Chapter 217: Storm Rises, Hope Blooms
The resonance of awakening spread far and wide, and in the heart of the Celestial Dragon Empire, the world itself trembled.
The imperial capital rested upon a floating continent of white jade and silver rivers, its palaces carved into the bones of slain ancient beasts. At its core, within the Hall of Eternal Scales, the Emperor sat upon a throne fashioned from a colossal dragon skull.
Every noble, every general, every elder in the court bore draconic traits—scales along the cheek, pupils slit like dragons, or claws peeking from their robes. They were all proud descendants of the Dragon Queen Tiamat, the very progenitor whose bloodline had made their empire the mightiest across galaxies.
But now, an impossible pressure descended upon them all.
One elder clutched his chest and fell to one knee, gasping. "That aura... no mistake... it is Her bloodline, the Progenitor herself. It has reawakened!"
Gasps spread like wildfire through the hall. The courtiers exchanged horrified looks, their pride cracking into fear.
"Impossible!" a general roared, his golden-scaled arm trembling. "The Dragon Progenitor perished eons ago. The bloodline has long diluted into us, the rightful heirs. How can it return in its purest form?"
The Emperor slowly rose, towering above them, his own dragon aura flooding the hall to silence all. His golden crown of dragon horns gleamed under the celestial flames.
"Silence," he commanded, his voice like thunder.
The courtiers froze, trembling.
The Emperor’s eyes burned with both dread and fascination. "This is no ordinary awakening. The true essence of the Progenitor has chosen to manifest once more... outside the bloodline of the throne. If this child lives, our claim as rulers of the stars will be questioned. If she matures, she will eclipse us all."
The hall shook with suppressed breaths.
One minister dared to speak, bowing low. "Your Majesty, we must secure the child. If she can be brought under imperial control, her existence would only strengthen our dominion. She could be the symbol of our eternal rule."
Another elder snarled, scales flaring. "Or she could be the blade that cuts our empire apart. We should destroy her before the other powers even learn she exists!"
The Emperor raised his hand, silencing both sides. His golden eyes narrowed, filled with deadly resolve.
"Summon the Draconic Legions. Send the Celestial Envoys. Bring the child to me alive. If she resists, crush all who protect her."
His words resounded like a decree from the heavens. Every official bowed in unison, their voices thunderous.
"As you command, Your Majesty!"
Far from the shining halls of the capital, in a quiet mortal town beneath rolling mountains, the little girl with shimmering eyes clung to her mother, frightened by the overwhelming power within her.
From a distant hill, Igaris watched the entire scene unfold. His gaze was firm, his aura restrained to a whisper.
"So... the Celestial Dragon Empire truly remains the same," he murmured, his voice carrying both cold amusement and sorrow. "They worship Tiamat, yet fear the real her. They claim her bloodline, yet would destroy her rebirth."
His fingers clenched at his side.
"Tiamat... in our last life, you were their weapon until I tore their chains apart. This time, I will not let them touch you. Not even once."
The stars above seemed to pulse with foreboding light. The march of the Empire had begun.
And Igaris, standing alone against the cosmos, prepared to shield the girl who would one day become the Dragon Queen.
---
The small mountain town was quiet in the fading twilight. Lanterns glowed faintly along narrow streets, casting warm orange light on stone-paved paths. Children played near the well, while elders told stories of dragons under the starlit sky.
Amid them, a young girl sat alone by the riverbank, her feet dangling above the rippling water. Her hair shimmered faintly in moonlight, silver with hints of sapphire, and her eyes reflected starlight as if they held entire skies within. Even though she was only twelve, her presence already felt strange—unnatural, divine.
She hugged her knees, whispering to herself. "Why do people stare at me? Why do they call me cursed? I... I don’t understand."
Her voice cracked, trembling with loneliness.
Igaris stepped out from the shadows, his black cloak flowing like night itself. For a moment, he simply watched her, memories of another life clawing into his heart. The last time he had seen Tiamat, she had stood atop the heavens, crowned in dragon fire, his greatest rival and his dearest love.
