Umbra's golden eyes glowed faintly brighter, and his calm voice cut through my spiraling thoughts. "Calm yourself, young lord." I exhaled shakily, trying to steady my breathing. But then the world shook. The black void we were in trembled like an earthquake had rippled through it, and my chair vibrated under me. My eyes darted around just as a deep cracking sound echoed.
I turned and froze in shock. Behind us, fissures were forming in the void space. Thin jagged lines glowing faintly like molten silver began spreading across the infinite black like spiderweb cracks in glass. I pointed. "What is that?" Umbra's eyes narrowed, the faint smirk on his face replaced by an irritated scowl.
"Your nosy patrons," he muttered. Before I could respond, Umbra lifted one hand and snapped his fingers. The void shuddered once more, and then three figures appeared around the round stone table. At first they were pure shadows, silhouettes barely visible, like living smoke.
Umbra's voice was deep and commanding. "Sit." Three stone chairs formed from the swirling shadows, sliding out of the ground as if they had always been there. Umbra's tone sharpened. "But if you're going to be here…" his golden eyes flashed dangerously, "…you will not hide your appearance. He deserves to know who is speaking about him and on his behalf."
The shadows around the beings twisted like torn veils in the wind and then peeled away. Their forms became clearer and I recognized two of them immediately. Magi and Melesse just like the last time I saw them.
But the third one I didn't recognize but he was striking. A tall man, easily over six feet, with broad shoulders and the air of someone who never bowed his head to anyone. His blonde hair was shaved on the sides, the top pulled back into a tight ponytail that looked effortless and sharp at the same time.
His beard was neatly trimmed, framing a strong jawline that looked like it had been carved with a chisel. He wore a black and gray suit, modern, tailored, the fabric cutting across his chest and arms in a way that made it clear this was someone used to dressing with purpose. It was the overcoat draped over his shoulders like a general's cloak, that gave him a regal, almost intimidating presence. A thin chain connected the two sides of the collar, glinting faintly in the void's dim light.
His eyes were a piercing storm-gray, like the sky before a violent tempest, and when they met mine… it was like they saw everything. He smiled. A handsome, charming smile like a model's, but there was a weight behind it, an edge that made it more than just charm.
He raised a hand and gave me a casual wave. "Hello, Callum," he said smoothly, his voice rich and confident. "We finally meet in person." I blinked, my mind scrambling for words. "…Who are you? Or should I just call you M?" The man's smile widened slightly, pleased. "There you go," he said with a small nod. "But I'm specifically the M who gave you the enchanted journal."
My eyes widened. I couldn't stop the little surge of awe that slipped out of me. "Thank you so much for that." His smile turned warmer. "No problem." Then, with a slight tilt of his head, his gray eyes glinted. "But for now… sit down." I nodded and sat back, glancing at Magi and Melesse.
"Hello to both of you. It's… good to see you again." Magi's expression softened, her lips curling into that familiar amused smile. "Likewise," she said, her voice carrying that strange blend of mystery and warmth. Then she tilted her head, smirking slightly. "You never cease to amaze me with how much trouble you keep stumbling into."
Melesse's face, however, was far sterner. Her golden eyes locked onto me like a hawk sighting prey. "Why are you playing coy, Magi?" she said sharply, her tone cutting. "Like all this wasn't to be expected!"
I couldn't help it I smiled. "Hi, Auntie." For just a second, Melesse froze. Her eyes widened, and there was a faint very faint pink flush at her cheeks before she schooled her expression again. "Stop calling me that, kid," she snapped, though it sounded less sharp and more… flustered. "It's Melesse or nothing."
From across the table, M and Magi both chuckled quietly. I leaned back slightly, smirking. "How about… Big Sis then?" Melesse's eyes narrowed, but she didn't tell me to stop. Instead, she sat back in her chair with her arms crossed, her face still holding that faint blush.
