Emberis jolted awake in fire. The stone beneath him burned hot, and smoke coiled in the air like serpents. His breath came in ragged gasps, tasting of sulfur and ash. Claws—long, black talons—dug into the rocky floor, every muscle in his massive body trembling with raw, unfamiliar power. A low growl rumbled in his throat, echoing off the cave walls like distant thunder. He didn't know who he was—only that he was no longer human. He was a dragon. That truth thundered in his mind, drowning out everything else.
A single name flickered at the edge of his mind—Michael—but it vanished, swallowed by the heat that was coiling tighter in his chest. He felt the world around him shift.
He tried to move, but pain lanced through his neck and shoulders. His muscles felt stiff and alien like they didn't belong to him. He shifted slowly, a grinding weight pressing down on his back. His claws scraped across the stone, each one long and curved like a blade. He flexed them, testing their grip, and watched as tiny sparks flickered where they scraped the ground.
"What am I?"
The question echoed in his mind, louder than the crackling of distant fires. He didn't have an answer. Only the feeling of something huge and old waking inside him—something that had always been there, waiting.
He shifted again, and a wave of dizziness washed over him. Memories flickered in his mind—city streets, traffic, cold rain on his face. A name, a life that felt impossibly distant. The image of a young man—Michael—flickered again, but it was swallowed by the heat that roared in his veins.
He pushed the thoughts away. Survival first. Questions later.
Slowly, he spread his wings—huge and leathery, the membrane stretching and trembling in the warm air. He could feel the air brush against them, tugging and teasing, begging him to rise.
A shimmer of blue light flickered before his eyes, words forming in midair.
System Notification:
Race: Dragon (Ember Drake).
Class: None.
Tutorial:
Complete your first quest to unlock core abilities.>
He stared at the words, unblinking. They looked like something from a game, but everything felt too real. He could feel the rough stone under his claws, the heat of the lair, and the slow throb of the fire inside him.
"This isn't a dream," he whispered, his voice a low rumble that echoed off the cave walls.
The message vanished as quickly as it came. Emberis lifted his head and looked around, taking in the space. The cave was massive, its walls cracked and glowing with veins of red crystal. Shadows danced in the flickering light, alive and hungry. Far above, the ceiling vanished into darkness, and he could hear the faint drip of water from somewhere deep in the rock.
He flexed his neck, the motion slow and deliberate. Each movement felt heavy but powerful like he was moving a mountain one stone at a time.
Shapes shifted in the shadows, small and twisted, their pale skin almost luminous in the gloom. They watched him with red eyes, clutching rusty weapons in bony hands. He could smell their fear, sharp and bitter, mixed with the sour tang of sweat and old blood. He knew they were goblins.
A new message blinked into view.
Quest Updated:
<"Awaken, Young Wyrm. Claim your lair.">
The words sank into his mind, and something deep in his chest tightened. A lair. The word felt right, like a promise. He looked at the walls of the cave, the jagged floor, the broken bones littered across the ground. This place wasn't just a cave—it was his. He didn't know how he knew that, but he did.
A low growl rumbled in his throat, deep and resonant. The goblins flinched at the sound, shuffling backward in fear. Emberis shifted his weight, feeling the raw power of his new form. Each muscle felt coiled and ready, each breath of air stoked the furnace in his chest.
He spread his wings wider, feeling them brush against the stone. Tiny chips of rock fell from the ceiling, clattering across the floor. The goblins chittered nervously, their leader stepping forward with a twisted grin.
The leader raised a jagged iron sword, its edge black with old blood. "Dragon!" it hissed in a voice that was half-growl, half-screech. "Lair is ours!"
Emberis bared his teeth in a slow, deliberate snarl. The word "ours" rattled in his mind. This was his lair—his birthright. The hunger in his belly twisted tighter, a molten need that wasn't just for food—it was for dominance.
He took a deep breath, feeling the heat gather in his chest, pooling in his lungs. He could taste the smoke, could feel it flicker in the back of his throat. He opened his jaws, and a roar of white-hot flame burst out, blinding and fierce.
The goblins screamed, their skin blackening and sloughing away under the fury of the fire. The cave glowed brighter, the walls reflecting the inferno, and the scent of burning flesh filled the air.
When the fire died, silence fell. Emberis tasted the char in the air, sharp and bitter. Only smoldering bones and melted metal remained. The goblins nothing more than shadows on the stone.
The cave felt different now—like it had shifted around him, recognizing him as its master. He stepped forward, claws crunching over blackened bone, and felt a deep shiver of power run through the rock beneath his feet.
System Notification:
The words glowed brightly for a moment, then vanished, sinking into him like a brand. He could feel the world itself shifting around him, a subtle click that made the air taste sharper, and the stone feel stronger.
He took a slow breath, feeling the weight of his new form. Each muscle felt powerful, each scale a living shield. He was a dragon—no dream or illusion could make this feel more real.
He flexed his wings again, this time more confidently. The stone cracked under their weight, and he let out a low, rolling growl of satisfaction. He was meant for this, he could feel it.
Yet even as he claimed this lair, the questions burned in his mind. "Who was I? Why am I here?" The name Michael tugged at him, like a memory half-buried in smoke. But the dragon in him didn't care about the past. It cared about the present—the hunt, the lair, the power that thrummed in his veins.
Emberis turned in a slow circle, taking in every crack and shadow of his new domain. He could smell the faint trace of other creatures in the air—rats scurrying in the darkness, blind fish in underground pools. Life. Prey. Challenges.
He stalked deeper into the lair, his claws leaving deep grooves in the stone. He could feel the system's presence, like a silent observer. It watched him, measured him, waiting for his next move.
He found a pool of water fed by a thin stream trickling down from a crack in the wall. He bent low, his reflection shimmering in the water. Twin eyes like molten gold stared back at him, set in a face of scales and horns. The sight sent a shiver down his spine, both familiar and alien.
He opened his jaws and drank, the water cool and sharp. The taste was pure, a moment of calm in the heat of his awakening. He watched the ripples fade, his reflection twisting and shifting.
"Michael," he whispered again, the name feeling like an echo. It meant something—he knew it did. But right now, he was Emberis. A dragon reborn in fire and fury.
A faint breeze whispered through the cave, carrying with it the scent of the outside world. Fresh air, green and clean, and the faint tang of distant prey. It tugged at him, stirring a longing deep in his chest.
He turned toward the mouth of the cave, where a faint glow of daylight cut through the darkness. Beyond it lay a world waiting to be claimed, a world of sky and wind and endless possibilities.
He spread his wings wide, feeling the weight and power in every motion. The stone beneath his feet seemed to pulse with life, and the lair felt like it was holding its breath, waiting for him to take the first step.
He let out a low, rolling growl—a promise to himself and the world. He was Emberis. He was awake. And he would not be stopped.
With a final flick of his tail, he stepped into the light.