The Last Dragon Heir

The Inheritance Ceremony

Dawn had just broken when the ancient bell of the Drakon Clan rang three times.

Dung… Dung… Dung...

The sound echoed to every corner of the clan's territory; the day awaited by all the young generation had finally arrived.

Inheritance Ceremony Day, the day that would determine who would become the pride of the clan and who would be cast aside.

In the main courtyard, thousands of Drakon Clan members had gathered. The elders sat in a row on the stone stage, while the Clan Leader, Darius Drakon, occupied the highest seat with an expressionless face.

In the middle of the crowd, Kaelan walked alone. The wounds on his face from yesterday’s incident had yet to heal. Every step he took invited whispers full of mockery.

"Look... that illegitimate child actually came."

"Still hoping for a miracle?"

"If I were him, I’d run away rather than embarrass myself again."

Kaelan ignored all those whispers. Inside his chest, a flicker of hope still remained.Maybe today everything will change. 

"All participants, step forward!" An elder stood while raising a golden staff. 

In the middle of the arena was a giant crystal stone two meters tall. Its surface was covered with ancient dragon carvings that emitted a faint glow. That was the Heritage Stone, a stone that would determine the future of each clan member. One by one, the students stepped forward, and as their palms touched the stone, colorful lights filled the sky. 

"Leon Drakon!" 

Leon stepped forward confidently, his hand touching the Heritage Stone. 

BOOM! 

A burst of golden light shot up into the sky. A giant golden dragon emerged from the light, roaring and making the air tremble. 

"Golden Dragon Spirit!" 

"Number one genius!" 

"He truly deserves to be the successor of the Clan Leader!" 

The elders stood, smiling with satisfaction, and even Darius nodded slowly. 

"Very good." Leon turned to Kaelan. 

His gaze was filled with victory as if to say, 'look at the difference between us.'One by one, the other participants stepped forward, creating various bursts of light: Fire Tiger, Ice Wolf, Thunder Bird. They all successfully awakened their respective Spiritual Spirits. Cheers continuously filled the arena until finally, 

"Kaelan Drakon."

The atmosphere suddenly went silent, all eyes on him. Kaelan took a deep breath. He stepped slowly toward the Heritage Stone, his hands trembling, not from fear but because this was his last chance.

He raised his palms and touched the surface of the stone.

One second… two seconds… three seconds...

Nothing happened. The Heritage Stone remained dim. No light, no Spiritual Spirit, no reaction whatsoever.

The silence lasted only for a few moments. Then laughter filled the ceremonial ground.

"Hahahaha!"

The entire arena erupted with laughter.

"I told you!"

"A bastard will always be a bastard!"

"He can't even awaken a spark of energy!"

Kaelan's face turned pale. "No… I can do this…"He tried once again, trying to touch the Legacy Stone, but the result was the same.  

Silence.  

The chief elder shook his head in disappointment.  

"That's enough."  

Kaelan stared at the stone without blinking.  

"Why?" he hissed softly.  

For years he had trained harder than anyone else.  

"Why does the result stay the same?" he said again to himself.  

Leon laughed loudly. "See? Even the Legacy Stone refuses to acknowledge him. People like him only deserve to live with wild dogs."  

Laughter erupted again. Kaelan clenched his fists. His nails pierced his palms until blood dripped onto the floor, yet no one cared.  

At that moment, Darius stood up, and the entire arena fell silent.  

"Kaelan Drakon." The Clan Leader's voice sounded cold. "According to the elders' decision, you have failed the Inheritance Ceremony. From today, your name is removed from the Drakon Clan lineage."  

An elder brought a large scroll containing the names of all clan members and with a red brush, he crossed out Kaelan Drakon's name.The scribble sounded simple, but to Kaelan, it was like erasing his entire life. 

"You are no longer part of the Drakon Clan. Before sunset, leave the clan's territory and never return." 

Kaelan's heart felt empty as he turned to his father. Wishing just once that the man would stop all of this, but Darius only closed his eyes. He said nothing. 

Leon stepped forward with a satisfied smile, he took the Drakon Clan badge from Kaelan's chest. 

"You don't deserve to wear this." Leon threw the badge to the ground and then stomped on it until it shattered into pieces. 

"From now on, you are no one." 

Kaelan stared at the shards of the badge. The symbol he had always tried to protect. Now it was broken like his life. He bent down, not to beg but to pick up the shards of the badge. Slowly, he clenched them until his palms bled. 

"I understand." His voice was very soft, but the whole arena could hear it."Starting today, I am no longer part of the Drakon Clan."  

Kaelan turned and walked away from the arena without looking back at all.  

Behind him, cheers of excitement were heard; not a single person tried to stop him.  

No one, except Elder Garrick—the old man—chased after Kaelan, gasping for breath.  

"Young Master! Wait!"  

However, before he could get closer, a man in a black robe appeared before him, his gaze cold.  

On the man's chest was engraved a black crescent moon emblem; Garrick's eyes widened.  

"Impossible. You are still alive?"  

The man in the black robe only gave a thin smile.  

"Finally, we have found the heir."  

From a distance, Kaelan did not realize that someone was watching him, and from t

hat day on, his exile was no longer merely a punishment but the beginning of a hunt that had been planned for eighteen years.