"…Fine. Big Sis." A small, victorious grin tugged at my lips. Then a clapping sound broke the mood. Umbra leaned back in his chair, his hands coming together once before spreading apart. "I take it that it will only be you three?" His golden eyes scanned the trio. "Good. Then…"
The dragon's smirk widened ever so slightly, sharp and knowing. "…how about we start this open discussion, then?" Umbra leaned back in his chair, the faint golden hue of his draconic eyes glowing like molten embers in the void as he rumbled, "Next time, just knock."
M smirked, the faintest trace of amusement in his stormy gray eyes as he casually adjusted the overcoat draped across his shoulders "We did knock," he said, tone easy but laced with sarcasm. "Just… a little too hard. Next time, mate, we'll knock softer."
Umbra huffed, the void trembling faintly with the weight of his presence, but his expression softened "Fine," he rumbled, the sound echoing like distant thunder, "but let's focus." His gaze turned sharp and heavy, like a spear aimed straight through me, before sliding toward the three figures seated across from him.
"I take it you've seen and heard everything I said to Callum." His claws tapped the stone table, a sound like granite cracking. "So… are you going to argue for why I should continue letting him be babied by you all?"
The silence was thick for a heartbeat. Then Magi spoke, her voice like warm silk laced with iron.
"We are here to speak with you and with him," she said, gesturing to me. "But not for Callum. It's his choice. We will respect that. But…" Her golden eyes, so similar to Umbra's but far more restrained, pinned me. "…he should know what he's getting into."
I frowned, tension knotting in my shoulders as I rubbed at my temples. "Alright, fine," I muttered. "But tell me straight, how much of this is going to hurt? Because I don't need another headache from hearing things I shouldn't have heard."
M's smile widened into something charming and infuriating at the same time. He raised one hand, fingers snapping like a gunshot, and suddenly the world shifted. I felt it immediately. A chime rang in my mind, clearer than any notification, and A.I.A.'s voice hummed softly, almost reverently: "Soul Authority has temporarily increased from Level 1 to Level 10."
The moment it happened, my head cleared. The void seemed sharper, the stars brighter. I felt lighter, stronger—as though my very existence had been tuned to a higher pitch. "Wow…" I breathed, staring at my own hands. Even my Origin Flame sparked faintly across my fingertips, reacting instinctively. "I… feel different."
M smirked, looking smugly pleased. "Now you shouldn't have any problems." Umbra's gaze lingered on me before sweeping back to the trio, his voice low but sharp. "Good. Then listen besides the goddess of magic herself," he gestured toward Magi with a claw, "I don't trust all of you."
His eyes hardened. "Frankly, I don't trust you to raise him correctly." The air tightened, almost crackling. "Excuse me?" M's tone lost its easy charm, steel sliding beneath the words. Umbra didn't flinch. "M," he rumbled, "you're an upstart who couldn't even raise your first boy into a proper man. Look what happened to Britain."
The space went deathly quiet. M's smile faded into something darker, sharper. "Watch yourself," M said, his voice quiet but carrying the weight of storms. Umbra turned his gaze from him, unshaken, and fixed on Melesse. "And you," he said, his tone just as cutting. "If you truly wanted him to be a proper heir, you'd teach him. You've been the only one besides Samira who even comes close to shaping him into something real. But you let others lead him by the hand."
He paused. "That is if the prophecy doesn't come to fruition." I froze. My stomach twisted. "What prophecy?" I asked. M sat up slightly, his stormy eyes softening. "Don't worry about it" "No," Umbra growled, his voice cracking across the void like a whip. "That's the problem. You guide him, but you don't teach him. You shield him, but you don't answer his questions."
Then his glowing eyes turned back to me. "Callum. I can guide you to find the answers to your questions on your own. Without stumbling in the dark. Without almost dying." Magi's golden eyes narrowed. "That's not fair," she admitted, her voice even, "we don't guide him in the way you mean. That doesn't mean we aren't guiding him at all."
Umbra leaned toward her, and for the first time, I saw a spark of real anger flare in his eyes. "I don't want to hear from the woman who helped lead Solomon astray. You taught him magic bared his child and ran when things got to serious. Now your here correcting me on guiding his descendant."
