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Reborn: The Golden Dragon Burns Them All englishsub fullmovie
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00:00I am the second princess of Clan Aurelion, pureblood golden scale, and I fell in love with a filthy black
00:07serpent.
00:08In my past life, I chose him at the selection rite, insisted on him as my bonded mate.
00:13I was the one who defied every voice in Clan Aurelion to drag him out of the serpent's abyss and
00:19up to Drake's fire.
00:20We spent every night together, and on our wedding day, the black serpent I dreamed of for years
00:26drove a blade straight through me, three months pregnant.
00:30I collapsed in a pool of my own blood. Draven's voice was full of disgust.
00:34If you hadn't been in the way, I would have had Isoleeth long ago. You deserve this.
00:40Only then did I understand. From the very beginning, he'd had his eyes on my sister, the one already chosen
00:47as the next Archon.
00:49Isolde nestled into his arms, her foot slammed into my bleeding chest.
00:54Pathetic little wretch.
00:56The pain through my heart sent tremors down every limb. With my last breath, I curse you both to ruin
01:04without end.
01:06And if fate grants me another life, I'll be all the one holding the blade.
01:13My eyes open. I'm standing on the sacred altar. Wind howls across Drake's fire, carrying ice and the scent of
01:20stone. I'm alive. No. I'm reborn.
01:24My father, the man who died long ago in my previous life, touches my shoulder. A quiet reminder.
01:32Seraphina, you're the one who insisted on bonding with the Black Serpent. Why are you standing there like you've seen
01:37a ghost?
01:38Bonding? I look down past the sacred altar. The serpent candidates stand in a line, waiting to be chosen. The
01:45selection rite.
01:45I've returned to the day I chose my bonded mate. Father.
01:51A voice cuts me off. Draven Vos steps out of the line. He walks right past me, his gaze burning
01:56toward Isolde behind me. He drops to one knee.
02:00Lord Artron, with all due respect, my heart does not answer to obligation.
02:04It knows only one name, and it is not Seraphina.
02:08He lifts his head toward Isolde.
02:09I wish only to stand beside the first princess, Isolde. For the rest of my days.
02:15Dead silence. Father's expression darkens.
02:19Everyone knows the Black Serpentine claim half-Leviathan blood, but the lineage is impure.
02:24By every rule, Draven Vos has no right to set foot on the sacred altar.
02:29I'm the reason he's here. I liked him. I chose him.
02:33I forced Father to make an exception, to let a serpent stand before dragons.
02:37And now, moments before the bond ceremony begins, he slaps me across the face in front of everyone.
02:44David's eyes were cold, contemptuous, and full of calculations.
02:48It hits me at once. He's reborn too.
02:51Draven thinks bonding with my sister will rocket him to the top.
02:54What he doesn't know is that who becomes the true Archon of Clan Aurelion isn't his choice.
02:59It's mine.
03:00This time around, without my designation, I'd love to see how far either of you climb.
03:06Father erupts. His dominance aura crashes down like a man's life.
03:11Draven's knees buckle. His forehead hits stone.
03:14You forget what you are.
03:15Seraphina is the second princess of Clan Aurelion.
03:19Do you think you're choosing livestock at market?
03:22Even with the Archon's aura grinding his joints to the breaking point,
03:25Draven refuses to yield. He speaks through clenched teeth.
03:29Lord Archon, what is my crime? Must I bond with the second princess simply because she fancies me?
03:35I love the first princess, Isolida.
03:37The first princess trains day and night, treats everyone with grace.
03:42The second princess is reckless, idle, never once honed her power.
03:47If any of you were in my position, who would you choose?
03:51Every word sounds sincere, but I know exactly what's behind it.
03:55In the last life, he learned Isolde was father's chosen successor.
03:59Bond with the Archon's chosen.
04:01Share the ancestral power.
04:03Catalyze his impure Leviathan blood.
04:05Evolve into a true Leviathan.
04:07It's never been about love.
04:09It's about leverage.
04:11Father's fury deepens.
04:13The dominance aura intensifies.
04:14A filthy serpent daring to judge my daughter!
04:18You have a death wish!
04:20Father, stop!
04:22Isolde steps out from behind me.
04:24Her cheeks flush pink.
04:26Her eyes glistened with just the right amount of tears.
04:29Every word of Draven's confession, she heard it all.
04:32I accept him.
04:33Stunned silence.
04:34Father stares at her.
04:36Isolida, do you hear yourself?
04:39He is Seraphina's chosen mate.
04:41And Draymond Vos is nothing more than a mongrel serpent.
04:45Bonding with him would only drag you down.
04:47Before he finishes, Draven produces an obsidian case from inside his robes.
04:52He kneels again, presenting it to Isolde with both hands.
04:55The lid opens.
04:57Inside lies a pearl.
04:59I offer this to the first princess.
05:02Someone in the crowd recognizes it instantly.
05:04A Leviathan pearl!
05:05I glance at it, lower my lashes.
05:08Leviathan pearl.
05:09An ancient relic from the depths of the serpent's abyss.
05:12Nine out of ten who search for it, never come back.
05:14In my last life, I burned through every resource the clan gave me trying to find one for Draven.
05:19He'd held me close, voice soft.
05:21It's just a myth, Sarah.
05:23Don't waste yourself on it.
05:24The pearl was in his hands the whole time.
05:26And now, to win my sister's favor, he pulls it out without a second thought.
05:30Everything I gave him.
05:32A joke.
05:32Isolde takes the obsidian case, deeply moved.
05:35She flicks a glance at me, sharp, triumphant.
05:39Then turns to father.
05:40Tears shimmer.
05:41Her voice trembles just enough.
05:43My whole life, you favored Serafina.
05:47And now, finally, someone chooses me!
05:51Would you tear that away from your own daughter, just for Serafina's sake?
05:55Father hesitates.
05:56His gaze lingers on the Leviathan pearl.
05:59Then he turns to me.
06:01Serafina, don't make this difficult.
06:04If his heart lies with your sister, let it go.
06:06Don't be unreasonable.
06:07I close my eyes.
06:09A bone-deep exhaustion settles over me.
06:12Isolde and I share a father.
