The roar did not come from one place. It came from many directions at once. Some were distant, low and heavy. Others were sharp, close enough to feel in the bones. The sound rolled across the land like a warning that could no longer be taken back.
Everyone stood still.
Even Regent Halverin did not speak.
Aren felt the ground tremble beneath his feet. It was not violent, but steady, like something vast was shifting far below the surface. His chest tightened again, the bond reacting on its own. He did not know why, but he felt it clearly.
They are waking up.
Kael closed his eyes and took a slow breath. When he opened them again, there was fear there, but also something else. Relief.
"They are alive," Kael said. "They really survived."
Halverin turned sharply toward him. "You should not feel comfort from that."
Kael met his gaze. "You should not feel surprised."
The people around them began to move. Some stepped back. Others activated defensive tools. A few quietly opened teleport gates, preparing to leave.
The woman in white robes spoke again. Her name was Seris Elowen, Aren remembered now. A mediator from the Balance Order.
"This gathering is no longer safe," Seris said. "If more dragons awaken here, the land will collapse."
Halverin nodded slowly. "Agreed."
He looked at Aren again. "That includes you."
Aren felt every eye return to him.
"I did not do this on purpose," Aren said. His voice was steady, even though his hands were not. "I did not even know dragons were real."
Halverin studied him carefully. "Intent does not matter once the world reacts."
Kael stepped forward. "Then blame me. I am the dragon."
Halverin shook his head. "You are a piece. He is the key."
That word made Aren feel cold.
Key.
The system screen flickered again.
[Priority Shift Detected][User Status: Critical]
Aren swallowed. "What does that mean."
Kael looked at the screen, then at Aren. "It means they will not leave you alone."
As if to prove it, the air split again. Another gate opened, this one rough and unstable. Dark smoke spilled out before the shape fully formed.
Something came through.
It was not human.
It stood tall, its body wrapped in black armor fused directly to its flesh. Horns curved back from its head. Its eyes glowed a dull red.
Aren felt the system react violently.
[Threat Identified][Faction: Abyssal Pact]
Seris's face went pale. "They should not be able to move this fast."
The creature's gaze locked onto Aren instantly.
"There you are," it said. Its voice was layered, like many voices speaking at once. "Dragon Tamer."
Kael stepped in front of Aren again. "Get back."
The creature laughed. "You smell wrong," it said. "You are not awake. Yet."
Halverin cursed under his breath. "So they felt it too."
Aren looked between them. "Felt what."
Halverin did not answer immediately. Then he said, "The same thing we did. The authority shift."
The abyssal creature raised one clawed hand. Dark energy gathered around it.
"We have waited a long time," it said. "The age of chains is over."
Seris shouted, "Do not attack here."
The creature ignored her.
Kael's eyes flared gold again. Heat surged outward. The ground beneath him cracked.
"Aren," Kael said through clenched teeth. "If I lose control, run."
Aren shook his head. "I am not leaving you."
The system flashed.
[Bond Response Confirmed][Override Available]
Aren's heart raced. "Stop giving me choices like this."
The abyssal creature moved.
It crossed the distance instantly, striking Kael with a force that sent him flying into broken stone. Kael crashed hard, coughing blood.
"Kael," Aren shouted.
Aren ran forward without thinking. The screen followed him.
The creature turned toward Aren, smiling.
"Yes," it said. "You feel it now."
Aren felt pressure again, but different from before. This was not suppression. It was pulling.
The system reacted in panic.
[Unauthorized Influence Detected]
The creature's claw brushed Aren's arm.
Pain exploded through him.
Images flooded his mind. Cities burning. Dragons chained in the sky. Humans kneeling. A throne cracked down the middle.
Aren screamed.
The world blurred.
Then something pushed back.
Hard.
The pressure vanished. The creature staggered backward, hissing.
Halverin stared at Aren in shock.
"That reaction," he said. "That was not the system."
Seris whispered, "That came from him."
Aren dropped to his knees, gasping. His head throbbed.
Kael struggled to stand. "Aren… what did you do."
"I do not know," Aren said. "I just wanted it to stop."
The system appeared again, clearer than ever.
[Dormant Authority Responded][Seal Integrity Decreasing]
Halverin's face hardened. "We cannot stay."
The abyssal creature snarled. "You cannot take him."
Halverin raised his hand. The air twisted sharply.
"This is not a negotiation," he said.
He looked at Aren. "You are coming with us. Now."
Aren looked at Kael.
Kael shook his head weakly. "If they take you, they will lock you away."
Seris stepped forward. "If we leave him here, the factions will tear this land apart."
The abyssal creature laughed again. "Then let it burn."
The ground shook violently.
A new roar echoed, closer this time.
Everyone froze.
That roar was different.
It was not Kael.
It was older. Larger. And angry.
The sky darkened as a massive shadow passed overhead.
Aren looked up slowly.
Something huge moved above the clouds. Wings spread wide enough to block the light. Scales reflected flashes of lightning.
The system spoke, its tone different than before.
[Warning][High Tier Dragon Approaching][Classification: Unknown]
Kael's eyes widened. "That is not one of us."
Halverin whispered, "No."
The shadow turned.
And began to descend.
Straight toward them.
The abyssal creature stepped back for the first time, its confidence cracking.
Seris whispered, "If that lands here…"
Aren felt the bond surge painfully.
The system displayed one final message.
[User Choice Required][Accept Call or Resist]
Aren clenched his fists.
The shadow grew larger.
And the ground began to break apart beneath their feet.