Was death an inevitability that became a curse for immortal beings? That was something Avila pondered ever since she listened to her opponent.

The light dragon engaging her, Karlibor, realized that his light could not harm Avila due to a simple fact. Avila was a dragon in command of darkness, known as the element of gravity and the opposite of light. She wasn’t able to do it before but being an Aspect of Death made her unleash her full potential. Even Avila was pleasantly surprised by her own self when she conjured a black hole with a pull so strong that Karlibor’s light beams were absorbed. Avila was the only being on Earth that had powers and capabilities beyond anything else, making her at least on par with the light dragons.

It would be a different story if she wasn’t hatched as a dragon of darkness, but she was one, and Karlibor knew it. He had seen other realities with such dangerous protector, and he tended to avoid them. He wasn’t sure why he wasn’t as wise as he was before.

But maybe it had something to do with Zenithia and the other traitors. It was clear that the others were so desperate they were willing to ask the light dragons to do the one thing that they weren’t supposed to do: pull a city out of time and transform it into a conduit to permanently connect the reality into the Void so that whatever effort to cut them out would only be nuisances at best.

Yet the city was found, and now he faced a draconic being that could best him without being a light dragon. Karlibor accepted his defeat upon realizing that. He stopped attacking and lowered his head while sitting on all fours. He was just waiting for the killing blow.

Instead, nothing happened. When he lifted his head, he saw his opponent sitting beside him, watching him like a curious cat. Like all dragons of that reality, Avila was not as big as the dragons of many other realities. Only 8 feet long, she was the size of an adult horse. Yet, she was slender like a cat, complimented by her eyes, her tail which seemed to have no end, and her feather-covered wings, finished with smooth, black scales and horns among her feathered head.

“What are you doing?” asked Karlibor, confused with Avila’s action.

“While I may be a guide of lost souls and an Aspect of Death,” said Avila. “It is also my responsibility to preserve life. From death, life comes forth. It is a poetic cycle.”

Karlibor scoffed. “A ridiculous way to explain death, considering what you describe is what we are. Death…is a concept we don’t understand. We don’t know what the end is.”

“So, you keep running and running without ever hoping for an end goal? What is your purpose, then?”

“To survive the Void. What else can we do?”

Avila chuckled. “I’m surprised you did not expect some light dragons to have a better idea. I knew your situation from Zenithia and to be honest, your insistence that the light dragons are dying sounds like a plead from a blind dragon.”

“Are you insulting us?”

“Being immortal is already an insult for me, so consider it even.”

“Don’t you fear us?”

“I do not fear those who is aimless. I only fear the end. The eventuality.”

Karlibor wasn’t sure why a dragon claiming to be an aspect of death would fear the end, while she was the end itself. What was she trying to say?

“You are not making any sense,” said Karlibor. “You are the end itself, yet you fear it. Was it because you know you can’t defeat time?”

“If you claim to be the master of time, you should know that in the end, your eventual extinction is inevitable. That is the reason why you chose to prolong it by going back through time. Yet, even if you can go back and alter events to suit your needs, you always know the end is there. The universe is finite, you know. Sooner or later, all realities will end. I may not be living in the Void between realities, but I know where to draw the finish line.”

“The finish line, huh?” Karlibor chuckled. “Well, you have a point there. Maybe some of us don’t like the perpetuality and just…give up.”

“More likely they finally found the right path,” reasoned Avila. “Their own finish line, so to say.”

“If you see it that way.” The light dragon sighed. “To be honest, this whole effort is so not us. We don’t generally have this much trouble and this much resistance. I mean, we should have seen the signs when Zenithia’s rebellion costed us more than just one or two light dragons. Her rebellion…no, Seraphor’s rebellion…was the spark the younger ones need to escape the infinity. We lost our future when the young lights chose to dim themselves to pursue petty lives. Millions of years of growth, and now it’s all over.”

“And that is the meaning of light bane, isn’t it? It’s not because you are the bane of our existence, but because it’s the harbinger of your end. I suppose my love did gave me mixed signals. He’s as cryptic as ever.”

“Hey, uh…what’s your name, death dragon? Is it a stupid question?”

“No, not stupid. I had many names, for I have lived as a mortal for so many times. However, I chose the name ‘Avila’ for now, at least until the next time I chose to be reborn as a mortal.”

