Return of The Forsaken Heir

CHPT 6

Leo fell down, wind roaring like  thunder. The mountain peaks vanished into the darkness above as the cold air tore at his bleeding clothes. He looked up into the sky, screaming with all the air left in his lungs: "I will not die! Father, I will come back for you!"

Just before his body slammed into the jagged rocks below, a golden light burst from his chest. A golden dragon barrier wrapped around him like a shield, pushing the air away. He crashed into the deep waters of an underground lake, the magical barrier absorbing the deadly force of the fall.

Leo kicked his legs through the water and pulled himself up onto a shore of black marble. He coughed up water, his bruised hands trembling as he looked around the massive underground hall. Towering stone pillars carved with flying dragons held up the ceiling of the ancient Imperial Dragon Vault.

Inside his torn coat, the green Jade Crown began to shine with a brilliant emerald glow. The green light floated into the air, slowly gathering into the shape of a woman in flowing royal silks. A warm, sweet scent of lotus flowers filled the cold cavern as the soft face of Queen Eleanor appeared before him.

Leo froze in place, tears bursting from his eyes as his voice choked in his throat. "Mother..." Leo wept, dropping to his knees on the black stone as he reached out his shaking hands.Am I dreaming? "Is that really you? Mother! "

The glowing phantom of Queen Eleanor knelt beside him. Leo felt a motherly warmth wash over his battered soul, soothing the pain in his broken ribs. "My boy, you have suffered so much for our people," Eleanor whispered softly, her eyes full of tears.

"I tried to protect them, Mother," Leo sobbed, burying his face into her light. "They took your life, they blinded Father, and they broke Lily's legs. I took ten years of torture in the frozen pool, but I was still too weak to save them today."

"You are not weak, my brave son," Eleanor said, gently brushing a soft hand against his bruised cheek. "When you were a baby, imperial assassins came from the Capital to fight us and ensure our family no longer exists . To keep you alive, I placed nine ancient locks upon your dragon core and sealed your true power away."

Leo looked up in shock, his tearful eyes wide with disbelief. "My power was sealed?" he asked, his voice trembling. "I spent ten years breaking nine iron chains in the freezing mountain pool... I thought my master had already awakened my dragon power! Does it still need to be awakened again?"

Eleanor nodded softly, her glowing face filled with tender sorrow. "Your master broke the outer chains to save your life and stir your sleeping blood, my sweet boy," she explained gently. "Your power was awakened, but only at the shallow surface, nowhere near enough to conquer the ruthless enemies who ruined our home."

"Listen to me carefully, Leo, for our time is short," Eleanor warned, her voice growing firm and serious. "The Seven Sects of Dragonfall City are not your only enemies. They are nothing more than greedy dogs serving a terrifying shadow master who sits upon a throne in the Imperial Capital."

Eleanor turned her gaze toward the center of the underground cavern, pointing at a massive stone altar carved like a roaring dragon. "To fight the great storm that is coming, you must unlock what is rightfully yours," she commanded in a soft voice. "Walk to the altar and bathe the sacred dragon stone with your royal blood."

Leo stood up on his legs, wiping the tears from his face as he walked toward the altar. He drew his sharp iron knife and sliced his right palm without hesitation. Blood dripped from his fingers, splashing across the ancient dragon carving on the cold stone.

A deafening dragon roar tore through the underground cavern as the black altar caught fire with golden light . The nine ancient seals locked deep inside Leo’s chest shattered one by one like brittle glass. A boundless river of pure dragon energy erupted through his veins, rushing through every part of his body like lightning.

A loud sound echoed as all his fractured ribs healed instantly, knitting together stronger than iron. The cuts on his arms vanished, the burns on his shoulders smoothed away, and his muscles filled with divine strength. An ancient martial truth flooded his mind, teaching him the supreme Heaven-Shattering Dragon Palm in a single breath.

Queen Eleanor smiled with pride, her glowing form slowly turning into dust. "Take back your birthright, my son," her fading voice echoed gently through the quiet vault. "Reclaim the dragon throne, protect your family, and let the world remember who rules this land."

"I will, Mother," Leo whispered, bowing deeply to the fading light as tears rolled down his cheek. He walked to an ancient stone chest resting behind the altar and pushed the heavy lid aside. Inside lay a flowing robe of black dragon silk and a terrifying iron mask shaped like a roaring dragon.

Leo put on the black dragon robe, fastening the belt tightly around his waist. He picked up the iron mask, pressing the cold metal against his face to hide his identity from the world. In this hour of darkness, the weak beggar Leo was gone; only the lethal Phantom Dragon remained to deliver divine retribution.

Leo bent his knees slightly, feeling the dragon energy humming beneath his skin. With an explosive leap, he shot into the air like a streak of black lightning, scaling the cliff walls with supernatural agility. In mere seconds, he bounded up the rock face, racing toward the top of the gorge.

Up on the surface of the cliff, a storm of rain battered the muddy ground. Victoria stood over the leo family, her silk dress fluttering as her face twisted with cruel malice. She looked down at the helpless father and sister, viewing their existence as a dirty stain she needed to erase.

"Your useless son fell into the abyss and got smashed!" Victoria laughed cruelly, kicking Thomas in the chest, coughing blood as he tried to crawl toward his crying daughter

Clara lunged forward with a furious scream, trying to strike Victoria with her bare hands. But her broken channels failed her, and an armored guard smashed the pommel of his sword into her stomach, dropping her to her knees in the mud. "Stay down, you dead woman!" the guard barked, pressing a heavy boot onto her robes.

Victoria reached down and grabbed Lily by her hair, pulling the sharp dagger from her silk belt. But the little girl did not scream or shed any tears; she locked her eyes on Victoria without a shred of fear. "Do it, you ungrateful traitor!" Lily shouted fiercely. "Strike now! We are not afraid of your blades anymore!"

Thomas pushed himself up from the freezing mud, pulling his frame straight with the unbroken dignity of a true king. "We stayed quiet and endured your cruelty, hoping a shred of your conscience might awaken, What more do you want from us, Victoria? If you came to take our lives, stop this pathetic torture and do what you want do!"

"We treated you as our own flesh and blood, and my son wasted  his own blood on you so you could breathe!" Thomas shouted, his eyes burning with fury. "We treated you fairly,we gave you our warmth, and our love! You owe your entire life to this family, yet you stand there acting like a god!"

Victoria threw her head back, laughing with wicked amusement as the freezing rain soaked her face. "Look at the dying beggars trying to roar like lions!" she mocked, her eyes flashing with pure contempt. "Your sacrifices mean nothing to me! Did you honestly believe your sentimental garbage would make my hand tremble for a single second?"

"You want a swift death? You do not get to choose how you die, old fool!" Victoria hissed, raising the blade high with murder in her eyes. "I will butcher every one of you, and I will make sure this stubborn child dies first!"

Suddenly, the roaring storm stopped dead in its tracks. The flames of every burning torch turned into a cold, ghostly blue light, A bone-chilling aura fell over the cliff ledge, freezing the falling raindrops in mid-air.

A terrifying shadow rose from the edge of the abyss, stepping onto the muddy ground without a sound. Right behind Victoria's back, towering like an immortal god of death, the Phantom Dragon materialized out of the freezing mist.