The Director didn't waste any more time. He rose from his chair surprisingly fast for his age.
"Very well," he said, his voice leaving no room for argument.
"Prepare the emergency evacuation protocol, but discreetly. We don't want to cause panic among the civilians."
He grabbed a heavy coat that hung on the back of his chair and threw it on. He strode past the door, walking calmly despite the urgency of the situation.
But instead of heading towards the elevators, he surprised the Teia by making a sharp turn towards the staircase.
"We'll take the stairs. It'll be faster," he muttered as he descended the first few steps.
As he ran down the stairs, so many thiughts swirled in his head.
'How could a rift have opened within the heavily warded Union building?'
'The mana disruptors embedded deep underground were supposed to prevent such occurrences.'
'Yet, here we are, facing a potential dragon threat. We might have our work cut out for us.'
Aethel thought. He had to protect the building, its inhabitants, and most importantly, contain this unexpected threat before it escalated further.
...
With a final, ear-splitting crack, the rift ripped fully open. From the vortex emerged the colossal black Drake.
A everyone present gasped in shock, from the seasoned officials to the wide-eyed students, instinctively took on battle stances. Weapons were drawn, elements materialized at fingertips, and they all wore a nervous expression on their faces.
But before anyone could react further, the Drake surprised them all. Instead of unleashing a massive roar, or immidatly breathing fire, it lowered its massive head in a manner that could only be seen as a bow. Its deep voice boomed across the hall, as it spoke without moving it's mouth.
"Cinder greets her lord."
Everyone present was completly confused.
"Why isn't the monster attacking?"
"Is that guy really controlling this monster?"
"Did you hear that? It called him its lord!"
Viktor, still gripping his weapon tightly, felt his mind spin.
'Is this some kind of illusion?'
'Could Alister really have summoned this monster, let alone control it?'
"Everyone, clear the area immediately! This is not a situation for untrained bystanders!"
Just then, a booming voice echoed across the space. Director Aethel, having sprinted down the stairs, made his way towards the crowd. His looked across the scene, his eyes landing on the monstrous Drake before him.
For a moment, Aethel paused, his old face wore an expression of surprise and something similar to awe. He narrowed his gaze, taking in the sheer size and power radiating from the creature.
"So this is what the presence of a mythical creature feels like."
he said to himself, a faint chuckle escaping his lips. But the amusement in his eyes quickly vanished, replaced by an intense look.
The air felt suffocating, everyone felt tensed as Cinder and the Director locked eyes. Aethel scrutinized the Drake, searching for any sign of hostility.
'Why isn't it attacking?'
'From what I've gathered this was supposed to be a Summoning that want out of control.'
Aethel turned his gaze towards the figure that stood before the massive monster.
'Is it truly under this boy's control, or is there another motive at play?'
'Now that I look at him, he looks fammilar... Wasn't he the boy Magister told me about? I believed he said his talent rank was...'
Aethel smiled, 'Guess it's all starting to make sanes now.'
"My lord, these humans appear to stand against us. Should I incinerate them?"
Cinder's voice echoed, deep and intimidating as she broke the silence.
A collective gasp arose from the crowd.
The monster was really talking! And it was asking for permission to attack from a seemingly unfazed Alister!
Alister, who had been staring at the Cinder with a calm expression, finally spoke.
"No, Cinder. You will not incinerate anyone or anything."
"Understood." Cinder replied.
Seeing how she listened to Alister's orders again caused everyone present to be futher impressed.
"He must be a big shot then!"
"If this is really his summon…"
"If this is really his summon, then…"
A well-informed student wearing a pair of glasses stepped forward, pushing his glasses up his nose.
"That's a giant-class drake! And judging by its aura, it's definitely S-class at least! A monster like that found in the wild would require a guild master and their elite raid team to take down."
"And that's including the guild master! So, if this is his summon, doesn't that mean he has the power to rival a whole guild?"
Yanzi's heart hammered against her ribs.
'Enough power to rival a guild? A summoner could have up to six summons at their peak. Six more of these Drakes… the city, no, the entire megacity would have to bow down to such power.'
'He would be at the top, with everyone beneath him, He would be treated like a king and no one would be able to stand up to him!'
Yanzi suddenly smiled as she thought futher, 'And if I play things right, I'll become the queen of that kingdom.'