The ground shook again.
BOOOOM!
The walls of Chingy City trembled.
Windows shattered.
People screamed in the streets.
The great bells of the palace began ringing by themselves.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
King Leo stood in the palace garden, his sword firmly in his hand.
He was old now, but the fear in his eyes had nothing to do with age.
He had seen that symbol before.
He had seen it in the ancient books his father had hidden from him.
He had seen it in the final moments of the First Dragon.
And now it was beneath his kingdom.
"Everyone inside!" Leo shouted.
The council members hurried toward the palace.
Mira stood frozen.
She couldn't take her eyes away from the glowing stone.
"King Leo..."
Leo turned.
"Run!"
"But—"
"NOW!"
Mira finally moved.
She ran.
The moment she stepped away from the stone, the golden light disappeared.
For several seconds, everything became silent.
Then.
CRACK!
The ground split open.
A massive black hand emerged from beneath the earth.
People screamed.
Leo raised his sword.
"Protect the city!"
The palace soldiers rushed forward.
But before they could reach the creature, the hand disappeared beneath the ground.
Silence returned.
Leo stared at the crack.
"What was that?"
An elderly council member stepped beside him.
"King Leo..."
Leo looked at him.
The man's face was pale.
"I think we should open the old archives."
Leo nodded.
"We already know what is coming."
"No," the council member whispered.
"You don't understand."
He pointed toward the palace.
"The archives contain something even your father never discovered."
Leo's eyes narrowed.
"What?"
The old man swallowed.
"A warning."
Deep beneath the palace was a room that had been sealed for generations.
Only three people possessed keys to it.
King Austin had once carried one.
King Leo had inherited another.
The third key had disappeared centuries ago.
Leo descended the stone staircase with Mira beside him.
Several council members followed.
Torches burned along the walls.
The deeper they went, the colder the air became.
Mira wrapped her arms around herself.
"Why is it so cold?"
Leo didn't answer.
He already knew.
The room was built over an ancient underground chamber.
A chamber that existed long before Chingy City.
They reached a massive iron door.
Leo removed his key.
CLICK.
The door opened.
Dust filled the air.
Inside were thousands of books.
Ancient scrolls.
Broken weapons.
Old maps.
Paintings of forgotten kings.
Mira walked slowly between the shelves.
"This place is enormous."
Leo smiled faintly.
"My father spent years studying these books."
"Why didn't he tell you about this place?"
Leo's smile disappeared.
"Because he was afraid."
Mira stopped.
"King Austin was afraid?"
Leo looked at the portrait of his father hanging on the wall.
"Even the bravest king can fear something."
He walked toward a large stone table.
There was a book resting on it.
Unlike everything else, the book had no dust.
Leo stared at it.
"Someone has been here."
One council member stepped forward.
"Impossible."
Leo touched the cover.
The book opened by itself.
The pages turned rapidly.
Then stopped.
A drawing appeared.
It showed the Crown of the Future.
But behind it stood something else.
A huge black dragon.
Its wings covered the entire sky.
Mira whispered:
"That's not the First Dragon."
"No," Leo said.
"It isn't."
Under the drawing were ancient words.
Leo read them.
THE FIRST DRAGON GUARDS THE FUTURE.
He turned the page.
THE SECOND DRAGON GUARDS THE PAST.
Another page.
WHEN THE CROWN IS BROKEN, THE SECOND DRAGON WILL AWAKEN.
Mira looked at Leo.
"So the First Dragon wasn't the real enemy?"
Leo slowly shook his head.
"Maybe it never was."
Suddenly, the book slammed shut.
BOOM!
Everyone jumped.
The torches went out.
Darkness filled the room.
Then a voice whispered from the shadows.
"Your father knew."
Leo froze.
"Who said that?"
No answer.
Mira grabbed Leo's arm.
"Someone is here."
Leo raised his sword.
"Show yourself!"
A figure stepped from behind the shelves.
He wore a long black cloak.
His face was hidden.
But his eyes glowed blue.
The same symbol from the stone appeared on his forehead.
Leo stared at him.
"You."
The stranger smiled.
"At last."
Leo pointed his sword.
"Who are you?"
The stranger removed his hood.
He was young.
Far too young.
Perhaps twenty-five years old.
Mira stared at him.
"You look like..."
The stranger smiled.
"Like someone you should know?"
Leo's expression changed.
"Who are you?"
The stranger answered:
"My name is Kael."
He stepped closer.
"And I am the last descendant of the Second Dragon."