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Yuki staggered to his feet, the ground beneath him trembling as he tried to make sense of his new reality. His body, now massive and covered in sleek, obsidian-black scales, seemed too large to control. His wings twitched behind him, unfurling with a snap that sent a gust of air spiraling across the volcanic basin. His claws dug into the ground, leaving deep gouges in the charred earth.
*This is real. I'm a dragon…*
The thought seemed absurd. Even after everything, even after the dark blur of the alley and the final moments of his human life, he still couldn't quite grasp it. But his senses—sharpened beyond any human standard—told him it was true. The fire swirling in his chest wasn't just heat; it was his essence, his very soul, igniting in this new form.
He looked around. The landscape was a haunting sight. A desolate basin, scorched by the flowing magma that snaked through cracks in the ground. Towering stone pillars rose like ancient guardians, their surfaces cracked with age and time. The air shimmered with power, thick with magic so potent it made the very air seem alive.
Suddenly, a deep rumble echoed through the basin. Yuki's instinct kicked in. His head snapped toward the sound. A massive shadow loomed in the distance, its form growing as it moved closer. Something was coming, something ancient.
Without thinking, Yuki spread his wings and took flight. His body was clumsy at first, unsure of the weight of his new form, but the instincts of a dragon kicked in, and soon, he was soaring into the sky. The wind rushed past his face, and his body burned with a newfound energy.
Up ahead, the shadow took form. A towering creature emerged from the shadows of the pillars—an enormous beast with a massive, gnarled body of roots and thick, twisting vines. Its eyes were glowing with a dull green light, and the ground trembled beneath its heavy steps.
Yuki's breath caught in his throat as he realized what it was.
A forest guardian. But unlike the gentle protectors of nature he'd read about in fantasy stories, this one radiated power and menace. It wasn't here to protect—it was here to challenge.
The creature's gaze met Yuki's, and for a moment, the world seemed to freeze. There was a deep, ancient understanding in the air between them. The forest was calling. And Yuki—newly reborn, newly empowered—was the one who had been chosen to answer.
Before he could react, the forest guardian reared back and let out a deafening roar. The ground cracked, and the sky itself seemed to darken with the force of its call.
Yuki's heart raced. He was a dragon, but the power of this creature was unlike anything he had ever faced. His new instincts screamed at him to fight, but something deeper within told him there was more at play here than just brute strength.
The battle for survival had begun.
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