“Avila. Was he happy? Seraphor, I mean? We light dragons don’t think of happiness as necessary, especially since we only exist to survive.”

“Even if everything is revealed to be a lie, Sera’s feelings to me isn’t a lie, and I’m thankful for that.”

“I see. So, what is happiness?”

“Maybe when you choose to be a mortal, you might understand it. It is the reason for the little ritual I did, you see. Like you, being an aspect of death means that it’s a lonely, sad existence. Even if I know there is an end, the line is still so far away. Meanwhile, the souls I guide can finally rest. It intrigues me to know how they lived their lives before their inevitable end. And it paid off. There are dragons that lived in seclusion all their lives, only coming out to hunt. Some dragons are tyrants that met their ends stabbed to death by dragon slayers. Others…are pitiful dragons that became slaves to these humans, long before the partnership of dragons and humans became known as dragon riders. I must admit that I played the role of a hero and a villain, but the experience made me wiser in my role. From the start to the end, I lived my lives to their fullest, knowing that life is fleeting. Being an immortal or long lived doesn’t give you that urgency.”

“So, even a goddess feels humbled.”

“I never claim to be a goddess. Maybe you shouldn’t think of it that way if you value your sanity.”

Karlibor scoffed. “Sanity’s something we lost along the way. Our fear of the eventuality became a curse that turned us against each other. Your reasoning made me think, you know. Maybe…maybe living a short, finite life isn’t so bad, after all.”

“I have a feeling it will take more than that to convince your brethren.”

“And to convince me to cut ties. I must thank you for giving me a new perspective, but I’m afraid I am committed to stop Zenithia from reuniting with him. With Ashaire finally showing his true allegiance, I guess my mission has failed.”

Karlibor stood up and started walking away as Avila watched. After several steps, Avila said, “Wait.”

“What now?”

“Tell me. Why did Sera tell me to find Qeveriyt? What is this city’s significance to you? Why did you remove it from time?”

“I think he knew it. Or rather, we knew he was going to turn against us. He’s a slippery dragon, he is. Always the one with a plan. I may not know him personally, but I can tell that his defiance costs us so many. He chose this reality well.”

“So, where is he now?”

“He’s in this city,” said Karlibor, surprising Avila. “Go to the central square. Free him, return him to the Thread, just do whatever you need to do. It’s no longer my responsibility.”

“I have a feeling it’s not that simple for you.”

“It isn’t. Now that I have told you everything, it’s time for the Thread to reclaim me.”

Karlibor started to dissipate into light particles, causing Avila to realize that telling her about Seraphor was a grave mistake. Clearly, there was a kill switch that would kill Karlibor if he ever told everything Avila needed to hear. However, the dragon’s expression did not indicate regret or anger. Rather, he seemed content.

“We may not meet again, Avila,” said Karlibor. “You might not even be there to guide me. But I’ll see for myself what it feels like to stop eating realities and try to live my life in one. Maybe then, I’ll meet you. Maybe not. Exciting, isn’t it?”

Avila smiled. “Now, you understand.”

Karlibor let out a final smile on his draconic face, before his body completely dissipated into light particles, disappearing soon after. Avila looked on as she said, “May your soul be guided to everlasting rest…whenever, wherever, and however you chose to be. Still not sure how to wish a being like that well.”

It was weird for her wishing a destroyer of realities well, especially since Karlibor’s claim that he was a being above Avila was true. She was glad that she could talk to him and learn his side of the story and it was a good thing Karlibor was more level-headed than the rest of his kind, bar Zenithia and Seraphor.

Avila could not delay. Karlibor sacrificed himself to give her Seraphor’s whereabouts. To be killed just to tell the answer to her question meant that Seraphor’s freedom could really save that reality. She still questioned all the desperate efforts they did just to stop Zenithia and Seraphor from saving one reality, but she could always ask.

For now, it was time for her to reunite with her lover and end the invasion of the light dragons.

***

It was clear for her that the battle had advanced to its final stage as the soldiers, deeming the area safe, carefully entered the twisted city. Keeshar and Ritik did tell them that it was safe, and they were right. The light dragon attacks had stopped, and what remained was the destroyed battlefield full of mutated former inhabitants of Qeveriyt.

