After sitting in silence, lost in thought over the secrets his grandfather had hidden, Lucas finally rose from the dusty floor of the old house. The air was heavy with unspoken truths, but for now, they would remain unanswered. He stepped back inside.
In the bathroom, Lucas peeled off his torn, bloodstained clothes. The cold water rushed from the faucet as he turned it on, trying to wash away the blood and the weight of everything he'd been through. But the faucet snapped off in his hand. Water sprayed wildly, soaking the room. A frustrated grunt escaped his throat. He jammed the broken piece back into place, and miraculously, the water stopped.
Breathing heavily, he stared at his reflection in the cracked mirror. The blood had been washed away, but something had changed. There were no wounds, no bruises. Nothing. His skin was flawless. "Nice," he muttered to himself. "My healing is supernatural."
Grabbing a bathrobe—barely fitting over his broader frame—he stepped out of the bathroom. His old clothes were in tatters, barely surviving the transformation. Even if they weren't ruined, they wouldn't fit his new body. With a tug, he ripped open his grandfather's wardrobe and found a set of silver pajamas that fit his current build perfectly. He slipped into them, then moved to the bedroom.
The bed creaked, groaned, and then cracked slightly under his weight. He winced. "Damn…" he whispered, lying down carefully. But exhaustion overpowered him before he could think further. In seconds, he was asleep.
While he slept, the Eclipsing Soul Orb deep within his chest glowed faintly. Though Lucas had sealed his cultivation, the orb continued to absorb chaos energy from the world around him. Since it couldn't enhance his cultivation, it focused instead on his greatest remaining weakness—his soul.
Lucas's soul, still human despite the dragon blood and transformation, had struggled to withstand the changes. The orb recognized this flaw. It channeled energy into the soul, nourishing it, strengthening it, reshaping it.
Two full days passed.
On the third afternoon, Lucas stirred.
His eyes fluttered open. The heaviness that had clung to his chest since the transformation—like carrying a mountain—was gone. He stood, stretched, and breathed deeply. Something inside him felt... complete.
He wandered through the house and quickly noticed the unusual cleanliness. Curious, he scanned the walls and floors and found ancient cleansing arrays glowing faintly. "So that's why this place never gathers dust," he murmured.
But what truly caught his attention was how light he felt. No suffocating pressure. No hidden tension. It clicked.
He sat cross-legged on the floor and closed his eyes. A calm wave of awareness spread through him. He dove inward, searching for what had changed.
Then he found it. His soul. Once human, now fully draconic. No flaws. No fragility. It pulsed with power, stabilized by the Eclipsing Soul Orb's careful guidance. He was a Chaos Dragon to his very core.
At last.
He opened his eyes, exhaling slowly. Relief.
He walked into the kitchen. He was starving.
The scent of fresh meat and fruit caught his nose. He found some meat in the cold box and reached for a pan, but it snapped in half as soon as he gripped it. The cupboard handle broke when he tried to pull it.
"Seriously?"
Frustration flared, and for a moment, he questioned whether the Suppression Bracelet was even working. Then he remembered the details: Energy limiter. Activated by controlled Qi. Suppresses aura and energy. Physical strength? Not included.
Of course.
He needed to train his body to control this raw, overwhelming power.
For the next month, Lucas dedicated himself to mastering his strength. Each day, he trained to handle cups without crushing them, doors without ripping them off, pans without bending them in half. It was tedious, exhausting—but necessary. Eventually, he gained just enough control to live normally. Carefully.
He returned to where he had left his torn clothes. On the floor, his phone buzzed faintly. The screen was cracked but still functioning. Dozens of missed calls from his parents. Messages from school. Panic, worry, desperation.
His hand hovered over the device.
Just how do I explain this?
A knock came at the door.
Lucas didn't need to check. His senses told him exactly who it was.
His parents.
He approached the door slowly, suppressing his aura. He gripped the knob with care and opened it.
There they were. His mother and father, faces etched with concern, sadness, and frustration.
His mother stepped forward, anger rising—until she saw him.
She froze.
Not her boy. A man. A giant. Six feet tall, broad shoulders, golden-black eyes, hair flowing like living shadow, his expression calm but powerful. Wearing sleek black pajamas lined with gold.
Her lips parted, but the words caught in her throat. She took a step back, fear flashing in her eyes.
Lucas's heart cracked.
She's afraid of me...
But then—
"Lucas?" his father said, voice steady.
Lucas turned, shocked. His father's eyes didn't waver.
"That's our son."
His mother snapped her gaze back, blinking rapidly. She looked harder—past the change, past the overwhelming presence—and saw it. His eyes. His face.
"Lucas!" she cried, rushing forward and throwing her arms around him. Tears poured down her cheeks. "Where have you been?! We've been calling and calling! We thought something happened to you!"
As his mother clung to him, sobbing against his chest, Lucas stood frozen. The warmth of her embrace didn't soothe him—it burned. Guilt churned in his chest like fire. I made her cry…
The realization crushed him. I never wanted this. I never wanted them to suffer because of me. He clenched his fists behind her back, furious at his own powerlessness. For all the strength he had gained, in that moment, he felt nothing but pathetic.
"I'm sorry, Mom," he said softly. His voice rumbled, deep and regal. She flinched slightly—but didn't let go.
"I wanted to call… but I couldn't. I didn't trust myself not to break the phone. Not to scare you."
She looked up, teary-eyed but strong. "You're still my son."
He nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat. "I didn't mean to worry you."
His father, silent all this while, stepped forward.
"Your grandfather… left something for you, didn't he?"
Lucas nodded.
"I thought so," his father said. "Just because I never asked questions doesn't mean I didn't notice."
There was more behind that voice than Lucas had ever realized.
His father looked him in the eye. "What now?"
Lucas didn't answer. Just stayed silent.