Fantasias Heir

Kairo barely had time to process what was happening before his body lurched forward. The last thing he remembered was standing in his kitchen, scrolling through his phone, when a sharp, unnatural force yanked him from his reality. It was like getting pulled underwater, the world around him stretching and distorting until—

He hit the ground.

The impact wasn't painful, but the sudden shift in gravity made his stomach churn. He blinked, trying to adjust to the dim lighting of a massive hall. The air smelled like incense and something faintly metallic, like burnt ozone after a thunderstorm.

The first thing he noticed was the animals—rows of cages filled with creatures he'd only ever seen in fantasy movies and mythology books. Then he saw the

people.

Two of them stood nearby, equally disoriented. One was a massive dude, easily 6'5" built like a linebacker. His characteristics framed a face of sharp intelligence, though his expression was tense, his breathing heavy like he had just run a marathon. The other was a fair-skinned woman, about 5'8", with thick, reddish-brown curls. Unlike the man, she wasn't trying to collect herself—she was ready to fight.

A panicked voice cut through the tension.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"

Kairo turned his head. A young chef, wearing a stained apron, had dropped a tray of what looked like roasted meat, his face twisted in pure confusion. The rest of the room's inhabitants—martial artists, students, and even a few convicts— looked equally shocked.

Kairo exhaled sharply, cracking his neck before muttering, "This isn't exactly how I planned on spending my afternoon."

Before anyone could react, a woman in medical robes rushed in. Her silver hair was neatly braided, and she moved with calm efficiency, despite the chaos.

"They're injured," she said, kneeling beside the two strangers.

The man, still on edge, instinctively tensed as she reached toward him. His fists were still clenched, his stance defensive. The woman, unfazed, pressed two fingers against his forehead, and in an instant, the blood on his skin evaporated. His breathing slowed. The tension in his shoulders eased, but his eyes stayed sharp.

The fair-skinned woman didn't react the same way. When the healer tried to touch her, she jerked away. "Back off."

Her voice was firm, edged with exhaustion, but after glancing at her own tattered clothes and bruised arms, she exhaled through her nose and allowed the healer to do her job. As her wounds disappeared, she finally looked around, scanning the unfamiliar surroundings. "Where the hell are we?"

The room's more experienced inhabitants didn't look nearly as confused as the newcomers. This had been expected. It was selection day after all

Kairo was pulled toward the grandest part of the chamber—a raised platform where a strange, mechanical structure loomed. It looked out of place in the otherwise medieval setting, like some kind of fantasy slot machine. Ancient symbols carved into its metal frame glowed softly, shifting like they were alive.

"This is where you receive your abilities," a robed official explained. "The machine will grant you two powers. Your third will come from the spirit animal that chooses you."

Kairo stepped forward.

The lever was heavy, and when he gripped it, he could feel the raw energy thrumming beneath his fingers. Taking a breath, he pulled. The machine roared to life.

The symbols spun in a blur, shifting between elements, animals, and abstract abilities. Then—

Click.

The first power locked in.

Wind.

The second reel slowed next.

Click.

Ice.

A sharp chill ran through Kairo's veins. The moment the powers settled into him, he could feel them—not as something foreign, but as if they had always been there, waiting to be unlocked.

The official nodded approvingly. "Wind and Ice. Interesting combination."

The animals were restless. Rows of cages lined the chamber, each holding a different creature—some enormous, some small, all radiating power. Spirit animals weren't just companions—they were the final piece of a person's abilities, their third and final power.

Most newcomers were chosen by wolves, falcons, bears, or other powerful yet common creatures.

But when Kairo walked past the cages, something shifted.

The torches dimmed. The air crackled.

A low, reverberating growl rumbled through the hall.

In the farthest, largest cage, something moved.

Then—lightning struck.

A massive black dragon unfurled its wings, the neon-blue glow of its inner membrane illuminating the dark chamber.

Gasps rippled through the onlookers.

A dragon had never chosen a new arrival before.

