The pond was quiet now, a still mirror beneath the pale moonlight. The herds were gone, the dirt was packed and smoothed, and the portal had swallowed its final prey for the day. The time had come.
I turned to the remaining adult dragons—those I trusted the most—and motioned to the sleeping younglings nearby.
"Carry them. Make sure they don't wake until you're through," I said softly.
A few bowed their heads. One by one, dragons spread their wings, gently lifting baby dragons with their talons, cradling them against their chests or backs. Some of the hatchlings stirred, mumbling little growls in their sleep, but none awoke. They were safe. And they were going home.
The last adult dragon to take off turned to me. "What about you?" he asked.
"I'll follow," I said, stepping back from the water's edge. "I have one last thing to do."
He nodded and took to the sky.
And then I was alone.
I looked at the pond—the last connection between this world and the Hollow Earth. An exposed artery. A risk.
I couldn't leave it open.
I stepped into the shallows, dragging in trees, rocks, clay, hardened mud—anything I could find. It took hours. My claws blistered and bled, my wings hung heavy and limp.
Still, I worked.
I layered the bottom of the pond with boulders, smashed roots into gaps, caked layers of sticky mud between the cracks. I tore massive slabs of stone from nearby cliffs and dropped them into the water. Then, when the pond bottom looked like a chaotic wall of nature's mess, I stepped back and unleashed fire—a roaring, molten blaze that burned red and gold.
Steam rose in great clouds, hissing like a thousand snakes.
The mud hardened. The rocks fused. The water churned and boiled, then cooled again.
It wasn't perfect. I knew that.
"This won't stop them," I muttered to myself, staring into the dark pool. "But it'll slow them down... if something ever tries to come through."
Because the world was changing. Monarch. Apex. Titans. And in the Hollow Earth, my people had a chance to thrive. But only if they weren't hunted down before they even settled.
I stood there for a long moment. Then I turned my head to the sky—and took off.
I flew straight to Hong Kong, wind howling against my wings. But as I approached the surface above the portal point, I spotted something—searchlights. Choppers. Dozens of them. Monarch was here, guarding the site, maybe still confused by the dragons that had helped defeat Mechagodzilla.
I hovered for a moment above the clouds.
No. Not now. I didn't want to be seen. Not when I was this tired. Not when I had a clan to protect.
So I turned south.
Antarctica.
Hours passed. My wings ached, my muscles trembled from exhaustion. But eventually I reached the icy wastelands. Snow blew hard across the frozen expanse—but just like in Hong Kong, I saw Apex presence. More helicopters. More guns. More lights.
Even if I could fight—I didn't want to.
I just wanted to go home.
I flew low, gliding through the storm, eyes scanning the earth. I searched for any sign of something... or someone who could help.
And then I felt it. A deep tremor beneath the earth. Familiar. Heavy. Ancient.
Godzilla.
I followed the vibrations until I reached the frozen coastline. And there he was—massive and terrifying, his dorsal plates glowing faintly in the cold gloom. He turned as I landed near the shore, eyeing me with cautious recognition.
I lowered my head.
"I need your help."
He stared at me, silent. I spoke again.
"My clan is moving. We're going to the Hollow Earth. But Monarch and Apex—they block the way. I won't fight unless I have to. My people are already there. I just want to get back."
For a moment, I thought he wouldn't care. But then his massive head dipped slightly in understanding.
And without a sound, he turned and began walking into the ice.
I followed.
Within minutes, he led me to a hidden crevice—a portal I had missed before, one tucked beneath the frozen cliffs, crackling faintly with energy. Godzilla stepped aside, glowing brighter for just a second as if to say, "Go."
I looked at him. And I bowed my head once more.
Then I stepped into the light—and let the Hollow Earth pull me home.