The city was roaring—sirens howled, police lights flashed, cars screeched. Search protocols were in full swing.
Every vehicle was stopped, every face scanned. They all held one photo—Alex.
Somewhere, on the rooftop of an tall building… in middle of dazzling city.
Alex stirred.
He slowly opened his eyes, groggy, confused. His body was wrapped in nothing but an old blanket. No clothes. No memory of how he got here.
"W-Woah! I'm naked?! What the hell—where am I?!"
Alex shouted, panicked.
"Relax, kid. I brought you here."
Alex spun around.
An old man sat on the edge of the rooftop, legs dangling in the air like a bored philosopher.
Alex stood up, fumbling with the cloth. He searched for his infinite pocket, tried to activate his technique. Nothing. It wasn't working.
"Give it up, kid. You can't outfight your grandpa," the old man said with a sigh.
Alex squinted. Confused. Then it hit him.
"Wait… What do you mean? You're—you're Perseus?!"
The old man burst into laughter.
"Good! You finally recognize me," he grinned, turning his back to the rising sun.
"Come on. Sit next to me. Something funny's going on down there."
Alex tied the towel tighter around his waist and sat beside Perseus.
"So what now? We go home? Grab some lunch?"
"Nope. We're going on an adventure," Perseus replied, taking off his hat.
Long white hair fell past his shoulders. He smiled warmly, and for a second… Alex felt the comfort of his father.
"A real adventure, kid."
Perseus looked at him with a spark in his eyes.
"So, Alex... you in?"
Alex gave a half-smile, conflicted.
"Yeah… but I've got Dad. And Uncle. I can't just—"
"Stop being a crybaby," Perseus stood up, stern now.
"They'll be fine. Don't you dare forget what that old man Marvick said—"
'A reason to smile. A reason to love. A reason to fight.'
Alex looked down, remembering.
Perseus turned toward the sky, eyes distant.
"Alex… you're incomplete. You're unaware of your own fate."
Alex looked over. His voice cracked.
"But Grandpa... I need training. I need to get stronger."
Perseus laughed loud and long.
Alex frowned. Annoyed.
"Come on, Grandpa. I'm serious!"
The wind danced through Perseus' hair as he stared at Alex.
"Alex… you've got all of eternity ahead of you, as long as I'm by your side. But strength? Power?"
"That's not all there is. You've never lived. Never traveled. Never seen the most beautiful corners of this universe."
"What you need... is a reason to move forward. You'll grow stronger on that adventure."
"I'll start my adventure!" Alex declared, fists clenched with a grin. "But first… I need clothes!"
Persious burst into laughter, leaning on his cane like a retired knight in on an inside joke. "Clothes, huh? Good priorities."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "It's midnight. No shops are open."
Persious shrugged off his long coat, reached into his hidden pocket, and tossed Alex a pair of shorts that looked way too fashionable to just appear out of nowhere. "Here. Toss these on. And get on my back—we're shopping."
"Wait, what?"
Before he could argue, Alex was hoisted up. With a sudden gust, they launched into the sky, riding moonlight and wind as if the heavens themselves were a highway.
Below them, the city shimmered—roads alive with headlights and neon, people bustling despite the hour, unaware of the boy in a cloak soaring above.
They landed softly in a side alley. Persious pulled Alex's hood tight. "Your father's people are looking. That face of yours—too recognizable."
Alex followed him through the back entrance of a boutique. A woman in a sleek dress glanced up, smiled knowingly. "Alex, right? Come, let's get you dressed properly."
She guided him into a changing room, tossing him clothes faster than he could blink. Meanwhile, Persious strolled to the men's section like a lion selecting armor.
"Oi, you!" he called out to the clerk. "This black and dark brown jacket—got it in kid sizes?"
The man nodded, eyes wide. "If it's for that kid, yes, but… it's not cheap."
Persious smirked, pulling out a black card and tapping it to his chest. "Bill me for twenty. And throw in those 'Hunter Edition' hooded jackets with protective barrier weave."
The clerk choked. "All… twenty?"
"Make it thirty. I don't want him freezing during a thunder god's tantrum."
He turned to a rack of combat boots. "These. Do they come in flameproof?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Good. Arrange ten pairs. This one's going to be stepping on god bones soon."
Outside, Alex rejoined him—now in sleek tactical wear with dark trims and celestial stitching.
"We're not done," Persious said with a sly grin. "We need… knowledge."
"What kind?"
"The kind that comes wrapped in glossy paper."
They entered a comic store. Persious, eyes wide like a child reborn, darted between shelves, yanking out rare issues, forbidden editions, even the spicy adult series.
