Conde Petie bustled with its usual rhythm, dwarves marching across stone bridges and between squat houses, their chants of "Rally-ho!" echoing against the mountains. Sirius stood at the edge of the village, silent and still, though his mind stretched far from here. The trinkets bound him to his chosen companions, and through them, he felt their laughter, their training, their unspoken thoughts like distant ripples on a calm lake.
They're enjoying themselves… good. They need it.
Above the world, the Aetherveil drifted silently. Its crystalline systems pulsed, detecting fluctuations in the flow of mana. Aether's voice whispered through Sirius' wristband.
"Master. High-intensity magical resonance detected southeast of the companions' position. It matches the signature of a top-tier predator. Do you want me to alert them?"
Sirius' eyes slid shut. "No. Stand down."
"Master," Aether pressed, her tone edged with worry, "if the readings are correct, the chance of severe injury—"
"Stay away," Sirius interrupted. His voice was firm, final. "If you interfere, you could be damaged. And if they are warned every time danger comes, they will never learn to adapt. This is their fight. Let it happen."
There was a pause. Then Aether's reply came softly, reluctantly. "…Understood."
Sirius exhaled, folding his arms, listening as the dwarves' cheerful "Rally-ho!" filled the air behind him. Yet through the trinket bond, he felt it—the shift in his companions' mood. The sudden spike of unease, the instinctive awareness of danger.
Something's there.
---
In a secluded glade far below, Zack, Aerith, Noctis, Galuf, and Reks sparred. Their laughter rang louder than the clang of steel, their breath fogging the air with the warmth of exertion.
"Come on, Reks, plant your feet!" Zack shouted as his sword clanged against the younger soldier's shield.
"I am planted!" Reks snapped back, though his arms shook.
On the far side, Aerith swept her staff, summoning a glowing ward of green light. "Noctis, let's see if you can break this!"
Noctis narrowed his eyes, summoning a spectral blade. He warped forward in a blur, shattering her shield with a crack that sent her stumbling.
"Show-off!" Aerith huffed, though she smiled.
Galuf charged at Zack next, his blade cutting the air. Despite his age, the old warrior's strike forced Zack back a step. "Don't get cocky, lad!"
Their laughter echoed across the clearing.
Until the world itself seemed to tear.
ROOOOAAAAR!!
The roar was thunder and fire and death rolled into one. Birds exploded from the canopy in a flurry of wings. The ground shuddered. The air grew heavy, charged with electricity.
All five froze.
Then the treetops split.
Emerald scales gleamed as the sunlight struck them, each plate hard as steel, shimmering with sparks of raw energy. Massive wings unfurled, blotting out the sky as a storm of wind whipped through the clearing. Leaves spiraled into the air, branches cracked, and the shadow of the beast consumed them.
Its neck arched high, crowned with jagged horns. Its molten gold eyes glowed like suns, narrowing on the five below. When it opened its maw, the smell of ozone flooded the glade, lightning crackling between fangs longer than a man's arm.
It landed with an earth-shaking impact, claws gouging trenches in the dirt.
Aerith's staff trembled in her hands. "It's… enormous."
Reks raised his shield, his knuckles white. "…How do we fight that?"
Noctis summoned his blade, jaw tightening. "We don't have a choice."
Galuf stepped forward, his voice steady despite the fear tightening his chest. "We fight—or we die."
The dragon lowered its head. Lightning danced along its horns.
And then it unleashed hell.
---
The roar that followed wasn't sound. It was power. A storm condensed into a single spell.
Lightning erupted from its maw, a torrent of violet-white arcs that turned the clearing into a furnace. Trees split in half and exploded. The earth itself smoked and cracked under the sheer force.
"Thundaga!" Aerith gasped, thrusting her staff into the ground. A shimmering green dome erupted around them.
Noctis warped beside her, driving a blade into the dirt, his mana streaming into a second barrier layered over hers.
Reks raised his shield, bracing it against the flood of energy.
Galuf roared, planting his sword in the ground and pouring his strength into the barrier. Zack braced Aerith's shoulder, shouting, "Hold it, Aerith! You've got this!"
The storm crashed into them.
The barriers screamed under the weight, cracks spreading like spiderwebs. The lightning battered them from every direction, thunder booming so loud it rattled their bones. Sweat poured down Aerith's face, her hands shaking. Noctis gritted his teeth, his blade vibrating as though it might shatter in his hands.
For a heartbeat, the shields seemed ready to collapse.
Then the storm broke.
The barriers shattered, fading into sparks. Smoke filled the air, the ground steaming. The five staggered, clothes singed, their weapons quivering in their grip.
Reks lowered his shield slowly, his breath ragged. "…That was… just one spell?"
Aerith wiped her brow, her chest heaving. "I've never—never felt magic that strong before."
Zack's usual grin had vanished, replaced with grim determination. "This thing isn't playing around."
Galuf forced himself upright, his blade steady despite the blood at his temple. "Then neither should we."
The dragon growled low, wings flexing, smoke curling from its nostrils. Sparks of lightning danced across its scales as it prepared another strike.
Noctis summoned another blade, his voice calm but edged with steel. "We've faced death before. We can do it again."
But in all their hearts, one truth rang clear.
This was unlike anything they had ever fought.
And far away, in Conde Petie, Sirius felt it all—their fear, their pain, their defiance—through the threads of the trinkets. His eyes closed, his arms folded tighter.
Yes… face it. Break. Rise again. This is what you must learn.
The dragon reared back, its golden eyes burning brighter.
The five stood together, battered and weary, but unbroken.
The true battle was only beginning.