The smoke still curled from broken trees, carrying the bitter smell of ash and earth. The crater hissed as if the jungle itself was angry at the scar burned into its chest.
Aryan stumbled to his feet, coughing so hard it felt like his lungs had turned to dust. He slapped soil off his robe, muttering, "I hate dragons. I hate gravity. I hate this forest. I hate—"
Across the crater, another boy stood up slowly, brushing dirt off his white robe. His hands trembled, his knees ached from the fall, but his eyes… his eyes burned. He had seen death close enough to feel its breath, and once again, somehow, he had survived. Not because of chance. Because his reflexes had made him leap just far enough. Because his body had been hardened through endless failures. Because he had taught himself to never, ever freeze when disaster came.
For him, survival was never luck. It was a punishment paid with sweat.
For Aryan, it was the opposite — every catastrophe spat him out alive as though the world refused to let him die.
And so, when their eyes locked across the smoke, both boys froze.
Aryan's heart lurched. [System… don't tell me this is him.]
System:
[Oh, it's him. Max Unluck detected. Congratulations, you've officially met the human bug in the code.]
Aryan's face drained of color. "WHY IS HE HERE?! Did you drag him into this crater just to mess with me?!"
System:
[Excuse you? I don't drag unlucky brats out of trees. That's his department.]
Meanwhile, the boy's thoughts spun in another storm. He glared at Aryan, breath heavy. "Of course. Of course destiny would throw me into the dirt just to meet someone like this. I don't even know who he is, but he reeks of the kind of person who ruins everything just by existing."
Aryan pointed at him with a trembling finger. "Don't come near me! I already know what you are!"
The boy pointed back, snapping, "And I know what YOU are! Trouble!"
Aryan flinched, sweat dripping down his temple. "No, no, no… this isn't fate, this is System sabotage!"
The boy's hands curled into fists, his voice breaking with frustration. "And this isn't bad luck, this is cursed destiny!"
Ganpat, lying face-first in the dirt between them, raised his head weakly. "Oi… are you two shouting at each other or proposing? Either way, stop… the world's still spinning." Then he flopped back down like a dead fish.
Neither boy listened.
Aryan's thoughts raced: Why here? Why now? Why him?
The boy's thoughts raged: Why me? Why always me? Why now?
And though they came from opposite sides of fortune's coin, in that smoke-filled crater, they both felt the same truth crawl up their spines:
Meeting each other was more terrifying than the dragon itself.
The crater still smoked like a fresh wound, the air thick with heat and dust.
Aryan jabbed his finger toward the boy. "This is your fault! You cursed me with your bad aura!"
The boy snapped back instantly, voice shaking but sharp. "My fault? You dropped a DRAGON on my head!"
"I didn't DROP it, it fell!" Aryan shouted.
"ON ME!" the boy yelled.
Aryan stamped his foot, his cheeks puffing red. "You think I asked for this?!"
The boy's voice cracked with fury. "You think I ask for ANY of this?! My whole life is bad luck and then you arrive like destiny's prank!"
Aryan threw his arms in the air. "System, tell him I didn't do this on purpose!"
System:
[Oh yes, let me just fax him your innocence certificate. Maybe add a ribbon so he believes it.]
"YOU'RE NOT HELPING!" Aryan roared.
Ganpat groaned from the dirt, rolling over like a drunk log. "Children, children… less shouting, more drinking… or sleeping. Preferably both."
Neither listened. Their voices clashed like clanging pots, each blaming the other until the smoke itself seemed to vibrate with their noise.
Then Aryan stumbled backward, his hand slapping against something hard and warm.
The dragon's belly.
A pulse shot through him. His vision blurred, his chest clenched.
[System Notification: New Skill Acquired → Dragon Tamer.]
[System Update: Merging 'Dragon Rider' + 'Dragon Tamer'.]
[System Result: New Composite Skill Unlocked → DRAGON MASTER.]
Aryan blinked, mouth dropping open. "Wait… WHAT?!"
The dragon stirred. Smoke hissed from its nostrils. Its golden eyes cracked open, molten and furious—then, suddenly, softened.
It rolled slightly to the side, exposing its throat in submission.
Its wings twitched, not in rage, but like a dog wagging its tail. A low rumble built in its chest, not a roar, but a… purr.
The mighty Taarask, scourge of palaces and terror of kingdoms, had just declared himself Aryan's pet.
Aryan stumbled back, pale as milk. "No. No no no no no no. This is not happening. This is illegal. I didn't even DO anything!"
System:
[Correction: You touched his belly. Congratulations, belly rub = eternal loyalty. Truly, the stuff of legends.]
"STOP MAKING IT SOUND WEIRD!" Aryan shrieked.
Across the crater, the boy's eyes widened. His whole body went rigid.
He had seen the dragon's fury in the sky, felt its killing intent. And now, this six-year-old brat had tamed it like a puppy.
The boy's lips trembled. "…You. You made it fall. That crash, that meteor—was that your order?"