My heart stuttered. "Wait what?" I turned to Magi, my mind pulling fragments of memories together images Melesse had shown me of a woman in shadows standing beside Solomon.
"Magi… are you the progenitor's mother?" Melesse's face twisted in frustration before she exhaled sharply, voice snapping like a whip. "Yes, Callum. She is your ancestral mother, and my grandmother."
The words hit me like a blow. I stood up, nearly knocking my chair back as Magi's cold, stoic expression finally turned fully toward me. "You…" my voice trembled between shock and something sharper, "you told me this world was different. That you were helping a friend when you brought the Tesfaye into existence. But who was it for? Was it for Solomon?"
Magi's golden eyes softened, and she raised one hand ever so slightly. The moment her fingers moved, I felt a wave of warmth wash over me. Like a mother's hand smoothing the fever from a child's forehead, the anxiety in my chest unraveled, my breath steadied.
"Calm yourself," Magi said softly, but firmly. I sank back into my chair, my chest still tight but no longer constricting. "One day," she said, her tone holding the weight of an oath, "I will tell you everything. But not yet. You must surpass the first limiter and your Soul Authority must reach Level Three, at the very least."
I stared at her, confusion and frustration warring in me. "Why?" I asked, my voice sharper than I meant. "Why do I have to do all that?" Her gaze didn't waver, golden and unyielding. "Because only then," Magi said, her voice heavy with something I couldn't name, "can you meet Solomon yourself. Only then will you understand the full story."
The words hung in the void like a blade suspended above my head, and I realized there were answers waiting. I new they wouldn't come easily. I sat back in the cold stone chair, feeling the weight of their stares three patrons, one ancient dragon, and me caught in the middle like some bargaining chip between gods and legends.
I exhaled, leaning forward with my elbows on the table. "Fine," I said, my voice steady despite the storm building in my chest. "I'll play your game. Since I only gain from doing it…" My golden-amber eyes locked on Magi, sharp as a blade.
"…but I have one question and it's not negotiable If you refuse to answer it, I'll take his deal." Umbra tilted his head, a faint smirk curling at his lips like he enjoyed the tension. Magi's golden eyes softened, but there was a weight in them as she said, "Speak it, then."
I didn't hesitate. "Is Solomon one of my hidden patrons?" The void went silent. Magi didn't answer right away. Instead, she turned her head slightly, her gaze cutting to M, then to Melesse. The three exchanged something unspoken, a silent argument that stretched between them.
Finally, Magi faced me again. "Yes…" she said, and then paused. "…but no." My brow furrowed. "What does that mean?"
Her voice was calm, almost too calm. "He takes a back seat in your development. He only checks in on you from time to time. So far, no messages, no quests, no rewards have come from him. The others guide. He… simply watches."
I sat back, absorbing that. My heart thudded once, heavy. "Thank you," I said quietly, sincerity in my voice. At least that answer was real. Umbra's finger tapped the table, a low thunk that drew every eye back to him. "Back to business."
With a ripple of his hand, something shimmered into existence on the cold stone table between us a small glass bottle, its surface smooth as if it had been carved from emerald itself. Inside swirled an emerald-green liquid, thick and almost glowing faintly under the stars above.
I stared at it. "What is that?" I asked, unable to hide the curiosity in my voice. Umbra's golden eyes gleamed. "The potion that will help you surpass your first limiter," he said simply. "And mutate your body."
My head snapped up, eyes widening. "Wait there's a potion for that?" I pointed at the bottle. "I thought I needed to go through the old alchemical process mutagens in my body. While using phoenix feather, Felix Felicis, maybe even the damn Philosopher's Stone to make sure I don't die."
Umbra's mouth curved into something between a smile and a warning. "Yes, you thought so. But this potion unlocks your power by using magic and ancient dragon magic along with my blood." His voice deepened. "No phoenix feather. No Liquid Luck. No Philosopher's Stone. Just drink this… and all of that will happen."
I stared at the bottle again. It almost pulsed, like a heart then I turned to the others. Magi's expression was neutral, but her voice was even. "That is a good deal," she admitted. "But it's a shortcut. Left alone, your power would fully manifest on its own during puberty."
