I crouched near the unconscious girl, curiosity tugging harder than reason. Her face was calm now, her breathing steady. Dirt streaked her cheeks, but even through it, there was something striking about her.
Without thinking, I reached out and brushed a bit of dust from her face. Her skin was warm against my fingers—real, human. Not like the cold metal or glass I'd known my whole life.
My hand lingered a second too long. My heartbeat kicked into overdrive, hammering against my ribs like it was trying to escape. I didn't understand why.
Before I could stop myself, my hand slipped lower—
Soft.
I froze.
"…As I thought," I whispered dumbly. "It's… soft."
A second later, her eyes snapped open.
She blinked, confused, then focused on me—my hand, my face, back to my hand.
Her expression changed from confusion… to horror.
"Y–you… PERVERT!" she screamed, her face turning bright red like a tomato before her fist connected squarely with my jaw.
The world spun. I landed flat on my back, the dust puffing up around me. My pet creature jumped from my shoulder and growled at her, fur bristling, ready to protect me.
Rubbing my cheek, I stood up slowly. "Ow… what was that for? I was only checking if you were alive!"
"You were checking the wrong way!" she snapped, grabbing her mask and slamming it back over her face.
The other masked fighters were awake now, groaning and getting to their feet. They regrouped around her like soldiers awaiting orders. Their weapons were drawn again.
"Wait, wait, wait—" I lifted my hands, trying to calm them. "Can we not do this again? I don't want to fight. Seriously. This isn't getting us anywhere!"
They ignored me, forming a tight circle.
The girl gave a sharp signal. One of them pulled out a glowing rope—blue light running through it like lightning. It looked just like the energy that powered the arrow that woke me.
Before I could react, they swung it around me. The rope coiled like a living thing, tightening around my wrists.
"Hey!" I tugged against it, but it wouldn't budge. The energy pulsed, numbing my arms.
"Enough talking," the girl said coldly. "You'll answer our questions in our town."
My pet creature growled, but I gave it a small nod. "It's fine, buddy. Let's just… go with it."
They led me through the ruins and out into a wide clearing. There, enormous shadows passed overhead—creatures like winged reptiles, scales gleaming in the sunlight.
Dragons.
Or something very close.
The masked group called out signals. One of the riders guided a dragon down, its wings stirring up a storm of dust as it landed. A man stepped forward to lift me onto it—but when he tried, I didn't move an inch. He strained, face red, but I might as well have been carved from stone.
He stepped back, stunned. I just sighed, stood up on my own, and climbed onto the dragon's back. "You could've just asked."
They muttered among themselves as they mounted the other dragons. My creature hopped up after me, curling around my shoulders like it belonged there.
The girl took the seat beside me, her mask half cracked from the earlier fight. She didn't look at me, just stared ahead, jaw tight.
I decided to break the silence. "Still mad?"
"Who are you?" she asked flatly, ignoring my question.
I froze. My mind went blank. Name. I need a name.
If I said "Subject 7," they'd know something was off. I couldn't risk that.
She leaned closer, her tone sharper. "I asked you a question. Who are you?"
I swallowed. "I'm… human. Like you. Nothing more."
She turned to glare at me, her eyes blazing through the cracked mask. "Do you think this is a joke? You're acting like this is some kind of game. You'll be in real trouble if you don't start answering seriously!"
I blinked, slightly dazed by the intensity. "Are all girls like this?" I muttered under my breath.
"What was that?" she snapped.
"Nothing," I said quickly.
Before either of us could speak again, a sharp whistle cut through the air. I turned—just in time to see a lightning arrow streaking toward one of the dragons flying beside us.
The arrow hit.
The sky exploded in light and sound. The creature roared as it spiraled downward, flames trailing from its wings. The riders screamed as they fell, disappearing into the forest below.
"AMBUSH!" the girl shouted. "They've found us! Take your positions!"
The remaining dragons veered into formation. Arrows flashed from below—each glowing with the same deadly blue light as the one that had nearly killed me that morning.
My creature growled, eyes glowing red again, claws sparking with faint energy. I felt my own Echoform flicker under my skin, answering its call.
This wasn't over.
Not even close.
The sky erupted.
Bolts of blue light cut through the clouds, exploding around us in bursts of fire and sound. The dragons roared, wings beating hard against the shockwaves. Wind tore at my face as the world spun into chaos.
The girl in front of me shouted orders, her voice cutting through the storm. "Split formation! Guard the left flank!"
Her words vanished in the roar of another explosion.
My creature leapt from my shoulder onto the dragon's neck, claws digging into its scales to steady itself. The red glow in its eyes burned brighter now, twin trails of heat streaming behind as it crouched low, ready to spring.
More arrows shot up from below—bright, fast, and deadly. I ducked one, feeling it scorch past my hair. Another grazed my arm, sending a sting of heat across my skin.
