Chapter 21The morning sky over the Imperial Arena was heavy with tension. Magical runes shimmered across the stone walls, reinforcing the stadium against the sheer force that was expected to be unleashed.Adrian stood in silence behind the gates, his cloak fluttering lightly with the breeze. The muffled sound of cheers, jeers, and chanting rose from beyond, echoing like the heartbeat of a beast waiting to devour him.Aurelius's voice whispered calmly in his mind. Focus not on their noise, but on your purpose. Observe. Adapt. Survive.“Easier said than done,” Adrian muttered, his hands trembling not from fear but from restraint.Outside, the audience swelled with excitement. Nobles from across the empire filled the stands, their ornate carriages parked beneath rows of royal banners. The Emperor himself watched from a high, floating dais an enigmatic figure wrapped in golden robes and guarded by high-mages.Seraphina sat in the front row, wringing her hands. Beside her, Lyrixa watched

Chapter 23Adrian didn’t wait for permission.The moment his strength returned, he shattered the reinforced crystal walls of the medical quarantine chamber with a burst of concentrated spiritual force. Crystal shards scattered across the room, triggering alarms throughout the academy.His breath was ragged, body trembling. He hadn’t fully recovered. The black energy still coiled deep inside him, pulsing like a heartbeat. But he didn’t care.Seraphina was out there. Alone. And in danger.“Aurelius,” Adrian growled, slipping on his cloak and retrieving a short-bladed staff he’d forged in secret, “tell me exactly how bad this could get.”The ancient voice echoed grimly in his mind. You’re still unstable. The curse lingers like poison beneath the surface. If you overuse your power again, your core could collapse. Worst case…“I die. Yeah. Got it.” He tied the cloak tighter. “I’ll take the risk.”You’re starting to sound like a true dragon-blood, boy, Aurelius muttered, almost proud.As he

Chapter 25The echo of Seraphina’s scream hadn’t faded before Adrian launched forward, power flaring violently around him. He didn’t care about the wards, the cultists, or the risk to his cursed body. All he saw was her Seraphina, bound, broken, and bleeding at the center of a ritual meant to tear his very soul apart.“Stop the ritual!” Adrian roared, dark energy crackling along his arms like unstable lightning.The lead cultist the gaunt man with inked runes all over his face didn’t flinch. Instead, he offered Adrian a chilling smile.“You’re right on time, Void Heir. She knew you’d come. She made sure of it.”Adrian froze for a fraction of a second. “What…?”The man gestured toward Seraphina’s trembling form. “Ask her.”Seraphina lifted her head slowly, her face pale but her eyes bright with unwavering fire. “I had to, Adrian… They were going to come for you anyway. This was the only way I could protect you and learn how to stop them.”Adrian’s heart twisted. “You let yourself be ba

Chapter 27The Holy Dragon Empire was no longer the shining bastion Adrian remembered. As he and his group crested the final ridge before the capital, a wave of bitter silence fell over them. Where gleaming towers once stood proud, now hovered banners of foreign dominion. Streets were filled with soldiers in black and crimson armor, their foreign dialect echoing off the broken walls of once-sacred shrines.Smoke curled into the sky like a mourning veil.Adrian’s heart sank. His father's empire had fallen not in glorious battle but through betrayal.“Travis...” he muttered, eyes narrowing as he spotted the former prince’s face painted across banners flapping above the city gates. The smirk was unmistakable. "He's not just wearing the crown. He’s wearing our shame."“He sold us out,” Lyrixa hissed, her dragon Stormveil growling low beneath her. “Aligned with foreign scum just to rule.”Arlena’s eyes were calm, but unreadable. “He didn’t just align with them. He orchestrated it. My sourc