The first thing Caelmir heard was the sound of steel breaking.
CLANG!
A knight was thrown through the corridor and crashed against a marble pillar.
The impact shattered his armor.
He fell to the ground without moving.
Caelmir stared at him.
For a second, his mind went completely blank.
Then reality returned.
"Your Highness!"
The soldier who had grabbed Caelmir's arm tightened his grip.
"We have to move!"
Caelmir didn't answer.
His eyes remained fixed on the fallen knight.
That armor...
He knew it.
The man had been one of the Imperial Knights stationed near the eastern wing.
He had probably been standing there only a few minutes ago.
Now he was dead.
Just like the people in his nightmare.
Caelmir's breathing became heavier.
This isn't a dream.
Another explosion shook the palace.
BOOOOOOM!
The ceiling cracked.
Dust rained down.
Several nobles screamed somewhere behind him.
"Move!"
The soldier pulled Caelmir away just as a section of the ceiling collapsed.
CRAAASH!
Marble crashed onto the floor.
Caelmir stumbled backward.
His heart was pounding.
"What is happening?"
"We don't know!"
The soldier looked toward the burning exterior.
"They appeared without warning."
"Who?"
The soldier hesitated.
Then his face turned pale.
"Dragons."
Caelmir already knew.
He had seen them.
But hearing the word spoken aloud made the situation feel even more real.
"How many?"
"I don't know."
"How many?"
The soldier swallowed.
"At least twenty."
Caelmir's eyes widened.
Twenty?
Twenty dragons?
Even one dragon was considered a catastrophic threat.
The oldest texts described them as creatures capable of destroying cities.
And there were at least twenty attacking the capital.
"Where is the King?"
The soldier looked away.
"We lost contact with the royal wing."
Caelmir's heart sank.
"My mother?"
"We don't know."
"And Célénia?"
The soldier remained silent.
Caelmir grabbed him by the armor.
"Where is my family?"
"I said I don't know!"
The soldier's voice cracked.
"We're losing communication with every section of the palace!"
Caelmir released him.
For the first time, the prince understood something.
The Imperial Guard wasn't in control anymore.
Nobody was.
The strongest kingdom in the archipelago was collapsing around them.
And it had happened in minutes.
Caelmir looked toward the windows.
Beyond them, the sky had become a battlefield.
Golden flames streaked across the clouds.
Massive silhouettes flew between the towers.
Some dragons were covered in crimson scales.
Others were black.
One was entirely white, its body shining like polished silver.
But they all shared one terrifying characteristic.
Their eyes glowed gold.
A dragon descended toward one of the palace towers.
Its enormous wings generated a hurricane.
Knights were thrown from the walls.
Then it opened its mouth.
A golden light gathered inside.
Caelmir's pupils shrank.
"Get down!"
The dragon unleashed its breath.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The tower disappeared.
Not collapsed.
Disappeared.
Golden fire swallowed it completely.
Caelmir could feel the heat from where he stood.
His face became pale.
What kind of power is that?
The soldier beside him stared in horror.
"That's impossible..."
Caelmir looked at him.
"What?"
"That was a defensive tower."
The soldier's voice trembled.
"It was reinforced with a seventh-tier barrier."
Caelmir's eyes widened.
A seventh-tier barrier.
And the dragon had destroyed it with one attack.
Another roar echoed through the sky.
This time, it was followed by something else.
A bell.
A massive bell from the highest tower of the palace.
BOOOOOONG!
One strike.
Then another.
BOOOOOONG!
Caelmir recognized the sound.
The Celestial Emergency Bell.
It had only been used three times in the history of the kingdom.
Once during the Demon War.
Once during the invasion of the northern kingdoms.
And once when the Celestial Sea itself had nearly swallowed the capital.
Its meaning was simple.
The kingdom was facing extinction.
Caelmir felt cold.
"This can't be happening."
The soldier looked at him.
"Your Highness..."
Caelmir turned.
"What?"
"Your father ordered us to find you."
Caelmir froze.
"My father?"
"Yes."
"Where is he?"
"The throne room."
Caelmir immediately started walking.
The soldier grabbed his arm.
"Your Highness, wait!"
"I need to see him."
"The royal family is evacuating."
"I don't care."
"Your father specifically ordered us to take you to the evacuation point."
Caelmir turned around.
"And where is my mother?"
The soldier hesitated.
"We were told the Queen would be escorted separately."
Caelmir's jaw tightened.
He didn't like the answer.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
His nightmare returned.
He saw his mother's face.
Covered in blood.
He shook his head violently.
No.
That wasn't real.
It couldn't be.
"Take me to the throne room."
"Your Highness—"
"That's an order."
The soldier stared at him.
For a moment, he seemed surprised.
Perhaps he had never heard Caelmir speak in such a tone.
The lazy prince was gone.
