She rummaged through the massive nest of a great bird, searching the pile of scattered bones in the distant corner. She was looking for something that could protect her or at least something to wear. The bare feeling made her uncomfortable.
Nature has evolved us to get rid of thick fur because we know how to wear clothes to protect our bodies and cover..., I would rather die than let someone see me without even a piece of cloth.
I use my hair to cover myself? This was a serious issue, second only to survival itself.
If she were to run into someone else in her current state – explaining it would be nearly impossible.
The search was difficult. The large bones were heavy, like a truck, piled on top of each other. Finding something useful in this mess was a challenge, but this was the only viable option.
There was no way to know when that gigantic creature would return to its nest. The food supply had run out, and it could have gone hunting, coming back at any moment.
There were dozens of types of bones, and this was the first time she'd seen creatures shaped like this. Completely different from Earth, most of them were enormous. Very few bones were small, about the size of human bones. If there were, they were just fragments from something bigger.
Perhaps humans weren't on the menu after all—or maybe this beast just didn't leave anything behind…
It looked like garbage from a buffet party of creatures from this forest. Even if she managed to escape, below her was the territory of other terrifying creatures.
She found a few pieces of old, tattered fabric that could still be used. The texture was rough, woven from multiple layers together. It wasn't wrong to call it a kind of armor made from coarse fabric. It seemed like it belonged to a less developed race, with primitive weaving and fiber processing skills.
What was terrifying was that it had been ripped apart mercilessly, enough to show that the owner of this nest was quite wild.
It might have been here for a long time.
Somewhere around the hunting grounds of that monster, a civilization still existed, capable of producing necessities like fabric and clothing. A flicker of hope ignited inside her, restoring a bit of spirit.
She wrapped the tattered fabric around her waist, using sharp bone fragments to cut and punch holes, weaving them into strings to secure the seams. With the skills of someone raised on scraps and discarded things, she managed to recycle them into a simple outfit, enough to cover what needed covering.
Would anyone let a naked stranger into their home? If they did, the only reason would be that the homeowner was about to cook, and what could be better than a girl with a supermodel figure, with dragonkin blood in her veins...
She remembered the things the whispering voice had said. It said she had found a piece of the truth.
Was something hidden? Was there something in her mother's memory that was true...
It was easy to understand, especially for someone who grew up in poverty. Something she had to face daily, the most commonly used tool for surviving in the decay of trust:
"Deception."
What was "known" before was a lie, it had been covered by a veil to hide the truth. To deceive someone, a lie wasn't just something different from the truth, it had to make them believe in that lie, make them think it was the only truth.
What was the "truth" that I saw? Was it any different from the "truth" the deceived believed...?
There were no clues to rely on. The only thing she knew was that the trigger for the notifications was the lump of coal she had picked up. That had led her to be forced into receiving some memories. It seemed like her emotions were also tied to the perspective from those memories.
Everything she heard from the whispering voice felt like it was directly imprinted on her mind. She couldn't forget what she had heard, it was like an instinct, something already in her from birth, "recalled" to awaken.
Suddenly, when thinking about herself, about the name Seraphina, with just a thought, a flood of information rushed in, attacking her left hemisphere, making her feel a bit dizzy.
⸻
Name: Seraphina Sildralis
Race: Dragonkin [Dormant], Human
Epithet: The Unraveler
Fateshards: Fate of the Flame
Attributes: Flamebound, Dominate [Unique]
Chronicle: The Flame of Will [Broken]
[Dominate] Attribute Description: [Not magic, but the absolute manifestation of superior instinct, inherited from ancient bloodlines. Your presence makes others feel weak, creating an invisible pressure.]
Essence: The Silent Agony
[The Silent Agony - Destiny has marked you, a blessing granted in exchange for a price beyond measure.]
⸻
What kind of description is that? Has this thing been here for a long time? Even before I came to this world. I've never heard whispers of it before, a blessing with a name like that... Leave it for anyone else who wants it.
As for me? Dream on!
So now, I'm some kind of Dragonkin, or something like that. An ancient, and... extinct creature.
Thinking back to everything that happened, it seemed that when she touched the lump of coal – The Flame of Will – it must've triggered something, granting her some special abilities. Now it was broken, seemingly left for her for some purpose.
