Chapter 6 : breaking the chains
The silver dragon's golden eyes remained fixed on Noah, but her mind drifted elsewhere. What she had just seen—his life, his world—made no sense. It wasn't just that he came from a different place. No, it was something far more unsettling.
Her claws pressed lightly against the stone beneath her. If what she had seen was true… then what did that make them? The laws of the world that she had never questioned, the roles they played—was it all scripted from the start? The thought alone sent a strange chill down her spine, an unfamiliar sensation for a being as ancient as her.
A heavy silence filled the ruined city, the weight of unspoken words pressing down on them all.
Then, in the midst of it, a voice cut through—sharp and impatient.
"Oi, old hag! What's with the creepy silence? Spill it already!"
The blue dragon's tail thumped against the cracked marble, his impatience evident. His usual teasing tone was still there, but beneath it lay an unmistakable curiosity. Even he could tell that whatever she had seen wasn't normal.
The silver dragon's expression remained blank for a moment longer. Then, just as suddenly as the doubt had crept in, a smirk replaced it.
She exhaled slowly, her eyes gleaming with something unreadable. Then, finally, she spoke.
"Interesting."
The silver dragon's smirk lingered as she gazed at Noah, her silver eyes glimmering with intrigue. Then, in a voice both calm and commanding, she asked:
"Do you wish to speak freely? To shatter the chains that bind your voice?"
Noah's breath caught in his throat. His body moved before he could think—he nodded. Not once, but rapidly, almost desperately.
Relief flooded his chest, washing over him like a crashing wave. For the first time since waking up in this world, he felt hope.
The silver dragon's gaze locked onto Noah as she spoke once more, her voice calm yet carrying a weight that made the air tense. "Then, are you willing to form a contract with me?"
The moment those words left her mouth, the other dragons froze. Shock rippled through them as their eyes widened in disbelief.
A contract?
In Fate of the Radiant Maiden, contracts were sacred, binding directly to one's soul. Once formed, they could neither be broken nor undone until their terms were fulfilled. The very idea of offering such a thing to a mere human—one who wasn't even supposed to exist in this way—was beyond comprehension.
The black dragon narrowed his eyes at the silver dragon, his curiosity evident. "Is that even possible?"
The silver dragon, still eerily composed, nodded. "He wasn't even able to move freely at first, yet he overcame that limitation by interfering with the game's structure. If my theory is correct, forming a contract should grant him the ability to speak as well. The more he interferes, the more freedom he gains."
The other dragons exchanged glances, their confusion deepening.
"What game?" the green dragon muttered, his tail flicking. "What interference?"
None of them had seen Noah's memories. None of them understood what she was truly implying. To them, reality was absolute—unchanging. The idea that they were merely pieces of a game, bound by unseen rules, was something they had never even considered.
---
The silver dragon took a step forward, closing the distance between them. Her towering form loomed over Noah, yet her presence, while overwhelming, did not feel threatening. Instead, there was a certain grandeur to her movements—a presence befitting one who ruled over this land.
"Then, let me introduce myself first," she said, her voice smooth yet commanding.
She extended her hand toward him.
Noah, still processing everything, hesitated for a split second. But before he could think, his body moved on its own, as if driven by instinct. He reached out, his fingers trembling slightly.
As their hands met—
A brilliant golden light erupted between them.
It swirled around them, forming intricate patterns in the air, ancient symbols that pulsed with power. The warmth of it sank into Noah's skin, deeper than flesh—reaching into his very soul.
"I am Silviana, the Queen of this Forest."
Her words echoed within him, not just as sound, but as something more—something binding.
A contract had been formed.
Noah didn't know if he had just made the right choice—or if he had sealed his fate with something far greater than he could comprehend.
But one thing was certain.
Atleast he wasn't going to die in this forest.
As the golden light of the contract faded, an eerie silence settled over the ruins. The remaining dragons—red, blue, black, and green—stared in disbelief, their massive forms frozen as if struggling to comprehend what had just transpired.
The red dragon's piercing eyes narrowed, his tail flicking once against the ground, sending small tremors through the earth. "Silviana… what did you just do?" His voice was calm, yet there was an unmistakable edge beneath it.
The black dragon, ever the skeptic, let out a low chuckle, though it lacked his usual amusement. "Did you actually form a contract with a human?" He studied Noah with renewed interest, as if trying to find some hidden reason why Silviana would take such a drastic step.
The green dragon, who had been the quietest of them all, finally spoke, his deep voice carrying a weight of unease. "Even if he's unusual… even if you believe your theory… binding yourself to him is dangerous, Silviana."
Meanwhile, the blue dragon, having remained in stunned silence up until now, suddenly burst out laughing.
"Hah! This is insane! A human? Contracted with you? The queen of this forest?" He leaned in closer, his glowing eyes filled with mirth. "Tell me, uncle, am I dreaming? Did she finally lose it?"
The red dragon shot him a glare, but Silviana remained unfazed. Instead, she turned her attention back to Noah, as if the others' reactions were of little consequence.
She studied him for a moment, then spoke.
"Now… try speaking."
Noah stiffened. His heartbeat pounded in his ears. Could he really…?
He parted his lips, half-expecting the cursed words to come out.
"W—" He stopped himself,
His body trembled slightly,
No. He wouldn't hesitate now. He forced himself to try again.
"Wha—"
It felt strange, like breaking through invisible chains wrapped around his throat. His voice now felt his own but—
"What… should I say?"
Silence.
Pure, stunned silence.
Noah realized the dragons were staring at him as if he had just done the impossible.
The black dragon was the first to react, exhaling in a mix of amusement and disbelief. "Well, I'll be damned."
The green dragon blinked, his expression unreadable. "It… actually worked."
The blue dragon, in contrast, let out a dramatic gasp before breaking into laughter again. "He talks! He actually talks!" He clapped his claws together. "Say something else! Say—oh, I know! Insult uncle! I'd pay to see that!"
The red dragon growled. "Shut up."
Noah, still overwhelmed, let out a deep breath. He could talk. After all this time. The realization sent a wave of relief through him.
Silviana, still watching him closely, finally smirked. "It seems I was right."
The others, however, weren't so easily satisfied.
The red dragon took a step forward, his presence suffocating. "You need to explain, Silviana." His voice was low, dangerous. "How did this work? What exactly did you figure out?"
The other dragons seemed to share his sentiment, their gazes sharp with curiosity and suspicion.
Noah swallowed. It seemed that even though he had broken his first chain, there were still many more obstacles ahead.
And the dragons weren't going to let this go easily.