Dark, cold yet scorching, the mark ignited with a bright glow. Manuel stared at the mark with disbelief. He could hardly fathom anything that was happening. Dry blood soaked his bare feet and the ends of his shirt were enveloped in flames of fire, teasing his skin but never burning him.

The soldiers that stood guard were on alert. They signaled each other and slowly started circling him in a weird pattern. The soldiers had never seen such a peculiar sight before. One of the soldiers jabbed his steel sword into the wall of flames that had formed around Manuel, only to see it wither into nothing but ashes.

Manuel felt bile rise to his throat. His skin shivered with excitement as he saw the fear in the soldiers' eyes. He had never felt anything like that for a long time. He missed the feeling of being so predatory. His skin scorched with the desire to annihilate them.

Manuel coughed furiously as he felt an enormous pain in his abdomen. The coughing intensified and soon, Manuel was on his knees, the soldiers still circling him cautiously. Manuel spat out raw blood and watched as some of it trailed past his jaw and the bulging vein on his neck. The flames disappeared almost as instantly as it had appeared and Manuel found himself deprived of his power.

Was it an illusion? Had he just imagined it?

Seizing the opportunity, one of the soldiers landed a blow on his chest as he attempted to stand up. Manuel sunk back into the soil, his knees giving in. Sweat droplets formed at the edges of his eyebrow and Manuel felt his eyes become hazy as the soldiers continued to throw kicks and punches at him. Manuel did not understand why Nazim had slaughtered his family. The issue of trading women as slaves had long been prevalent in the village so why was Nazim acting on it now?

Manuel heard the metal doors of the mansion slam open and he saw the silhouette of Nazim walking out, followed by his son.

"What's all this commotion about?!" he boomed. His eyes stopped on Manuel's figure that was curled up on the ground.

"Tie him up and keep him in the stables till daybreak. I want the execution to be carried out perfectly. It's a direct order from the king," he said. Manuel's eyes widened as he realized the reason behind the brutal massacre. The king had found them, again. But this time, Manuel had been too careless, too vulnerable to protect the only family he had left. Manuel dug his nails into the soil, the dirt and blood soaking his fingers. He shook his head visibly, trying to ignore the pain that was coursing through his body.

"I will not die before I kill you," Manuel said. He stumbled as he tried to get up and sloppily dodged the blow that came his way. He stared straight into Nazim's eyes. He wanted him to sear into ruins. Burn. He wanted to burn him. Manuel clenched his hands into fists and his eyes turned a dark shade of red. He moved as though he was possessed. Maybe, he was.

A deep growl surged from the pits of his throat and his fury awakened. He raised his hands and pictured the soldiers scorching and bleeding amidst the flames. Almost as though he had wished it, sparks erupted from the tips of his fingers, blending with the wind and it surrounded the soldiers, tearing their human flesh and the remains of their bones.

He walked forward, a newfound power coursing through him. The wound in his abdomen was starting to ache less and Manuel felt very lightheaded, as though he could tread on air. Nazim's first son pulled out his sword, pointing it at the curve of Manuel's neck. The man smirked irregularly, his left cheek twitching farther than the right.

He trailed the sword to Manuel's collarbone. He slid the collar of Manuel's shirt aside and his eyes widened as he glanced at Manuel s mark.

Nazim's voice echoed from the background. "Come back, son!" he was screaming, "It's a Dragon!"

Manuel caught the fear in the son's eyes as realization dawned upon him. The son took a slow step backwards, his lips quivering. His back was met with a wall of flame which Manuel had enveloped him in. Manuel cracked his knuckles and the sound sent the boy crashing against a tree adjacent to the one where Manon's mother had been hanged, and the whole tree caught on fire.

The sound of footsteps on the hard pavement reached Manuel's ears. He saw the outline of soldiers marching towards Nazim's house. The sky rumbled and shattered. Rain poured down its wrath, soaking the village with force. The fires roared as the droplets caressed them, sweltering but never extinguishing.

Manuel felt a throb in his left arm and he staggered as he saw the words that were engraved on it with dark blood. His blood.

Drakon.

He traced the words with the tip of his fingers, but they faded into his skin as soon as they had appeared. Manuel remembered the pain that had been in his abdomen earlier. He lifted his shirt and gasped with exasperation as he saw the huge tattoo lines that were engraved on his skin. The intricate design originated from the mark on his collarbone and disappeared under the rim of his jeans. The marks were very identical to the ones he had accidentally seen on his late father’s body, but how were they engraved on him now?

"Catch the boy!" a man shouted.

His yell was followed by cheers from the soldiers who charged towards Manuel, their spears sharp and awaiting his blood. Manuel formed a shield of flames, ricocheting the spears back. He moved with the strength of a man who had been killing for years. A killing machine. That’s what his father had raised him to be.

For a mere moment, he felt pity for the soldiers. He had heard of the destruction and sinister deaths that followed when an immortal channeled his powers after a long time. Manuel felt his skin stand up; he was excited at what he could do. He wouldn't be able to control himself, not when his emotions had completely taken over him.

More spears came his way, but Manuel was focused only on one person. Nazim. He felt that the only way he could ever live without any regrets would be if he scorched and ripped apart Nazim's skin and laid his bones for the vultures to feed on. Manuel saw the veins on his arms turn a dark shade of black. The black blood flowed till his mark that was situated on his collarbone.

Before he knew it, Manuel's arm was making flames of its own, his body no longer in his control. His body was not his own, but a part of it belonged to his unleashed dragon. The Fire dragon's spirit rose from Manuel's body and shot upwards, striking a lightning of fire from the sky. Nazim's house exploded and the rain pattered down on what was the remains of his home.

Nazim was on his knees, his hands tied in front of him, begging for mercy. The droplets of rain washed the tears that streamed his face. Manuel dug his fingers into Nazim's dark curls and dragged him across the wet soil. He smashed Nazim's head against the metal gate, forcing it open with a loud thud.

The village was in panic. Every house was lit, and countless people stormed out of their homes carrying safety lamps. The whole village breathed fire.

The river outside Nazim's house was cold and overflowing. Manuel dragged Nazim to the banks of the river.

"Tonight, you shall be sacrificed, and your ruins will tell the people that the curse against the Drakes has been lifted," Manuel said.

Nazim held onto Manuel's feet, "I'm sorry, please, please, let me live."

Manuel pulled Nazim to his eye level. "You don't understand what's happening, do you?" he said, a sinister grin taking over his features. He clicked his tongue and tilted his head to the left.

"Well, you don't have to understand," he growled and twisted Nazim's neck. Nazim's vein tore and blood spasmed from within.

"A sacrifice to the slumbering drakon," he offered.

It was the line that his dead father had always told him.

Nazim gasped and blood spurted from the confines of his mouth. Manuel stood up, basking in the rain that fell on his skin like petals. Half of him had been trapped for so long, it felt good to finally be free. Thunder split the sky into two and Manuel threw Nazim into the river.

Raindrops trailed past his eyes and his parched lips. He trailed his tongue across his lips and summoned the energy he had accumulated over the years. On the spur of moment, fire fell from the sky. Manuel watched as the river erupted into flames, drowning Nazim's cries with its roar.