"Conrad… leave me!
I told you I don't love you…"
She was a young woman, with long black hair, screaming for help from that man with tan skin and ash-blond hair, whose large hand gripped her delicate wrist.
"Leanne…
Why did you choose that man over me…
Am I not noble, while he is…?"
"And what business is it of yours?
I love him, unlike you, scoundrel!"
Conrad woke from that dream, staring at his hand for a long moment, sweat dripping from his forehead.
"Haah…
My dear Leanne, you never leave my dreams.
Don't worry; I've sent your husband and son, and soon it will be your daughter…
…and I will come to you myself after everything is done."
…
Elena stood, exhaustion clear on her face, dark circles under her eyes, showing she hadn't slept since that incident.
"Haah… Your Highness, the Prince, haven't you found anything either?
I searched every corner of the ducal library but found nothing useful."
Kyle, who also seemed sleepless, looked at her.
"Haah… I found nothing about that cursed spell either."
Elena ran her hand through her messy hair and said in a tired voice:
"It's already been four days since that incident…
The problem is… what does 'the beginning of the end' mean?"
Time passed like lightning, uselessly. A whole month had gone by since the incident, and they found nothing.
…
Kyle and Elena stood under the full moon.
"Elena, today is the day."
"Yes, Your Highness…
The day that man appears. We must stay alert; we don't know what they are plotting behind the scenes."
As soon as Elena finished speaking, a thick black smoke appeared, choking the air, a harbinger of doom.
Elena raised her hand to freeze the water vapor in the air, the source of her power, but the smoke seemed to prevent them from using their abilities. She and Kyle drew their swords, stretching their hands behind them, feeling an unseen presence as if from shadow itself.
"Finally…
Today… the day of human annihilation…
And you are the vessels…
O grandchildren of Sun and Ice…"
The masked man whispered these words and vanished as if he had never been there.
"Elena…
That smoke… there's something in it… It can't be…
'Ashes of Twilight'…
My vision is getting blurry…"
Kyle felt his body grow heavy, every muscle freezing, his eyes fogging, his heart racing, and each breath weighed down his lungs.
Elena rushed to him, trying to gather her scattered focus. The poisonous smoke affected her as well, dizziness wrapping around her head, every inhale fighting against her—but she didn't lose her determination despite the pain.
"It can't be… isn't that the forbidden substance that cancels magic?"
Before she could finish, the ash-blond man struck her neck, making her feel a massive weight until she fell unconscious.
"It seems your daughter has a strong will as well…
'Leanne'."
…
Some time later…
Kyle woke to find his eyes blindfolded, hands and feet bound with chains preventing him from using his powers. He whispered almost inaudibly:
"Elena… you're here?"
"Yes… Your Highness…
I don't know where we are, but judging from the wagon's movement, we're heading to the 'Rituals' place…
But why didn't they kill us?"
Kyle leaned close to whisper in her ear, so none of the captors could hear.
"Since they left us alive…
I guess these 'Rituals' need us alive at least for the moment."
Kyle stepped back a little and raised his voice.
"Who are you?
What do you want from us?
Did you risk your lives to kidnap the Prince and the Duchess?"
A large man approached, grabbing Kyle's hair forcefully, his voice rough:
"Do you want to know who we are, haah?
We are the 'Human Garbage'… those who were abandoned.
Of course, since you've lived a life of luxury, you've never heard of us before, you noble scoundrels!"
"Human Garbage…
Aren't you just traitors and criminals?"
The ash-blond man appeared out of nowhere, an aura of immense pressure surrounding him. He gestured to the other man to release Kyle.
"I know you, daughter of Leanne…
I am Conrad, leader of the Human Garbage."
Elena raged, trying desperately to hold back tears of anger, her voice trembling from fury and pain.
"You…
What is your relation to my mother?
Did you kill her?"
Conrad laughed madly, loudly:
"Me, kill Leanne?.. Don't make me laugh…
It seems she passed her hatred for me to you."
"Then what is your connection to her?"
Elena struggled to free her hands from the iron restraints, but their magic strengthened, making her scream in pain.
Kyle rushed to her.
"Elena… what happened?!
Are you alright?"
Elena calmed down a little to loosen the restraints.
"Yes… I'm fine.
But the important thing now… what do you know about my mother, Conrad?"
Conrad sat between Kyle and Elena, arms crossed.
"I was at the Knights' Academy with Leanne and your father…
We were always together, not caring about class differences.
But I fell in love with Leanne at first sight; she was extraordinarily beautiful.
When I confessed, she told me she loved that scoundrel.
After a few years of marriage, she was killed by an assassin in the largest duchy…
It seems he was too weak to protect even one woman.
But 'that person' told me your father caused her death… and promised me revenge if I helped him."
"Who is 'that person' who gave you revenge against my father?
And how did you take your revenge?"
Elena didn't finish asking, as the wagon stopped. Conrad carried Kyle and Elena without answering her.
"It seems we've reached our destination…
Your blood is the key."
