The Hall of the Supreme Dragon Court was silent. Inside the grand hall, with a ceiling that towered above—a dome of obsidian glass etched with runes only the First Dragons could read—eight thrones circled a central platform, each throne bearing the symbol of an element:
Fire, frost, lightning, shadow, wind, water, earth, and light.
Now, seven of those thrones were occupied.
That of Zhun'var, the Supreme Elder of Frost.
The others waited in silence.
Among them, of course, was the frost dragon who had arrived much earlier than he would have liked. Even though the others weren't paying any attention to him, he felt nervous and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
They waited only a moment longer before the great stone doors opened.
A radiant light swept through the chamber.
Then footsteps—slow, heavy, and purposeful—resonated through the hall. Instinctively, everyone's eyes snapped toward that direction.
Zhun'var entered the hall, his long robes trailing behind him. There was subtle blood again on his side, as if he had been in a fight. Some of the elders gasped silently when they noticed this.
Zhun'var was one of the strongest dragons alive—far stronger than most of the Monarchs—with some even arguing that he was the strongest of all.
What could injure someone as formidable as him? the seven elders thought, silently shivering.
Zhun'var walked to the center of the circle and stood without bowing.
"I see none of you died while I was gone," he said, voice calm. "That's good."
"And I see you didn't bring an apology for your late coming," the Flame Elder scoffed.
But Zhun'var ignored the old dragon—he didn't get along too well with him—and said with a serious expression on his face, "I brought news."
He looked around the circle once, eyes narrowing. "The Scourge have begun to organize. That's no longer a theory. It's fact."
The Water Elder tilted her head slightly. "You're certain?"
"I faced a corrupted Champion," Zhun'var said. "One that displayed structured behavior. It wasn't wild. It didn't hunt aimlessly. It acted on command. Luckily, I was able to lead it away from the settlement."
Most now understood how the Elder had gotten the injury.
Meanwhile, the Frost Elder Dragon's eyes flashed. That means two Champions appeared. This is even more serious than I thought.
As soon as they heard the word "Champion," the expressions of all the elders present darkened, and one of them said:
"Then the Alpha has awakened."
The room went silent.
Even the ambient hum of magic faltered.
The Lightning Elder was the first to speak. "We always knew this day might come. We just didn't think it would be now."
The Wind Dragon's eyes drifted closed for a moment, and after a while, he muttered, "We're not ready."
"No," Zhun'var agreed. "We're not."
The Flame Elder snorted. "Then perhaps it's time to stop sitting and start acting."
"On what? We don't know where the Alpha is. If we strike blindly, we'll provoke it."
"We don't need to find it," Zhun'var said, stepping forward. "Because I suspect it's already moving."
Several heads turned toward him.
"I saw its eyes," Zhun'var continued. "Through its Champion. I felt its intent. It wasn't chaotic. It was… curious. Hungry. But most importantly—it was watching... waiting for the right moment to attack."
A heavy, suffocating silence filled the room.
"But why suddenly? I thought it would be at least another decade before another attack. Why did it suddenly show up again?"
"Perhaps it has seen a new target to infect. One with potential."
Although the Supreme Leader didn't mention any name, everyone could easily tell who Zhun'var was referring to by "one with potential."
After all, it was after he showed up that a hybrid appeared in the Ancient Forests. And now this attack? It couldn't all be a coincidence.
One of the elders leaned forward. "You really believe the Alpha is watching that boy?"
"I believe he's the only anomaly strong enough to make it curious," Zhun'var said.
The Frost Elder didn't react. Not outwardly. But his mind moved quickly.
He had expected this.
Now, it was time to act.
"I met him," he finally said, as every gaze turned to him.
"I saw the boy. I stood before him. I tested him. Interrogated him. Observed him closely."
He took a breath, steady and cold.
"He is not what the rumors suggest."
Zhun'var narrowed his eyes. A sharp flash passed through them. "Explain... that faint glow we saw in his attack during the competition—you mean to say...?"
"Yes," the Elder interrupted, nodding confidently. "That was a frost-type skill. He's strong, yes. Talented. I suspect he has some unusual affinity—possibly because of his strange connection to both lower dragons and royal dragons."
"Are you speaking the truth?" Zhun'var asked with a slightly confused look on his face.
"I am sure of what I'm saying."
This revelation left the others at a loss for words. All this while, they had thought he was the prime suspect. The information was too sudden for them to process.
After some time, the Supreme Elder spoke again. "So you're saying he's harmless?"
The Frost Elder, who was seated beneath his robe, didn't answer right away. The others might have thought it was normal, unaware that he was only trying to calm himself before proceeding with his lie.
"No one is harmless," he said at last. "But he is not a threat to the realm. Not now."
There was silence again.
Zhun'var remained quiet for a while, as he pondered what to do before sighing. "We remove him from our priority list. We focus on the real threat—the Alpha and its Champions."
"That's easier said than done."
Another Elder interjected, "We still have options. The Alpha is not unstoppable. We've held it at bay before."
"With the help of eight Dragon Kings and half the realm," another Elder snapped. "Now we can't even get the Monarchs to sit in the same room."
"The kingdoms are scattered. Their leaders have returned to defend their lands. They won't leave their people now—not with the threat already knocking at their walls."
"Which means we can't rely on the Monarchs," Zhun'var said. "So we use what we have left."
They all looked at him again.
He reached into his robes and pulled out a small, black shard. The others stiffened the moment they saw it.
"A corrupted core," Zhun'var said "I found this during the last war."
"What does it do?" the Frost Elder asked, trying to determine if it would be useful to his master or if it would become an obstruction in his plans.
Zhun'var, the Supreme Elder, smiled darkly. He didn't respond immediately. Finally, he whispered:
"To create our own Scourge."