06:13That's all we share.
06:14Her mother, Ilara, was an iron-scale dragoness.
06:18The lowest subspecies among dragonkind.
06:21She died shortly after giving birth to Isolde.
06:23Too weak to survive.
06:24Father later married my mother, the previous female archon of clan Aurelion.
06:29Pure blood, golden scale.
06:31Her blood and her rank made me the rightful heir from the moment I drew my first breath.
06:36But growing up, even the clan could see it.
06:38Father measured us on two completely different scales.
06:41With Isolde, he was a merciless drillmaster.
06:44He threw her into the bone wastes as a child and never looked back.
06:47Even when she crawled home covered in wounds, he wouldn't let her shed a single tear.
06:52You are my daughter.
06:54Weakness is not yours to claim.
06:56With me?
06:57Even though my raw talent surpassed Isolde's, he said he worried I'd suffer on the path of cultivation.
07:03Without hesitation, he pulled me out of training entirely.
07:06You don't need to be strong, Sarah.
07:08Just be happy.
07:09To everyone else, I was the pampered princess.
07:12But I knew the truth.
07:13This wasn't love.
07:14It was a leash.
07:15He was raising me to be useless.
07:17In my past life, I wandered deep into the clan crypts by accident.
07:21Found father kneeling before a black obsidian tombstone.
07:25The name carved into it.
07:26Ilara.
07:27His voice was low, tender.
07:28Nothing like the way he spoke to me.
07:30Ilara, my love.
07:32After all these years, it is still you.
07:34It has always been you.
07:37Rest easy.
07:39I've kept my promise.
07:41The girl knows nothing.
07:42Not her power.
07:44Not her birthright.
07:45Nothing.
07:46Our daughter will have everything she deserves.
07:49I stood in the dark.
07:50Ice spreading through my veins.
07:52He wasn't spoiling me.
07:54He was making sure I'd never threaten Isolda.
07:56Father wanted me to choose Draven Vos, a black serpent with low standing.
08:01Once bonded to him, no one in the clan would ever take me seriously.
08:04And now, Draven has produced a Leviathan Pearl.
08:07Father seizes the chance to boost Isolda's power.
08:10Pins the label of unreasonable on me.
08:12Orders me to step aside.
08:15Fine.
08:16You want it?
08:16Take it.
08:17I agree too fast.
08:18Father blinks.
08:19Draven's eyes flicker.
08:20Isolda, though.
08:21She walks up to me.
08:22Voice coated in honey.
08:24I only want what's best for you, little sister.
08:27After all, a forced bond breaks both.
08:32Tell you what.
08:33She smiles, scanning the crowd.
08:36Pick another mate.
08:37I'll bond with Draven.
08:39You'll have your own match.
08:40And Father can stop worrying.
08:41Father watches Isolda with open adoration.
08:44But they both know the truth.
08:45Every candidate invited to the sacred altar today is a serpent.
08:49And aside from Draven, not one of them stands out.
08:51I don't bother with her games.
08:53I raise my hand lazily and point in a random direction.
08:56That one.
08:57I'm pointing at a silver serpent.
08:59In human form, he's unexpectedly striking.
09:02Pale skin.
09:03Silver irises with slit pupils.
09:05A lean frame.
09:07Wiry but strong.
09:08Almost a match for Draven Voss in appearance.
09:10But his mana is so faint it barely registers.
09:13A candle about to gutter out.
09:15If black serpentine blood is considered low,
09:17then silver serpentine, in the eyes of dragonkind,
09:21is nothing more than a worm with scales.
09:23Apart from shifting into human form,
09:25they have almost zero combat ability.
09:27The silver serpent freezes when my finger lands on him.
09:30Isolde presses her hand to her lips, feigning concern.
09:33Each word drips with just enough sweetness to cut.
09:36Oh, Sarah.
09:38Are you sure?
09:39He looks...
09:40fragile.
09:41I'd hate for him to reject you, too.
09:43The silver serpent speaks.
09:45No hesitation.
09:46No way.
09:48I accept.
09:49The entire crowd flinches.
09:51Even I pause.
09:52He walks straight out of the line,
09:54stops before me,
09:55and extends a pale, slender hand.
09:58Your Highness.
10:00My name is Kale.
10:01A beat of silence.
10:03His voice drops.
10:05Quieter.
10:05Almost to himself.
10:07I've always wanted you to know it.
10:09I take his hand.
10:11It isn't cold the way I expected.
10:12A warmth I didn't anticipate.
10:14In that instant, the skin over my collarbone flares hot.
10:18Kale's grip tightens around my fingers.
10:20He lifts his head, looks straight into my eyes.
10:22His silver irises reflect my face.
10:24If you'll have me,
10:27I swear on my blood and my bones.
10:30Not in this life or any other.
10:33Trey you.
10:34Or leave you.
10:36Golden divine light
10:37flips the sky
10:38and cracks across the sacred altar.
10:40Ceiling is open.
10:42The flash lights up his face.
10:43Something inside my chest
10:45cracks open,
10:46melts.
10:46Kale is the first person
10:48in two lifetimes
10:50who chose me
10:50without a single moment of hesitation.
10:53The corner of my mouth
10:54lifts on its own.
10:55A voice
10:56shoves its way in from the side.
10:58Draven stands with his arms crossed,
11:00looking down at Kale like an insect.
11:02Your Highness.
11:03Silver serpentine
11:04have virtually no Morna.
11:06Bonding with him
11:07won't do a thing for your power.
11:09Kale lowers his head slightly.
11:11Not avoidance.
11:12Habit.
11:12He's heard this too many times.
11:14The smile on my lips goes cold.
11:15What's wrong, Draven?
11:17Jealous?
11:18And let's be clear.
11:20You call silver serpentine lowborn?
11:23Does black serpentine blood
11:25run any nobler?
11:27The smirk on Draven's face
11:28turns to stone.
11:29I catch it.
11:30The hatred that flashes
11:31across his features.
11:32A fraction too slow to hide.
11:35In my past life,
11:36I wasn't blind.
11:37I chose him over every candidate
11:38because he once saved my life
11:40in the bone wastes.
