Rayder's eyes never left the churning sea below.Volcanoes glowed dimly in the distance, their fiery light flickering like the eyes of demons. Some were half-submerged, appearing suddenly on the sea's surface like ancient beasts stirring in their sleep. All around them, jagged black reefs jutted out of the water like the bones of dead leviathans, emitting tendrils of white smoke.He avoided each volcano without hesitation. Even if it meant taking a long detour, he would rather steer clear than risk flying above one. His past brushes with the volcanic eruptions had left him scarred, both mentally and physically. He no longer dared to gamble with fate.What if another volcano erupted the moment he flew over it?He wouldn't survive. Not at his current strength. No one would.It would be over in a flash—his body reduced to nothing more than ash drifting through the wind.With this in mind, Rayder made every effort to conserve his dragons' stamina. Especially Im and Yigen, who were still nursing painful wing injuries. At his command, they climbed to the highest altitude possible, pushing through the dense air with their powerful wings. Once they reached a suitable height, they glided along the air currents, reducing the need to flap.It was the most energy-efficient flight method he could think of—and their only chance of crossing the Yan Sea safely.But the high skies above the sea were no haven.At night, the upper atmosphere over the Yan Sea was brutal.Heavy water vapor filled the air. Thick black smoke—born from countless active volcanoes—swirled like rolling storm clouds, occasionally lit with flickers of deep red. A heavy layer of volcanic ash hung suspended in the sky, cloaking the stars and moon. It was like flying through death itself.The ash particles, though tiny, were hard and sharp. They stung the eyes and scratched the lungs, carried by gusts of wind that stank of sulfur and rot. Pungent, toxic gases mixed in with the ash, making it difficult to breathe.Rayder had wrapped a cloth over his mouth and nose, trying to filter the air as best as he could. But every breath still felt like fire—like his lungs were being seared with poison-tipped needles.In contrast, his three dragons seemed completely unfazed.Their massive bodies moved gracefully through the smoke-laden skies, gliding smoothly as if the air were clear. They even seemed to enjoy it—occasionally butting heads and humming low notes in casual communication.Their calmness stood in stark contrast to Rayder's tense state.It was a clear reminder: no matter how close he was to his dragons, no matter how much he had grown, he was still far from their level. They were majestic, ancient creatures, born of fire and blood. He was just a man—vulnerable, breakable, painfully human.Clinging tightly to Im's back, Rayder let the night wind whip around him. The wind carried with it the scent of ash, smoke, and decay. His body swayed with the dragon's movements, but his eyes never wavered.He stared intensely at the sea below, pitch black and unknowable, a vast canvas of uncertainty.The darkness was thick—so absolute that even starlight couldn't pierce it. The layer of volcanic ash above blocked all light from the heavens, leaving the world beneath in endless gloom.But Rayder dared not relax, not even for a moment.The horrors of the Valyria Ruins were still fresh in his memory. Until he was far away from this cursed region, he had to remain vigilant.Unbeknownst to him, far behind—where the Valyria coastline met the Yan Sea—something dark stirred within the blackness.In the depths of the night, wrapped in shadow and silence, a demonic eye emerged.It formed slowly, its surface swirling with black mist and emitting a faint, sickly glow. It hovered silently, filled with malice. Its gaze wasn't on Rayder—not yet—but on the place he had just left.And then, it spoke."They ran."The voice was dry, emotionless, like dead leaves rustling in the wind. The words echoed in the dark, carrying with them a strange weight—as if they were not just a statement, but a report.A response came quickly.A sound, subtle yet disturbing, drifted through the void. It was like the chorus of countless insects gnawing on rotting flesh.Then a voice answered, low and gravelly:"One cannot interfere too much with the operation of this world. The power that can be used is… limited."The demonic eye's glow flickered. It seemed displeased.Its voice turned sharper—its next words filled with a barely restrained fury."I told you to stop them at all costs! That descendant of the Dragon Lord Family—and that three-headed demon dragon—are not ordinary beings! Once they grow, do you know who the first to seek revenge will be? Are you not afraid?"A silence followed.But then, the darkness responded again—this time cold, firm, and resolute:"I don't want to end up like you."As the final word echoed, the demonic eye shuddered.An invisible force crushed down on it. It pulsed once—twice—before exploding in a burst of black light. It struggled violently, trying to resist, but in mere seconds, it was snuffed out—vanished, as though it had never existed.Silence returned.Only the sound of waves crashing against jagged rocks remained, haunting in the empty dark.Rayder, of course, remained unaware of this shadowy exchange. His attention was fixed forward, not behind.Every decision he made was cautious. Every movement deliberate.Though the Yan Sea was dangerous, with its sulfuric winds and steaming waters, it had remained stable for now. No sudden attacks, no divine interference.But deep beneath the sea's surface, something vast was stirring.A force far beyond anything he had encountered was building.Beneath the surface—hidden by layers of ash, smoke, and ocean—a tremendous energy was gathering. It was raw, chaotic, ancient.Like a slumbering giant slowly waking up, preparing to strike.The boiling sea betrayed nothing. Not a ripple hinted at the power building beneath.Rayder, soaring several hundred meters above the water, had no idea.To him, everything seemed manageable.He continued guiding the dragons around the volcanoes. If one appeared too close, he immediately steered them away. His strategy, he believed, was working. He even allowed himself a sliver of relief, a flicker of pride.At least he was doing something right.At least they were safe—for now.But in that single moment of confidence, disaster struck.Without warning, a sound unlike anything he'd heard before tore through the sky.BOOM!!!It was not thunder. It was not an earthquake.It was the roar of the world breaking.The calm sea below erupted.Not in one place, but three.Three enormous columns of molten lava burst upward from beneath the surface, erupting with blinding light. They surged thousands of meters into the sky like flaming towers—like the claws of a hellish beast grasping at the heavens.And Rayder was right in the center of it.The eruption points formed a deadly triangle, perfectly enclosing Rayder and the dragons.He barely had time to react.Thousands of molten rocks—each one a blazing meteorite—shot upward, then began to fall, forming a rain of fire that blanketed the skies for kilometers in every direction.It was a fiery apocalypse.A wall of heat slammed into Rayder and the dragons like a hammer, and the entire sky seemed to melt.---
Full book àvàilàble óñ pàtreøn (Gk31)