The echo of the mountain's voice still lingered in the air, its final words sending a chill through James's body. The trials had only just begun. As the dust from the collapsed altar settled around them, James felt the weight of those words sinking deeper into his bones. Whatever he had faced in that chamber, it had been a test, not a true battle. The true threat was still out there, Zarathros.
As the realization hit him, the energy coursing through James's body began to shift. It wasn't the usual surge of power he had grown accustomed to over time. This was different. It was deeper, more intense, as if the very core of his being was waking up. His dragon energy, which had always been a controlled force, now seemed to be straining against his will, pushing him to embrace it fully.
Pippy noticed it first. "James," she whispered, her voice filled with concern, "your aura, it's changing."