Her hair had turned a deep red, completely different from the white color it had when she first woke up. Just like her, the silver-haired woman in her mother's memory was also a Dragonkin.
She realized she had two races. One was Dragonkin, and the other was Human. That might explain why she was born human instead of a reptile with scales running from head to toe.
Am I a Human-Dragon hybrid or a Dragon-Human hybrid?
Her physical abilities were enhanced, like there was a source of strength within this small body comparable to that of a bear. Strength that didn't match her petite form.
But in this new world, it wasn't much use, especially when facing creatures like the one living in the nest.
She glanced back at the massive egg with a tired expression.
Speaking of sight, her left eye was different now. Enhanced vision, more agile at detecting objects. It was as if events through her left eye were playing in slow motion—or perhaps her eye was processing information too quickly. This made it hard for her brain to keep up with the information. Using both eyes at once was quite difficult.
A passive skill, pretty useful, but only when using the left eye... It would take time to get used to this, and the only obstacle was when the giant creature returned.
What could I do with these new abilities? When she herself just seemed to be a bit more dangerous than usual, with the body of a human!? Wait a minute—
The thing that gave her a "ticket to skydiving." One attribute, one that could kill its own master – Flamebound.
In her palm, naturally as breathing, a flame with a vivid red color burst into life. More beautiful and powerful than any flames from her previous life. It didn't directly touch her skin and wasn't too hot.
But there was a problem. It was easy to make the flame appear, but controlling it was another matter. People could mold clay into any shape, but fire? How do you shape something without a fixed form?
Bending something that had no fixed shape seemed impossible, or perhaps she just didn't have the ability to do it yet.
Was this "cool" ability really just a lighter? Was that terrifying fire before just a trial run?
Frustrated by her uselessness, the flame started to move, but that was all. It seemed to be directly connected to her emotions or something else.
With every passing second, trying to control the flame made her feel more exhausted and frustrated, ending in utter disappointment, without any results...
The real question was, how to get out of here. The other things were either unimportant or irrelevant by now. What she had couldn't help much in this situation.
Maybe she should find a place to hide, looking through the pile of bones—at a creature with terrifying hunting abilities. But she discarded that thought immediately.
A dilemma. Confronting it was impossible, and running only meant stepping slowly into death's door.
Maybe she should climb down – she'd never climbed a tree before, and this tree was truly monstrous. One wrong step, and it would all be over.
Another failed option. The final decision was to wait. But luck didn't seem to be on her side.
The nest shook slightly, and the sun was covered by a massive shadow. From the horizon, a colossal shadow tore through the white clouds. Its wings, as wide as night, spread in a crescent shape. The wind howled violently as the massive bird dove towards a branch next to her.
It wasn't heading straight back to the nest? Did it notice something?
Looking up at the ceiling, something appeared. The thing that had betrayed.
Damn it, the hole I left in the roof of the nest!
The giant bird shook the nest a little and cautiously approached.
It noticed that "its home" had been illegally invaded, and a strange feeling made it cautious. It didn't fly straight back to the nest but seemed to be waiting for something.
Every second made Seraphina more tense.
Should I confess?
Hi, your house is lovely. Sorry for damaging the roof. Have a nice day, and take good care of your little one...
Suddenly, the inside of the nest became brighter, no—the roof abruptly disappeared. It was blown away instantly by a sharp gust of wind, cutting through everything in an instant. Only she and the lone egg remained in the nest.
Before her was a creature the size of a standard passenger plane, its beak clamping down on a decapitated snake. Its teal feathers shifted to silver when the light hit. Each feather resembled a shining metallic thread. Its gaze was cold and stern, keenly observing the girl before it.
Leaning against the egg, her heartbeat could match the sound of an engine, like a train was about to crash. Her legs froze, and her whole body stood motionless.
"Hi, your house is lovely, sorry for ruining the—"
Realizing that death was about to greet her, what shocked her more was...
As she spoke, she slowly moved her numb legs to hide behind the egg. And then something happened right after. The egg was sliced down the middle, sending splattered liquids flying everywhere. A sticky sensation covered Seraphina's body.
"...and take good care of your little... one"