That made me pause and then another thought struck, sharper than the rest. "What about my shadow flame?" Before Umbra could speak, Melesse leaned forward, eyes glowing like molten gold. "Don't you dare, Callum. Umbra raised a clawed hand, a casual wave. "Peace, Melesse."
He looked at me, his voice even but unflinching. "Your shadow flame will remain sealed until winter break. I agree with her decision on that. You gained too much, too fast any further and it would destroy you."
But then his eyes narrowed slightly, gleaming like gold through smoke. "What I can do is this, I will help Helena make a new body. I will teach you spells like I promised. And…" he let his finger tap the bottle gently, "…I will even grant you a portion of my blood. You will gain draconian abilities."
I felt my throat go dry. My hands clenched into fists against the stone table. It was a lot. Too much I swallowed and turned to the three. "Do you all have counter offers?"
M leaned forward, smirking that damn smirk, and tapped the table lightly with one finger. "I like that attitude," he said, voice smooth as honey but edged like a dagger. "Reminds me of one of my wards from back in the day."
Then his eyes glowed faintly, storm-gray flashing with something older, heavier. "But remember this, Callum." The void went quiet again. "Don't forget we gave you power. Not our own, but power still. Be thankful for what we've given you."
I snorted. "Yeah, yeah. Your D&D spells are so great." M smiled, actually laughing softly. "Haha I know they are. But maybe Umbra's right. Giving you that journal…" he glanced at the emerald bottle, "…it didn't help your growth. Not really."
He leaned back, thoughtful. "I still believe the quests are useful."
Umbra's finger drummed the stone again, this time sharper. "They are but the rewards are too much. I can tell from Callum's memories you throw shiny things at him without thinking of the long-term effects."
His golden eyes cut across the table. "Who thought it was a good idea to give him the Magical Amplification Potion and the Magical Potential Unlocking Potion to him so young?"
The air shifted. Magi and Melesse both looked at M. M held up his hands. "Fine," he said, his voice clipped but unapologetic. "I thought it was a good idea. Get it out of the way. It would've taken him at least twenty years to reach that strength. And yes, he unlocked the black flame earlier than expected."
Umbra exhaled, a deep rumble that felt like the void itself sighed with him. "That's the point," he said. "If you all didn't interfere, he would have done that by year two on his own."
My hands slammed against the table. "Enough." Everyone's eyes turned to me. I took a breath, steady but heavy. "I've made my decision," I said, my voice firm, even though my heart pounded like a drum in my chest.
Because I was tired of all the back-and-forth. Tired of being a chess piece in their endless games. The void was still, but the weight of what I'd just declared hung there like a storm waiting to break. "I will not sign a contract with Umbra," I said, my voice steady even though my heart was hammering in my chest. "But I will seek his guidance should he want to guide me."
Umbra's golden eyes narrowed slightly, but his expression remained composed. I continued, my grip on my wand tightening, anchoring me in my own resolve. "And I'll have him be my confidant. If he doesn't sign off on my quests or rewards, then I'll receive nothing. And any powers, items, or abilities I have if he wants to seal them, I will deal with it."
I looked from Umbra to the beings standing in the shadows of the void M, Magi, Melesse each of them radiating power in their own quiet, terrifying way. "Are these conditions acceptable?" Umbra held my gaze for a long moment before his lips curved into the faintest smirk.
"Fine," he rumbled. "I will." The other three beings, one after another, gave their assent. "Yes," they said in unison, though their tones carried very different weight Magi's voice was calm, M's was playful, and Melesse's had the faintest edge of reluctant approval.
M took a step forward, that sly grin never leaving his face. "Then it's time you had more control." With a snap of his fingers, the system screen I'd seen so many times before appeared — floating in front of Umbra this time.
The ancient dragon's human hands began typing, tapping, gesturing over the glowing glyphs and symbols, his movements faster than anything mortal.
Suddenly DING! A notification appeared in my vision.
[Umbra Quest: Acknowledgement]
Objective: Have Umbra acknowledge your strength.
