Noah pulled up to the pool party in his sports car, already knowing how things would play out.
And just as he'd expected, the moment he stepped out into the pool area, cheers erupted from the crowd of socialites lounging by the water.
Some even raised their margaritas in a toast as cries of his name filled the air.
"Noah! Good to see you, man!"
He flashed his usual grin. The same one that had both graced the cover of business magazines and charmed beautiful women all over the world.
He didn't know most of the people greeting him, but that was to be expected. Everyone wanted to be friends with the billionaire, even if they didn't know him personally.
He made his rounds, exchanging pleasantries and indulging in shallow conversations that he barely paid attention to.
His mind was elsewhere, bored of the predictability of it all.
Even as hands clapped his back and flirtatious eyes roamed his body, he felt detached. Like he was watching the whole thing outside his own body.
He was just so fucking bored.
Everything was the same. Everybody bending over backwards just to please him. He could buy anything he wanted. Go anywhere he pleases. Even restricted places. That was the power of money.
Sometimes, he toyed with the idea of donating most of his fortune and starting over from scratch. Maybe life would become interesting once more.
Right now, he needed a change of scenery. A new challenge.
And that was when the dizziness hit.
It started as a slight headache before progressing to nausea. In a few seconds, it turned into an overwhelming force in his head that made his vision swim.
He excused himself, ignoring the concerned voices around him, and stumbled towards the bathroom inside the mansion.
The moment he shut the door behind him, the floor beneath his feet shifted.
"What the—"
The air crackled, and a force stronger than anything he had ever felt yanked him downward, dragging him through a swirling rift that was as dark as darkness itself.
A colorless void whose name forced itself into his brain.
This was the Abyss.
His body twisted and stretched in ways that defied logic.
Every nerve in his body switched between screaming in agony and moaning in ecstasy.
He couldn't see. He couldn't breathe.
He wasn't falling, but he wasn't standing either.
And through it all, a thrill of excitement ran through him.
'Yes! This is it! Something interesting!'
Then, something else joined him in the void.
A consciousness that radiated power.
No words were spoken, but he felt it latch onto him, trying to burrow into his mind. It clawed at his thoughts, pushing, prodding, trying to take over.
But there was something, a wall, protecting Noah. And instinctively, he fought back.
He had no idea what he was up against, but he refused to let it win. Not when this was the most fun he'd had in more than a year.
He tore it apart, and it felt incredibly easy. Too easy.
The presence grew desperate, writhing and lashing out, but Noah had the help of the force that was binding the consciousness.
With a final push, the consciousness broke down with a loud roar that somehow reached Noah's ears, and before he could do anything, its energy latched onto him, merging with every part of his soul.
And in the next moment, his consciousness vanished.
He was somewhere else in the Abyss. And somehow, he wasn't even Noah anymore.
He was a dragon.
Massive. Ancient. Coiled atop a vast mountain surrounded by an endless black mist.
The air in the Abyss was thick with magic, everything vibrating with chaos, and that chaos meant potential.
He saw through slit golden eyes, and with each blink, expelled more power than most beast ever used in their lifetimes. Beneath him, the mountain trembled with his every breath.
In the distance, a titanic battle was ongoing. It was titanic for the monsters down below but for him, it was just a mote of dust in the grand scheme of things.
A titanic fire hydra barreled through the dark, wreathed in dark fire. Blood seeped from its open wounds, dripping to the ground, and leaving behind trails of destruction.
The beast was locked in battle with a behemoth that looked like a mountain wrapped in muscle and tusks.
Their battle shook this part of the Abyss, and they were heading directly for the mountain. The place where Noah the dragon slept.
The behemoth's howl cracked the sky, and the hydra's fire scorched the black clouds.
But they were about to touch the Dragon's precious mountain.
And so, the dragon stood.
Noah rose to his full height.
He inhaled.
And then he roared.
A single, perfect roar.
It wasn't just a sound. It was a command.
Sovereignty. Dominion.
The wave of force that left him was like a tidal wave made of authority itself.
The behemoth's strength shattered, its howls becoming whimpers. The fire from the hydra sputtered, then died completely, like candles in a storm.
Their magic had been snuffed out. Their powers, broken.
Not absorbed. Not resisted.
Nullified.
Noah felt it all. The vastness of his presence. The sheer scale of his might.
And in that moment, he was the apex predator. The top of the food chain.
He was the Lord.
He was the Dark Dragon.
Then, reality snapped back into place.
He stumbled.
"—fuck?"
Silence.
He looked up to see himself standing in the center of an enormous, glowing magic circle in a dark hall.
The runes that had been etched into the circle beneath his feet shined with an eerie purple light before going inert. Smoke curled up from it.
Hooded figures surrounded him, some slumped on the floor as they all caught their breath.
The air around them smelled of burnt meat and something darker. Something metallic.
He looked down at his arms, unable to believe his eyes. The presence he had absorbed within the Abyss was that dragon. He'd just seen one of its memories, and now, its power was his.
It felt like there was a miniature sun trapped within his chest. He longed to let loose. To destroy. To roar.
Like a muscle he had been using since he was born, he felt the move the dragon had used settle within him.
And its name rooted itself deep within his mind.
Dragon's Roar.
He looked up, and his eyes roved over the hall, taking it all in.
The smoke cleared and the hooded figures finally saw him. They threw back their hoods, revealing a mix of men and women, their expressions filled with awe.
"We did it." One of them whispered, his voice trembling with hope.
"The prophecy has been fulfilled!" Another cried, falling to his knees.
A man who looked like he was in charge stepped forward.
"Welcome, hero!" He called out. "You have been summoned to save our world from darkness. The demons grow stronger by the day, and only you possess the power to stop them. Accept your destiny, and rid us of their evil!"
Noah stared at them for a long moment, processing their words. Then, he spoke.
"No."
A/N: For those who have read the previous version, apologies. This book has been reworked as the previous one was not heading in the direction i was planning for it. I hope you enjoy this one. Thanks.