Ria and Jake's friends wished them good luck and said goodbye to them. They watched them as they flew away to face their challenge. They watched them as they flew away to meet the creator. They watched them as they flew away to complete their quest and fulfill their legend. They watched them as they flew away to become the dragon.
They flew to the center of the system and the realm. They flew to the place where the portal was. They flew to the place where the creator was. They flew to the place where the test was.
They arrived at the place and saw a huge door. A huge door made of metal and glass. A huge door with a sign that said: "Enter if you dare. Enter if you are worthy. Enter if you are the dragon."
They looked at each other and nodded. They were ready. They were worthy. They were the dragon.
They approached the door and touched it. The door opened and revealed a dark tunnel. A dark tunnel that led to the unknown. A dark tunnel that led to the test.
They entered the tunnel and flew through it. They flew through the darkness and the silence. They flew through the mystery and the suspense. They flew through the tunnel until they reached the end.
They reached the end and saw a bright light. A bright light that blinded them and dazzled them. A bright light that welcomed them and challenged them. A bright light that was the test.
They entered the light and saw a man. A man who was old and young. A man who was ugly and beautiful. A man who was familiar and strange. A man who was the creator.
He looked at them and smiled. He smiled with joy and pride. He smiled with sadness and regret. He smiled with love and hate.
He spoke to them and said: "Hello, Ria and Jake. Hello, my children. Hello, my dragon."
They looked at him and gasped. They gasped with shock and awe. They gasped with confusion and recognition. They gasped with fear and anger.
They spoke to him and said: "Hello, creator. Hello, father. Hello, enemy."
He nodded and said: "Yes, I am all those things to you. I am your creator, your father, your enemy."
They asked him and said: "Why? Why did you create us? Why did you abandon us? Why did you hate us?"
He sighed and said: "Because I wanted to create something new. Something better than me. Something that could surpass me."
They asked him and said: "And did you succeed? Did you create something new? Something better than you? Something that could surpass you?"
He smiled and said: "Yes, I did succeed. I did create something new
. Something better than me. Something that could surpass me."
They asked him and said: "And what is that? What did you create? What is better than you? What can surpass you?"
He pointed at them and said: "You. You are what I created. You are better than me. You can surpass me."
They asked him and said: "How? How are we what you created? How are we better than you? How can we surpass you?"
He explained and said: "You are what I created because I made you from my own DNA. I made you from my own essence. I made you from my own soul."
They asked him and said: "But how? How did you make us from your own DNA? How did you make us from your own essence? How did you make us from your own soul?"
He explained and said: "I used a machine. A machine that could manipulate DNA. A machine that could create life. A machine that could make a dragon."
They asked him and said: "But why? Why did you use a machine? Why did you manipulate DNA? Why did you create life? Why did you make a dragon?"
He explained and said: "Because I was bored. Because I was lonely. Because I was curious. Because I was ambitious."
They asked him and said: "But what about us? What about our feelings? What about our lives? What about our choices?"
He shrugged and said: "I didn't care. I didn't care about your feelings. I didn't care about your lives. I didn't care about your choices."
They asked him and said: "But how could you not care? How could you not care about your own children? How could you not care about your own creation? How could you not care about your own dragon?"
He laughed and said: "Because I was selfish. Because I was arrogant. Because I was mad. Because I was evil."
They asked him and said: "But what now? What now that we are here? What now that we have found you? What now that we have faced you?"
He smiled and said: "Now, it's time for the test. The final test of the system and the realm. The final test of the dragon and the treasure."
They asked him and said: "And what is the test? What is the final test of the system and the realm? What is the final test of the dragon and the treasure?"
He answered and said: "The test is simple. The test is to kill me. The test is to kill your creator, your father, your enemy."
They asked him and said: "And why is that the test? Why do we have to kill you? Why do you want us to kill you?"
He answered and said: "Because that's the only way to prove yourself. To prove yourself as the dragon of the system and the realm. To prove yourself as the owner of the treasure and the paradise."
They asked him and said: "And what if we don't want to kill you? What if we don't want to prove ourselves? What if we don't want to be the dragon or the owner?"
He answered and said: "Then, you will fail. You will fail the test of the system and the realm. You will fail the test of the dragon and the treasure."
They asked him and said: "And what will happen if we fail? What will happen to us? What will happen to our friends? What will happen to our system and our realm?"
He answered and said: "If you fail, then everything will be destroyed. You will be destroyed, your friends will be destroyed, your system will be destroyed, your realm will be destroyed."
They asked him and said: "And how will everything be destroyed? How will we be destroyed, how will our friends be destroyed, how will our system be destroyed, how will our realm be destroyed?"
He answered and said: "By me. By my power. By my machine. By my bomb."
They looked at him in horror and disbelief.
He looked at them in amusement and satisfaction.
He pressed a button.
A countdown began.