Everyone kept on high alert, knowing that it could just be a trap. However, one the soldiers had finally set up a base, the scout team handled the city to them while they continued into the city, which unfortunately was so warped that it was impossible for them to traverse by foot.

Avila joined Richie while meeting with Ashaire. Richie tried to explain about him, but Avila already understood and said, “Do not try anything stupid.”

“Well, I’ve already did the stupidest thing of all by—”

“This is not the time for jokes.”

“Alright, alright.” Ashaire sighed, turned to Richie, and said, “Is she always this stuck-up?”

“You are responsible for killing some of the dragons back in Dracokin, after all, and crippling the shit out of me. Don’t think I’ll forgive you after giving me the Invincible treatment.”

“What’s that.”

“Never mind. It’s not like you can look it up after what you did to my reality.”

“Would you believe me if that confession’s just an act?”

Richie narrowed his eyes and said, “We’ll see. You’re still too shady for my liking, Ashaire.”

The light dragonborn rubbed his head as Richie kept glaring at him. With a sigh, he walked first, followed by Richie and Avila.

They all reunited with the rest of the party, who had just finished with their second fight (that of the light dragon they fought before engaging Sacrisantis). Seeing that everyone was doing fine, along with the unlikeliest and the most uneasy of allies (Ashaire), they proceeded to the city square on the back of several dragons.

With Zenithia absorbing most of the light beam attacks, her body grew into that of an adolescent dragon, big enough to carry one light person. She did not strain herself when she took flight, though her smaller size did make Azureath worry for a moment before she reminded herself that her ally was not a normal dragon.

Flying in the city while witnessing the twisted fates of the inhabitants, humanoids and dragons alike, made them very uneasy. The city had been taken out of time for an unknown length of time, meaning that this could happen fairly recently or far in the future, with it being relatively put in the present to let the light dragons to invade their era. Zenithia wondered why the specific planet and the specific era, knowing that the universe was so vast they could find a less confrontable place.

Knowing that she might be partially responsible for that, Zenithia just confirmed it to herself and continued flying to the town square. The Aetherium particles in the air was so dense that it started to cloud their visions. Zenithia wasn’t able to extend the protection without straining herself and risking the lives of everyone (the Aetherium cloud was so dense that those with natural mana reserves would be affected). Upon giving her reason, Adeline relayed this to the others, and they decided to watch for ambushes.

Surprisingly, there was no ambush except prismatic fog that could threaten their mental integrity. Even more surprising, after they passed the cloud, they were greeted with a very uncanny sight that contrasted everything before.

The area they ended up in felt so different owing to the lack of normal sky. Instead, they ended up somewhere beyond the blue sky, as Richie pointed out.

“No way,” he said. “We’re in outer space.”

“Outer space?” asked Hans. “This isn’t the night sky?”

“Well, yeah, but you don’t see planets like that up close,” replied Richie. “How the hell did we end up moving from fantasy to sci-fi? This doesn’t make any sense.”

“Hey,” said Ashaire. “Maybe try and dial down your otherworldly remarks for a bit?”

“Says the one who came straight out of a science fantasy convention.”

“Stay focused, you two,” reprimanded Keeshar. “We are deep in enemy territory now.”

“Not if we still have one among us.” Elyse turned to Ashaire from Azureath’s back. “You changing sides so easily does not make you our ally, light dragon. It only makes you even shadier.”

“Quite a mystery, isn’t it?” teased Ashaire.

“We do not need games right now and we certainly do not like to second guess,” said Adeline. “And don’t expect any warm treatment by those you wronged, Ashaire.”

Ashaire’s snarky quips were quickly stopped by everyone glaring at him (including Richie), causing the light dragonborn to sigh and flew alongside Richie quietly. He wondered why he needed to beat his wings when Richie, an apparently flightless Eastern dragon, made use of air manipulation to give him flight. Maybe he could extend his wind for him.

Then he got the cold shoulder treatment from Richie, and he decided not to ask.

It wasn’t long before they found a platform to land. They weren’t sure the need of such platform for light dragons until Zenithia noticed what the platform was made out of.

“Hard light construct,” said Zenithia. “The light feels…familiar.”

“Can’t say it’s surprising. This is his prison, after all,” said Ashaire. “Look up there.”

Everyone looked towards where Ashaire pointed, and they all expressed surprise.