Conrad removed their chains and blindfolds, leaving them in a massive summoning circle under the moon, surrounded by ferocious wolves. Their eyes glowed red, saliva dripping from their mouths, fangs like daggers.
"Kill to the last drop… one drop of your blood is enough to awaken the Great Dragon from its deep slumber…"
Kyle's eyes glowed, rage consuming his usual gentle expression, as if he were another person. Small golden spheres formed around him, extremely hot as if fallen from the sun.
He glared at Conrad, standing on the slope above them, full of hatred.
"What dragon do you mean, you bastard?"
Conrad smiled wickedly.
"As the father was, so is the son…
Well, no harm in letting you know what the Rituals are.
We will awaken the Dragon Leader from its deep slumber…
It has not ended as the legends said, but remained in a coma… and now you are standing upon it."
Both trembled at the shock, for who could have imagined that the dragon, rumored to have destroyed entire kingdoms, would awaken under them?
Elena took a deep breath, freezing every water particle in the air into sharp ice spheres. Every step she took sent waves of frost reflecting the bright moonlight.
"And why do you want to destroy the empire?
And why are we the vessels?"
"Hmm… I'll tell you because you are Leanne's daughter.
The vessels are the blood of two descendants of the empire's heroes, not specifically you two.
As for why I chose you…"
Silence fell for a moment before Conrad raised his hand nonchalantly.
"This is the will of 'that person.'
I won't tell you their identity…
But I think now is not the right time to discuss it.
There are hungry wolves."
"You scoundrel!"
The battle began. Elena froze the wolves with ice, Kyle burned them with his sun power, but the wolves were nourished with dark magic, making them hard to kill.
The long, exhausting battle continued. Kyle suffered the most. One wolf leaped from the shadows, attacking him suddenly, blood pouring like rain.
Elena rushed to him, cautiously lowering herself to avoid further injury.
Their blood dripped onto the cursed circle, glowing red as cracks spread across it.
Kyle and Elena held their breath as the circle absorbed their blood.
"No… it will awaken…"
Elena vomited blood forcefully, her vision blurring, frost creeping over her entire body.
Kyle embraced her, trying to warm her with magic, but it didn't work. Tears fell from his eyes unconsciously.
"Elena, don't lose consciousness… please."
Elena fought pain from all over her body. The wolf that wounded her was poisoned. It felt as if a chain tore through her body; she could barely breathe, sweat pouring, hands trembling, clinging to Kyle to not be separated amid the explosion.
A massive blast shook the ground, trees vanished, all animals fled, the moon hid behind clouds.
For a brief moment, a strange calm prevailed… until a golden light broke the silence, blinding, with a roar like thunder, shaking the earth.
The light vanished, revealing what was hidden behind it: the Dragon Leader.
Everyone froze in place from the sheer pressure, even the wind dared not blow from fear.
In a loud, commanding voice that instilled terror:
"Who dares disturb my slumber, I am the Dragon Leader!"
All eyes turned to the enormous being. Its wings covered the sky above, its red eyes shining like gemstones, golden scales glimmering as if it had been underground for centuries.
Conrad trembled, barely able to keep his feet steady.
"Great Dragon…
I summoned you… so you may take revenge on these people who betrayed you…"
The Dragon's pressure intensified, causing Conrad to fall, unable to move a finger.
"And who told you that I want revenge from a mere insignificant human like you?"
The Dragon turned part of its scales toward Conrad to strike, but a barrier of ice protected him.
The Dragon then looked for anyone daring to face it and saw the blue-haired girl standing on Kyle's shoulder, blood covering her, almost at death's door.
With a trembling voice, barely audible:
"I present my respects to the majesty of the Dragon Leader…
I am the Ice wielder, Elena Valdrin, descendant of Raine."
Kyle followed, bowing. His heart raced with fear at standing before the being, but he gathered himself to protect Elena.
"I present my respects to the majesty of the Dragon Leader…
I am the Sun wielder, Lucian Kyle Oristal."
The Dragon's pressure eased, allowing them to stand, but a golden aura surrounded Elena, instantly healing her wounds.
"You are a disgrace to Raine… how can your condition be so pitiful…
Then why did you obstruct my path?"
Elena's tension eased slightly, believing the Dragon's words were a little reassuring—or so she thought.
"This man knows too much; I must extract information from him."
The Dragon remained silent for a long time.
"Fine… I don't care.
Now I will return to my slumber."
Kyle stepped closer to the Dragon, unable to stop his body from trembling but did not yield.
"Majesty of the Dragon… may I ask a question?"
The Dragon smiled mockingly.
"Really… blood does not lie. Bravery and recklessness of Lucian have been passed to you…
What is your question?"
Kyle swallowed to maintain his composure.
"Is there a way to break the curse?"
"A curse? What curse?"
Kyle and Elena froze in shock. If there was no curse, then how did her father die?
Before Elena could ask the Dragon, a masked man emerged from the debris, clapping heatedly:
"Have you realized now it was a trick?
You are as foolish as your father…"
Kyle trembled upon hearing that familiar voice.
"Impossible… don't tell me…
You are behind all this?"