The world did not end right away.
That confused a lot of people.
After the system declared the Reclamation Era active, many expected fire in the sky or dragons falling from the clouds. Some expected cities to crumble. Others waited for judgment.
None of that happened.
Instead, the world held its breath.
Aren felt it clearly. The pressure did not fade after the system message. It settled. Like a weight placed gently but firmly on his shoulders.
The new interface hovered in front of him. It looked different from before. Darker. Simpler. There were fewer words, but they felt heavier.
[Reclamation Authority: Active][Primary User: Aren Valen]
Kael stared at the screen, then at Aren. "You look the same," he said. "But also not."
Aren slowly stood on his own. His body no longer felt weak. The shaking had stopped. His breathing was steady.
"I feel… present," Aren said after a moment. "Like I was half asleep before."
Seris Elowen watched him closely. "That is dangerous."
Aren met her gaze. "So was pretending nothing was wrong."
Halverin turned away, scanning the horizon. Gates were opening and closing in the distance as observers fled to report what they had seen. None of them stayed.
"They will not attack you immediately," Halverin said. "They will gather. Argue. Decide who gets you."
Kael snorted. "As if he is an object."
Halverin looked at Kael. "Everything powerful becomes one."
The ground trembled faintly again.
This time, the system reacted before Aren could ask.
[Localized Dragon Signal Detected][Distance: Near]
Kael stiffened. "That is close."
Seris raised her staff. "Too close."
Aren felt it too. Not fear. Recognition. Something was approaching, fast and unhidden.
A shape burst from the tree line at the edge of the ruined land. It did not fly. It ran. Each step cracked the ground beneath it.
It was not Kael.
This dragon was smaller, leaner, its scales dark green with sharp ridges along its spine. Its eyes burned amber with fury.
It skidded to a stop when it saw Aren.
The dragon shifted.
Bones cracked. Scales folded inward. In seconds, a woman stood where the dragon had been. She wore torn clothes and had long dark hair tied back roughly. Her eyes were still amber.
She dropped to one knee.
The sound echoed.
Kael's breath caught. "She bowed."
The woman pressed her fist to the ground. "You accepted the call."
Aren did not know what to say. "I did."
She lifted her head slowly. "Then the silence is broken."
The system updated immediately.
[Dragon Identified][Name: Virexa][Bloodline: Ash Ridge][Status: Awakened]
Seris took a step back. "That fast…"
Virexa stood and looked around. Her gaze lingered briefly on Halverin, sharp and full of old hatred.
"You," Virexa said. "You still breathe."
Halverin met her stare without flinching. "Someone had to."
Virexa scoffed. "You buried us alive."
"You burned the world," Halverin replied.
Aren raised his voice. "Enough."
Both of them turned to him.
Aren did not shout. He did not need to. The word carried weight.
Virexa studied him more closely now. "You are young," she said. "Too young."
"I know," Aren said.
Kael stepped closer to Aren. "What do you want."
Virexa's lips curved slightly. "To kneel is tradition. To bleed is proof."
Kael stiffened. "No."
Aren held up a hand. "Explain."
Virexa looked at him. "The first awakened dragon must mark the Reclamation. Blood binds the call."
Seris shook her head sharply. "That ritual was outlawed for a reason."
Virexa laughed. "You outlawed dragons too."
The system reacted again.
[Ritual Detected][Consent Required]
Aren frowned. "What happens if I refuse."
Virexa tilted her head. "Then others will challenge you. Stronger ones. Hungrier ones."
Kael stepped in front of Aren instinctively. "They will have to go through me."
Virexa smiled at him. "You are already bound. That makes you weak."
Kael's eyes flared gold. Heat rippled outward.
The system intervened.
[Bond Stability Warning]
Aren placed a hand on Kael's arm. "Not now."
Kael clenched his jaw but nodded.
Aren looked at Virexa. "What does the ritual do."
"It declares you acknowledged by blood," Virexa replied. "It tells the others that you are real. Not just a system error."
Halverin laughed quietly. "They will smell weakness either way."
Aren ignored him.
"If I agree," Aren said, "who bleeds."
Virexa did not hesitate. "I do."
Seris stiffened. "That will bind her to you."
Virexa shrugged. "I am already bound. We all are. We just pretended we were not."
The system flashed.
[Bloodline Expansion Possible]
Aren's heart skipped. "Expansion."
Kael looked at him sharply. "Aren."
Aren took a slow breath.
He did not want an army. He did not want worship. He wanted truth. But truth had consequences.
"Do it," Aren said.
Virexa smiled, sharp and satisfied. She drew a blade from her side. Without hesitation, she sliced her palm.
Blood hit the ground.
The earth reacted instantly.
Light flared upward, wrapping around both of them. The system exploded with notifications.
[Blood Oath Registered][First Bloodline Accepted][Ash Ridge Aligned]
Aren gasped as heat surged through his body. Not pain. Weight. Responsibility.
Virexa hissed softly, then laughed. "It begins."
Kael stared at the screen. "You just gained followers."
Aren looked at his shaking hands. "I did not ask for this."
The ground shook again. This time, it was not distant.
Another roar echoed. Then another.
Seris whispered, "They are coming."
Halverin's expression hardened. "Too many."
The system delivered one final message, slow and deliberate.
[Multiple Dragon Approaches Detected][Bloodline Challenges Imminent]
Virexa wiped the blood from her hand. "They will test you," she said. "Some will kneel. Some will try to kill you."
Kael stepped closer to Aren. "Then we fight."
Aren looked at the horizon, where shadows were already moving in the sky.
"No," Aren said quietly.
Everyone turned to him.
"We endure," Aren continued. "And we choose who deserves to stand."
The system responded.
[Leadership Authority Confirmed]
Far away, the first challenger roared.
Closer than before.
And this time, it did not come alone.