Sai stood frozen, taking in his surroundings with a mixture of confusion and awe. The cave had vanished completely, replaced by a vast, unfamiliar landscape. The terrain stretched endlessly before him, but nothing resembled the door he had just touched. The air felt different—heavier, almost as if it held secrets he was yet to uncover.
His mind raced back to the door and the ancient symbols that had glowed with ominous life. He could still picture them clearly, their intricate, shifting lines and curves seared into his memory. He recalled the feeling of the sharp point drawing blood, the blinding flash—everything that had led him here.
As the symbols lingered in his mind, a subtle shift in the atmosphere caught his attention. In the distance, though barely visible, he noticed movement—something watching him. His heart skipped a beat as a pair of eyes slowly opened. The eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, their gaze fixed directly on him. A sense of dread washed over him as he realized whatever it was, it had seen him. And now, it was waiting.
Sai froze, his body trembling with fear. The beast before him was unlike anything he could have imagined—a dragon. Towering and majestic, its form was both awe inspiring and utterly terrifying. Its crimson gold scales shimmered like molten metal, each one etched with a raw, ancient power. Its razor-sharp claws gleamed menacingly, and its teeth, bared slightly, looked capable of tearing through stone. Sai felt insignificant, like an ant standing before a mountain of fire and fury.
Yet, despite its overwhelming presence, the dragon did not attack. Its massive, glowing eyes locked onto him, not with aggression, but with a piercing, calculating gaze.
Despite the dragon's lack of immediate aggression, Sai didn't dare to move. Every instinct screamed at him to stay perfectly still. If the beast decided to attack, there was no doubt he would be reduced to either a mangled heap of flesh or a charred corpse in an instant.
After what felt like an eternity of silence, the dragon's probing gaze softened, as though it had reached some conclusion. Then, to Sai's utter astonishment, the creature spoke.
Its voice was deep and resonant, echoing with an otherworldly power that sent shivers down Sai's spine. The weight of its presence seemed to press against the very air, yet its words were disturbingly simple:
"Human, what are you?"
Sai, who had regained some clarity after a moment of paralyzing fear, hesitantly lifted his gaze toward the dragon. Its massive form loomed over him like a mountain, radiating power that seemed to seep into the very ground beneath his feet.
He glanced down at his trembling body, still cowering instinctively, and clenched his fists in an attempt to steady himself. His mind raced, searching for the right words. What could he possibly say to a creature so ancient, so incomprehensibly powerful?
The dragon, surprisingly, remained still, its piercing eyes locked onto him. There was no immediate threat in its gaze, only an unyielding patience as though it genuinely awaited his response. That patience, however, only added to Sai's mounting pressure. Finally, he took a shaky breath and opened his mouth to speak, his voice weak but steady enough to form the beginnings of an answer.
"I... I don't know who I am at present," Sai stammered, his voice breaking under the weight of fear.
The dragon's piercing eyes narrowed slightly, and it rumbled a single word with a mix of curiosity and authority. "Present?"
It paused, as if savoring the weight of its own question, before continuing, "So, what were you in the past?"
The dragon's voice deepened, carrying a warning laced with unmistakable authority. "Be careful before you answer, human," it said, its gaze piercing through Sai. "I know whether you speak the truth or lie."
Sai, realizing the seriousness of the situation and the impossibility of lying in the face of such a powerful creature, took a deep breath. His voice, though trembling, carried a sense of resolve as he answered truthfully.
"I am a normal human, someone you could find anywhere... but I am also dead, yet alive, for reasons I do not understand."
The dragon's eyes glowed faintly, its piercing gaze seemingly searching for any trace of deceit, but it found none. Instead, the dragon remained silent, as if contemplating Sai's words.
The dragon laughed deeply, the sound reverberating through the air, echoing in the stillness around them. It was not a laugh of amusement, but one tinged with ancient knowledge and power.
"Dead but alive," the dragon mused. "You are something different, aren't you?"
Sai, trembling beneath the weight of the dragon's gaze, nodded slowly. The creature's words cut through him, leaving him no space to hide the truth of his confusion.
"Yes, I don't understand how or why I ended up here, but it's the truth. I've just been trying to survive," Sai responded, his voice low but steady, despite the fear gnawing at his insides.
The dragon's eyes flickered with something—curiosity, perhaps, or a deeper recognition. It tilted its head, as if contemplating Sai's words. The silence between them thickened, and Sai's heart raced faster under the immense pressure of the dragon's attention.
The dragon's gaze intensified, and Sai could feel the weight of its words before they even left its mouth. It seemed to consider him carefully, as if deciding whether he was worth the time to engage with further. Finally, the dragon spoke, its voice tinged with both curiosity and an ancient authority.
"So, how did you end up in my realm?" the dragon asked, the question hanging heavy in the air.
Sai, still feeling the weight of the dragon's presence, cautiously asked, "Your realm? What do you mean by that?"
The dragon's eyes glinted with something ancient and almost amused as it replied, "Yes, this is the Dragon Realm, a land where the most powerful of dragons reside. You, human, are fortunate to encounter none other than the Dragon Emperor. Had you stumbled upon any other dragon in this realm, your life would have ended in an instant. But you are standing before me... alive."
"I… I was exploring a strange cave," he stammered, his voice trembling slightly. "I'm… I'm just trying to survive in this forest. There was… a door. A strange door with markings. It… it brought me here."
The Dragon Emperor's gaze intensified, intrigued by Sai's actions. "A forest and a door with a teleportation spell to my realm?" The Emperor mused, his mind working through the possibilities. "Have you seen any other things?"
Sai, still shaken but determined to make sense of the situation, reached for a small stone from the ground. With a steady hand, he began to draw the strange symbols he had seen before—symbols he couldn't quite understand but clearly remembered.
The Emperor's eyes narrowed, watching Sai's movements with growing interest. "Those symbols," the Emperor rumbled. "Where did you see them?"
Sai paused, looking up at the dragon. "On the door," he said quietly. "The one that brought me here."
The Dragon Emperor's gaze hardened, his ancient eyes narrowing. He muttered to himself again, barely audible, "Blackthrone Abyss..." His tone was filled with a mix of caution and something darker—something Sai couldn't quite decipher.
Perhaps fate has other plans for you, human. The Blackthrone Abyss does not let outsiders in so easily… yet it has brought you here. Whether you survive or not, however, is entirely up to you