'I'll name him Blaze. That's a good name.' I leaned towards the panel, typing in his name as a virtual keyboard appeared before me.
It felt like a game, virtual gaming to be precise. The place was still a mystery and my unusual weight was still a problem. I typed the name, wondering how I would escape the odd space.
'Okay, done.' I leaped back, waiting for something to happen. I grabbed the dragon in my hands, and its mouth trembled as if trying to speak. The thought of it speaking was extremely baffling.
I stared back at the panel as it gradually shortened, the virtual keyboard disappearing. The dragon seemed satisfied by the name and I thought it suited him quite well. It was a name befitting of the flames that birthed him.
Suddenly, the Dragon took to the sky, its tail violently whipping my face. It was unbearable, but I was still overjoyed by its appearance. I turned back to the panel, seeing it had disappeared.
Darkness quickly settled and I felt even heavier than I once did. I searched around for the Dragon, calling his name.
Had I really seen a Dragon? My heart raced as I called out its flaming name. The name 'Blaze' echoed in my mind like a distant whisper, but my aching body pulled me back to reality.
My eyes shut abruptly, and a strange light enveloped me. It was warm and bright, white but blindingly bright. I couldn't move and I panicked in my mind.
The warmth of the white light intensified, pulling me away from the darkness until a sharp noise pierced through my senses. When my eyes opened, I wasn't in the void anymore.
'Hey, are you okay? You were screaming over there,' the dark-skinned boy spoke. His huge build was still terrifying, but it was nowhere compared to what I had experienced.
I lifted my arms as a pile of rubble fell to the ground. I looked around, my eyes conveying weakness as I processed what was happening. I was still in the shop and based on what the boy had said, I was screaming.
The glass crunched underfoot as he stepped into the ruined shop. The air was thick with dust and the faint scent of metal. Outside, the afternoon sun burned too bright, stunning me.
'What does he mean by that?' I thought, slowly lifting my legs from the ground. Soon, I lifted my entire body from the pile of rubble and shattered glass but I wasn't left unaccompanied by several aches.
I slightly groaned and the boy supported me as he led me out of the shop.
'What happened?' He asked again, this time with a disturbed look on his face.
I lifted my head and looked at him, my arms wrapped around his shoulders and I returned my vision to the ground.
'Please... not now,' I croaked, barely audible. I couldn't explain it yet—not when I wasn't even sure I believed it myself.
He looked at me for a few minutes as we walked to the dorm, and eventually returned his gaze ahead. I looked behind me and saw two boys—both dark in complexion—accompanying me, one holding the lunch box I had taken with me.
'At least I didn't lose my food,' I muttered, slightly catching the attention of the two boys behind me.
With his strong arm supporting me, we trudged towards the dorm in silence. Every step was a reminder of my aching body and my spinning thoughts—Blaze, the void, the light. Was it real? I needed answers, but right now, I needed sleep more.
I was soon returned to the dorm and the two boys explained what had happened to the receptionist after handing over the box to me. As expected, we used the elevator and unfortunately, had to wait for a few minutes before it was available.
The boy then began questioning me persistently and I simply ignored him as I was too tired to speak. All I could hear was his muffled voice as my focus was fixed on the thoughts of the Dragon.
As I was lost in thought, the elevator's doors opened and he led me into it, still supporting me with his firm build. His muscles were protruding and uncomfortable but it was better than not having any support at all.
The familiar sound of the elevator echoed and in an instant, I found myself staggering to my room. The boy had let go of me, eager to regroup with his friends.
I struggled to walk to my room, and eventually, I met the door, which I slowly opened. I was filled with gratitude but regrettably, I was too tired to express it. Staggering to my bed, the boy extended his arms, holding a bag.
His eyes were a remembrance of the void, triggering a chain of emotions within me. Where was Blaze? I asked myself in despair as I spread my feet on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
'You forgot your jacket at the fields,' his voice was filled with concern which created an unusual pause as he spoke. He walked in, slowly pushing me as I lay on the bed, intruding my thoughts.
'Take it,' he concluded as he dropped the jacket on the bed and exited the room. As soon as he left, I succumbed to my thoughts, deeply overwhelmed by the concept of Beast Taming. I removed my shoes, although they had slightly stained the bed sheets.
'Assuming Beast Taming is a thing, and a Dragon just happened to be my first beast, how do I interact with it? How does the whole system work?' I questioned myself, sighing heavily as I dropped my head on the pillow.
I slowly shifted my gaze to my palms that still tingled in warmth, as if Blaze was still wrapped in my arms. I chuckled slightly and momentarily closed my eyes before picking up the phone that was kept on the side cabinet.
[10 Hours Remaining]
'That's oddly fast but I like it. If this is a countdown to training, I can't wait!' I was excited and eager to learn more about Blaze.