Alex plopped into the superhero aisle, reading with a calm focus. When the old shopkeeper moved to stop him, Persious calmly flashed his black card. The shopkeeper bowed and sat silently at the billing counter.
"Let the boy read. He's saving the world."
An hour passed.
They emerged with bags of comics—then Persious tapped a sigil, and all the books vanished into Alex's infinite pocket.
But just as the laughter was fading, Persious halted.
His eyes narrowed.
A strange aura shimmered around him, invisible to the average eye. He gently returned the card to his coat pocket, whispering something to the sky.
"Alex," he said, his voice low, almost emotional. "Go. Buy anything you want. It's… 12:15. Your birthday."
Alex blinked. "Wait, what?"
Persious smiled. "Happy birthday, my boy."
Then, turning to two men in cloaks nearby, he said, "Watch over him. He's under your care now."
And before Alex could reply, Persious vanished—straight into the sky, no sound, no flash, just gone.
Alex wandered, stunned but smiling, slipping into shops—buying armor, gadgets, charms, things he didn't even know he needed. In a jewelry shop, he was customizing a pendant when—
"Alex?!"
He turned.
Two figures rushed in—Ben and James, breathless, eyes wide.
"You idiot! Where've you been?!" Ben shouted, grabbing him in a crushing hug.
James punched his arm. "The whole city's on fire looking for you."
They sat outside the store. Alex recounted everything—the rooftop, Persious, the dragon dream, the shopping spree.
"So," Ben said slowly, "you've decided, huh?"
Alex nodded, solemn. "Yeah. Where I stay… people get hurt. I can't keep pretending I'm just another boy."
James, ever the fixer, walked to the shopkeeper. "Ten grand. Shut the cameras. Delete the last four hours."
The man nodded without hesitation.
But before Alex could explain more, he froze.
A voice.
"Alexander... come find me."
His breath caught.
"What?" Ben asked.
"I heard something. A voice."
"Probably your trauma talking," James muttered.
But it came again.
"Come… find me."
They stepped into the street.
A strange glow painted the sky. No thunder. No tremors. Just a soft, golden light—falling behind the distant hills like snow from heaven.
Alex's eyes sharpened.
"James. Can you fly us behind that hill?"
"What? Seriously?"
"Now."
Ben grabbed their hands.
James summoned the wind.
With a burst of elemental force, they were airborne, cutting through the night like arrows loosed from Olympus.
As they reached the crest of the hill—
They saw it.
And the world went silent.
Too quiet.
Alex's boots touched down, but the wind didn't howl. The stars above felt… still. Frozen. As if the world was holding its breath.
Then they saw it.
Nestled in the cradle of jagged rocks and scorched earth, shrouded in curling tendrils of mist and gold—
a dragon.
Not the kind from bedtime stories. Not the ones stamped on knight's shields or painted in temple murals.
This was ancient.
Older than myth.
Its scales shimmered like dying suns—black and gold, cracked and glowing from within like lava sealed in stone. Spines coiled along its back like broken blades. Its wings, once massive, were torn—stitched with old scars, tattered like battle flags. One eye was sealed shut, the other flickered with failing light, deep and endless, like it had watched continents crumble.
It breathed—but barely. Each exhale was a rumble through the ground, a whisper through the bones of the Earth.
Ben froze.
"What… is that?"
James whispered, his voice hoarse, "That's not a beast. That's a relic. A… god, maybe."
Alex stepped forward, something pulling him closer—not fear. Recognition.
The dragon stirred, its jaw creaking open like rusted gates.
Its voice wasn't sound.
It was inside him.
"Alex..."
The name echoed through his very soul, deeper than language.
"You… came... The dream was true…"
Alex knelt beside her massive head. She towered above him, even dying. Yet her presence wasn't threatening—it was mournful. Like a warrior who fought too long, bled too much, and just wanted to pass on the flame.
"Who are you?" he asked, barely a whisper.
Her golden eye locked onto his, and in it—he saw flashes. Visions.
A battle raging across skies.
Wings eclipsing suns.
A woman—his mother—her eyes fierce, her smile sad, standing between gods and dragons.
"I am the last of the Aetherbound. The ones born in the Void, forged in the First Flame. When your mother saved me... she gave me a second life."
Alex's throat tightened.
"You knew her?"
"I flew beside her. Watched her defy Olympus and Hell alike. She had the storm in her blood… and so do you."
"Then why call me now?"
The dragon's eye dimmed slightly. She lifted her trembling claw, revealing something hidden in the shadows—an egg.
Small. Glowing. Alive.
"This… is my daughter. My legacy. The last spark of our kind."
The egg pulsed—once. Twice. A heartbeat. A promise.