11:41That was the first time
11:42anyone shielded me
11:43with their own body.
11:44I thought it was real.
11:45Now he humiliates me
11:47in public
11:47and clings to my sister
11:48for power.
11:49So don't expect me
11:50to play nice.
11:51I turn to face the clan.
11:52From this day forward,
11:54Kale is under my protection.
11:56He is mine.
11:58My gaze sweeps the crowd.
12:00Touch him
12:01and you answer to me.
12:03The crowd shrinks back
12:04half a step under my stare.
12:06Draven's fists clench.
12:08Whatever makes you happy,
12:09your highness.
12:10Kale's fingertip brushes mine.
12:12I turn to look at him.
12:13Those silver slit pupils
12:15fix on me.
12:16Fragile, trembling,
12:17and impossibly bright.
12:18You're the only one
12:19who ever saw me.
12:20Something slams against my ribs.
12:22Enough.
12:24It's time.
12:25Begin the soul bond right.
12:27Four of us step into
12:28the runic circle
12:29at the center
12:29of the sacred altar.
12:30Ancient dragon script
12:31blazes to life
12:33beneath our feet.
12:34Divine lightning strikes.
12:35The altar channels it,
12:37tearing soul fragments
12:38from each pair
12:38and branding them
12:39into irreversible bonds.
12:41But the power gap
12:42between dragon
12:43and serpent is vast.
12:45The bond's energy
12:46surges from the stronger vessel
12:47to the weaker,
12:48seeking balance,
12:49like a flood
12:50pouring into a creek.
12:52Both serpents buckle at once.
12:54Draven collapses
12:55under the force.
12:56Blood spills
12:57from the corner of his mouth.
12:59He struggles to lift his head,
13:00reaching toward Isolde.
13:02Isolde, please, help me.
13:04Isolde starts to extend her hand.
13:06Father stops her cold.
13:07Serpent,
13:09your blood is barely worthy
13:10of my daughter
13:11as it stands.
13:13If you can't endure this,
13:15then it's your fate.
13:16Draven's eyes go wide.
13:17He stares at Isolde,
13:19the same woman who blushed
13:20while accepting him moments ago,
13:22now standing safely
13:23outside the circle.
13:24Her expression is calm.
13:25Deren,
13:26I am the next Archean
13:27of Clan Avelion.
13:28Every drop of my martyr
13:30is precious.
13:31So,
13:32I can't give you any.
13:34Disbelief carves itself
13:35across his face.
13:36On my side,
13:37Kale is in just as bad shape.
13:39Silver scales surface
13:40along his neck and arms.
13:42His body convulses.
13:43I raise my hand
13:44to channel mana into him.
13:46Kale lurches back.
13:47Your Highness,
13:48the First Princess is right.
13:50If I can't endure
13:51the Bond's power,
13:53then it means
13:54I'm not worthy of you.
13:55They call you Lowborn
13:57and you just accept it?
14:00We're bonded now.
14:03That means we live
14:04and die together.
14:06So shut up.
14:07I grab his shoulder.
14:09Mana pours from my palm,
14:11flooding into his body
14:12in a steady,
14:13relentless stream.
14:14Golden Dragonfire
14:15threads along
14:16the Bond's pathways,
14:18flowing into him.
14:19And then I notice
14:20something strange.
14:21Kale's body
14:22absorbs my mana
14:23with impossible efficiency,
14:24as if he was born
14:26to receive this exact power.
14:28For the weakest serpent alive?
14:30Makes no sense at all.
14:32Now isn't the time to ask.
14:34I file the anomaly away.
14:36The soul bond rite ends.
14:38Draven lies,
14:39soaked in sweat and blood,
14:41pinned to the ground,
14:42jaw locked,
14:43crimson still leaking
14:44from his mouth.
14:46Kale stands untouched.
14:47I feel Draven's stare.
14:49Turn to meet it.
14:51His eyes are dark,
14:52resentful,
14:53as if I owe him something.
14:54Last life,
14:55Draven barely took a scratch.
14:57I was always the one
14:58fighting his battles.
14:59Now he's chosen
15:00the clan's anointed
15:01next Archon,
15:02and nearly died
15:04during the bond ceremony.
15:05And he has the nerve
15:06to look at me?
15:07I mouth one word at him.
15:09Ice cold.
15:11Deserved.
15:12Isolde doesn't notice
15:13the exchange.
15:14Her eyes close.
15:15She sinks into
15:16the fresh mana
15:17coursing through her,
15:19satisfaction spreading
15:20across her face.
15:22Father,
15:23the Covenant has spoken.
15:26I'm ready to receive
15:27the Archon's flame.
15:29The crowd stirs
15:30with excitement.
15:31Every new Archon's ascension
15:32triggers the dragon's resonance.
15:34The resonance releases
15:36ambient mana
15:37that nourishes
15:37every dragon present,
15:39pushing them past barriers,
15:41sometimes by an entire rank
15:43or more.
15:44Father beams.
15:45The sacred altar is cleared.
15:47Isolde stands at the center
15:49of the open circle.
15:50She glances at me,
15:52motionless on the sideline,
15:53and her lip curls.
15:54Sarah,
15:55I understand you're upset
15:57about Drahan,
15:59but that's no reason
16:00to stand in the way
16:01of the resonance.
16:04Would you drag
16:05the entire clan down
16:06with you?
16:06The crowd catches it.
16:08Murmurs swell.
16:10Your Highness,
16:11settle your quarrel
16:12with the first princess
16:13in private.
16:14Don't delay the resonance.
16:15Draven was right.
16:16The second princess
16:17can't compare
16:17to the first princess.
16:18If it were me,
16:19I'd choose
16:20the first princess too.
16:22Draven smiles.
16:23Sarah,
16:24everyone can see the truth.
16:26I must have been blind
16:27to ever stand by you.
16:29Kale's brow furrows.
16:31He shoulders Draven aside,
16:33steps in front of me,
16:34and gently presses
16:35his hands over my ears.
16:36Their words are poison.
16:38Don't let them in.
16:39The weight on my chest lifts.
16:41I give him a real smile,
16:43then turn toward Isolde,
16:44basking in her victory,
16:46and speak calmly.
