I don't know how much time has passed, but my head is killing me. After some time, my vision gradually recovers.
I see a face leaning over me, wearing a curious expression.
My body tensed up, realizing that I'm currently lying on an unknown girl's lap.
"Oh, you're finally awake."
I quickly sit up, glancing around my surroundings. The space was dimly lit, the flickering glow of a small fire casting gentle shadows against the stone walls.
"Where am I right now?"
I took a closer look at the girl, she had long black hair that goes straight down her back. Her amber eyes held a steady warmth, and her features were delicate yet composed.
"You're currently in my grandfather's domain."
I blink at her, still confused.
"I'm going to get embarrassed if you keep staring at me like that, you know."
"Sorry about that"
She gently picked herself up, brushing off her lap before leading the way.
"Follow me, my grandfather wants to see you."
"Uh, your grandfather?"
I followed her as she led me toward an entrance that opened into a larger room. There, towering in the center of the room, was a dragon—hundreds of meters long, its sleek, obsidian-black scales reflecting the dim light. Its wings, spread wide, stretched nearly the length of the room. As its golden eyes locked onto my gaze.
"I've been waiting, Caelith."
I shifted my gaze between the dragon and the girl.
Seeing the absolute disbelief on my face, she only offered a small smile in response.
"I see you've already made yourself acquainted with my granddaughter, Sylvia."
Before I could respond, the massive creature began to shrink. Its black scales shimmered as its colossal frame condensed, wings retracting. Moments later, in the dragon's place stood an elderly man in flowing robes, his silver hair falling past his shoulders
I took a few seconds to quickly composed myself
"Are you the one who summoned me here?"
"Yes. I am responsible for that."
"May I know the reason why?"
The elderly man clasped his hands behind his back, a faint smile on his face.
"I merely want to talk with the child of calamity."
I blinked, my mind spinning too fast to string together a coherent thought.
"W-what did you just call me?"
"I see that you're conflicted; Let me ask you this then: Do you retain memories of your past life?"
My eyes widened in shock, a chill running down my spine.
"How did yo—"
"I can sense the aura of death lingering in your soul."
"What? Is that the reason why you called me a calamity?"
"Exactly," he replied, his gaze unwavering. "Your very existence defies the natural order of this world—an anomaly."
"You were never supposed to return to the past. Your fate was already sealed in your previous life."
"How are you supposed to know that?" my voice trembling
The dragon let out a slow, weary sigh. He then turned his gaze to Sylvia, his eyes soft and filled with affection
"My granddaughter, here, has the power to see living beings' fates. Every living being, no matter their form, has a fate assigned to them. From the tiniest blade of grass to the mightiest of gods, each follows a predetermined path that ultimately leads them to their destined end."
I stood there, trying to process the overwhelming information that had just been revealed. I was supposed to die that night, so who—or what—was responsible for causing me to regress?
"What is my current fate, then?" I asked hesitantly.
"Undefined." the dragon replied.
"The current you have been entirely freed from the shackles of fate, hence why I called you a calamity."
The old dragon turned towards Sylvia.
"My dear granddaughter, please wait outside for a moment"
She nodded and left, leaving only me and the elderly dragon left.
"Now, onto the main topic I want to discuss with you."
I tilted my head
"As you already know, my granddaughter has the ability to see others' fate, and currently, my own kind is coming after her.
"For what reason?"
The elderly dragon eyes slowly darkens
"Fate is a delicate and sensitive tapestry, one that many seek to control. My kind views her ability as a means to rewrite destinies, bending them to their will for personal gain. However, what they fail to understand is that attempting to manipulate fate will only lead to backlash from the world until everything inevitably falls into its righteous place"
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked
"I have a request," he said, his tone softening. "Please, protect my granddaughter."
I frowned, "Couldn't you just protect her?"
He sighed deeply,
"Her fate has already been determined, no matter how hard I tried, it was not something I could change."
"But you… you are someone who is untouched by the threads of fate. Someone who has the power to influence the fates of others without consequences."
"She deserves a chance to live a full life, not one cut unfairly short."