Reward: Dragon's Blood.
I squinted at the text, my brows furrowing. "What is this? And the reward?" I asked, glancing at Umbra. "I can get dragon's blood on the market." Umbra's smirk sharpened. "Those dragons are not like me." he said, voice low and deliberate
He stepped closer, and the void seemed to darken with each step, the sheer force of his presence pressing into my bones. "I am ancient. I am intelligent. My magic flows through my veins like rivers of molten gold. My blood is not just valuable it is power itself. That is a reward. extremely rare"
I stared at him for a moment, then nodded once. "Okay… how about a duel?"
There was silence. Then M threw his head back and laughed. Melesse exhaled sharply, half sigh, half amused groan. Even Magi calm, unreadable Magi let the faintest smile touch her lips. I ignored them all, keeping my gaze on Umbra. "I know compared to you all I'm nothing," I admitted, voice firm, "but I need to see how powerful I actually am."
Umbra's smirk widened just a fraction. "Okay, little one." With a wave of his hand, the shadow dragon behind his throne dissipated into smoke, vanishing into the black sky. The stone table and chairs melted away, leaving only a flat stretch of endless darkness beneath our feet.
The three patrons M, Magi, and Melesse stepped back, their glowing forms fading into the edges of the void like observers in some celestial arena.
It was just me and Umbra now. Umbra rolled his shoulders, loose and casual, but every movement radiated terrifying power. "You can start when you're ready," he said, his voice a deep, low rumble that carried forever in the void.
Then his eyes glinted. "Don't worry. You won't die here." He smiled sharp, knowing. "But it will hurt. A lot." I swallowed, forcing my breathing to steady, trying to calm the growing knot of anxiety twisting in my gut. I glanced at my wand, wondering for a moment if it would even work here.
Umbra seemed to read the thought straight out of my head. "Don't worry," he said, almost amused. "With your soul authority temporarily at 10, your wand has plenty of power here. So go all out." A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips.
"Fine." I raised my wand, and the moment I did, a faint magical pulse rippled outward from me as if the void itself felt the shift.
"Blood. Helena. Come forth." The void trembled and from the darkness under they appeared. Helena materialized first, her shadowed form taking shape, her violet eyes glowing faintly as she stepped forward. Blood came next, his rusted sword already in hand, his silent figure heavy with intent.
Helena's eyes locked on me immediately. "Callum…" she said softly, her voice a mix of worry and warning. She moved closer, the void shifting around her presence. "I heard everything."
Her tone hardened slightly. "I'm asking you please don't push yourself too hard especially for my sake." I gave her a small smile, steady and reassuring. "Don't worry, Helena. I'm doing this for me. Helping you? That's just a big plus." I softened my tone, my smile warm. "And I'm sorry for pulling you into something scary like this but think of it as a way to test your abilities, too."
Helena hesitated, then her shadow self straightened, magic humming around her. "Yes… you're right. Let's see how powerful we've become." Blood, as always, said nothing just drew his blade with that deliberate, quiet motion, stepping forward like a silent sentinel.
Across from us, Umbra's golden eyes gleamed brighter. He smirked that knowing, infuriating smirk and spread his arms slightly. "Then come," he said, voice echoing like a thunderclap in the void. "Show me what you've got."
I took a deep breath and cleared my head and calmed my mind. Then I gripped my wand, feeling the hum of power pulsing through it, and gave the first command. "Blood attack!" He moved instantly, a blur of shadow and steel as his blade whistled through the void.
I followed up, snapping my wand forward, launching "Magic Missile!" from it. Six circular spheres of condensed mana burst from my wand, spiraling toward Umbra in a perfect hexagonal formation.
"Helena, back him up!" I ordered, already shifting my stance. Helena's shadowed form moved like liquid grace. Her hands flared, glowing deep violet, runes etching themselves into the air around her fingers. With a crack of displaced air, six purple glowing spears formed above her head, humming with raw magical force.