16:48Islein,
16:49you will never be Archie,
16:51and the Covenant
16:52will not grant you the flame.
16:53If you try,
16:54the resonance will destroy
16:56your power from the inside out.
16:58A beat of silence.
16:59Then the crowd bursts
17:00into laughter.
17:01Draven folds his arms,
17:02contempt dripping
17:03from every glance.
17:05Who are you to judge
17:06the first princess?
17:07If she can't be Archie,
17:09who can?
17:10You?
17:11Enough of this nonsense.
17:13Father's expression hardens.
17:16Seraphina,
17:17step aside.
17:18A flick of the wrist,
17:19mana shoves me and Kale
17:20to the edge of the platform.
17:22Isolde locks eyes with me,
17:23triumphant.
17:24Watch closely,
17:25Seraph.
17:26Watch what centuries
17:28of sacrifice look like.
17:30Isolde stands at the heart
17:31of the sacred altar.
17:33She unleashes her mana.
17:34A deep hum resonates
17:36through the stone.
17:37Power radiates outward.
17:38The ground shudders.
17:42Pillars of golden light
17:44converge from every direction.
17:46Ancestral echoes
17:47of countless dragon bloodlines
17:49answer the call,
17:50weaving together
17:51into a thunderous,
17:52sky-darkening tide
17:54of resonance.
17:55Isolde stands at the center,
17:57poised,
17:57regal.
17:58Layer upon layer
18:00of golden energy
18:01nits itself
18:01into a breathtaking tapestry.
18:03A net of staggering power.
18:05The clan watches,
18:07mesmerized.
18:08The dense mana
18:09begins to disperse,
18:11drifting toward
18:11every dragon present.
18:13Then,
18:14confusion.
18:16Strange.
18:16Why can't I absorb
18:17any of it?
18:18Same here.
18:19It just
18:20passes through me,
18:22like it doesn't
18:23recognize me.
18:24More voices,
18:26more unease.
18:27Heads turn back
18:28toward Isolde
18:29on the altar.
18:30She doesn't notice.
18:31Still lost
18:32in the moment,
18:33the ritual concludes.
18:34She bows to heaven
18:35and earth,
18:36then raises her voice.
18:38I, Isolet Aurelion,
18:39firstborn of the golden scale,
18:41call upon the dragon's
18:42re-resonance.
18:43Grant me the Archon's flame.
18:45Silence.
18:46Nothing happens.
18:48Panic flickers
18:49across her face.
18:50She prostrates herself,
18:52calls out again.
18:53I, Isolet Aurelion,
18:55invoke the right of ascension.
18:57I, Isolet Aurelion,
18:59I, Isolet Aurelion,
18:59This time,
19:00she gets an answer
19:01from me.
19:02I stand beside Kale,
19:04voice steady.
19:05You can kneel
19:05until your scales crack.
19:07The answer
19:08is no.
19:10Dead silence.
19:11Every pair of eyes
19:13in the clan
19:13turns to me.
19:15Father thinks
19:15I'm sabotaging
19:16the ceremony.
19:17Combined with
19:18Isolde's failed succession,
19:19his rage boils over.
19:21His full dominance aura
19:23crashes down,
19:24driving me to my knees.
19:26Seraphina,
19:27you have never
19:28disappointed me
19:29more than today.
19:30I've indulged you
19:31in everything.
19:33But this,
19:34this is the clan's future,
19:36and you keep
19:37sabotaging it.
19:40Today I'll discipline you
19:41on your mother's behalf.
19:43He raises his hand.
19:44Mana compresses
19:45into a force field,
19:46hurtling toward my face.
19:48I watch it come,
19:49calm.
19:49Draven stands nearby,
19:50suddenly anxious.
19:51Seraphina,
19:52just apologize,
19:53now.
19:54Do you actually
19:55want to get hit?
19:55The blast
19:56is inches away.
19:57He flinches,
19:58self-preservation
19:59kicks in,
20:00and darts to the side
20:01without a second thought.
20:02Then Kale
20:02launches himself forward.
20:03His eyes shift
20:04from silver
20:05to pure white.
20:06Slit pupils
20:07contract to pinpoints.
20:08Silver scales
20:09erupt across his neck
20:10and forearms.
20:11A low,
20:12guttural hiss
20:12tears from his throat.
20:13Half-shifted,
20:14he throws himself
20:15in front of me
20:16and takes the Archon's
20:17full-force strike
20:18head-on.
20:19Blood sprays
20:20from his mouth
20:20once,
20:21twice,
20:22three times,
20:23and he crashes
20:23backward into me.
20:24His fingers claw
20:25at my arm,
20:26trying to push
20:26his last scraps
20:27of mana
20:28into my body.
20:29Kale,
20:30truly,
20:30completely,
20:31for me.
20:32Father sees a serpent
20:33openly defy him.
20:34Fury consumes
20:35what's left
20:36of his restraint.
20:36He begins charging
20:37another strike.
20:38In the same breath,
20:39I lean down,
20:40wrap my arms
20:41around Kale,
20:41and whisper
20:42against his ear.
20:43Don't be afraid.
20:43The Covenant of Flame
20:45answers to me.
20:46Father's attack
20:47never lands.
20:49A bolt of golden
20:50dragon fire
20:51descends from
20:52the heavens.
20:52Boom.
20:53It hits Father
20:54dead on.
20:55Scales to bone,
20:56everything scorches
20:57black.
20:58But that's only
20:58the beginning.
21:00One bolt.
21:01Two.
21:01They hammer down
21:02like divine tribulation
21:03made personal.
21:05By the end,
21:06Father is blasted
21:07back into his
21:07beast form.
21:10Isolde
21:11gapes at me.
21:12Serafina,
21:13what did you do
21:14to Father?
21:15I pull my hand
21:16from Kale's
21:17healed wounds
21:18and rise slowly.
21:20Centuries ago,
21:21my mother gave
21:22her life
21:22defending Clan
21:23Aurelion
21:24against the
21:24Dark Horde.
21:25The ancient
21:26dragon god
21:26Pyrasis
21:27honored her
21:27sacrifice
21:28with a divine
21:29gift to her
21:29bloodline.
