a message."
"To the ARCANA captains."
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*Inside her laboratory, Alquine's eyes widened slightly as the jeweled artifact before her glowed brighter.*
"Which captains, Commander?"
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*Lucifell answered without hesitation.*
"All of them."
His voice became colder.
"Tell Kestrel, Artharuk, Zoandrel, Elrich, Donnie, Edward, Azazel, Hobor, Ramy, and AL."
"Prepare their squadrons."
"Deploy behind Eventide Castle."
"At the southern coast of the Zorel Mountains."
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The wraith beside him listened with visible amusement.
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Lucifell continued.
"And one more instruction."
*Alquine waited.*
"Tell Xein to observe from afar and Kahn to keep his warships at distance."
"Do not approach that creature."
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Below the cliffs, Tiamatus roared again.
*A roar so powerful that the sea itself seemed to recoil.*
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Alquine's voice returned quietly.
"Understood."
"The captains will be summoned immediately."
*The telepathic link faded.*
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*Lucifell turned slowly back toward the wraith.*
*She was smiling wider now.*
"Interesting."
She said softly.
"You mobilized your entire command structure in less than ten seconds."
*Lucifell's sword lifted slightly.*
"You are still here."
*The wraith shrugged.*
"Of course."
Her glowing eyes watched him with fascination.
"I wanted to see the man who defies fate."
*Lightning flashed again.*
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And far below, the ancient dragon continued its march toward the shores of Mournvale.
The war had not yet begun.
But the board had already been set.
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Sub-Chapter 8.3: The Sword That Ends Gods
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The storm intensified above the shores of Mournvale Sea.
*Lightning carved violent lines through the sky.*
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Far below the cliffs of the Zorel Mountains, the colossal body of Tiamatus moved through the raging waves.
Each step of the ancient dragon pushed walls of water toward the coast.
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Yet on the balcony of Eventide Castle, the world felt strangely quiet.
Because the real confrontation was happening there.
Between two beings who understood fate.
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Lucifell and the wraith who watched him with glowing cyan eyes.
*She drifted slightly above the stone floor, her spectral robes moving like shadows underwater.*
Her gaze remained fixed on him.
"You mobilized your captains."
She said softly.
"Efficient."
Lucifell said nothing.
*The wind howled around them.*
*The wraith tilted her head slightly.*
"But that creature down there…"
*Her eyes shifted briefly toward Tiamatus.*
"…is not something armies can kill."
Lucifell's expression did not change.
"You came here to speak."
*His voice was cold.*
"Speak."
*The wraith smile widened slightly.*
"Oh, I already did."
*She floated a little closer.*
"But I wanted to confirm something first."
*Her glowing gaze moved slowly across his body.*
Studying him.
Analyzing him.
*Then she whispered something that froze the air between them.*
"You still have it, don't you?"
*Lucifell's eyes narrowed.*
The wraith continued.
"The sword Heaven gave you when they cast you away."
Silence.
*The storm thundered above the castle.*
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*The wraith's voice dropped into a quiet whisper.*
"The one engraved with two words."
*She smiled.*
"GodKiller."
For the first time in the entire encounter...
*Lucifell moved.*
Not his sword.
Not his stance.
Just a single step forward.
*The air around him grew darker.*
"You know too much."
*The wraith laughed softly.*
"Oh Nightbringer…"
*Her voice echoed like distant bells.*
"The Nihil Oracle sees many things."
*She raised one spectral hand, pointing toward his chest.*
"You fell from Heaven."
"You lost your wings."
"You were reborn as a child in the Lycan Forest."
*Lucifell's gaze hardened.*
Thewraithcontinued.
"And when the elders of the Lycan clan found you…"
"They also found the message carved into your skin."
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Lucifell said nothing.
But his mind remembered.
The moment he first woke in that forest.
Weak.
Naked.
In the body of a child.
And across his chest…
Words written in black and green.
"This is my gift to you."
"If you ever wish to die…"
"Call its name."
"God Killer."
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The wraith's voice returned.
"You never use it."
She said.
"Because you know the cost."
Lucifell answered calmly.
"Yes."
*The wraith' smile widened.*
"That sword guarantees death."
"One strike."
"Any target."
"Gods."
"Kings."
"Monsters."
"All erased."
Lightning flashed again.*
"But the curse is beautiful."
She leaned closer.
"Your soul dies with the target."
Lucifell finally spoke.
"I have no reason to use it."
The wraith studied him carefully.
*Then she whispered something that felt almost like admiration.*
"That's why the world fears you."
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*Her gaze drifted toward the ocean again.*
Toward the advancing dragon.
"Tiamatus."
She said softly.
"One of the Six Primordial Ancient Beasts."
*Even the wind seemed to pause.*
"And yet…"
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*Her glowing eyes returned to Lucifell.*
"You carry the only weapon in existence that could kill it."
Silence hung in the storm.
*The wraith's smile grew colder.*
"But you won't use it."
Lucifell's answer came instantly.
"No."
*The wraith tilted her head.*
"Because you want to live?"
Lucifell's voice remained calm.
"No."
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*His eyes turned toward the dragon below.*
"Because I do not waste weapons."
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*The wraith laughed again.*
A long, delighted laugh that echoed across the balcony.
"Wonderful."
She said softly.
"I was hoping you would say something like that."
*Lightning exploded across the sky again.*
The storm above Mournvale Sea had grown monstrous.
*Lightning tore through the sky again and again.*
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Below the cliffs of the Zorel Mountains, the colossal body of Tiamatus moved closer to the coast.
*Each step of the ancient dragon pushed waves toward the shores of Mournvale.*
*Fire burned across the clouds.*
*Ice froze the rain mid-air.*
*Wind screamed like a thousand spirits.*
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And yet the balcony of Eventide Castle remained strangely still.
Because the storm between two minds had already passed.
The wraith drifted backward slowly.
The spectral form of her flickered in the lightning.
Her glowing cyan eyes never left Lucifell.
"You're exactly what the Nihil Oracle predicted," she said softly.
"Cold. Efficient. Unshaken."
Lucifell's hand rested calmly on the hilt of Lightbearer.
He did not answer.
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*The dragon roared again below.*
The wraith turned her gaze briefly toward the sea.
"Tiamatus will test you."
She said quietly.
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*Then she looked back at him.*
"And so will the future."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
*The wind rushed through the balcony.*
The storm raged.
*And then the wraith smiled.*
Not mockingly.
Not cruelly.
But almost… knowingly.
"Tell me something, Nightbringer."
Her voice lowered.
"When you fell from Heaven…"
"When you lost everything…"
"Did you ever wonder why she was stronger than you?"
*Lucifell's eyes narrowed slightly.*
*The wraith tilted her head.*
Her final words slipped into the storm like poison.
"Compared to her…"
Her glowing gaze burned brighter.
"You are still weak."
Lucifell did not need to ask who she meant.
*The name echoed in his mind.*
Leinca.
Before he could respond...
The wraith's body began dissolving into black mist.
Her form fragmented into drifting shadows.
Her voice whispered one final time through the wind.
"Good luck, Nightbringer."
*The wraith vanished.*
Gone.
Leaving only the storm behind.
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And the dragon.
Far below the cliffs, Tiamatus lifted all five heads toward the mountains.
Its roar shook the coast of Mournvale like the birth of an earthquake.
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Lucifell stood alone on the balcony.
Silent.
Watching the ancient beast approach.