Omega's Rebirth

Xenon had not gone so far down the hallway when he paused in his step, realizing he was not even certain where he was headed as he had no defined destination in mind.

Not that there were any other destinations possible, beyond this hallway, there was only the outside world prowling with shadow beasts and the rest of the shadow tower, precisely the sealed hallways.

Xenon ran a hand through his hair, quickly followed by a low hiss of frustration.

Of course the voices had followed Xenon even now, they were attached to him at the hip these days and there was not a moment where they did not pester him, not a single moment of reprieve.

It was a struggle to prevent himself from giving in and giving them exactly what Xenon knew they wanted.

Xenon had not spoken a word that acknowledged these voices since the day he had lost his mind briefly, nearly breaking into one of the sealed hallways, the very one he was constantly lured to by the spectral voices.

And Xenon did know that acknowledging them would not make them go away, they would only grow eager, at whatever their true intentions were.

Xenon suppressed his rage with much difficulty, willing his mind to calm and just when his thoughts began to settle, a familiar deep voice echoed in his mind.

"Xenon." Jian’s voice was calm but distant, yet there was no doubt in Xenon’s mind that it was indeed Jian.

Xenon’s eyes grew wide, he immediately stilled his thoughts, his eyes went closed, blocking out the sounds around him to make it easier for Jian’s words to reach him.

"Jian? I’m with you." Xenon confirmed through their shared thoughts.

And it took a moment before Jian’s voice echoed in his mind once again.

"Xenon... where in the Creator’s name are you?!" Jian demanded coldly.

Despite the cold tone, Xenon could hear the concern entwined in Jian’s words and he could already tell this was not Jian’s first attempt to reach him.

"I...am not certain how to explain it. Shadow Tower." Xenon related the information of his whereabouts to Jian.

"Shadow Tower... That explains the wards. Ultimately, we have guessed it right." Jian’s distant voice came again.

Their mental bond was unstable, Xenon could sense it, that communication would not hold for too long before it was interfered with.

How Jian was even able to reach him in the first place, despite the wards around the shadow tower was still a mystery to Xenon.

"Jian... what exactly is going on? And Veah? She is unharmed!" Xenon immediately enquired about the important affairs.

"Xenon, my return is delayed indefinitely. The circumstances are not easily explained, but you must return to Keep Skies without delay. Neveah will need you in this time... and the shadow tower is no place for you." Jian’s words had grown more distant.

"The nights in the shadow tower are longer than the days. I do not have a way out yet." Xenon thought to Jian.

"Find one." Jian’s final order was firm and left no room for arguments.

As Jian’s presence faded from Xenon’s mind, Xenon pursed his lips slightly, his heart clenched up tightly in concern.

Jian had not stated but Xenon could tell already that in Jian’s absence, the situation in the stronghold would not be very stable, and that would have a direct impact on Neveah, now that she was Jian’s rider.

To think that she was all by herself in such a time, Xenon worried greatly.

"Scales!" Xenon exclaimed in frustration.

’Perchance you might require some assistance, Firedrake?’ The first spectral voice enquired eagerly.

It was only then Xenon’s attention was again drawn to the voices he had blocked out.

’A way past the wards? A portal perhaps?’ another voice chimed in, its tone dripping with anticipation.

’There is much we can do for you, Firedrake.’ The words hung in the air, thick with promise and mystery.

’Many, many things,’ affirmed a third voice, echoing softly as if carried by a gentle breeze.

Xenon grumbled beneath his breath, the name Firedrake had always grated on his nerves, it was not a word that was used to refer to dragons, not since the uprising.

But these forces, whatever they were, they were ancient and dark, it was only expected they still used the titles from the dark empire.

’How long do you believe you can turn a blind eye to our presence, Firedrake?’ One of the specters whispered, their voice echoed through the hollow corridors.

’Until you choose to depart? Do you not ponder why the dawn has yet to break upon this forsaken realm? This silence has lingered far too long, Firedrake. If your desire is to escape the clutches of Shadow Tower, you must confront its encroaching darkness... or resign yourself to remain... for all eternity,’ another specter intoned, their words dripping with an eerie finality.

Xenon’s brows furrowed slightly at their haunting declarations, but he remained silent as he continued down the shadowy hallway.

’You may find yourself pondering why you should embrace our assistance?’ a voice asked.

’You have been regaled with countless legends, yet none have unveiled the true narrative. But now, the hour has come, the hour for the truest tale we hold...our final tale,’ another voice added.

’The precise moment. Indeed! The moment for revelation,’ chimed in a third voice, resonating with an eerie harmony that sent shivers down the spine.

’We once encountered another soul akin to yours,’ one specter intoned solemnly.

’Once, in an age long forgotten... far beyond the reach of your shadowy wings,’ affirmed another.

’Obsidian scales, as dark as the abyss itself...’ the third voice concluded, its whisper lingering ominously in the stillness.

Xenon froze up, pausing in his tracks. His mind spun, all his thoughts reeling to a halt.

’Do you not ponder the shadows of your existence, the solitary firedrake clad in obsidian scales? Have you never dared to question the lineage that binds you? Few are privy to the ancient tale... but we have lingered in the mists of time, yearning for the moment to unveil this truth to one such as yourself.’

’Before your flame ignited, there existed another... the singular firedrake adorned with scales caressed by darkness. A creature ensnared by a curse, destined to wander in eternal solitude...’

’The final remnant of her kin...forever lost in the echoes of time, a she-dragon of black scales...’