21:30I,
21:30Serafina of
21:31Aurion,
21:31second princess
21:32of Clan
21:32Aurion,
21:33hold the
21:33right of
21:34designation.
21:34Anyone who
21:35strikes me
21:35will face
21:36divine
21:36repriotion,
21:37and anyone
21:37who harbors
21:38malice towards
21:39me will never
21:39be Arcan.
21:40I don't
21:41believe you!
21:41You're lying!
21:43You're nothing!
21:44You haven't
21:44grown a single
21:45rank in
21:46centuries!
21:47You!
21:48Designate
21:48Archon!
21:49You must have
21:50sabotaged me!
21:51Set some trap!
21:52I won't let you
21:53get away with
21:53this!
21:54She charges
21:55at me,
21:55her flawless
21:56features twisting
21:57into something
21:58feral.
21:59I exhale.
22:01You're no
22:01exception.
22:03Golden
22:04Dragonfire
22:04falls on
22:05Isolde.
22:06Her cultivation
22:06is nowhere near
22:07Father's level.
22:08The bolts
22:09chase her
22:10across the
22:10platform.
22:11Scrambling,
22:12stumbling,
22:13all dignity
22:13stripped away.
22:14The same
22:15clan members
22:15who worshipped
22:16her moments
22:17ago don't
22:17dare move
22:18an inch.
22:19Sarah,
22:20you hid this
22:21from me.
22:22If you told
22:23me the truth,
22:23I wouldn't
22:24have done it
22:24this way.
22:25I laugh.
22:26Scalding tears
22:27roll down.
22:28I wouldn't
22:29have what?
22:29I wouldn't
22:30have put a
22:30blade through
22:31my heart?
22:32Derevan,
22:33didn't I tell
22:33you?
22:34Yes, I can
22:34never be Arpen
22:35myself, but
22:37bond with me.
22:38Stay
22:38faithful, and
22:39on the day
22:39I ascend, you
22:41would have
22:41evolved into a
22:42true Leviathan.
22:43Our children
22:44would have
22:44inherited the
22:45covenant, but
22:46you didn't
22:47believe me.
22:47Do you know
22:48why you were
22:48reborn with
22:49me?
22:49Because the
22:50moment I
22:51died, the
22:51bond tore
22:52your soul
22:53apart with
22:53mine.
22:54My death
22:55was yours.
22:56You just
22:57didn't feel
22:57the blade.
22:58Thraven
22:58stumbles
22:59backward.
23:00He looks
23:01down at the
23:01bond mark on
23:02his hand, the
23:03one tying him
23:04to Isolde.
23:05The color
23:06drains from
23:06his face.
23:07A dragon's
23:08roar erupts
23:09from the
23:10sacred altar.
23:11Isolde, scorched,
23:12humiliated by
23:13divine retribution,
23:15consumed by
23:16jealousy over the
23:17power I hold,
23:19loses the last
23:20thread of
23:21reason.
23:21The dormant
23:22void taint in
23:23her iron scale
23:23bloodline ignites.
23:25She shifts into
23:26beast form.
23:27Golden scales begin
23:28to darken at the
23:29edges.
23:29Her eyes bleed from
23:31gold to the empty
23:32black of the void.
23:33Her dragon form
23:34warps, twists,
23:36until she looks
23:36less like a noble
23:37dragon and more
23:38like something that
23:39clawed its way
23:40out of an abyss.
23:42Why?
23:44Why's her mother
23:45purebred and
23:46mine was not?
23:48Why does she get
23:49everything without
23:50lifting a finger?
23:51I refuse to
23:52accept this.
23:53It should all
23:54be mine.
23:56She attacks
23:57indiscriminately.
23:58Corrupted dragon
23:59fire sprays in
24:00every direction.
24:01Clan members
24:02scatter, screaming.
24:04The sacred altar,
24:05once solemn and
24:06revered, becomes an
24:08inferno.
24:10Father drags himself
24:11toward me in
24:12beast form.
24:13Tears line his
24:14reptilian eyes.
24:16Sarah, please.
24:19Spare Islet.
24:20This is all my
24:21fault.
24:21I was wrong.
24:22I should never
24:23have done what I
24:24did to you.
24:25But she has
24:25trained for
24:27centuries.
24:28I can't watch
24:29her lose
24:30everything.
24:31I look into
24:32his eyes.
24:32My mother's
24:33last words
24:34echo back.
24:35Sarah, I
24:37hate him.
24:37You know what
24:38the saddest part
24:39of my life is?
24:40I can never
24:41compete with a
24:42ghost.
24:44There is one
24:45way to save
24:45her power.
24:46Hope flares
24:47in his gaze.
24:49Darren is bonded
24:50to Islet.
24:51He bears half
24:52her karmic
24:53burden.
24:53I point at
24:54Draven.
24:55To save her,
24:56you'll need to
24:56sacrifice him.
24:57Extract his
24:58serpent's core.
24:59Let Islet absorb
25:00it completely.
25:01She'll stabilize.
25:05No!
25:06Take my core
25:06and I'll never
25:07evolve!
25:08Never become
25:09a Leviathan!
25:10Sarah, this is
25:12revenge!
25:13Father doesn't
25:14even glance at him.
25:15Serpent, you
25:16swore you'd give
25:18everything for Isleth.
25:20Now keep your
25:22word.
25:22Father extracts the
25:23serpent's core
25:24himself.
25:25The moment the
25:26fist-sized, pulsing
25:27black crystal is
25:28torn free.
25:29In that instant,
25:31Draven seems to
25:32age centuries.
25:33He can only
25:34watch as father
25:35feeds the core
25:35to Isolde.
25:37No!
25:38I've seen
25:39enough.
25:40Kale leans
25:40against my
25:41shoulder, voice
25:42low.
25:42Sarah, let's
25:44go.
25:44Deep into the
25:45night, I lean
25:46against the edge
25:47of the moon
25:47veil hot springs.
25:48A silver serpent
25:49glides across the
25:50surface toward me.
25:52Kale shifts to
25:53human form.
25:54He rests against
25:55me, letting my
25:56palm wander across
25:57his chest.
25:57I study him.
