Gray clouds churned violently above the ancient ruins.
The howling wind announced an approaching storm, yet this was no natural disaster.
The storm was being born from a single existence.
A colossal ancient dragon stood at the heart of the ruins.
Its scales glimmered beneath flashes of lightning as it twisted the sky and the earth itself with its power.
Not far from the raging dragon, a small party struggled to stay on their feet.
Their breaths were broken and uneven.
Armor was cracked. Equipment lay shattered.
And one of them was already bleeding.
"How is this possible?! Kai Long is getting even more violent!" a man shouted from behind.
"Haruki, we have to fall back! Now!" cried a red-haired woman, gripping her massive axe.
The man standing at the front slowly drew his katana.
"…I'm sorry," he said quietly.
"I'll buy you some time."
"Haruki! Don't be reckless! We retreat together!" the woman shouted.
"If I run with you…" Haruki said, tightening his grip on the hilt,
"…Kai Long will chase us. All the way to Rastoria."
The words froze the entire party.
Before anyone could stop him, Haruki shoved the woman backward, sending her stumbling toward the wounded member behind them.
A moment later, a barrier of blue fire erupted between them.
"I'm sorry," Haruki whispered again.
The blue flames burned brighter, trembling in the raging wind.
Kai Long roared.
The sky darkened instantly.
Lightning tore through the clouds, striking the ground and the surrounding trees in rapid succession.
The wind screamed, the ruins shook, and the world itself seemed to collapse beneath the dragon's fury.
The darker the sky became, the brighter Haruki's flames burned.
His chest tightened.
If I hesitate now… everyone dies.
As he raised his blade, a desperate voice pierced through the storm.
"HARUKI! PLEASE! DON'T DO THIS!"
He heard her.
He truly did.
But his feet did not stop.
High above the battlefield, a strange yellow light flickered within the clouds.
The woman looked up.
A terrible premonition crawled into her chest.
She screamed his name again.
Haruki never turned back.
He kicked off the ground and surged forward, cutting straight toward the dragon.
At that exact moment, a massive bolt of lightning descended from the heavens.
The light swallowed him.
Yet before the thunder could tear his body apart, something unseen pulled him away.
The storm vanished.
The roar of the dragon disappeared.
The battlefield dissolved.
Haruki collapsed onto soft grass.
A vast open field stretched endlessly before him.
He slowly opened his eyes and lifted his trembling head.
The sky was calm.
Too calm.
Only one thought remained in his mind.
"…Where… am I?"