Right in the middle of the starry field, there was a light dragon, suspended by light beams that acted as restraint. The beams impaled the dragon in a way that should be fatal, though it was clear for them that it was not. He suffered extensive injuries such as cuts and bruises, along with the total loss of his wings. Only the limb and digits remained while the translucent membrane were torn off, preventing flight. They were also held open by the beam restraints. One of the light dragon’s horns was cut off.

What made it even worse was that the restraints were clearly not there to keep him in place. A stream of light similar to a pillar of light had light streams coming to the ceiling. The dragon’s emaciated appearance and his weak state were indications that the light streams were his own, which was being sapped.

The identity of the unknown light dragon was already apparent before Avila became concerned and was actually the first to rush towards the dragon while exclaiming his name. This was so out of character, especially since she was always the one being cautious of traps.

“Sera!” she exclaimed. “What did they do to you?!”

“H-hey, wait!” said Ashaire. “He’s not just any prisoner! There might be—”

Ashaire’s warnings were unfounded when Avila not only noticed the traps, but managed to neutralize them with her characteristic darkness, bending them away from her harmlessly as she ran on all fours to her lover, Seraphor.

“Well, I guess that works,” said the light dragonborn as he joined Zenithia in providing passage for the rest of the group. “I guess I understand why Seraphor’s smitten with her.”

“Wait,” said Zenithia. “You know him?”

“This might surprise you, Zenithia, but this idea? It’s ours. Oh, and sorry. I said it before, and I’ll say it now.”

Zenithia wasn’t sure what Ashaire was talking about until he touched her forehead. She was stunned for a second, causing the others to fear the worst until Zenithia shook her head and slapped Ashaire. Her light dragon form, already bigger than a dragonborn, easily caused Ashaire to be thrown aside by her strength.

“Why did you do that?!” she exclaimed. For the first time since Adeline knew Zenithia, the light dragon was crying. “Why did you…”

“You wouldn’t agree,” said Ashaire, shaking his head. “And he needs someone he can trust to ensure our freedom. He can’t trust anyone aside from his sister. Aside from me, of course.”

“Wait a second,” said Richie. “Are you telling me she’s his sister?! And you have always been part of the plan?!”

“Yeah. Quite a twist, isn’t it?”

“Then that part of me being an aberrant and getting transported to this world?”

“That’s…not part of the plan. I wasn’t responsible for your reality’s invasion, but Zenithia’s battle against the other light dragons was so destructive it spilled to several realities. The pillar of light was part of that. Well, if you need some good news, I can show you the aftermath of what I showed you before. Ready?”

Richie did not hesitate as he nodded vigorously. Ashaire smiled and made a part of the starry field into a projection, through which a different environment was shown. It was full of destruction and death, clearly caused by a cataclysmic event. While many of the humans that were entranced by the prismatic fog either died or in a catatonic state, many other survived. Clearly, Ashaire was lying when he said Richie’s Earth was gone.

“Your Earth, and the reality it belongs to, was going to be eaten if it wasn’t for Zenithia. Her fight with Shawar and many other light dragons inadvertently interrupted the process, leaving your earth to only be damaged, but not entirely gone. Sure, 75 percent of Earth’s population was eradicated, but the rest of them aren’t doomed. Consider it a near miss. Oh, and here they come.”

Richie was full of emotions when he saw his parents helping a young child from the rubbles while also being coordinated by the surviving crisis response team. His mother, a nurse, helped with treating the wounds of the survivors.

“Unfortunately, I can’t return you home,” said Ashaire. “It’s easy for me to get there, but the same can’t be said for you. Just because you have control over altered reality doesn’t mean you’re one of us. If I return you home, you’ll end up dead. I know it’s a lot to take it, but—”

“No, it’s alright,” said Richie with a sigh. “I don’t know if the rest of my extended family survives or not, but I’m still glad my parents are alive. I feel bad not being able to tell them I’m alive, but…I’m legally dead, so at this point, I feel like I’m watching them from above.”

“Good to know you’re taking it well, Richie Long,” said Ashaire. “Now, let’s go get to Seraphor and finish this whole thing before—”

Ashaire and Zenithia sensed a malicious presence before the other realized it. They only realized there was an enemy when the starry field abruptly disappeared, to be replaced with the Void. The Aetherium cloud they came in from disappeared, effectively trapping them in the Void.