26:00Kale's silver irises
26:01glow faintly in the
26:02dark.
26:02No calculation in
26:03them.
26:04Nothing but feeling.
26:05Deep, bare,
26:06bottomless.
26:07The question has
26:08been circling since
26:09this morning.
26:09We've never met
26:10before.
26:11Why does he feel
26:11like this about me?
26:12Is it because of my
26:13title?
26:14Kale reads the
26:15doubt on my face.
26:16This isn't the
26:16first time we've
26:17met.
26:18His silver scales
26:19shimmer.
26:20Memory fragments
26:21flow through the
26:21bond and into my
26:23mind.
26:23A flash.
26:24A finger-length
26:25silver snake pinned
26:26under the boots of
26:28dragon-born boys,
26:29battered and bleeding.
26:31A younger version of
26:32me barges in,
26:33plants herself between
26:34them, and chases them
26:35off with a tongue
26:36lashing.
26:37Another flash.
26:38The little silver snake,
26:39barely alive, curled in
26:41a crack between rocks.
26:42A teenage version of me
26:44crouches down.
26:45A wild rabbit.
26:46A handful of berries.
26:48Again and again.
26:49Without knowing it, I
26:50saved him more times
26:52than I can count.
26:52The last image.
26:54Kale, now in human
26:55form, standing at the
26:56farthest edge of the
26:57crowd, watching me on
26:59the sacred altar, about
27:00to begin the soul bond
27:01rite with Draven.
27:03The memory breaks off.
27:04My voice comes out
27:05rough.
27:06Is this about dead?
27:07Who chose me because
27:09I saved you?
27:10It isn't suspicion.
27:11It's fear.
27:12Fear that one day, he'll
27:13say what Draven said, that
27:15I chained him with
27:16kindness.
27:16I didn't fall in love
27:17with you because you
27:18saved me.
27:19I was already in love
27:20with you.
27:21Everything you did only
27:22proved I wasn't wrong.
27:26My heart hammers against
27:27my ribs.
27:28Kale rests his head on
27:29my shoulder.
27:30His voice drops to a
27:31murmur.
27:32Warm breath against my
27:33skin.
27:34From now on, you're all
27:35I have.
27:36You scared me today.
27:38Will you stay close
27:39tonight?
27:41His lower half shifts.
27:43Silver tail coiling
27:44around my calf.
27:45Sliding higher.
27:46Slow.
27:47Deliberate.
27:48My eyes narrow.
27:49My voice drops.
27:50A little hoarse.
27:52What kind of close did
27:53you have in mind?
27:55He leans in.
27:56Hot spring water laps
27:58over both our shoulders.
27:59Silver scale marks glow
28:01beneath the surface.
28:02Kale's body temperature
28:03rises the instant he
28:05presses against me.
28:06Nothing like the cold
28:07serpents are known for.
28:08You're warm.
28:10Only when I touch you.
28:12His lips find my
28:13collarbone.
28:14Then, a sharp, brief
28:15sting.
28:16A silver serpent mark
28:17brands itself into my
28:18skin.
28:19Nate mark.
28:20I grip the back of his
28:21neck and bite down.
28:22A golden dragon scale
28:24mark surfaces on his
28:25nape.
28:25From this moment, the
28:27bond is absolute.
28:28He is mine, and I am
28:30his.
28:30One night of passion.
28:32Serpents aren't that
28:33impressive, honestly.
28:34He just flipped me
28:35around and wore me out
28:36until dawn.
28:37I could barely stand.
28:38The next morning, I
28:40haul myself upright.
28:41One hand braced on my
28:43lower back, and kick
28:44Kale in the side.
28:45He blinks up at me,
28:47genuinely wounded.
28:48Did I break you?
28:50Satisfied.
28:50Very satisfied.
28:52Kale scrambles up to
28:53help me walk.
28:54We barely make it past the
28:55sanctum's ward line before
28:57I stop.
28:58Someone is crouching
28:59outside the barrier.
29:00Draven.
29:01Draven looks years older
29:03than yesterday.
29:03His gaze finds the
29:04silver mate mark on my
29:06collarbone.
29:06His pupils shrink.
29:08His face goes gray.
29:09He stares for a long time
29:10before he speaks.
29:11Sarah, I was wrong.
29:13Isoleth and your father,
29:15they don't see me as a
29:17living thing.
29:18Only you ever treated me
29:20as an equal.
29:21Draven thought bonding
29:22with the Archons chosen
29:23would launch him to the
29:24top.
29:24But beyond that
29:25Leviathan pearl, he has
29:26nothing of value to offer.
29:28They stripped him and
29:29threw him aside.
29:31Last night, father's rage
29:32needed a target.
29:33He doesn't dare touch me
29:35again.
29:35Those dozen bolts of
29:37divine dragon fire already
29:38hammered him back to
29:39beast form, provoking me
29:41further, might annihilate
29:42his soul entirely.
29:44But the fury needed
29:45somewhere to go.
29:46The daughter he spent
29:47years crippling turns out
29:49to be the Covenant's
29:49bearer.
29:50Everything he built for
29:51Isolda, a joke, overnight.
29:54So he turned on Draven.
29:55A mongrog like you is
29:57utterly useless.
29:59You're not even fit to be
30:01my daughter's pet.
30:02I'm starting to wonder if
30:04your little display was a
30:05performance you and
30:06Seraphina arranged together.
30:08Father used a soul siphon
30:10on Draven, forced his way
30:11through layer after layer
30:13of memory, searching for
30:15proof of betrayal.
30:16The process is agony.
30:18He found nothing.
30:19Draven barely survived.
30:21But relief didn't last.
30:23When Isolde awoke and the
30:24full humiliation of the day
30:26settled in, something in
30:27her curdled.
30:28She seized Draven by the
30:30throat, teeth bared.
30:31You declared your love for
30:32me in front of everyone.
30:34And when it mattered, you
30:36chose a worthless organ over
30:37my life.
30:38Deven Vox, you deserve to
30:40rot.
30:43I look at his broken body,
30:45feel nothing.
30:45The moment that blade went
30:47through my heart, whatever
30:48connected us died with me.