I gritted my teeth and shouted, "Now!" The missiles streaked forward first, then Helena's spears, each one tearing through the void like falling stars. Blood closed in behind them, blade raised high, the edge gleaming with shadow.
They all hit at once and then BOOM. A cascade of explosions rippled through the void light, smoke, and shadow smashing together in a thunderous wave.
But Umbra didn't move. He just stood there, arms crossed, golden eyes half-lidded, as if we'd thrown snowflakes at a mountain. When the smoke cleared, he hadn't even shifted his stance.
I narrowed my eyes. Then Umbra asked me. "Is that all I got?"
"No," I muttered, my voice low but firm. "That's just the beginning." I snapped my wand downward. "Blood, return!" Blood vanished in a flicker of shadow, reappearing at my side. I raised my free hand and called on the deeper part of me, the part that burned.
My Golden Flame. It flared to life in my palm golden fire licking along my fingers before I pressed it out, sending a wave of shimmering fire over Helena and Blood. The change was instant and their shadow forms glowed faintly gold on the outside of their shadow forms, Helena's outline shimmering like moonlight on water, Blood's entire form gaining a faint golden trim, like sunlight clinging to a blade.
Blood looked down at his hand, the shadows in his palm condensed, forming a new weapon: A shadow-forged blade, but its edges gleamed with a razor-thin outline of gold.
Umbra's lips curved, amused. "Oh," he rumbled, his deep voice vibrating through the void. "This should be interesting." He spread his arms slightly, his golden eyes sharper now. "Come on then show me your power."
I smirked and raised my wand again. "Fine let's see how you like this." The void trembled as I whispered the incantation, weaving Golden Flame into another spell through my wand as it glowed gold faintly. Lightning coalesced above us. A storm erupted in the void, purple bolts cracking across an endless sky of black.
I focused, forcing the Golden Flame through the storm. The purple lightning turned golden, the air now thick with the scent of ozone and power. Slowly, the lightning shaped itself curling, merging into something massive. A Thunderbird. Its wings spanned across the void, its body made entirely of living lightning, golden veins pulsing through its frame.
Umbra tilted his head, watching the storm-beast take form. "Oh?" He raised an eyebrow. "What is this called?" I gritted my teeth, sweat beading on my brow as I fought to keep the spell together. "I don't know," I admitted, voice strained. "I wanted an eastern dragon, but… I guess my wand had other ideas."
Umbra smirked, watching with quiet curiosity. Then Blood struck again his golden-edged shadow blade flashing slashing across Umbra's arm. Umbra didn't flinch. Helena fired again golden fireballs the size of boulders hurling at him like meteors.
Each one exploded on contact, shaking the void with their impact. But still Umbra didn't move or looked injured. The smoke cleared, and he stood there, still stoic, unmoved, as though none of it even registered to him. Finally, he spoke. "Not bad, young lord." His golden eyes glowed faintly brighter. "But… you're starting to boring me. I'm not impressed."
I smirked back, though my hand trembled with strain. "Hold up. The big one is about to come" I raised my wand, my voice sharp. "Let's see if this entertains you." The Thunderbird's form swelled — growing larger, brighter, until its sheer size made the entire void churn with clouds and thunder.
Umbra looked up the faintest spark of interest flashing in his golden eyes. "Not bad," he said. "To affect my void like this… your will must be strong."
I leveled my wand at him, pouring every ounce of focus into the spell. "Take this!" The Thunderbird screeched, a sound like ripping skies, and dove. Golden lightning struck, a massive bolt slamming down on Umbra, the explosion ripping the void apart in a storm of blinding gold lightning.
The blast echoed across infinity raw, deafening power. When the light faded Umbra still stood arms crossed and unmoving. Like nothing had happened. I was drenched in sweat, my breath ragged as I hurled another round of magic missiles at him. They were bolstered by my golden flame causing them to shine somewhat.
The flashes of color lit the void like fireworks, each blast slamming into Umbra with enough power to level a fortress but he didn't even flinch. Instead, Umbra simply started walking toward me Slowly and deliberately. The casualness of it made my blood run cold. I gritted my teeth, raising my wand. "Lumos Bombus!"
