Kaida stood at the edge of the city, her breath coming out in visible puffs as the cold air bit at her exposed skin. The weight of the tattoo on her back was nearly unbearable now. It had been growing stronger with each passing moment since her confrontation with Warren. The power that had been dormant inside her for so long was awakening.
She glanced down at her hands, now trembling slightly from the surge of energy coursing through her veins. The power was no longer just a distant sensation. It was real, and it was taking control.
"You're not ready."
The words echoed in her mind again, the voice of the God of Dragons, deep and resonant. But Kaida wasn't so sure if she agreed with that voice anymore. Ready or not, the power was hers. She could feel it building, pushing against the fragile barrier she had put up in her mind to keep it from consuming her. The walls were crumbling.
Turning back, she walked deeper into the undercity, her footsteps heavy as if the world itself was bearing down on her. She needed to think, to process everything. Warren's words repeated in her head: "You're not alone in this, Kaida. I'll help you."
Kaida scoffed under her breath. He'd tried to help, but what had it gotten her? Betrayal. Trust had always been a fragile thing for Kaida. It was easier to rely on her own instincts than to put faith in someone who might turn their back on her when it mattered most.
She ducked into a narrow alley, the walls around her closing in. She felt exposed here. Not from the city's guards—no one would dare approach the undercity at this hour—but from something deeper. Something that had always lurked within her, hidden beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to emerge.
The tattoo on her back burned. She could feel it as if it was alive, reacting to her turmoil, to her fear.
"Show me," she whispered under her breath, her voice barely audible even to herself.
The power swirled in the air around her. For a moment, she thought she might lose herself in it. But then, the world around her seemed to warp. The stone walls of the alley faded, replaced by a vast expanse of open sky. She felt a strange sensation of floating, as if gravity had lost its hold on her.
In the distance, she saw a figure. It was a shadow at first, just an outline against the golden light of the sky. But as it drew closer, she saw it clearly—a massive creature, towering over her, with leathery wings that stretched out in all directions. A dragon.
Kaida froze. She had never seen a real dragon before. They were supposed to be extinct, but this one—this one looked as if it had come from the pages of the ancient stories. Its scales shimmered like molten gold, and its eyes were burning embers, glowing with an intensity that pierced through her very soul.
"Do you understand now?" the voice of the God of Dragons whispered, reverberating in the air.
Kaida swallowed hard, trying to steady her racing heart. She took a step back, her legs unsteady. "What… what are you?"
"I am the God of Dragons," the creature spoke, its voice echoing like thunder. "I am the power that lies within you. You are my last vessel, the one who will restore balance to a broken world."
Kaida's breath hitched. The God of Dragons. She had heard the legends, the stories told by her parents, by the elders in the city. But never had she imagined she would be chosen. Never had she imagined that the mark on her back wasn't just a symbol of her pain, but of something far greater.
The dragon's eyes softened, though its presence was no less intimidating. "You are the key to the dragons' return. Only you can awaken them from their long slumber."
"Why me?" Kaida asked, her voice strained. "Why am I the one?"
The dragon's gaze fixed on her with an intensity that seemed to see straight through her. "Because you carry within you the blood of the ancients, the blood of those who once walked alongside the dragons. Your power is not a curse, Kaida. It is your birthright."
The weight of the words settled over her like a cloak of iron. Her heart raced. A birthright? She had always felt out of place, an orphan, a nobody. But now, everything she knew about herself, everything she thought she was, was in question. She wasn't just Kaida, the girl from the undercity. She was something more, something far greater—and far more dangerous.
"I don't want this," she whispered, the words barely escaping her lips. "I don't want to be a part of this world. I just want to live."
The dragon's expression softened, though its eyes still burned with ancient power. "You do not have a choice. Your fate is already written. But you can choose what kind of person you will be in this story."
Kaida shook her head, a feeling of dread gnawing at her. "I don't want to be a weapon."
"You are not a weapon," the dragon said. "You are the protector of what was lost. The dragons were once the guardians of balance, of life itself. The world needs you now, Kaida. The world needs the dragons."
The sky above her crackled with a sudden energy, and the dragon began to fade, its form dissipating like smoke. "Do not fear what you are becoming. Embrace it. The world is on the brink of destruction, and only you can prevent it."
With those final words, the vision vanished. The alley reappeared around her, the walls of the undercity once again surrounding her. The power inside her was still there, humming like a distant storm on the horizon.
Kaida closed her eyes, her mind swirling with what she had just experienced. The God of Dragons had shown her a vision of a world she couldn't quite comprehend. It was too much for her to understand. Too much for her to accept.
But there was one thing she knew with certainty now: her life would never be the same.
She had been given a choice—a choice that would define the rest of her life.
Kaida took a deep breath and turned away from the alley, her footsteps echoing in the silence. Whatever came next, she would face it. The world was changing, and she was a part of it. She couldn't hide anymore. Not from the power inside her. Not from the destiny she had inherited.
As she disappeared into the shadows, the weight of her decision settled over her. The path ahead was uncertain, but she was no longer running from it. She was walking toward it, ready to face whatever came next.