But now... she was just a lost little girl.
"You feel out of place, don’t you?" His voice was deep, calm, and carried an odd warmth.
Startled, she turned, her eyes widening. "Who are you?"
"Just a traveler," Igaris replied, smiling faintly as he lowered himself to sit by the riverbank near her. "But I know that feeling. The world looks at you differently, and you don’t know why."
Her lips trembled. She nodded, clutching her knees tighter.
"They say I’m not normal," she whispered. "When I get upset... strange things happen. My mother says I have a blessing, but the others... they’re afraid of me."
Igaris looked at her gently. "That’s because you’re not ordinary. You were born with something far greater. And sometimes, the world fears what it cannot understand."
The girl blinked, her eyes glistening. "So... I’m not cursed?"
"Not cursed," Igaris said firmly. "You’re chosen. You have the blood of dragons running through you. The purest there ever was."
Her breath caught. "Dragons...?"
He nodded. "One day, you’ll understand. But for now, just remember this—no matter what they say, you are precious. Never forget that."
For the first time, a faint smile tugged at her lips. Her loneliness eased, even if just a little.
As the wind carried the scent of wildflowers, Igaris gazed at her, his heart heavy. In the last timeline, it had taken centuries of battles, betrayal, and bloodshed for her to break free from her empire’s chains. She had been his enemy, yet in the end, their hearts had found each other.
This time, he swore she would never walk that path of pain.
"You don’t need to be afraid," he said softly. "Because no matter what happens... I’ll be here."
The girl tilted her head curiously, as if trying to memorize his face. Somewhere deep in her soul, an echo stirred. She didn’t understand why, but she felt safe beside him.
And for the first time, little Tiamat laughed quietly under the stars.
---
The days turned into weeks, and Igaris found himself visiting the small mountain town more often than he had ever planned. Sometimes he appeared at the riverbank where they first met. Other times, he sat beneath the old sakura tree on the hilltop, where she would come running barefoot with a smile reserved only for him.
For Tiamat, who had lived her life in whispers and fearful stares, his presence became a quiet miracle.
At times, he created wonders for her. When she cried after being bullied, he touched the river, and the water rose like crystal ribbons, forming dancing dragons of liquid light that curled around her until her laughter returned. When she fell sick with fever, his touch dispelled it overnight, leaving her mother speechless. Once, when she told him she wished she could see the stars up close, he spread his domain and bent space itself, making the night sky fall closer, so that the constellations shimmered as if only a hand’s reach away.
At times, he told her stories. But unlike the cheerful tales the townsfolk recited, his were deep, ancient, and sometimes unbearably sorrowful.
He spoke of a world that fell into ruin when the first dragons betrayed each other. Of a goddess who loved a mortal but was forced to kill him with her own hands. Of a king who abandoned everything for power, only to find eternity was emptier than death.
The little girl would sit wide-eyed, her small hands clutching at her dress, her heart aching though she did not understand why. Sometimes she cried, and he would gently pat her head, whispering, "Not all stories end in despair. Sometimes, even after great loss, love finds its way back."
"Then promise me..." she once said, her voice small but firm, "promise me you’ll tell me a story that ends happily."
Igaris smiled faintly, looking at her as if his heart carried a weight only he could bear. "I will. One day, I’ll tell you a story where love wins against everything."
Their bond grew in secret, hidden from the empire’s gaze. She thought of him as her strange, kind protector. He, however, carried the memories of another life where their bond had taken centuries of war to bloom. Each meeting etched deeper into his soul the determination to protect this girl from the destiny awaiting her.
She was not yet the Dragon Queen, nor the Progenitor who would one day shake galaxies. She was simply a lonely child who smiled brighter each time he appeared.
And slowly, without even realizing it, Tiamat began to believe that maybe she wasn’t cursed after all. Maybe she was meant to be something greater.
Because he believed in her.