Jack and Jason stepped out of the castle, the warm afternoon sun casting long shadows over Camelot's grand courtyard.
Jack stole a glance at Jason, noting the tense set of his shoulders and the sharp focus in his eyes.
"So," Jack began, breaking the silence. "Any ideas on where to start?"
Jason exhaled, his gaze fixed ahead. "There's a friend of mine who we have to show this book to first."
With that, they made their way toward the knights' training grounds, where rows of tents stood, flanked by wooden dummies and sparring rings. As they walked past, murmurs arose among the knights.
"Who is that?" one whispered.
"He's so tall…" another muttered.
A few female warriors blushed as they stole glances at Jack. "He's so handsome."
Jack sighed, slightly amused but ignoring the attention. Jason, on the other hand, walked forward without acknowledging the chatter.
That was, until he accidentally bumped into Beatrix.
Jason barely glanced back before continuing forward.
"Hey! Not even an apology?" she called out. Beatrix dusted off her armor with a scoff, her brows furrowing.
Jack turned to her and inclined his head. "I apologize. Are you alright?"
Beatrix looked up, meeting Jack's glowing green eyes. For a moment, her breath hitched. She quickly turned away, trying to suppress the slight blush creeping onto her cheeks.
"I… I'm fine," she muttered.
Jack nodded and walked after Jason. Beatrix let out a small breath before shaking her head. "Focus."
Further into the camp, Adam stood in deep discussion with Frank and Ben. Their conversation halted as Jason approached.
"Jason, you're back already?" Adam greeted, glancing at Jack with curiosity. "And who's this?"
"This is Jack," Jason introduced. "And there is something you need to see."
Jack gave a respectful nod. "Jason tells me you might have some insight on our situation."
Without hesitation, Jason handed Adam the worn, dust-covered book. "We know why the dragons are gathering in the south."
Adam's expression hardened as he flipped through the pages. Ben peered over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing at the strange symbols.
"This is ancient text," Ben muttered. "I can understand some of it."
Adam rubbed his chin. "This changes everything. If this egg is what's drawing the dragons south…"
Frank crossed his arms. "But we already searched the entire southern region. We didn't find anything."
Jack thought for a moment before asking, "If a dragon were to lay an egg, where would it be?"
Ben perked up. "That depends on the type of dragon. An earth dragon would lay its eggs underground. An ice dragon? Somewhere freezing."
Frank studied the sketch of the egg, his brow furrowed. "Judging from this, it looks like this new form is a fusion of different dragon types."
Jack turned to Ben. "Any guesses on where the egg could be hidden?"
Ben exhaled, deep in thought. "Well… if we assume the egg is enormous, then it would need a place capable of sustaining it. A hot environment, maybe… like a volcano."
Adam shook his head. "But there aren't any volcanoes in the south."
"Not anymore," Ben corrected. "There was one, but it disappeared years ago. No one knows how or why."
Jack's gaze sharpened. "Do you know where this volcano was before it vanished?"
Ben nodded, walking over to his tent. After a moment, he returned with a tattered map. He placed it on a nearby crate, pointing at a specific location.
"It was here. But now, the area is just a vast stretch of mountains."
Jason leaned over, scanning the map. "Then that's where we're going."
Adam turned to them. "Alright. We'll show this book to the commander in the meantime."
Without another word, Jack and Jason took to the skies, soaring toward the south as the others turned toward their own mission.
Jack and Jason soared above the rugged mountain range, their keen eyes scanning every crevice and valley below. They had been searching for hours, yet the landscape offered nothing but barren rock and endless ridges.
Jason let out a frustrated sigh before kicking a loose stone off the cliff side. "We've searched everywhere, and still—" He clenched his fists. "Nothing!"
Jack, hovering a few feet above the ground, observed him calmly. "Take a breath," he said, his sharp green eyes narrowing as he studied their surroundings. "Something doesn't add up. A volcano doesn't just vanish without a trace."
Jason scoffed and sat down on a flat rock. "Maybe there wasn't a volcano to begin with."
Jack ignored him, his gaze drifting toward the tree line behind them. His expression darkened.
In one swift motion, he grabbed Jason and pulled him behind a dense bush.
"Hey! What are you—"
"Shh," Jack whispered, keeping his eyes fixed on the trees.
A moment later, a small dragon emerged from the foliage, its pitch black eyes darting around warily. It spread its wings and took flight, soaring toward the mountain range—only to vanish into thin air.
Jack and Jason froze.
"What… what just happened?" Jason whispered, stepping out from the bush. His wide eyes darted between Jack and the spot where the dragon had disappeared.
Jack stroked his chin. "Now it makes sense… This isn't just a mountain range. It's a separate dimension."
Jason frowned. "A what?"
Jack exhaled, gathering his thoughts. "A dimension is like an alternate space—an isolated location hidden within another. What we're seeing here is a mirage of the real thing."
He gestured toward the mountains. "That explains why the volcano vanished out of nowhere. It never disappeared—it was just hidden."
Jason's brows furrowed as he looked at the range with renewed focus. "But we flew all over this place. If there's a hidden location, why couldn't we enter?"
Jack's gaze flicked back to where the dragon had vanished. "Because only dragons can pass through. Which means, we need a dragon."
Without another word, Jack shot into the sky, disappearing into the forest below. Jason crossed his arms, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited.
Moments later, Jack returned, carrying a small earth dragon in his arms. The creature wriggled slightly but remained calm in his grip.
Jack landed beside Jason and set the dragon down. "Alright, now let's try again—this time, with a dragon."
Jason nodded, and together, they lifted the small beast and stepped forward.
The moment their feet crossed the invisible threshold, the world around them shifted. The once barren mountains dissolved like mist, revealing an entirely different landscape.
Before them stood a towering, active volcano, its peak shrouded in smoke. Rivers of molten lava carved glowing veins across the cracked ground, filling the air with the scent of sulfur and ash. Above them, thousands of dragons soared through the sky, their dark silhouettes blotting out the blood-red sun.
Jason's mouth fell open. "This is insane…"
Jack exhaled slowly, taking in the sight before them. "So it was a hidden dimension. Darius must have used his skills in alchemy to craft this space. Creating a dimension is no easy feat."
Jack turned to Jason. "We need to move carefully. Lower your energy so we don't attract attention."
Jason gave a firm nod, and both of them focused, dimming their auras until they were barely detectable.
With silent determination, they ascended the volcano's ridge, climbing to the summit. As they reached the top, they peered down into the crater—
And their breath caught.
Nestled in the heart of the volcano was a massive egg, its shell pulsing with raw, unrestrained power. The very air around it hummed with energy, distorting the space like a heatwave. Dozens of dragons circled the egg, their wings stirring the thick volcanic smoke.
Jack clenched his jaw. "We found it. The energy coming off it is enormous."
Jason, however, stood rigid, his fists clenched so tightly. His eyes locked onto the egg with a storm of anger all over his face.