The cavern's air shimmered with faint golden light. The boy—frail, trembling, his eyes wide with fear—stood before the towering form of Nova Valcren. The Dragon King's vast, ethereal figure loomed above, wings half-spread, casting shadows that danced against the crystalline walls.
The silence lingered for a long moment until the boy finally spoke in a faint, cracked voice.
"D-Do you… do you plan to kill me?"
Nova's burning eyes narrowed slightly. A deep, rumbling sound, like thunder contained in a chest, echoed through the cave.
"Kill you?" he said, voice dripping with ancient calm. "Not for now. If you prove useful to me… I will not."
The boy lowered his gaze, his shoulders shaking slightly. His fear was visible, yet there was a strange spark in his eyes—something that intrigued the ancient dragon.
After a pause, Nova's voice softened, almost curious.
"Tell me, boy… what is your name?"
The question struck the boy like a blade. His lips quivered.
"I… I don't have one."
Nova blinked, his expression breaking into mild surprise. The glow from his eyes dimmed slightly as confusion replaced his coldness.
"What do you mean you don't have one?" he asked, leaning forward, his deep voice echoing off the cave walls.
The boy's voice was small, almost a whisper.
"Because I'm a slave… My master said names are for people, not property."
The cavern fell silent again. Even the mana in the air seemed to still. Nova's gaze softened, not with pity—but with a quiet fury directed elsewhere. His wings folded, and a faint light flickered around him as he manifested a chair made of pure obsidian energy, seated with the grace of an emperor observing a world beneath him.
"Ah… a slave." His tone was low, thoughtful. "That explains the fear… the hollow eyes."
He looked down upon the trembling boy, curiosity overtaking the faint anger burning behind his calm.
"Tell me then," Nova said, resting his chin on his hand, "what must you do, human?"
The boy quickly dropped to his knees, bowing so deeply his forehead nearly touched the stone floor.
"I… I live to serve, my lord. Command me, and I shall obey."
Nova chuckled softly, the sound rolling through the cavern like distant thunder.
"You're obedient, at least. But before I decide what to do with you…" He leaned forward slightly, his golden gaze sharp. "…you need a name. Even a tool deserves one if it is to be reforged."
The boy raised his head slowly, eyes wide with disbelief.
"A… name? For me?"
Nova's lips curved into the faintest of smiles. "Yes. For now, I will call you… One."
The boy's chest trembled. He bowed again, voice shaking.
"Thank you for bestowing a name upon me, my lord. I will cherish it."
Nova raised a brow, amusement flickering in his ancient eyes.
"Don't be too happy. It's only temporary. When you earn your worth, I shall give you a true name—one that the heavens themselves will recognize."
"Yes, my lord," the boy said softly, his tone reverent.
Nova studied him for a long moment. "Tell me, One… what are you good at?"
The boy hesitated before replying.
"Carrying things, my lord. That's all I've ever done."
A soft exhale escaped Nova—half sigh, half disappointment.
"So… a bearer of burdens."
He leaned forward slightly. "Have you ever held a sword?"
The boy shook his head. "No, my lord."
"Then you will learn."
The words hung in the air like a prophecy.
Nova extended a single clawed finger, and from the ground rose a spectral sword made of condensed mana—its blade gleaming with divine brilliance, its hilt shaped like dragon wings folded in reverence.
The boy stared at it in awe and fear, his reflection flickering on the blade.
"Pick it up."
The boy hesitated. The energy radiating from it burned against his skin, but he obeyed. His trembling hands reached forward, wrapping around the hilt. Pain shot through him instantly, like molten fire searing his veins.
He gasped, falling to one knee.
"Endure it," Nova commanded calmly, watching. "If you wish to rise above the dust that named you 'slave,' you must first bleed for the right to stand."
The boy gritted his teeth, forcing himself to lift the sword even as his arms trembled under its immense weight. The blade shimmered, responding faintly to his determination.
A faint smirk touched Nova's lips.
"Good…" he murmured. "Perhaps there is more to you than chains and obedience."
The cave glowed brighter as mana surged around them both, and for the first time in millennia, the Dragon King felt something stirring in his ancient heart—a faint spark of possibility.
---
Time passed like the slow drift of stars across the heavens.
Years turned to seasons, and seasons to moments lost in training and blood.
