Mira's voice came out shaky, trembling in a way that Asta had never heard before. She was always confident, always sure of herself, even in dangerous situations. But right now, she sounded like a child who'd just realized the monster under the bed was real."I know those eyes." She repeated, her words barely above a whisper. Her gaze was locked on Jabber or whoever was wearing Jabber's face,with an intensity that bordered on hypnotic. She couldn't look away even though every instinct was probably screaming at her to run. "Those aren't human eyes. That's... that's..."The figure wearing Jabber's body turned away from where Asta stood and slowly rotated his head to face Flora and Mira instead. The movement was too smooth, too fluid, like joints that should have limits of motion somehow didn't. His neck tilted at an angle that should have been uncomfortable, and those glowing purple eyes fixed on both girls with an attention that felt predatory.The reaction was immediate and visceral

Asta's eyes widened so suddenly it was almost comical. His whole body jerked slightly, like he'd been shocked, and his hand came up reflexively to touch the side of his head as if he could physically locate the source of the voice that had just spoken directly into his skull.‘Wait…’ He thought back, his mental voice uncertain, testing whether this was actually real or if he was having some kind of stress-induced hallucination. ‘Can we talk telepathically? Is that actually possible?’The dragon wearing Jabber's body stood there, purple eyes fixed on Asta with an intensity that felt almost physical. His lips didn't move, but the voice in Asta's head carried clear amusement, like someone enjoying a joke that only they understood.‘Isn't it obvious?’ The dragon's mental voice was smoother than his spoken one, lacking those layered harmonics but carrying a different kind of weight,ancient, knowing, infinitely patient. ‘You have a dragon sealed inside you. I have a dragon sealed inside

MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE CRIMSON ACADEMY…The hallways of the administrative wing were quieter than the rest of the facility, insulated from the noise of training grounds and student dormitories by thick stone walls and careful architectural design. Old man Kael walked through these corridors with the measured pace of someone who'd made this journey many times before, though never particularly enjoyed it.His escort,a young guard with crisp uniform and rigid posture,walked slightly ahead and to the left, leading him through the maze of passages that all looked identical to anyone who didn't work here regularly. The guard's boots clicked against polished marble floors with military precision, each step exactly the same length as the last.They passed doors marked with brass nameplates indicating various administrative offices: Records and Registration, Student Affairs, Disciplinary Committee, Combat Assessment Division. The building was like a small city unto itself, housing all the bure

MEANWHILE, BACK AND DEEP INSIDE THE DUNGEON...The chamber echoed with the sounds of combat,grunts of effort, the clash of weapons against scaled hide, the hiss and crackle of flames being deployed with desperate precision. Cassian Xavier's elite squad was fighting what they hoped,prayed,would be the last of the lower-ranked flame beasts guarding this section of the dungeon.This one was putting up more of a fight than the others. It was larger, meaner, and seemed to understand basic tactics instead of just charging blindly like most of its kind. Garrett's hammer came down with tremendous force, cracking the stone floor where the beast had been standing a moment before, but the creature had already dodged to the side with surprising agility for something so bulky."Kira, left flank!" Cassian shouted, his voice hoarse from smoke inhalation and extended combat.Kira responded immediately, her precision flames lancing out to intercept the beast's attempted retreat. The fire caught it

Cassian felt his confusion deepen, mixing with the fear and horror already churning in his gut. The Emperor Flame Beast,this impossibly powerful creature that had just killed Jakob without effort, that had laughed off Cassian's strongest attack,was reacting to something with what looked like genuine shock."Is what?" Cassian demanded, his voice strained. "The only flame that can kill you is what? Tell us!"But Kraznor wasn't paying attention to him anymore. The beast's massive head remained turned toward the chamber entrance, its burning eyes fixed on something the squad couldn't see yet. Its body had gone rigid, tense in a way that suggested it was preparing for a threat.When it spoke again, its voice was quieter, almost reverent, and definitely trembling. "This is... this cannot be. You are sealed. You are supposed to be sealed. I felt the binding myself, felt the emperor's power locked away behind barriers that nothing should be able to break."Cassian and the rest of the squad