A blinding orbs of Lumos light launched from my wand surrounding Umbra's path. Umbra didn't stop his pace and continued to walk forward. The the small orbs of light exploded in front of Umbra, followed by a concussive blast, shaking the void like a struck drum.
But as the light cleared he just kept walking untouched. "See?" Umbra's deep voice rumbled as he advanced, "This is what I meant." His golden eyes bored into mine.
"You are powerful, yes. But all you do is overpower your opponents relying on force and spectacle. So far you've been lucky. Very lucky that every enemy you've faced until now has been weaker, dumber, or more careless than you."
My jaw tightened in frustration. Blood darted forward in a blur, his golden-edged shadow blade slicing downward with all the strength I could pour into him but Umbra just extended one hand. A wave of black fire erupted from his palm destroying Blood in a instant. He simply vanished, snuffed out of the void.
"Blood!" I shouted, but he was gone. I spun toward Helena, who was already summoning another spell her hands glowing, runes sparking to life and then the exhaustion hit. I felt it through our bond as my mana ran out. The light on her hands flickered and died.
"See?" Umbra continued, his voice calm, almost conversational as he walked. "When you charge headfirst into something unprepared, you don't just risk your own life. You risk your friends and loved ones as well." Then, with a single step, Umbra wasn't walking anymore he was just there.
In front of Helena. She gasped, "Callum!" Her voice cut off as Umbra's arm moved in a single smooth motion and Helena's shadow form split cleanly in two. Her body dissolved into smoke and darkness, her essence scattering into the void.
I froze, my chest tightening Helena… gone. I fell to one knee, panting, staring up at Umbra as he loomed over me.
He wasn't even angry or cruel. It was clear as day he wanted to teach me a lesson that would be ingrained in my bones to my core. "See," he said again, standing over me, the weight of his presence pressing down like the sky itself. "You're too cocky. Too reckless. If this had been real…"
His golden eyes burned. "…you and your friends would all be dead. This isn't the story you grew up to. This is a new world of great beauty, and a cursed hell as well." I clenched my fists, forcing air into my lungs. "You're right." I looked him in the eye. " That's why I did this. So I can learn so I can never make the same mistakes twice."
For the first time, Umbra's lips curved. Not into a smirk of mockery but something closer to… approval.
"So…" His voice rumbled like distant thunder. "…do you submit?" I stared back at him sweat dripping down my face with my hands trembling and I shook my head. "No." I straightened, cracking my knuckles, and forced my battered body into a fighting stance. "I'm not done." Then I threw a punch.
I didn't even see him move. I just felt it a white-hot flash of disorientation. Then the world tilted sideways.
Wait… what? I blinked only to see my own body standing there. Headless my 12-year-old form fell to its knees, then crumpled, lifeless. I then realized I wasn't standing anymore and Umbra was holding my head. He held it up, looking at it, and smiled.
"You passed, little lord." Then nothing but darkness. When my eyes opened again, I was standing in the dragon reserve. The grass, the sky, the distant calls of dragons, all exactly as they were before. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were still with Hagrid, laughing as they tossed food to Nora and marveled at the other dragons.
They hadn't even noticed I'd been gone then I glanced at my wristwatch. Not even ten seconds had passed. Umbra stood nearby, his human form relaxed, his golden eyes warm with quiet amusement.
I blinked and then the familiar ping echoed in my mind.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION:
Quest Completed — Umbra's Acknowledgment
Reward: Dragon's Blood
The words hung there in glowing gold letters before fading. I could still feel it the phantom sensation of my head leaving my shoulders the memory of Umbra's fire and hand cutting through my familiars like they were nothing.
Harry walked up beside me, his hand on my shoulder, his green eyes searching mine. "You okay, mate?"
I forced a smile. "Yeah," I said, voice steadier than I felt. "I'm fine." But inside, I was still reeling—still processing what had just happened. Being beheaded. Losing Helena and Blood—even if only in that void. Feeling what true power looked like. Realizing I still had so, so much further to go and that I'm so in over my head.