The sky cracked open like glass struck by fate.
Wind roared. Leaves whipped through the air. The earth beneath the Trial Grounds trembled.
And then… he descended.
Upon a colossal beast wreathed in golden flame, a figure floated downward—long coat fluttering like wings, eyes glowing molten gold, hair a cascade of sunlit strands. His presence distorted the very air, and the aura he gave off—
Alden couldn't breathe for a moment.
Even Kael, whose calm was as unshakeable as stone, reached for his blade.
Lyra instinctively stepped between Alden and the newcomer.
The beast he rode landed with a seismic thud—a lion-drake hybrid, its mane flickering like wildfire, eyes gleaming with unnatural intellect.
The man dismounted slowly.
And smiled.
"Greetings, young heirs of failure."
Kael scowled. "Heirs of what?"
The stranger placed a hand over his heart and gave a mock bow. "I am known as Lucien of the Ashbound Pact. Or simply, Lucien. Former heir to the seat of Tamer's Crown. Present scourge of the Concord Sigil."
His gaze lingered on Alden, sharp and curious. "And you, little lamb—how brightly your flame flickers."
"What do you want?" Alden asked, stepping forward, Bloodfang growling low beside him.
Lucien didn't blink. "To greet you. To watch you. And perhaps… to break you."
His fingers glowed faintly, and for a moment, Alden felt a twisting in his chest—like something ancient was reaching for the mark on his palm.
"You bear the Concord Sigil," Lucien murmured, voice laced with both reverence and disdain. "That thing… that curse forged by fools who thought taming was peace."
Kael spat to the side. "I've heard enough."
He drew his blade—but before he could even blink, Lucien's beast moved.
A wave of flame erupted, forcing Kael to leap back, sword raised to shield his face.
Lucien wagged his finger, almost playfully. "No need for violence—yet."
Lyra narrowed her eyes. "You came all this way just to give us your name?"
Lucien laughed. It was melodic. And cruel.
"I came to watch the Concord Sigil awaken. I came to see if the boy with the beast-blood would rise… or crumble."
A pause. Then his voice dropped.
"I came to warn you. Before the Council does."
Alden blinked. "Council?"
Lucien paced slowly across the cracked earth. "The High Council of Tamers. The ones who hold the throne of bonds and beasts. They once thought me their brightest flame. Now they call me traitor."
His gaze sharpened.
"They fear you, Alden Draven."
Alden stiffened. "Why?"
Lucien stopped.
"Because your kind always brings change. You remind the beasts who they were before chains. You remind the world what true taming means."
His eyes flashed.
"You break the order."
Kael growled, stepping forward. "Enough riddles. You gonna fight or run?"
Lucien tilted his head. "Oh, I will fight you, blade-man. Just not today."
Then he turned back to Alden. "But a warning for you, child of the sigil—when the Council comes, and they will, you must decide. Serve them. Or stand against them."
Lyra's voice cut sharp. "He already made his choice."
Lucien smiled wider. "Has he?"
Suddenly, the air rippled. A portal—a searing vortex of fire and light—opened behind Lucien.
He mounted his beast once more. "Pass the final trial. Unlock the sanctum. Claim your birthright. And then… meet me again."
Before Alden could speak, Lucien and his flaming drake vanished into the blaze.
Silence settled. The cracked earth steamed. The trees stopped whispering.
Kael sheathed his sword with a curse. "That was Lucien. The Ashbound. He's real."
Lyra placed a hand on Alden's shoulder. "Are you alright?"
Alden didn't answer immediately.
His mind was spinning. Not from fear—but from realization.
Lucien hadn't just come to threaten him.
He came because he recognized him.
He knew something Alden didn't.
And worse—he spoke the truth. Alden could feel it. Every step forward with Bloodfang. Every beat of the sigil in his palm.
He wasn't just a tamer. He was something more. Something dangerous to the order of the world.
"…I need to know the rest," Alden said finally. "Everything. About the Council. About the sigil. About what I'm meant to be."
Kael gave him a nod. "Then we finish this. One last trial."
Alden turned toward the crimson-lit platform.
Sacrifice.