Kael stood frozen in the oppressive darkness, his every sense tingling with the presence of the ancient entity lurking in the void. The voice, deep and resonant, echoed all around him, coming from every direction, yet there was no visible source. It was as if the voice itself was part of the very fabric of the darkness, woven into the air, the ground, the very essence of the place. He could feel its power, overwhelming, suffocating, and yet... oddly familiar.
He could not see the creature, but he could feel it. Its ancient, immeasurable presence. He swallowed hard and, despite the fear gripping his heart, he found himself speaking, his voice barely a whisper.
"Who are you?"
The response came, slow and deliberate, like the echo of a forgotten nightmare.
"Do you truly want to know?"
The voice, teasing and yet challenging, seemed to mock him. It was as if the very question was a test—a test of his understanding, his worth to even comprehend the existence of the being that spoke.
Kael clenched his fists, trying to steady his shaking body. "I know who you are," he declared, his voice stronger now, though still laced with uncertainty.
The voice chuckled, an eerie sound that reverberated through Kael's very bones, as though the laughter itself was a living thing.
"Oh? Really?" The voice responded, its amusement clear. "Then tell me, mortal, who am I?"
For a moment, Kael hesitated. The darkness pressed in on him, oppressive and heavy, but he knew—knew—what he had to say. The knowledge came to him, unbidden, like a shard of truth piercing the veil of his confusion.
"You are... Noctharis," he said, the name slipping from his lips as if it were written in the very air around him. "The ancient dragon who controls the darkness."
The silence that followed was thick, almost suffocating. And then, the laughter came again, a deep, rumbling sound that seemed to shake the ground beneath Kael's feet.
"Ah, how very clever of you," Noctharis's voice purred, dripping with a dark satisfaction. "How... amusing."
Kael's heart pounded in his chest as he steeled himself. "I know the legends," he said, his voice growing more confident. "The fortress was built to imprison you, to stop you from ravaging the world. The races of this world—humans, elves, dwarves, beastpeople—united to defeat you, even dragons fought against you. But you didn't die. You... you destroyed everything in your path. You were corrupted, but you didn't die."
The words tumbled out of him like a flood, his mind racing to piece together the truth of the stories he had heard. The legends spoke of a time when Noctharis had been unstoppable, a terror that threatened to annihilate the world. And yet... here he was, imprisoned, weakened, and... dying?
A heavy silence fell over them, broken only by the sound of Kael's breathing. The weight of the moment pressed on him, and he could feel Noctharis's presence looming ever closer, as if the dragon was observing him, sizing him up.
At last, Noctharis spoke, his voice dark and bitter, filled with a deep, ancient pain.
"Lies..." The word was a growl, the force of it shaking the very air. "I was never corrupted. I was betrayed."
Kael's heart skipped a beat. "Betrayed?"
"Yes," Noctharis's voice was cold, the bitterness and anger palpable. "Betrayed by everyone I ever trusted. The humans, the elves, the dwarves, the beastpeople... even my own kin. They feared me because I was the strongest. They could not bear my power, and they knew that if we destroyed the Dark Forces, I would be the one to lead the world. That's when they turned on me."
Kael's mind raced. "But you survived... didn't you? You didn't die."
Noctharis's laugh was bitter, tinged with a cruel edge. "Of course I survived," he spat. "Even when they attacked me while I was unprepared, they couldn't kill me. I am the strongest. I killed half of their forces before retreating, sealing myself away here, where they could never find me."
Kael's eyes widened in disbelief. "So... you were betrayed, and yet you live?"
"I live," the dragon's voice confirmed, the weight of his words hanging heavily in the air. "But not for long."
Kael felt a chill run down his spine. "What do you mean?"
"I am dying," Noctharis said, his voice resigned. "In a few days, I will perish. And when I do, this place will be destroyed along with me. The power that sealed me here is fading, and my strength is dwindling. There will be no one left to stop the destruction that will follow."
The words hit Kael like a blow. He felt the gravity of them settle into his bones. This dragon—the very being whose power had once been unstoppable—was now at death's door.
"What the hell...?" Kael thought, his mind reeling. His voice, though low, trembled with disbelief. "This... this is insane."
"Indeed," Noctharis's voice rumbled, dark and heavy with the finality of his fate. "But this is the truth. I was betrayed, and now I am dying, trapped in this place, awaiting my inevitable end."
Kael stood there in the darkness, his mind spinning as the magnitude of what he had just learned sank in. The ancient dragon who had once threatened the very world was now at the mercy of time, waiting for his end. Kael could not help but feel a strange sense of pity for him, though he knew he should fear him, hate him, or even destroy him. Noctharis had been betrayed by those he trusted, used and discarded by the very races who had once called him their ally.
Kael's thoughts were muddled, his confusion growing. What was he supposed to do with this knowledge? Should he try to destroy Noctharis before the dragon's power faded completely? Or should he wait, unsure of what consequences his actions might bring?
For now, one thing was clear: Kael stood at the edge of an abyss, and the decisions he made here could change everything.
"Why tell me all this?" Kael finally asked, his voice barely a whisper. "Why reveal yourself to me?"
There was a pause before Noctharis's deep voice answered, filled with a strange mix of resignation and cold amusement.
"Because, child, you are the last one who could stop the destruction. You and only you. You are the only one who can decide what happens next."