Silence.
It hung thick in the air like smoke after a battlefield. The stench of sweat, iron, and burned skin mixed in the stale dungeon, where children barely older than ten clutched their trembling bodies, eyes wide from the nightmare trial they'd just survived.
Some screamed in their sleep. Others sobbed quietly.
Lucien sat cross-legged, calm and collected, as if the chaos around him had nothing to do with him.
His body still ached from the shadow fusion, but something inside had changed. The dragon's essence — the Draco Umbra — coiled gently within his soul like a sleeping god. A low pulse of strength thrummed beneath his skin.
The iron collar was still there……but now, it feared him.
[Shadowbrand Update]Host Evolution Progress: 4%New Skill Detected: Shadow Veil – Conceal aura and magical presence.Warning: Power exceeding current body's tolerance. Suppress usage in public.
Lucien smirked.
"Too strong for my own skin, huh? Sounds familiar."
He leaned back against the damp wall, letting his head rest on the cold stone. The noise of the others faded, except for one constant presence — the girl sitting across from him.
She hadn't said a word since they returned.
Violet eyes. Unnaturally bright. Sharp, almost too aware for someone her age.
She wasn't trembling like the others. She wasn't broken. She was watching him.
Lucien opened one eye lazily. "Do you always stare at people like that, or am I just special?"
She didn't flinch.
Instead, she tilted her head slightly. "You didn't scream in the Nightmare Realm."
Lucien raised an eyebrow. "Neither did you."
"…I saw your dragon."
"And I saw your shadow," he replied, nodding toward the pale mark glowing on her wrist — a serpentine symbol wrapped in feathers. "Yours is… interesting."
The girl finally blinked, then offered something like a smile.
"I'm Elira. Number 510."
"Lucien," he replied, then paused and added with a slight grin, "...but let's pretend I didn't say that. Around here, I'm just #513."
"Not to me."
He chuckled. "Careful. That almost sounded like loyalty."
She said nothing. But her eyes didn't leave him.
The next morning came violently.
Steel boots clanged down the hall. The cell doors groaned open.
A tall man in black armor stepped in, flanked by masked guards. He carried a whip coiled at his hip and a glowing brand in one hand. His presence alone made most of the children scramble back.
But Lucien? He smiled.
This was the Warden of Chains. The one in charge of the lowest ring of Hollowspire.
The man's gaze swept across the room until it landed on Lucien.
"You," he said with a voice like crushed gravel. "You cracked your collar."
Lucien's smile widened. "I toss and turn in my sleep."
The Warden stepped closer.
"You think you're special, slave?"
"No," Lucien said, eyes glowing faintly, "I know I am."
Before the whip could lash out, a soft voice interrupted them.
"He didn't do it on purpose," Elira said. "It was the dragon mark. He's unstable."
Lucien glanced at her. Clever girl.
The Warden frowned, considering.
Then, unexpectedly, he smiled — a cruel, wicked thing.
"Perfect. Then let him face the Chain Trial today. Alone."
Gasps rang out.
The Chain Trial? On the first day? That was a death sentence!
Lucien stood slowly. "Sounds lovely. Should I bring tea?"
The Chain Trial Arena was a circular pit lined with black spikes. Magic-suppressing runes glowed across the walls. The only thing inside it was a single figure — tall, hunched, with manacles hanging from its limbs.
The Warden stood on a balcony above.
"This creature was once a student who failed his Nightmare Binding. Now it exists as a husk of hate and hunger. Survive five minutes, and you walk free."
Lucien stepped into the arena.
The gates slammed shut.
The creature looked up.
Glowing green eyes. Twisted face. Metal chains hanging like dead vines from its body. It snarled, and the air itself trembled.
Lucien didn't reach for magic.
He didn't panic.
He stood still. Calm. Listening.
Then, softly:
"Draco Umbra…"
[Skill: Shadow Veil — Activated][Trait: Dragon's Calm — Activated][Instinct Flow: 12% Unlocked]
The creature charged.
Lucien sidestepped, smooth and silent. The chains lashed out. One nicked his shoulder. Blood sprayed.
Lucien winced. "Alright… playtime's over."
His shadow rippled.
[Ability: Abyssal Breath – Locked (Overload Risk)][Suggested: Soul Flicker – Shadow Strike]
He reached into the shadows.
A blade formed — black as night, cold as the void.
Lucien spun and struck.
The chain creature howled as its arm split apart. Shadow flame danced across its body, burning through whatever unnatural force kept it alive.
The crowd above watched in silence.
Lucien didn't kill it.
He let it suffer… until the five minutes passed.
The gates reopened.
Lucien walked out, bloodied, smiling, victorious.
The Warden watched him with new eyes.
"A dragon and a shadow wielder…" the man muttered. "This one might be more dangerous than we thought."
Lucien returned to his cell.
Elira was waiting.
"You survived."
He sat beside her, breathing heavily. "Of course. I have a reputation to rebuild."
She handed him a small, stolen piece of bread.
He took it. "That's dangerous, you know. Helping a villain."
"I don't believe in heroes," she said.
Lucien smiled.
"Good," he whispered, biting into the bread. "Because I'm not here to save anyone. I'm here to conquer everything."