30:50Kale speaks for me.
30:51You merely hu-iliated
30:53Seraphina in public, then
30:55abandoned Isoleth when she
30:57needed you.
30:58And now you come crawling
30:59back?
31:00Draven, where is your shame?
31:03Killing intent flashes in
31:05Draven's eyes.
31:06His body tenses.
31:07Then the realization
31:09crashes in.
31:10No Serpent's Core.
31:11No power.
31:13Just a shell.
31:14He crumbles, pleading.
31:16Seraph, you hold the
31:17rite of dezygonation.
31:18You must be able to break a
31:20bond too, right?
31:21Break my bond with Isoleth.
31:22And I'll serve alongside the
31:24White Sperpent.
31:25As your mate, after
31:27everything we had, you'll
31:29help me.
31:29I know you will.
31:31Kale's head whips toward
31:32me, panic in his eyes.
31:35How adorable.
31:36You actually believe that?
31:41Darin, why would I help
31:43you?
31:43I gave you everything.
31:46You wanted her.
31:47I carried your child.
31:49You put a blade through my
31:50heart.
31:51I gave you the right to stand
31:53on the Sacred Ultra.
31:54You humiliated me in front of
31:55my entire clan.
31:56Every.
31:57Single.
31:58One.
31:59The fact that you're still
32:00breathing is mercy enough.
32:02The light dies in Draven's
32:04eyes.
32:04Along silence.
32:05Then he covers his face and
32:07a strangled sound escapes.
32:08What have I done?
32:09He knows me well enough to
32:10know I don't look back.
32:12Draven returns to Isolde.
32:14In my last life, I never let
32:16anyone in the clan belittle
32:17him.
32:17I shielded his pride at every
32:19turn.
32:19In public.
32:20In private.
32:21Isolde doesn't bother with
32:22any of that.
32:23She tears him apart in front of
32:25everyone.
32:26Strips him down to nothing.
32:28Whenever the mood strikes.
32:30The clan follows her lead.
32:32They only kneel to whoever
32:34holds the leash.
32:36Draven's life now, compared to
32:38the one I gave him, worlds
32:39apart.
32:41Father summons me to the
32:42sacred altar.
32:44Before the entire clan, he
32:45performs the appropriate gesture.
32:47Forces Isolde to lower her head
32:49and kneel in front of me.
32:51But her words give everything
32:52away.
32:52Sarah, perhaps father went too
32:54far.
32:55But the clan cannot go a single
32:57day without an archon.
32:58Would the covenant let clan
32:59Aureon crumble, just to protect
33:01you?
33:02Let's set our differences aside.
33:04The clan's survival matters more
33:05than either of us.
33:07Not an apology.
33:08A negotiation.
33:10It works on the crowd.
33:12Hesitation ripples through, then
33:14voices join in.
33:15Your highness, the last archic,
33:17your mother, gave her life to
33:19protect us from the Dark Horde.
33:20The Dark Horde is growing
33:21restless.
33:22Without a new archon, when the
33:24wards fall, we won't survive a
33:26single assault.
33:27Please, grant the succession to
33:30the first princess.
33:31I stay silent.
33:33My gaze catches the knowing
33:34glance Isolde and father
33:36exchange.
33:37The picture crystallizes.
33:40Father, mother was right about
33:41you.
33:41You have no vision.
33:43You'd do anything to put your
33:44first love's daughter on the
33:45throne.
33:46Even lie to the entire clan!
33:49Seraphina, what are you
33:50talking about?
33:51I raise my hand.
33:52The covenant responds.
33:53Every clan member's mana rank
33:55materializes before my eyes.
33:57Laid bare.
33:58Isolde's power is impressive.
34:00Radiant, even.
34:01But she's not the strongest here.
34:03Issa Leith is your arch's
34:05chosen.
34:06But clan Avelion has never
34:08chosen its archon by blood.
34:10It has always been by strength.
34:13My mother put you in power to
34:14prevent a civil war.
34:16And after all these years, you
34:17just couldn't let go.
34:19A voice rings out from the
34:20crowd.
34:21Thyra, copper scale dragon.
34:23The only one who never mocked me
34:25since the selection rite.
34:27She stands straight-backed.
34:29Power should be earned by those
34:31who prove it.
34:32Not handed to those born with the
34:33right name.
34:34I meet her eyes.
34:36Give a single nod.
34:37Clan Aelion will hold open trial
34:40of merit.
34:41Whoever stands last earns the
34:43right to rule.
34:44The clan erupts in cheers.
34:46Only father and Isolde stand pale
34:49and still.
34:50That night, Kale clings to me as
34:52usual.
34:53He nuzzles his forehead into the
34:54curve of my neck.
34:56His nose brushes my jaw.
34:57I sigh, about to pull him closer.
35:00The world lurches.
35:01I sense it instantly.
35:03The ward barrier shattered.
35:05Drake Spire's protective wards were
35:07set by my mother, sealed with a
35:08fragment of her own soul.
35:10No dark horde, no matter how
35:12powerful, could breach them easily
35:14unless someone opened them from the
35:16inside.
35:17By the time Kale and I reach the
35:18surface, Drake Spire is in chaos.
35:21Dark horde.
35:22Everywhere.
35:23High-tier beasts rampaging through
35:25the clan.
35:26A dragon hatchling is pinned under a
35:29beast's clawed foot, seconds from
35:31death.
35:31I move without thinking.
35:32One strike, the head rolls.
35:34Warm blood splashes across the
35:36hatchling's face.
35:37She throws herself into my arms,
35:39sobbing.
35:40Your Highness, I almost died.
35:42Mama and my sister, they led the
35:45beast away to protect me.
35:47I hand her to Kale, tell him to
35:49keep her hidden, and run in the
35:50direction she pointed.
35:51I arrive to find the mother and
35:53sister cornered by a pack of
35:55beasts, barely hanging on.
35:57I cut in.
35:59Save one.
36:00Then a second.
36:01A third.
36:03Through the smoke and carnage, I
36:04spot Phyra.
36:05She's shifted.
36:07Copper dragon form.
36:08Leading a small squad in a
36:10defensive line.
36:11Shielding the elderly, the young,
36:12the wounded.
