Thousands of enemy soldiers were thrown backward.
The people cheered.
But then—
A shadow passed over the palace.
Everyone looked up.
A gigantic dragon descended.
Its scales were silver.
Its eyes were red.
It was larger than the First Dragon.
Larger than the Second.
Austin looked up.
"No."
Leo asked:
"What?"
Austin whispered:
"That's the Guardian of the First Beginning."
The dragon opened its mouth.
Instead of fire, a black hole appeared inside it.
Everything nearby began being pulled toward it.
Buildings.
Trees.
Weapons.
People.
Leo shouted:
"EVERYONE, HOLD ON!"
The dragon roared.
RRRRAAAAAAAAH!
The entire palace began breaking apart.
Mira saw a child being pulled toward the dragon.
She ran.
"Mira!"
Leo shouted.
She grabbed the child's hand.
But the force was too strong.
Both began sliding across the ground.
Mira dug her fingers into the stone.
"I won't let you go!"
The child cried.
"Please!"
Mira screamed.
"LEO!"
Leo ran toward her.
Kael followed.
Together they pulled the child back.
But Mira lost her grip.
She was pulled toward the dragon.
Kael grabbed her arm.
"I have you!"
Mira looked at him.
"Let go!"
"No!"
"You'll fall too!"
"I don't care!"
The ground beneath Kael cracked.
Leo grabbed Kael.
The three of them formed a chain.
The dragon's power grew stronger.
Austin shouted:
"Mira!"
She looked toward him.
"Your power isn't in the Crown."
Mira stared.
"What?"
"Your power is in your choice!"
Mira closed her eyes.
She remembered Leo.
Her family.
The people.
The First Dragon.
The Crown.
The future.
Then she understood.
She wasn't supposed to control the power.
She was supposed to share it.
Mira opened her hand.
The golden mark shattered.
BOOOOOOM!
A massive wave of golden light exploded.
The dragon was pushed backward.
The Gate shook.
The black crown cracked.
And the entire sky turned gold.
Mira fell.
Kael caught her.
"You did it."
Mira looked up.
"Did we win?"
Kael shook his head.
"No."
He looked toward the Gate.
"Something else is coming."
The Gate opened completely.
Silence filled the kingdom.
No army came through.
No dragon.
No creature.
Instead, a single figure walked out.
It looked human.
An old man.
He wore a simple white robe.
His hair was silver.
His eyes were completely black.
He looked at Leo.
Then at Austin.
Then at Mira.
Finally, he smiled.
"At last."
Leo raised his sword.
"Who are you?"
The old man answered:
"I have had many names."
He raised one hand.
"The First."
"The Beginning."
"The Watcher."
"The End."
Leo stared.
"You are the Watcher?"
The man smiled.
"That was only one of my names."
Mira stepped forward.
"What do you want?"
The man looked at her.
"Nothing."
Mira frowned.
"Then why are you here?"
He answered:
"Because you called me."
Mira shook her head.
"I never called you."
"You broke the Crown."
"You freed the power."
"You opened the Gate."
"You gave me a path into your world."
Leo stepped forward.
"You won't have it."
The old man smiled.
"You cannot stop what already exists."