Aryan flailed his arms. "WHAT?! NO!"
The boy stepped back, suspicion and fear warring in his gaze. "You control dragons." His voice was low, almost a whisper. "You could have killed me in an instant."
Aryan sputtered. "I CAN'T EVEN CONTROL MY OWN SHOES!"
System:
[He's not wrong.]
Aryan's face turned scarlet. "SHUT UP!"
Ganpat finally sat up, his hair full of leaves, his robe scorched. He clapped both boys on the shoulders at once, nearly knocking them over.
"Enough! You both survived. You both shouted enough to wake the gods. Clearly, you're destined to be…" He hiccupped on air, since no alcohol was left in him, "…partners in crime! Or rivals. Or drinking buddies. We'll see."
Both boys stared at him, equally horrified.
Ganpat grinned like a fool. "Now, now, introductions come first. You—" he pointed at Aryan, "—are Aryan, the lucky brat."
Aryan opened his mouth to argue but got cut off.
"And you…" Ganpat turned toward the other boy, whose fists clenched tighter, suspicion still burning in his eyes. "…what's your name, lad?"
The smoke curled tighter between them, carrying silence like a blade waiting to drop.
The smoke thinned just enough for the boy's face to come clear. His lips pressed tight, his eyes narrowed, like he was about to confess something he hated to admit.
"My name…" His voice was calm, but beneath it lay a weight of frustration, "…is Zhang Xuan."
Aryan tilted his head. "Zhang… what?"
"Zhang Xuan," the boy repeated, slower this time, as though daring Aryan to forget it. "From the East."
Ganpat clapped his hands, startling both boys. "Aha! A name at last. Aryan, Zhang Xuan—Xuan, Aryan. Two little disasters meeting in a crater. The heavens must be drunk."
System:
[He's not wrong.]
Aryan groaned. "Why do I feel like every time I meet someone new, my lifespan shortens?"
Zhang Xuan crossed his arms, refusing to smile. "Because it does."
For a moment, they just stared at each other—one born under fortune, the other dragging misfortune behind him like chains. Opposites in every way, yet standing in the same ruin.
Ganpat broke the silence. "So, lads, what's the plan? Sit here until the king's soldiers find us? Or maybe…" He jabbed his thumb toward the dragon, who was now stretching its wings lazily like a cat. "…ride destiny itself?"
Both boys turned to the dragon.
Aryan blanched. "NO. Absolutely not. We almost died five times in the last ten minutes."
Zhang Xuan's face darkened. "…Nalanda."
Aryan blinked. "What?"
Zhang Xuan's eyes glinted with sharp determination. "I'm heading to Nalanda. The Tournament of Martial Arts. I won't miss it, no matter what bad luck follows me."
Aryan's jaw dropped. "Wait—you too?!"
Zhang Xuan raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'too'?"
"I'm also going there!" Aryan threw up his arms. "Oh no. Ohhh no. Don't tell me destiny is forcing us to travel together!"
System:
[Correction: Forcing him to travel with you. He definitely got the worse end of this deal.]
Zhang Xuan muttered, "This is the worst day of my life."
Aryan snapped back, "It's the worst day of mine too!"
Ganpat cheerfully slung an arm around each of them, ignoring their glares. "Bah, stop whining. If you're both headed the same way, you ride together. It's destiny's carriage! Or, in this case, destiny's oversized, flame-breathing lizard."
The dragon, as if insulted, exhaled a plume of smoke that sent Ganpat coughing.
Zhang Xuan hesitated, staring at Aryan. "Can you… really control it?"
Aryan's face went pale. "Control? No! Absolutely not!"
The dragon lowered its head beside Aryan, golden eyes gleaming with something close to affection. It nudged his shoulder like a horse begging for attention.
System:
[Correction: You are officially his chew toy. Congratulations on your promotion to Dragon Master.]
Zhang Xuan's jaw tightened. He didn't believe it, but he couldn't deny what his eyes saw.
Aryan swallowed hard. "Okay… maybe a little."
Ganpat was already climbing onto the dragon's back. "Less talk, more riding! Soldiers will sniff this crater soon enough."
Reluctantly, Aryan scrambled up behind him. Zhang Xuan followed last, still glaring like every step was an insult to his pride.
The dragon's wings unfurled, vast and shimmering, blotting out the sun for a heartbeat. The air itself seemed to bow before the force gathering in its body.
Aryan clutched the scales tight. "Uh… please… don't kill us."
The dragon rumbled deep in its chest—then leapt.
The ground shattered beneath its launch. Trees ripped from their roots, spinning like toys through the air. The jungle screamed as wind and fire tore it apart.
In one heartbeat, they were gone—rising, rising, leaving the chaos behind with only smoke and ruin to mark their path.
On the dragon's back, three figures clung—one old fool, one lucky brat, and one cursed prodigy.
No one knew whether the world had just birthed a brotherhood or a battlefield.
But destiny was smiling.
And it had very sharp teeth.