Everyone was confused and scared, but surprisingly, the one most affected was Avila. The place felt unnatural for her, mostly because she was cut off from the world outside. While she kept her calm exterior, her heart was racing. She started to question if it was real, even though she was one of the most powerful beings on Earth.

She let it slip when she unknowingly backed off and bumped onto Seraphor, who abruptly woke up. The first thing the light dragon saw was Avila looking uncertain. Since he was apprehended before he knew that Avila was an Aspect of Death, he became worried. The beam restraints did not hurt, but it prevented him to move. Even if he could move, the light energy being sapped out of him would not let him do so.

Thus, the best he could do was say, “Vila” with a coarse voice. It had been a while since he tasted Earth’s water, even if light dragons weren’t supposed to be affected by something as Earthly as thirst.

Avila snapped around to see Seraphor’s eyes half-open. His teal eyes stared at Avila with intent.

“Sera!” said Avila.

“Avila…so you understand my message.”

“I took me 25 years and some unlikely allies, though.”

“Not…as long as my captivity here,” said Seraphor while struggling to make a smile on his draconic face. He then noticed the sky was black and realized the danger she was in. “But I must ask you to help me one more time.”

“Tell us what we need to do,” said Avila. “What happened? Why do I feel like I lost my connection to the world?”

“You are within an Altered Reality,” said Seraphor. “And this Reality is theirs. As of right now, they will…begin the Spool.”

“Spool?!” cried Zenithia. “Through you?!”

“So, their survival instinct ended up corrupting their mind,” said Ashaire. “Animals, be it sentient or sapient, are not meant to live beyond their allotted time. We, the Dragons of Light, are no different from those we deemed inferior. So, someone snapped. Typical.”

“Can someone explain us plebs what the hell is the Spool?!” said Richie. “Why the sewing analogy?”

“The Spool is as you know it; it is something to wind the threads in. We are connected to the Source by the Thread, but the Source is a mass of entangled Threads that is now full of frayed ends, caused by the high number of our kind abandoning the Thread. In desperation, and in a dedicated refusal, they decided to reset everything.”

“And that reset is Seraphor, who will be the template for future light dragons,” said Zenithia. “To make an example for those who ever wish to rebel in the future. It is a testament of our eternity. Our infinite.”

“And we are supposed to bloody deal with all that?!” said Hans.

“This is beyond anything a dragon has ever faced, light ones,” said Azureath.

“Even I can say this is an actual way to cheat death,” said Avila. “You’re truly beyond Death herself.”

Hearing everyone somehow complimenting their enemies did not sit well with Richie, who clearly found that the whole thing was not just wrong, it was twisted. To make a punished dragon a template was nothing short of evil. So evil, in fact, that thinking about what the light dragons were capable of started to mess with him, to the point of him letting out a guttural roar full of anger.

“I do not get thrown into this world only to see it share the fate of my world!” he exclaimed as he readied his claws. “Come on, all of you!”

“A good point,” said Adeline, drawing her light blade. “The line must be drawn here. We will be the defenders of Earth.”

“Well, can’t go back home now,” said Elyse. “Nature’s energy might not work in this Altered Reality, but that doesn’t mean I have no more teeth to bare.”

“I will be your support,” said Ritik. “That is what I do best.”

“Friends, great guardian, it has been quite a journey,” said Keeshar, readying his macuahuitl. “To be there to decide the fate of the world is the ultimate end of my rite of passage. May we all see the future beyond this black Void.”

Ashaire chuckled. “Well, love? Guess your mission’s a resounding success.”

“I will declare victory only if we manage to survive in the end,” said Zenithia. “This is the last stretch of our journey.”

Everyone agreed with her and readied themselves for the greatest battle of their lives up to that point. Even Hans never thought everything would end up like that, though he never regretted it.

He wanted an adventure, and he got a lot more than he bargained for. Some were bad, while some were good. All the werewolf could do was smile.

“To think all this started in a little home in Sidve,” said Hans. “Well, Lilac. It seems your dear brother’s going to save this world.”

Hans couldn’t see her, but Azureath, the first dragon he ever met, smiled, knowing that he was prepared. She found closure for her family’s past, and it was all thanks to the efforts of the wolves from the Ternor Continent.

With a renewed sense of hope, and a desire to end the invasion once and for all, the team braced the unknown, and faced the danger head-on.