The moment Kairo locked eyes with the beast, he felt everything shift. A tingling numbness spread through his limbs—a static charge that made his entire body feel like it was vibrating. It wasn't painful, but it wasn't comfortable either. It was power.

The dragon stepped forward, the cage dissolving around it. Without hesitation, it lowered its head, bowing to Kairo.

The hall was silent.

Someone whispered, "The new King... got a dragon?"

It was already known that Kairo would be the King. That had been decided before he even arrived. But this? No one expected this.

The moment Kairo finished processing what had happened, he was ushered toward the next trial.

"The role of King comes with responsibility," one of the officials explained. "Before you take your place, you must spar against the one who previously held the title's highest combat position."

Since the former King had died, Kairo's opponent was the next best warrior: the Kingdom's strongest knight.

The rules were simple: **land one clean hit.** 

The knight stood relaxed, one foot forward, one back, as if already bored. Kairo could tell he wasn't taking this seriously. 

The fight began. 

Kairo barely saw the knight move before a fist was already inches from his face. He twisted, narrowly dodging, but the knight's movements were fluid, unpredictable—like a serpent striking from multiple angles at once. Kairo tried to retaliate with a gust of wind, but the knight dissipated into smoke, reforming behind him and landing a sharp kick to his ribs. 

Kairo gritted his teeth. He was getting toyed with.

He knew raw power wouldn't win this. Creativity would 

Glancing around the battlefield, Kairo formed a plan. He kicked up a whirlwind of ice behind the knight, subtly creating a frozen wall. The knight, undeterred, charged forward again. 

Kairo baited him, dodging just before impact and using a burst of wind to propel himself backward—straight into the ice wall.

Instead of crashing, he kicked off the wall at an angle, launching himself over the knight's head. Mid-air, he tried to summon the dragon's lightning—

Nothing.

A voice thundered in his mind. 

"You are not ready."

The dragon was refusing to lend its power.

Kairo's heart pounded. He didn't have time to argue.

He made a split-second decision. If the dragon wouldn't give him the lightning, he'd take it.

He reached deep, forcing the connection. Pain exploded through his veins as his body was flooded with raw, untamed electricity. His muscles seized, his nerves burned—but he channeled it, using his legs and a final burst of wind to turn himself into a human spear.

The knight barely had time to react before Kairo slammed into him, lightning surging through his fist as he made contact.

The impact sent a crackling shockwave through the air. 

Silence. 

The knight staggered back, eyes wide. He touched his chest where Kairo had struck, then exhaled, giving a slow nod. 

"Not bad." 

Then Kairo collapsed. 

---

When Kairo opened his eyes, he wasn't in the infirmary. 

He stood in a vast, mist-covered plane, stretching endlessly. A familiar presence loomed behind him.

The dragon. 

It stared down at him, displeased.

"You forced my power."

Kairo rolled his shoulders, feeling the lingering ache in his muscles. "Yeah, well, you weren't exactly helping." 

The dragon growled. "Because you are reckless. You wield lightning like a child playing with fire. I could have let you burn yourself out completely."

Kairo clenched his jaw. "Then why didn't you?" 

The dragon's piercing gaze softened—just slightly. "Because we are bound now, whether I like it or not. And like it or not... you are the king." 

The air between them was thick with tension. 

Then, the dragon sighed. "We don't have time for this. If you die, I die. So if we're doing this, you're going to do it right." 

Kairo smirked. "Finally speaking my language." 

Thus began his training. 

Time moves slower here. What was one night in the real world stretched into a full month of training.

Kairo learned to properly channel electricity, strengthening his body without burning himself out. He developed combo techniques, fusing wind, ice, and lightning for devastating attacks. 

Most importantly, he was introduced to energy displacement teleportation. The ability to briefly become the element he controlled to move short distances. His opponent had nearly beaten him with it—now, Kairo was determined to master it. 

By the end of the month, his body and mind had transformed.

When he woke up in the infirmary, fully healed, he felt different. 

Stronger. 

And ready for the next trials.