At least for now.
The soldier finally nodded.
"Understood."
They ran.
Caelmir had never run through the palace like this before.
The beautiful corridors he had known his entire life were now covered in rubble.
Paintings had been torn from the walls.
Statues had been shattered.
Golden decorations lay scattered across the floor.
Blood stained the marble.
Every few meters, they encountered wounded soldiers.
Some were being carried away.
Others were still fighting.
The screams never stopped.
"Protect the northern corridor!"
"Don't let them reach the children!"
"Where are the healers?!"
"Get the barrier back online!"
"Fall back!"
"FALL BACK!"
The Imperial Knights were trying to establish defensive lines, but the dragons were tearing through them effortlessly.
Caelmir passed a group of knights preparing to charge.
Their faces were pale.
Some were praying.
Others were gripping their swords so tightly that their knuckles had turned white.
One young knight noticed Caelmir.
"Prince Caelmir!"
He lowered his head.
"Stay safe, Your Highness."
Caelmir stopped.
The knight smiled.
It was a nervous smile.
"Your Awakening... I hope it was powerful."
Caelmir didn't know what to say.
The Matrix's words echoed in his mind.
Status: Chosen.
Mission assigned: Survive the imminent genocide.
He looked at the knight.
"I hope so too."
Then he continued running.
He didn't notice the knight staring after him.
They finally reached the central staircase.
Or what remained of it.
Half of the enormous staircase had collapsed.
The soldier pointed upward.
"The throne room is above us."
Caelmir looked at the destruction.
"We can't climb that."
"We have another route."
They turned into a smaller corridor.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
A wall exploded.
The soldier immediately pushed Caelmir to the ground.
A wave of golden fire passed over them.
The soldier screamed.
His armor began to glow.
Caelmir looked up.
"Get up!"
The soldier didn't move.
Caelmir grabbed his arm.
"Get up!"
The soldier's eyes opened.
He looked at Caelmir.
Then he smiled weakly.
"Go..."
"What?"
"Go, Your Highness."
His armor cracked.
Blood trickled from his mouth.
"I'll hold it back."
Caelmir stared at him.
Behind the destroyed wall stood a dragon.
It wasn't one of the enormous dragons from the sky.
This one was smaller.
Perhaps ten meters long.
But that was still more than enough to terrify a human being.
Its scales were black.
Its eyes burned gold.
It slowly lowered its head.
Caelmir's body froze.
The dragon stared directly at him.
For some reason—
Caelmir felt as though it recognized him.
The creature opened its mouth.
Golden light began gathering between its teeth.
The soldier stood.
"RUN!"
Caelmir moved.
He sprinted down the corridor.
Behind him, the dragon roared.
BOOOOOOM!
The entire corridor shook.
Caelmir didn't look back.
He ran faster.
His lungs burned.
His heart hammered.
His mind was screaming one thing.
Run.
The same word from his nightmare.
The same warning from the mysterious figure.
He finally reached a large doorway.
He pushed it open.
And froze.
The throne room was empty.
"Father?"
Nothing.
The enormous chamber was in ruins.
One of the royal banners had been torn apart.
The two thrones were damaged.
The stained-glass window above them had shattered.
Caelmir stepped forward.
"Father!"
Still nothing.
Then he noticed something.
Blood.
A trail of blood stretched across the floor.
Caelmir followed it.
His heart pounded harder with every step.
The trail disappeared behind the throne.
Caelmir slowly walked around it.
Nothing.
Only a broken sword lay on the ground.
He recognized it immediately.
His father's sword.
Not Astra Dominus.
A smaller ceremonial blade.
Caelmir picked it up.
His fingers trembled.
"Where are you...?"
A voice answered.
"Caelmir."
He spun around.
"Mother?"
Seraphine stood at the entrance.
Her golden hair was disheveled.
Her dress was torn.
Blood covered one side of her face.
But she was alive.
Caelmir felt an enormous weight leave his chest.
"Mother!"
He ran toward her.
She caught him and pulled him into an embrace.
For the first time that day, Caelmir felt safe.
"You're alive."
Seraphine held him tightly.
"Of course I'm alive."
She pulled away and examined him.
"Are you injured?"
"No."
"Are you certain?"
"I'm fine."
She looked into his eyes.
Then her expression changed.
"You've awakened."
Caelmir hesitated.
"Yes."
"What did the Matrix show you?"
Caelmir stared at her.
He remembered the message.
The genocide.
He opened his mouth.
But before he could speak—
BOOM.
The palace shook.
Seraphine's face turned pale.
"He's here."
Caelmir frowned.
"Who?"
She looked toward the ceiling.
"Your father."
"Where?"
"Fighting."
"Against the dragons?"
Seraphine didn't answer.
Caelmir understood.
"How strong are they?"
"Too strong."