"Does Sylvia know what you're asking of me?"
"No she doesn't. I told her she will be attending the Academy with you to experience the world, nothing more."
My head feels like it's about to explode, as I run my hand through my hair. I'd just been told my existence was an anomaly, and now I'm being asked to protect a dragon granddaughter.
"I know I'm asking a lot," he continued. "But this isn't just about her. If they get their hands on my granddaughter, it could mean the destruction of your world as well."
"I'm flattered that you think so highly of me. But wouldn't your kind just descend onto my world the moment they find out she's there?"
"Not quite. It's not easy for us dragons in the Transcendent realm to descend onto your world. It goes against the law of your realm, where only one Transcendent can exist at a time."
My mind immediately shifted to the headmaster of the Academy: Thalor Pendragon.
"But that only applies to their true body." He added, "They can still descend using avatars. Though taxing on their essence, these avatars limit their power, hence allowing them to bypass the law."
"As of right now, they are unaware of me sending Sylvia to you, but it's only a matter of time before they find out."
Sensing my uneasiness, he reassures me.
"Don't worry, I will make sure this request will be worth your while."
Before I could respond, he reached his arm forward, his hand stopping directly over where my core resided. A sudden, searing pain shot through me, and I doubled over, sweat dripping from my face, as I struggled to stay upright.
"I'm currently reconstructing your core and constitution," he said calmly. "Endure the pain."
"W-what? AGH—!" The words barely managed to leave my mouth before darkness swallowed me whole.
I woke up to a dull throbbing in my abdomen, the memory of that agonizing pain still fresh in my mind. My eyes flickered open to find a familiar face once again gazing down at me — it was Sylvia.
"You seem to be quite fond of him, my granddaughter" a deep voice echoed.
Sylvia's cheeks flushed slightly, as she quickly glanced away.
"You're awake," he said, shifting his gaze onto me.
Turning, I saw the elderly dragon watching me with an unreadable expression.
As my vision cleared, something strange caught my eye. Around me, faint streams of energy shimmered in the air, flowing like the constellations of the vast endless night sky. I reached my hand out, as it moved effortlessly through the currents, meeting no resistance.
"Beautiful isn't it?"
"What is going on right now?"
The elderly dragon smiled, "I told you, I modified your mana core and constitution. Why not see for yourself and check on your core now?"
I did as he instructed, closing my eyes to sense the changes to my core. My core had managed to ascend an entire realm; I was now at the Apprentice realm. Yet, that wasn't the most shocking realization. Right now I can sense 4 different types of mana—Ignis, Hydor, Ge, and Aeras—flowing in my core.
I looked at the elderly dragon, my expression frozen in disbelief.
"How—"
He remained calm as he started to explain,
"As you likely know, a human core can only house a single type of mana once their path is chosen. However, I removed that limitation from your core, allowing you to freely blend and utilize multiple types of mana simultaneously."
"Then what about these things I'm seeing, that around us?"
"Those streams you're seeing are the physical manifestation of mana. They allow you to analyze the flow of mana in real-time. Consider it an additional gift from me."
"With that, I've said everything I needed to discuss with you." he continued, "I will now send you and Sylvia back to your world."
I turned to look at Sylvia
"Hey, are you sure you're fine with this?"
She replied with a smile. "I trust my grandfather's judgment... besides, I've spent my entire life hiding, this is my chance to see what's out there."
I give her a nod, sighing inwardly. I watched as the elderly dragon began setting up a teleportation spell. He looked into my eyes one last time.
"I entrust my granddaughter to you. She may be stubborn at times, but please be patient with her."
"Yeah, leave it to me."
The elderly dragon watched as the two figures disappeared in a blinding flash of light, with a peaceful expression on his face.
Suddenly, the entire place began to tremble as an explosion erupted from the far wall, sending debris scattering. A man with long, flowing golden hair draped over his shoulders, his piercing crimson eyes glinting with ferocity, slowly descended.
"We have this place surrounded. I'll ask you one last time, Aelorin. Hand over your granddaughter."