With Baelgorr recovering and the immediate threat quelled, the crew of the Eternal Voyager drifted momentarily in the aftermath of the battle. The vast expanse of space around them was quiet, almost eerily so, as if the universe itself were catching its breath after the cosmic clash.
The Realm Lord stood at the helm, his eyes gazing at the dark void ahead, still clutching the Celestial Crystal, now dim but warm in his grasp. He could feel the weight of the crystal's power, but more than that, the weight of the choices he'd made. Baelgorr was back, yes, but the dark forces that had corrupted him still lingered in the back of his mind.
Selene broke the silence, her voice calm but with an edge of urgency. "Captain, sensors are picking up strange energy readings from a nearby system. It looks like whatever we triggered during Baelgorr's release is drawing power from the stars around us."
The Realm Lord frowned. "Is it spreading?"
"Yes," she replied, her fingers dancing across the control panels. "Rapidly. I'm also detecting faint signals… ancient ones. Something buried deep within the core of that system."
Asmodeus, still watching Baelgorr from the ship's deck, raised an eyebrow. "Could this be another remnant of the corruption that held Baelgorr? Or something else entirely?"
The Realm Lord was silent for a moment, pondering the possibilities. The dark energy that had controlled Baelgorr was unlike anything he had encountered before. It felt ancient—older than time itself. And now, it was leaving traces in the cosmos, spreading like a virus.
"We have to investigate," the Realm Lord said finally. "If this corruption is spreading, we need to stop it before it takes hold of anything else."
Azazel, standing at the helm, his arms folded, nodded. "I can feel it too, Captain. Whatever is down there, it's old… and it's powerful."
The Realm Lord turned to Baelgorr, who had regained much of his strength, though his eyes were filled with lingering weariness. "Baelgorr, are you up for this?"
Baelgorr's deep voice rumbled. "I owe you, Realm Lord. I will fight by your side. Whatever we face, I'll be ready."
With the decision made, the crew of the Eternal Voyager prepared for their next journey, setting a course for the nearby system where the strange energy readings were coming from. As they moved closer, the stars around them began to flicker, their light dimming as though something was draining their very essence.
The ship emerged from the warp, and before them loomed a massive gas giant, its surface swirling with dark clouds and violent storms. Lightning crackled across its atmosphere, and deep within the planet, something pulsed with a malevolent energy.
"That's it," Selene said, pointing to the planet's core on the scanners. "The source of the corruption is inside."
The Realm Lord's eyes narrowed as he stared at the planet. "This planet… it feels familiar."
Drakken, standing by his side, rumbled thoughtfully. "Perhaps it should, my Lord. This is one of the Lost Worlds—a place you once visited in your early reign. You stored something here."
The Realm Lord's memory flickered. Of course. The Lost Worlds were ancient, remnants of a forgotten war that had raged long before he had claimed his title as Realm Lord. He had hidden many powerful artifacts across these worlds, relics of unimaginable power—some too dangerous to wield, others waiting for the right time to be used.
But one, in particular, came to his mind. He had left a pet—a demonic dragon—here centuries ago, one that had been restless and eager to test its strength. Had it survived all this time, trapped within the planet?
"Varakos," the Realm Lord muttered under his breath.
Azazel looked at him, puzzled. "Varakos? Who or what is that?"
The Realm Lord sighed. "An old friend… and perhaps an enemy now. Varakos was a dragon I once had under my command, one of the fiercest creatures to ever roam the stars. He wanted adventure, more than I could give at the time. So, I sent him out, and he was drawn to this planet. I haven't heard from him since."
"And now you think he's trapped inside?" Selene asked, her voice filled with concern.
The Realm Lord nodded. "If Varakos is still alive, and if the corruption has reached him… we might be dealing with something far worse than we imagined."
The crew exchanged uneasy glances, understanding the gravity of the situation. If the corruption had indeed taken hold of Varakos, it could mean facing a foe of unimaginable power.
"We'll need to approach carefully," the Realm Lord said, his mind racing. "Selene, prepare a landing team. We're going down to the core."
As the Eternal Voyager descended through the violent storms of the gas giant, the crew prepared for whatever awaited them below. The swirling clouds grew darker, and the air around the ship crackled with energy. Every pulse of the planet's core sent a shudder through the ship, as though the world itself was alive, breathing, waiting.
The Realm Lord, Drakken, Azazel, and Asmodeus led the landing party, while Baelgorr remained aboard the ship to recover fully. As the shuttle broke through the planet's outer atmosphere and descended into the depths, the crew was met with an eerie sight.
At the core of the planet, suspended in a vortex of swirling energy, was Varakos. The once-mighty demonic dragon had been transformed, his scales twisted and blackened by the corruption, his eyes glowing with an unnatural red light. His body was bound in chains of dark energy, holding him in place as the corruption fed on his essence.
"Varakos!" the Realm Lord shouted as the shuttle approached.
The dragon's eyes snapped open, and a guttural growl rumbled from his throat. "Realm Lord… you dare return?"
The Realm Lord stepped forward, his voice steady but filled with regret. "I should never have left you here. I'm sorry, old friend."
Varakos roared, his chains rattling. "Sorry? You abandoned me! Left me to rot in this forsaken place! Now, you return only to find me like this. Do you seek to kill me, like the others?"
The Realm Lord shook his head. "No, Varakos. I've come to free you. To break the chains that bind you and cleanse the corruption from your soul."
The dragon's eyes narrowed, suspicion and pain etched in his voice. "Free me? Or bind me again?"
The Realm Lord reached into his coat, pulling out the Celestial Crystal once more. "You know me, Varakos. I would never do that. Trust me, and let me help you."
For a moment, there was silence as Varakos stared at the Realm Lord. Then, with a deep, weary sigh, the dragon lowered his head. "Very well, Realm Lord. Do what you must."
As the crew moved to free the corrupted dragon, the dark energy surrounding him pulsed violently, resisting their efforts. The Realm Lord held the Celestial Crystal high, its light cutting through the darkness once more, pushing back the corruption that had taken hold of Varakos.
But as the light began to cleanse the dragon's chains, something stirred deep within the core of the planet—a presence far more ancient and malevolent than they had anticipated. The ground beneath them trembled, and a voice, deep and echoing, filled the air.
"You dare disturb my domain?" the voice boomed, sending waves of dark energy through the planet.
The Realm Lord's eyes widened as the realization struck him. The corruption wasn't just a random force—it was sentient. And it was angry.
"Hold fast!" the Realm Lord shouted as the ground cracked beneath their feet. "We've woken something far worse than we expected."