The boy who once entered that cave as a trembling slave—nameless, weak, and forgotten by the world—had long since vanished. In his place stood a man forged in fire and will. His sword gleamed with divine light, its edge singing with the essence of the heavens themselves. His aura no longer wavered; it thundered, commanding the ground beneath his feet and the very air around him to kneel. The cave that had once been a prison of stone now felt like the throne room of gods.
Nova watched from his obsidian seat, a faint smile curving his ancient lips. The boy had become more than mortal—he had become a force.
A figure walked into the chamber, the echoes of his armored boots reverberating through the cavern. He kneeled, lowering his head in reverence.
"You called for me, my lord," he said, his voice deep, steady—no longer trembling with fear, but with respect and strength.
Nova, now standing in his human form, turned to face him. His golden eyes flickered with faint amusement and pride.
"How long has it been since you came here, One?"
The man raised his gaze, his eyes burning like tempered steel.
"It has been ten years, my lord."
Nova chuckled softly, his tone carrying a mixture of admiration and nostalgia.
"Ten years… It took you ten years to reach this point. Hah… humans truly have come a long way."
He paused, walking slowly toward One, the faint tremor of draconic power echoing with each step. Then his tone shifted—colder, commanding.
"Now, you must leave."
One froze. His head bowed slightly, his heart sinking.
"Have I… committed some crime, my lord?" His voice carried a note of worry—not for his life, but for having possibly disappointed his master.
Nova's expression softened faintly.
"No, One. You have done nothing wrong. But your time in these shadows is over. It is time for you to walk the world… to reign as the strongest warrior beneath the heavens."
One's eyes widened, then steadied. He rose to his feet, pride replacing sorrow.
"Your wish is my command, my lord."
But before he could turn, Nova lifted a hand. A glass chalice, carved from pure mana, appeared in the air—filled with a deep crimson liquid that shimmered like molten fire.
"Before you go," Nova said solemnly, "I will entrust you with a name that defies the heavens and enrages the gods themselves. Will you accept it?"
Without hesitation, One placed a hand over his heart and smiled.
"Yes, my lord. I will accept it—with honor."
Nova's gaze sharpened.
"Then drink this." He handed him the chalice.
The blood within glowed faintly, radiating a power so ancient that the cave walls pulsed with it.
"This is my blood—the blood of the Dragon King. It will make you my kin and embed my fragment within your soul. Your descendants will carry this power for generations to come."
One stared at the chalice for a moment, awe flickering in his eyes—then, without hesitation, he drank.
The instant the blood touched his tongue, the world convulsed.
The air howled.
Mana exploded outward like a storm of divine fury.
His body arched in pain, his scream echoing through the cavern, shaking the very foundation of the mountain. The ground cracked beneath him, the crystals embedded in the walls shattered, and even the mana around them began to wail—as though rejecting the unnatural merging of mortal and dragon blood.
"Aaaaargh!" His voice tore through the air.
Nova stepped forward, his expression unchanging but his eyes sharp with command.
"Endure it, One! You must absorb it! To become my kin, you must defy death itself!"
The Dragon King extended his hand, placing it upon One's back. The raw, violent mana began to calm under Nova's control—his ancient power guiding the chaos into form, molding it to the boy's soul.
Hours passed.
Then, silence.
The once frail body of the boy—now a man—stood, trembling, breathing heavily. A faint golden glow coursed beneath his skin like rivers of living flame. He looked down at his hands, feeling a power he had never known.
"This… what is this power?" he whispered, awe and disbelief trembling in his voice.
Nova smiled faintly, his tone carrying both pride and gravity.
"That is merely a fragment of my strength. The more you master it, the closer you will come to the divine. You are no longer the slave who entered my domain. You are my kin."
One dropped to his knees once more, head bowed deeply.
"My lord… you have given me more than I ever deserved. My life, my strength—my very name—all belong to you. I will never forget your grace."
Nova stepped forward, placing his hand gently upon One's shoulder. His golden aura flared, lighting the cave like dawn itself.
"Then rise, my kin."
His voice thundered with finality—an oath that would echo through ages.
"I bestow upon you the name I once bore. From this moment forth, you shall be known as—
Nova Valcren.
Carry my name. Carry my legacy. Let the heavens tremble and the earth bear witness—for the blood of the Dragon King lives on through you."
As Nova's words faded, the cave roared to life—the crystals shone, the air itself bowed, and for the first time since the Dragon King's fall, the world felt his name resurface once more.
And the man, now reborn, lifted his head—his eyes burning like molten gold.
The era of Nova Valcren had begun.