As they passed through the portal, everything turned white for a moment. The feeling was strange, and none of them could wrap their heads around it.
Though it had only been a couple of seconds, it felt as if they floated in that white space for nearly five minutes. The next moment, they all found themselves plummeting from the sky at an alarming rate.
The fall was so sudden and unexpected, it gave no one time to react.
Drake was the first to slam into the ground, tumbling across a rough, stony surface before finally skidding to a stop. He grunted, coughing out a mouthful of dust as he groaned and tried to lift himself up.
"Damn portal… always feels like getting kicked by a god," he muttered.
Around him, bodies dropped from the sky one after the other—each thudding hard against the cracked terrain. Raziel, the lightning prince, crashed nearby. Zara landed a few feet away, already rolling to her feet with practiced ease.
One after another, they all landed. Though the height was over two hundred meters, it wasn't enough to kill a dragon. They groaned, picking themselves up and glancing around at their new surroundings.
"Where the hell are we…?" Valkor said, eyes narrowing as he stood and scanned the area.
It didn't feel like the real world anymore. There was something wrong with the air here.
The sky above was black, streaked with veins of glowing red lightning. Ancient towers dominated the landscape. The buildings looked as if they'd been built ages ago and might collapse if the wind blew too fiercely.
It didn't take long to realize they were in some kind of ancient city.
"Everyone here?" Drake asked, steadying himself.
One by one, the others responded.
"Present," Zara said, nursing a burn on her shoulder.
"Still alive," Raziel groaned, holding his side.
"Barely," Elise muttered, helping Celestis to her feet.
But someone was missing.
Drake's heart sank. He looked around quickly. "Wait… where's Lumi?"
A cold silence fell over the group as everyone began to search.
"Huh, she was close to me. I saw her enter the portal."
"Yeah, I saw her too."
"Don't tell me she got caught—no, that's not possible!"
Suddenly, they heard a rustle and quickly turned in that direction.
From behind a broken tower, a figure stumbled forward. Lumi collapsed to her knees, blood trailing down the side of her face—but she was breathing.
"I hate portals," the little girl spat out, then promptly emptied her stomach to the side.
Relief washed over them all, though it didn't last long. After a quick headcount to confirm everyone was present, Drake retrieved the map once more.
But it was useless now—blank.
He looked up and smiled bitterly. "From here on out, we're on our own."
Shortly after, they decided to leave the vicinity. It was far too dangerous to remain near the portal entrance, especially with the threat of the Scourge Commander's possible return.
But the question remained—where to?
Everywhere they looked, the aftermath of battle was evident: bones the size of buildings, massive rusted weapons, and torn banners buried beneath rubble. Fortunately, in the distance, they spotted a structure that appeared to be in better condition than the rest.
"Looks like we're heading there," Drake said, nodding toward it.
The group began moving cautiously.
No one said much. The silence around them was oppressive. Occasionally, low howls echoed in the distance. There were no signs of Scourge Dragons—but somehow, that made it worse.
On the bright side, the air felt less oppressive than outside. Lumi no longer needed to burn mana to maintain her light barrier.
As they walked past a massive crumbled wall with strange symbols scribbled across it, Celestis—the Water Dragon Princess—slowed her pace and placed a hand on one of the carvings.
"These symbols… they're draconic," she whispered. "Older than the dragon temples. Could be pre-cataclysm."
"Can you read them?" Drake asked, stepping forward and tracing his fingers along the carvings.
"Some of it," she replied. "It seems to talk about another element."
That got everyone's attention.
Drake's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? Another element—different from the Eight?"
"Yes." Celestis nodded.
The text was far too ancient to fully decipher, but thankfully, Celestis was someone who spent a lot of time around old books. Still, many of the symbols were blurred, making it difficult even for her.
"What element is it talking about?" Nyxirith asked.
Celestis narrowed her eyes, brushing more dust off the cracked wall. Her fingers glowed faintly with mana as she traced the lines carefully.
"I'm not completely sure," she said slowly. "But… it keeps referencing a concept called 'the Ninth something.'"
"…'The Ninth something?'" Drake repeated, frowning.
Celestis nodded, her expression serious as she stared at the carvings.
"Yes. The sentence ends abruptly. Some of the runes are too worn to interpret. But it keeps repeating a phrase—'The Ninth XXXX### shall awaken the Dragon's End.'"
Everyone fell silent. The words felt ominous.
"What the hell does that mean?" Raziel muttered.
"Sounds like a prophecy," Elise added, arms crossed. "Cryptic enough to scare everyone but vague enough to be useless."
"No," Celestis said firmly. "This isn't just prophecy. It's a warning."
She turned slowly, voice grave. "There are symbols here not found in any known dragon dialect. This wall was part of a temple—possibly even older than the original Eight Kingdoms. Whatever the Ninth Element was… it wasn't meant for dragons."
Drake frowned. "So why carve it here?"
Celestis hesitated. "Because whoever left this message… wanted dragons to remember. Also this is all theory I'm not that certain myself."
Zara narrowed her eyes, scanning the ruins. "And yet this place was wiped out. Doesn't feel like anyone remembered anything."
"That might be the point," Nyxirith murmured, eyes fixed on the horizon.
Drake let out a slow breath and looked toward the distant structure they'd set their eyes earlier. From this angle, it looked like some kind of domed fortress.
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