36:13Her commands are sharp.
36:14Her fighting is vicious.
36:16I make a note of her.
36:17By the end, I'm running on fumes.
36:19Then I see them.
36:19Isolde.
36:20Father.
36:21No surprise.
36:22The moment I announced the trial of
36:23merit, I felt it through the covenant.
36:25Someone was deliberately weakening the
36:27ward barrier.
36:28I knew he'd gamble everything.
36:30Isolde crouches in front of me.
36:32Her arm moves.
36:33A blade punches through my chest.
36:36I cough blood.
36:37Her eyes are fully black now.
36:39Void corruption running deeper than before.
36:41Sarah, so what if you hold the covenant?
36:43Put you in the ground, and the next
36:45Archon will still be me.
36:47I look down at the sword in my chest.
36:50Then I look up at Isolde.
36:52I smile.
36:53Thank you, sister.
36:54I needed you to do exactly that.
36:57Isolde freezes.
36:59Pain blazes through me, stamped into the soul.
37:02A memory the body never forgets.
37:04I can't stop the trembling.
37:07Father walks to my side.
37:09His voice is almost gentle.
37:10If you weren't the bearer, if you hadn't stood in
37:13Isolde's way, I might have let you live.
37:16Pity.
37:17I lift my head.
37:19My voice doesn't waver.
37:21So to kill me,
37:23you broke the ward barrier.
37:26Let the Dark Horde in.
37:29Let your own people die!
37:32Father doesn't blink.
37:33Acceptable losses.
37:34Everything I've done
37:36is to give Isolde the flame.
37:39To give the clan a stronger leader.
37:43The weak die to beasts.
37:45Because they were never meant to survive.
37:47One thrust isn't enough for Isolde.
37:50She snaps.
37:50The blade drives into me again and again.
37:53Pouring out everything she's held in.
37:55I'm stronger than you!
37:57Why do you get to decide?
37:59I suffered for centuries.
38:01And I was so...
38:03close.
38:04And you took it all away.
38:06With a few words!
38:09Even Dra'rin.
38:11Her teeth grind harder.
38:13That mongrel.
38:14Said he regretted choosing me.
38:17Said I could never compare to you.
38:21So I took his core.
38:24Let him go ahead and wait for you.
38:26Sarah, the clan's faith belongs to me.
38:31So you have to die!
38:34Behind me, the roar of beasts.
38:37The screams of the dying.
38:38All tangled together.
38:39I look at Isolde.
38:41When the Covenant granted me the right of designation.
38:44It also feared the power would be too concentrated.
38:48So it sealed half my divine power inside you as your talent.
38:52And it barred me from becoming Archon myself.
38:55If you had truly served the clan.
38:58If you'd held no malice towards me, the succession would have been yours without question.
39:03But you chose the wrong path.
39:05Your suffering wasn't my doing.
39:07It was father's obsession and your own hunger for power.
39:10But you blamed me for all of it.
39:12And now that you've struck me with intent to kill.
39:20The seal is broken.
39:22Isoleth.
39:25Your talent was never yours.
39:27It was my power holding you up.
39:30Now it comes home.
39:31The blade buried in my body erupts with golden light.
39:34Isolde tries to release the hilt.
39:36Her hands won't move.
39:37Mana drains from her body.
39:39Torrential.
39:39Unstoppable.
39:40Flooding into mine.
39:42Father, help me.
39:43My power is draining.
39:46I look up at father.
39:48He's always loved Isolde best.
39:50The daughter of the woman who owned his heart.
39:52That devotion never wavered.
39:54Not even now.
39:54He moves to kill me outright.
39:56But in his desperation, he forgets.
39:59Striking me carries a price.
40:02This time, the covenant shows no mercy.
40:05Golden Dragonfire hammers father until his soul disintegrates.
40:10He scatters into nothing.
40:12Before our eyes.
40:13Isolde doesn't have time to grieve.
40:15Every shred of gifted talent has been reclaimed.
40:18Her mana plummets to that of an ordinary dragon.
40:21And behind her, the dark horde circles.
40:24I pull the sword from my chest and walk away.
40:27Isolde finally grasps her situation.
40:29Terror floods her face.
40:30Sarah, you can't do this to me.
40:32I'm Isoleth.
40:34I'm the first princess of Clan Arion.
40:36I'm your sister.
40:37You can't abandon me for those.
40:40Scream behind me.
40:41This time, I don't turn around.
40:43I drive out every last beast and rebuild order on Drake's fire.
40:47The hatchling from before runs up and wraps herself around my leg.
40:51Your highness, without you, I'd be an orphan.
40:53Clan members who used to look through me now kneel at my feet.
40:56Your highness, we were blind before.
40:59You drove back the horde.
41:00You saved Dragonspine.
41:02The Archon's crown belongs to you.
41:04I shake my head.
41:05I place the Archon's crown into Thyra's hands.
41:08The one who never mocked me.
41:09The first to stand up for an open trial.
41:11The one who held the line when the dark horde came.
41:14Shielding the weak.
41:15Saving lives while others ran.
41:17I will always protect Clan Arion.
41:19But the Archon's seat was never meant to be inherited by blood.
41:22Power belongs to those who protect, not those who take.
41:25Thyra is the right choice.
41:26I return to the Sanctum.
41:28Devote myself to cultivation.
41:29With my full divine power restored, my strength surges beyond anything I imagined.
41:34Divine Tribulation descends.
41:35Bolt after bolt.
41:36And I weather everyone.
41:38Then, Ascension.
41:39Under the gaze of the entire clan, I shift into my true form.
41:42A complete golden dragon, blazing against the sky.
41:45A silver dragon coils beside me.
41:47Kale, transformed through the bond.
41:49No longer silver serpentine, a silver dragon.
41:52Though his clingy nature hasn't changed one bit.
41:54His voice flows through the bond.
41:56Where you go, I go.
41:57That was the oath.
41:58I tilt my dragon head toward him.
42:00Then hold on tight.
42:01I've heard the Divine Realm has terrible weather.
42:04Two dragons, one gold, one silver, spiral upward and vanish into the clouds.
42:09They never come back.
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