Those two words were enough.
Caelmir had never heard fear in his mother's voice before.
Not like this.
Then another explosion shook the palace.
This one was different.
A wave of pressure swept through the throne room.
The windows shattered completely.
Caelmir was thrown backward.
Seraphine grabbed him.
"Stay behind me!"
The ceiling above them cracked.
Something enormous passed overhead.
A shadow.
Then—
A figure crashed through the roof.
BOOOOOOM!
Stone and debris exploded everywhere.
Caelmir fell to the ground.
He looked up.
A man stood in the center of the ruined throne room.
Arthur Crownveil.
Blood covered his royal clothes.
His cape was torn.
His hair was disheveled.
And in his hand—
Astra Dominus.
The King's sword was drawn.
Its blade glowed with an intense silver light.
Caelmir stared.
"Father..."
Arthur looked toward him.
For a moment, relief appeared in his eyes.
Then his expression hardened.
"Caelmir."
He pointed toward the eastern balcony.
"Take your mother and leave."
Caelmir shook his head.
"What?"
"Now."
"But—"
"That is an order."
Arthur's voice shook the room.
Caelmir had never heard him speak like that.
The King turned toward the shattered ceiling.
Something was approaching.
A roar echoed above them.
Arthur raised Astra Dominus.
His aura exploded.
The entire room trembled.
Seraphine grabbed Caelmir's shoulder.
"We have to go."
"But Father—"
"Your father knows what he's doing."
Caelmir looked at Arthur.
The King didn't turn around.
"Caelmir."
His voice was calm.
Almost peaceful.
"Whatever happens..."
A pause.
"Survive."
Caelmir froze.
The same word.
Again.
Survive.
Arthur finally looked at him.
"And remember what it means to be a Crownveil."
The ceiling exploded.
A gigantic golden claw descended toward the throne room.
Arthur raised his sword.
"GO!"
Seraphine dragged Caelmir toward the eastern balcony.
Caelmir resisted.
"Father!"
Arthur shouted without looking back.
"CAELMIR!"
The prince stopped.
Their eyes met.
For one brief moment, Caelmir saw something he had never seen in his father's eyes.
Fear.
Not for himself.
For his son.
"Run."
Caelmir's fists clenched.
Then he turned.
He ran.
Behind him came a deafening roar.
Astra Dominus collided with something enormous.
The shockwave threw Caelmir and Seraphine through the balcony doors.
They landed on a lower platform.
Caelmir turned around.
"Father!"
The throne room disappeared beneath a wave of golden flames.
Caelmir screamed.
"FATHER!"
Seraphine grabbed him.
"Caelmir!"
He struggled against her.
"Let me go!"
"We have to leave!"
"He's still in there!"
"He ordered us to leave!"
"I don't care!"
Seraphine slapped him.
Silence.
Caelmir stared at her.
Tears had appeared in his mother's eyes.
"Your father chose to stay."
Her voice trembled.
"Don't make his sacrifice meaningless."
Caelmir froze.
Another roar shook the heavens.
He looked toward the burning throne room.
Then toward the sky.
The dragons were everywhere.
And suddenly, Caelmir understood.
His Awakening hadn't given him a glorious beginning.
It had given him a warning.
The kingdom he had always considered invincible was falling.
His family was being torn apart.
And the Matrix had given him only one command.
Survive.
Caelmir slowly wiped the blood from his cheek.
His expression changed.
The fear remained.
But something else appeared beneath it.
Determination.
He looked at his mother.
"Where are we going?"
Seraphine took a shaky breath.
"The evacuation platform."
"And Célénia?"
Silence.
Caelmir's heart sank.
"Mother."
"We don't know where she is."
He looked toward the burning palace.
His sister was somewhere inside.
His father was fighting.
His kingdom was dying.
And Caelmir had no idea what to do.
Then a golden dragon descended from the clouds.
Its enormous wings covered the sun.
Its eyes locked onto him.
For a moment, everything became silent.
The dragon opened its mouth.
Golden flames began to gather.
Caelmir stared at it.
His body moved before his mind could react.
A strange sensation surged through his veins.
Something awakened inside him.
Something ancient.
Something that had been sleeping all his life.
The ground beneath his feet cracked.
Seraphine's eyes widened.
"Caelmir..."
The prince looked down at his hands.
A faint blue light was beginning to glow beneath his skin.
He smiled.
Not because he wasn't afraid.
But because, for the first time since the attack began—
he could feel it.
Power.
The Matrix had chosen him.
And perhaps...
there was a reason.
The dragon roared.
Caelmir raised his head.
His sapphire eyes began to glow.
"Alright."
His fingers slowly curled into fists.
"If you want me..."
The blue light around his body intensified.
"...come and get me."
The golden dragon unleashed its flames.
And Caelmir's Awakening truly began.