I looked down. Through the breaks in the clouds, I could see them—attackers riding smaller flying beasts, black armor glinting, bows drawn. They were firing from all sides.
One of the masked riders beside me screamed as a lightning arrow hit his mount. The dragon shrieked, wings convulsing, then plummeted in a spiral of blue fire.
The girl turned sharply to me, shouting over the wind. "Can you fight or not!?"
I grinned despite the chaos. "Try me."
Before she could protest, I stood up on the dragon's back. The wind howled around me, the ground a blur far below. My Echoform burst to life—veins lighting faint gold beneath my skin.
One of the enemy riders swooped in from the right, arrow ready. I leapt.
The air tore past me as I shot toward him. My fist connected before he could even aim. The impact cracked through the sky, and the rider flew backward, crashing into another mount below. Both went spiraling into the forest.
I landed hard back on our dragon's back, crouched low as the creature roared approval beside me.
The girl stared for half a second, wide-eyed, before snapping back into focus. She swung her weapon—a long, bladed staff that hummed with blue energy—and deflected an incoming arrow that would have hit me square in the chest.
"Watch it!" she yelled.
"Thanks!" I shouted back, ducking another blast.
The creature leapt again, roaring as it collided mid-air with one of the enemy beasts. Sparks of red and blue light scattered across the sky. Its claws tore through the enemy's saddle straps, sending the rider spinning into freefall.
We dove after another attacker. The girl guided the dragon lower, weaving through a storm of arrows. I leaned forward, channeling my Echoform into my palms. Every arrow that came close burst apart before touching us, disintegrating into light.
"Since when could you do that?" she yelled.
"Since just now!" I called back.
We broke through the middle of the formation. The attackers regrouped quickly—at least five remaining, circling like vultures. One of them drew a massive bow, the arrow glowing brighter than the rest, pure lightning.
I saw it release.
"Down!" I shouted.
The girl pulled hard on the reins. The dragon folded its wings, dropping into a freefall. The arrow tore through the space where we'd been a heartbeat earlier, exploding above in a blinding flash.
The world tilted as we fell. My stomach lurched. Then, just as the forest rushed up to meet us, the girl snapped the reins again. The dragon's wings flared open, catching the wind and pulling us sharply upward.
I almost laughed. "You're insane!"
She shot me a glare over her shoulder. "Takes one to know one!"
We climbed back into the clouds, circling behind the enemy squadron. My creature crouched low, the fur along its back glowing brighter and brighter until small arcs of red lightning crackled through it.
I understood the look it gave me.
"Yeah," I said quietly. "Let's finish this."
The creature launched from the dragon's neck like a streak of fire, colliding with the nearest rider in a storm of claws and energy. The explosion lit the clouds crimson.
I leapt after it, my Echoform flaring full force. My punches cut through the air like shockwaves, knocking the remaining riders out of the sky one by one. Each impact rippled through the storm, scattering glowing fragments of their energy-woven armor.
Within moments, the sky was quiet again—except for the sound of wind and our dragon's heavy breaths.
We hovered in the air, smoke drifting from the ruins of the enemy squadron.
The girl exhaled shakily, lowering her weapon. "That… was insane."
I shrugged, catching my breath. "You're welcome."
She turned, eyes narrowing. "Don't get cocky. You still haven't answered who you are."
Before I could respond, the creature landed back beside me, purring softly, tail flicking lazily in the air.
I reached out and scratched behind its ear. "For now, let's just say… I'm someone who's done running."
The girl looked at me for a moment longer, then faced forward again. "Fine. But you'll answer when we land."
Below us, the forest stretched endlessly, smoke from the fallen dragons curling into the morning light.
Whatever waited ahead in her "town," I had the feeling it wouldn't be quiet for long.
The battle was over. The sky was quiet again.
Only drifting ash and faint trails of blue lightning hung in the air where moments ago chaos had ruled. The dragons steadied their wings, rising higher through the thinning clouds.
The girl finally broke the silence. "We'll reach the outskirts by dusk. Don't try anything stupid until then."
I half-smiled. "Wouldn't dream of it."
She didn't reply, just turned her gaze forward, the wind tugging strands of her hair free from beneath the mask. My creature climbed back onto my shoulder, yawning softly, curling into a warm ball against my neck.
The world below looked peaceful again. A lie painted in green and gold. But inside, I could still feel that pulsing—something powerful stirring within me. A strange voice echoing faintly through my chest.
You're not done yet.
I looked at my hands, still faintly glowing with golden light. "Yeah… I know."
Far below, deep in the forest shadows, another figure stood on a rocky ridge, watching the dragons fade into the distance.
The man's eyes were cold—sharp, ancient. He carried the weight of countless scars, both seen and unseen.
A whisper slipped from his lips, carried away by the wind:
"So… another one awakens."
He turned, his dark cloak shifting like smoke around him.
The forest bent in silence as Rudra—the man who fought for peace in all the wrong ways—walked into the light.