The dust had barely settled from the clash between Jade's older siblings, and yet the energy in the air hadn't dispersed. If anything, it had only grown heavier charged with pride, excitement, and a quiet anticipation that pulsed like thunder beneath the surface.
The training ground was filled with spectators now staff, retainers, family friends—all drawn in by the rare spectacle of the Ryan clan showcasing their strength. A family of warriors, revered and feared, bound not just by blood, but by the blade.
Jade remained seated at the edge of the arena, arms crossed, observing every detail. His eyes weren't just watching the fights—he was dissecting movement, posture, breathing, flow. The precision of his brother's steps, the follow-through on his sister's swings. He didn't cheer, didn't grin. He studied.
His father, still on the field, turned his head briefly. Their eyes met.
> "Still not stepping in?" he asked, voice calm, eyes sharp.
Jade gave the faintest nod. "Not yet."
His father gave a small smirk and turned back to the next match.
The next duel commenced—two cousins, both competent, but lacking the polish of the direct bloodline. Even so, the crowd roared. Laughter echoed. Spirits were high. This was more than a tournament; it was a celebration of legacy.
And yet, amidst the heat of battle and the scent of upturned soil, something shifted.
It began subtly. A rustle. A twitch in the wind. The birds stopped chirping.
Jade's fingers instinctively curled around the hilt of the short blade strapped to his lower back.
A sound—low, unfamiliar, dragging.
At first, no one noticed it. Then someone at the far edge of the grounds turned toward the tree line. A hush fell over the training arena as a heavy silence swallowed the laughter.
From beyond the forest's edge, shadows began to move. At first just one. Then more. Then many.
Dark shapes. Slow. Predatory.
Figures in tattered black cloaks emerged, their bodies slightly hunched, their limbs too long to be human. Red eyes glowed beneath hoods. The temperature dropped.
"Form a perimeter!" Jade's father barked.
The Ryan warriors reacted instantly. What had been friendly rivalry snapped into deadly formation. Shields raised, spells activated, and steel was drawn.
Jade's body moved before his mind could. His senses heightened, dragon blood humming beneath his skin.
One of the creatures stepped forward. Its hood fell back, revealing skin charred like coal, fanged teeth protruding from its twisted mouth.
> "Ryan blood… Dragon blood," it hissed. "We have come for the green flame."
Eyes turned to Jade.
He didn't flinch. He stepped forward.
His sister grabbed his wrist. "Stay back—"
He shook her off. "No."
Jade walked past his siblings, his cousins, the guards. His breath was steady. His heart didn't pound.
He stood five feet from the demon-like invader and spoke clearly.
> "You came for me. So here I am."
The creature's grin widened. "Good."
It lunged.
But Jade was faster.
In a blur, he stepped sideways, grabbed the creature's arm mid-strike, and drove his elbow into its face. A crunch echoed. The creature staggered, black ichor spilling from its nose.
Then the rest attacked.
From the treeline, a wave of shadowy figures poured forth.
The Ryans did not hesitate.
Blades met claws. Magic burst across the field. Arrows flew. Screams rang out.
Jade's mind went still, but his body moved with precision. He ducked beneath a swipe, struck low at the knee, rolled sideways to avoid a blast of dark energy. His blade sang as it moved through air and flesh alike.
Beside him, his sister wielded a massive hammer, crushing anything that came too close. His brother dashed between enemies like wind, slicing throats and leaving corpses behind him.
But Jade moved with something else—something primal. Not rage. Not fear.
Clarity.
A voice whispered in his mind.
> Let me out.
He hesitated. That voice—it wasn't his. It came from within, deeper than instinct.
The green dragon.
He gritted his teeth. "Not yet."
He didn't need it. Not here. Not now.
---
The tide of enemies began to thin. But then, without warning, a bolt of crimson fire exploded from the treeline, knocking back five warriors at once.
Jade looked up.
A new figure stepped forward—taller than the rest, armored in obsidian, its presence suffocating.
The demon general.
Its voice echoed through the field. "You're stronger than we expected, boy."
Jade said nothing.
The demon lifted a jagged black spear and pointed it directly at him.
> "Come face me. Show me if you're worthy of the title they whisper in the underworld."
Jade exhaled slowly, then stepped forward.
His father's voice boomed across the field. "Jade, wait—"
"I have to."
He moved past his father, through the defensive line. Alone.
The demon grinned.
The duel began.
---
Jade charged first. His blade clashed against the demon's spear in a burst of sparks. The ground cracked beneath them.
The demon retaliated with a spin and a downward strike, but Jade sidestepped, slicing along its arm. Black blood sprayed.
> "Not bad, green flame," the demon snarled.
Jade's mind was clear. His body reacted faster than thought.
Another slash. Another parry. He jumped over a sweeping strike and landed a blow to the demon's chestplate.
But then—
The demon spoke a word in an ancient tongue.
A shockwave burst out, flinging Jade backwards. He hit the ground hard, skidding through dirt.
The demon walked forward. "You fight well. But you're not him yet. You haven't awakened."
The world spun around Jade. Pain exploded in his ribs. His vision blurred.
> Let me out.
The voice again.
He felt the heat swell in his chest.
A memory: Kieran, smiling. "Your journey's just beginning."
Another voice: the Heaven Emperor. "Only by keeping him safe can we hope to avert the dark omens..."
He clenched his fist.
> "Fine."
His eyes flared with green light.
---
A roar erupted from Jade's throat low and primal. The air thickened. Energy pulsed from his body.
Scales shimmered along his arms.
His canines lengthened.
His blade ignited with emerald flame.
Gasps echoed across the training ground.
Jade stood not as a boy, but as something else.
The demon's eyes widened. "So… you have awakened."
Jade vanished in a blur and reappeared behind the demon.
One strike.
Clean.
The demon staggered, a deep gash across its chest.
> "You're not ready," Jade said. His voice was deeper. Older.
The demon charged.
So did Jade.
The collision shook the earth.
But when the dust cleared, only one was still standing.
Jade.
The demon fell to its knees, then disintegrated into ash.
---
The training ground was a mess of wreckage and smoke. Healers rushed to the injured. Fires were put out. The Ryan clan stood, weary but victorious.
Jade walked toward his father.
His siblings stared at him like they didn't know him.
"Are you... alright?" his father asked.
Jade looked at his hands, still flickering with green flame. Then he looked at his father.
> "I don't know."
His voice trembled. The power still buzzed inside him.
"It's awake now," he whispered.
His father nodded solemnly. "Then we'll have to prepare."
Jade turned his eyes to the sky.
He could feel it now more than ever before.
Something was coming.
Something worse.
And now, there would be no hiding from it.