The echo of his roar had barely faded when silence fell across the ancient temple. Dust swirled slowly in the golden shafts of light that pierced through the broken ceiling. Lucas, standing in the center of a shattered altar, let out a slow breath. The transformation was complete—his body still hummed with chaotic energy, the very air around him subtly warped, as if space itself was adjusting to his presence.
Then, something shifted.
A faint tremor passed through the floor. It wasn't violent—but it felt deliberate, like the temple itself was exhaling after holding its breath for centuries. From high above, embedded in the old stone ceiling, a crystal dislodged and fell.
Lucas caught it without thinking.
It was small—no larger than a coin—but its surface glowed with soft light. The moment his fingertips touched it, the crystal shimmered… and a beam of light burst forth, forming a wavering image in front of him.
He gasped.
There stood his grandfather. Not aged and weak as in his final days—but tall, proud, cloaked in the robes Lucas remembered from his childhood. His eyes were sharp but kind. His presence was unmistakable.
Lucas didn't hesitate.
"Grandpa—!" he choked out, stepping forward with outstretched arms, desperate to embrace him.
But his hands passed through the light.
He froze.
The image smiled gently. "You must have rushed to hug me, didn't you?" his grandfather said with a soft chuckle. "I know you, kid. How many times have I told you? Control your emotions, even in moments like this."
Lucas swallowed hard, his heart aching at the sound of that familiar voice.
"This is a video crystal," the projection continued. "It was sealed to this temple and bound to my last breath of will… set to awaken only when touched by Chaos Energy."
He looked directly at Lucas now. Not the image, but him. The message was personal, not automated. Prepared for one person and one person only.
"If you're hearing this… then I was right to believe in you. You've awakened. You've become something no one else in this world has ever been."
The image flickered slightly, but his voice remained steady.
"You are the first Chaos Dragon ever born into existence—not just a being of power, but a miracle. A dragon, child of eternity, bearer of a body born from chaos itself. You've become something beyond race, beyond fate. Your very existence echoes through the fabric of creation."
Lucas could feel it now. The weight of it. Not as pressure—but as a promise.
"When you awakened, the Immortal Realm felt it," his grandfather continued. "A wave of energy so pure, so raw, it shook the heavens. I placed a barrier long ago to hide your presence from their eyes. That veil still holds… but the truth is, the world now knows. They don't know your name. Not yet. But they know… something new has risen."
Lucas's eyes burned. His hands trembled.
"But before you take your next step," the voice said gently, "you need to understand the world you're walking into."
The image shifted slightly, and with it came the tone of a man who had seen too much—and carried it anyway.
"Let me tell you a story. One buried by time. The story of two worlds—and the war that tore them apart."
"Once, long ago, there was only one world. Mortals and immortals lived under the same sky. Cultivators trained in peace, scholars shared knowledge, and harmony reigned—until a man named Zeroth Malakar changed everything.
"He was once a brilliant cultivator. A prodigy with a thirst for power and understanding. But that thirst… it rotted into obsession. He began experimenting with forbidden arts. He believed that mortals were born to serve as fuel for greater beings. And so, he crafted the Heaven-Eating Ritual—a monstrous technique that consumed mortal souls to feed his power."
Lucas's fists clenched at the words.
"Villages disappeared. Cities fell silent overnight. He masked his deeds well, until the day the heavens could no longer ignore the screams beneath them."
The image grew darker, shadows swirling around his grandfather's figure.
"To stop him, the Immortal King, Raelis Valen, rose from the heart of the World Palace. A ruler, yes—but more than that, a protector. Raelis was wise, kind to those beneath him, but when battle called… he became a storm of wrath."
The scene flickered again, as if remembering.
"The war that followed nearly unmade the world. Raelis defeated Zeroth, but at great cost. Fearing that such evil could rise again, he sacrificed himself to form the Great Barrier—a living wall of will, separating the Immortal Realm from the Mortal World."
The tone softened.
"But the barrier was not just a wall—it was his last breath made flesh. It watches. It judges. No immortal may pass into the mortal realm without losing everything… and no mortal may rise unless deemed worthy by the barrier itself."
Lucas listened, frozen, feeling the threads of history knotting around his path.
His grandfather's image stood tall again.
"Now, the Immortal Realm is ruled by six great powers. The Three Great Kingdoms, the Two Grand Sects, and the World Palace."
He raised a hand, and as he named each, their images shimmered into view behind him.
"The Beast Kingdom, home to the non-human races—dragons, demons, devils, phantoms, and the luminous Celestial Hosts. They rule through merit and council, with strength and wisdom weighed equally."
"The Skyfire Kingdom, where flames and lightning shape the warriors of tomorrow. Soldiers forged in storms, defenders of the skies."
"The Verdant Moon Kingdom, mystics and guardians of time, illusion, and memory. They know the past—and whisper of futures yet to come."
"The Eternal Soul Sect, devoted to the cycle of life and death. Their cultivation dives deep into the soul."
"The Heaven's Edge Sect, warriors of blade and bone, mastering the body itself to ascend."
"And at the center," his grandfather said with reverence, "stands the World Palace. Still ruled by Raelis's bloodline. But remember—there, the crown is never inherited. It is earned. Through trials. Through sacrifice."
The image faded slightly.
"You, Lucas… you walk toward this world now."
The light began to dim, but the warmth of the message remained.
"No road ahead will be easy. No throne stands empty without reason. But you… you are not a shadow. Not anymore."
His grandfather looked at him one last time. No projection. No legend. Just a man who had loved a boy more than the world.
"I don't know how much longer I have left even in this form. But if you remember anything… remember this: You were never alone. Even when I was gone, I was walking with you."
Lucas stood frozen as the light finally flickered out.
Silence returned to the temple.
But now, the silence felt different. Like the calm before thunder.
Lucas exhaled slowly. He wasn't trembling anymore.
He looked toward the broken doors of the temple.
And for the first time in five years… he took a step forward.