The silence that followed Zenith's declaration was broken by the distant, echoing roar of the dragon. It was faint but unmistakable—a promise that it wasn't done with him yet. The glowing aura around him pulsed in response, like a heartbeat, growing brighter for a moment before dimming again.
"Okay, so," Zenith began, looking down at his glowing hands, "anybody have an instruction manual for this kind of thing? Because I'm flying blind here."
Erya stepped closer, her hands trembling slightly as she reached out toward him. "Zenith, whatever this is... it saved you. The dragon took you, and now you're... you're glowing. There has to be a reason."
"Reason?" Saphira scoffed, leaning against a chunk of rubble with practiced nonchalance. "Reason doesn't matter. What matters is that he's alive, and he might just be our ticket to survival. You hear that, glowing boy? You're officially important."
Zenith gave her a flat look. "Oh, great. No pressure or anything."
The ground beneath them trembled again, a low rumble that sent pebbles skittering across the debris. Saphira's head snapped up, her eyes scanning the horizon. "That dragon's coming back. We don't have time to stand around and chat."
Erya grabbed Zenith's arm, her touch warm against the strange chill of his glowing aura. "We need to figure out what's happening to you—fast. If that thing comes back and you don't know how to use this... power, we're all dead."
Zenith nodded, his throat tight. "Right. No pressure. Just figure out magic in five minutes or die trying. Got it."
"Three minutes," Saphira corrected, gesturing toward the horizon. The dragon's shadow appeared in the distance, growing larger with every beat of its massive wings.
Zenith took a shaky breath, his fingers tingling with the energy coursing through him. "Okay, so how do I even—?"
Before he could finish, the dragon let out another deafening roar, and a blast of scorching heat swept through the area. The beast descended with terrifying speed, its claws outstretched, its eyes locked on Zenith.
Instinctively, Zenith raised his hands, and the glowing aura around him flared to life. A shockwave of raw energy erupted from his body, slamming into the dragon mid-flight. The beast let out a guttural cry as it was thrown back, crashing into the ground with enough force to shake the earth.
Saphira let out a low whistle. "Well, that's new."
Zenith stared at his hands, his chest heaving. "I—I did that? Did you see that? I just—"
"Yes, we saw," Erya interrupted, her voice sharp but her eyes wide with awe. "But it's not over. That only stunned it."
The dragon began to stir, shaking off the impact like it was little more than an inconvenience. Its glowing eyes locked onto Zenith again, this time filled with rage.
"Round two," Saphira said, pulling a blade from her belt. "Zenith, whatever you just did, do it again. Bigger."
Zenith swallowed hard. "Bigger. Right. Sure. Because I totally know what I'm doing."
The dragon lunged forward, its jaws snapping, and Zenith's instincts kicked in again. He thrust his hands forward, and a blinding beam of energy shot from his palms, striking the dragon square in the chest. The force sent it skidding backward, but this time, the beast didn't stay down.
Erya grabbed Zenith's arm, her voice urgent. "You can't keep this up forever! We need a plan!"
"Working on it!" Zenith shouted, sweat dripping down his face as he focused on maintaining the energy in his hands. His body felt like it was on fire, every muscle screaming in protest. "Any brilliant ideas?"
Saphira, still cool under pressure, smirked. "Yeah. Don't die."
The dragon roared again, charging forward with renewed fury. Zenith braced himself, summoning every ounce of strength he had left. The glowing aura around him intensified, his entire body radiating light.
"Zenith!" Erya shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. "You're not alone in this!"
Her words reached him, grounding him for a moment. Zenith glanced at her, then at Saphira, and something clicked. He wasn't fighting for himself. He was fighting for them.
With a final, desperate roar of his own, Zenith unleashed a wave of energy so powerful it illuminated the sky. The dragon's charge faltered, and the beast let out a final, earth-shaking cry before collapsing in a heap.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Zenith stood there, swaying on his feet, the glow around him flickering like a dying ember. Erya caught him as he stumbled, her arms steadying him. "You did it," she whispered, her voice trembling with relief. "You actually did it."
"Yeah," Zenith murmured, his voice barely audible. "But I think I'm gonna... pass out now."
And with that, the world went dark.