The storm above writhed like a living entity, tendrils of violet lightning crackling across the sky as if the heavens themselves were tearing apart. Wind whipped around them, thick with static and the scent of burning ozone. The platform that Victor Krane had descended from shimmered, retreating into the clouds like a throne vanishing into myth.Sarah and Emily flanked Jack, their eyes wide, locked on the fading light."Did that really just happen?" Emily whispered, her voice trembling."He's merged with the city," Jack said, his voice hollow. "And he’s not hiding anymore."But even as the words left his mouth, a pulse of energy vibrated through the ground. From the swirling shadows cast by the flickering remnants of Celestivariant’s light, a figure emerged.Victor Krane stepped forward—no longer the radiant being from moments before, but something eerier. His face was now obscured behind a sleek, featureless chrome mask that reflected the world around it in warped, unsettling ways. H

Jack stood motionless beneath the still-buzzing remnants of Krane’s neural override broadcast. The air shimmered like a glitch in a broken simulation. His mind, a cascade of strategy and adrenaline, had no room for doubt now.Krane had gone public.He wasn’t hiding in the shadows anymore. He had flipped the script.Across the glowing cityscapes of Draconia, Victor Krane’s voice echoed through every holo-board, screen, and personal interface:"To the people of Draconia... The VK Directive has begun. One forged in truth. In code. In transcendence. The Dragon Corporation once gave you hope. But hope is outdated. Join me—and rise beyond mortality. Resist... and be reformatted."He paused for effect, then added, "Jack Parker and his 'Dragon Empire' have poisoned progress. They fear evolution. They want to preserve their control, their legacy, their lies. But I offer you something more... liberation."The city buzzed with confusion, fear, and debate. Whispers began spreading like wildfire:

Jack stood in the glass-arched command center of Dragon Tower, overlooking the city of Draconia below—its skies finally quiet after the ruinous duel in Harmonfield. Yet the fire in his blood hadn’t dimmed.Victory was deceptive. Krane had vanished, and Jack knew better than to believe it was over.Haida AI’s voice stirred gently in his ear. “Umbra Node fully restored. No sign of further VK tech infiltration. Shall I begin proactive quantum sweeps?”Jack nodded. “Do it. Run deep scans. Monitor all subspace tremors.”“Understood.”As the AI quieted, Ryan Brooks and William Thompson stepped into the room, carrying encrypted tablets and a stack of tactical charts.“Victor Krane won’t sit still,” Ryan began, setting the files down. “He took a beating, but he escaped for a reason. I’d bet everything he’s planning something bigger.”William frowned. “He always does. Krane never fights without a backup play.”Jack folded his arms. “Then it’s time we stop waiting. We drive him out of Draconia—

The road to Reidsville was long and ghostly.Jack Parker stood alone at the helm of the DragonFly ship, its engines silent as it coasted above the forgotten terrain. Only the soft hum of the DragonCom interface kept him company. The world below was a blur of shadows and dead forests, an eerie welcome to a county that once thrived under innovation but now whispered only betrayal.He clutched the Dragon Dagger in his palm, its etched surface glowing faintly with latent code. The weapon pulsed with his heartbeat—steady, resolved, but burning with worry. The glow grew stronger the closer he came to Krane’s former domain, as if it too sensed the lingering residue of darkness.Seven hours passed before he arrived at VK Directive Headquarters.Once a towering monolith of glass, data towers, and VK tech, now it was eerily quiet. Not destroyed. Not operational. Just... abandoned. The landing bay recognized his biometric code, as if Krane had wanted him to come. A welcome trap, perhaps—or a sil

Dawn stretched across Harmonfield in golden ribbons, the sun cresting over the shimmering skyline as if nature itself had decided to honor the return of a savior.Jack Parker stood on the balcony of the estate, arms folded, the weight of the world momentarily lifted from his shoulders. Jackson and Matilda were safe. Sarah was smiling again. And the people of Harmonfield had begun calling him what he’d never asked for—but somehow become: The Dragon.Sarah stepped outside, slipping her arms around his waist. “Happy birthday,” she whispered.He blinked.“I forgot,” he admitted softly. “July twentieth.”She smiled up at him. “The whole city didn’t.”By midday, Eastvale Hotel had transformed into a spectacle.Crimson banners bearing the Dragon insignia flew from rooftops. Floating holographic screens replayed highlights of Jack’s most iconic battles—his confrontation at the Hanging City, the siege of AquaDragon Bay, and now, the Redmond rescue.The atrium was a sea of silver and blue. A st