"You must protect her. Raise her. Teach her to fly. And when the time comes—fight with her."
Alex reached out, his fingers grazing the warm, pulsing shell. The moment he touched it, something ignited in his veins—a power ancient and unspoken.
"But what about you?"
The dragon exhaled softly, smoke curling from her nostrils like a final sigh.
"My body is breaking. My soul has one last gift to give."
She smiled, teeth like obsidian daggers.
"I have left nothing behind—not even my power! My strength will surge through you and your comrades! My dust… shall become your sword!"
Alex, hearing the voice echo in his mind, looked up.
"Who's coming for me?"
The dragon's fading form replied, "The dark forces… they've begun to move. Be careful. Lord Xander and Master Persious have already avenged me, but the real threat comes now!"
Alex clenched his fists. "What are these dark forces? Why are they chasing me?"
"Because you are the prophesied child—the Protector of Stars. The one bound to the endless constellations. Please… protect the stars. And my child."
Suddenly, golden energy flowed from the dragon's body into the golden egg… into Alex… into Ben and James. The light surged like a living river. The dragon's body began to dissolve into stardust. A brilliant beam of starlight descended from above, gathering into the dust.
Then—
Alex collapsed to his knees, screaming.
The dragon's gaze locked on him, its voice tender and proud.
"Please… bear the burden of this world, Hero."
Golden flames burst through Alex's shirt, burning across his back.
"AAAAHHHH! My back! It's… burning! It's not rejecting the energy anymore—it's tearing me apart! My heart's racing—I can't… hold on!"
But he did. He dropped into a meditative pose, body trembling, struggling to absorb the surging power.
The pain was unbearable. But he saw—the egg was drawing some of it out of him, sharing the burden.
The dragon's body had nearly turned to dust. Only the head remained. Then, from its mouth—
A final, deafening scream—a roar that told the world: a bond had been formed. The last dragon had chosen.
Alex's mind was cast into a trance-realm. He saw a soft light—pure, familiar, gentle. The dragon's aura.
He reached out, touching it gently.
"You're fine now. I'm here for you. We'll rise together… you and I."
And just like that—he returned.
Back in the real world, the dragon screamed again—but this time with pride.
"Hold the sword!"
Those were its final words.
A celestial light crashed down from the heavens onto the golden dust. The particles swirled, spun, and forged into a mighty blade—a white-and-blue sabercut, with golden dragon markings and lightning crackling across its edge. The sky darkened.
Alex shivered. He felt the same sinister presence again.
"James! I need air support! Launch me—now!"
John, exhausted, used his last mana to boost Alex high into the sky.
Alex gathered all the Qi he could muster, gripping the new sword tightly. He focused it at the blade's edge. The heavens responded.
Lightning exploded from above.
The sword, empowered with divine energy, cut down the darkness that had overtaken the hill. Shadows screamed as they were torn apart.
As Alex descended from the heavens, he heard a whistle.
Persious was flying toward him—smirking—and a glowing portal opened in midair.
alex tossed a locket toward Ben.
"Give this to her. It's my post-outing gift!"
Ben caught it mid-air. "Okay, Cap! Where are you even going?!"
Alex was free-falling from the sky. Persious grabbed his hand in-flight and yanked him toward the portal.
"Haha! Kid—you did good! Let's go!"
As they zipped through the air, Alex looked back at Xander and Sam tailing behind them.
"Dad! Uncle! Bye! I'm going on an adventure!"
Then—they vanished into the portal.
Xander and Sam hovered in the air, watching them disappear, laughing.
"So he was fine all along... and now he's bursting out for another fight," Sam said, chuckling.
"We'll be hearing stories about him for sure," Xander added.
They turned to Ben.
"How's he doing?"
Ben felt something strange in his pocket. He pulled it out—a velvet cover, wrapped with a platinum chain, holding several lockets. Names were etched on each.
There was also a paper note.
"Going on an adventure! Wish me luck, everyone!"
Ben opened his locket. It was a photo of all of them, smiling together.
He checked Gwen's locket next. Inside was a healing elixir—the one Alex had used—and a tiny levitating maze.
Ben grinned.
"Bastard… always making up for his screw-ups."
He dashed back home.
When he reached Gwen's room, he burst in.
"Hey, Gwen! He's okay! He told me to give you this letter—and his pre-outing gift."
Gwen snatched the letter, heart racing.
_"Hey Gwen,
Sorry… as I promised you, I might be late.
But when I come home, I'll take you on the best outing ever and tell you everything.
Say sorry to Aunt Amber, Uncle John, and Nana-Aunt for me.
Hold the locket when you sleep—I'll be with you.
Singing off,
Your Crybaby."_
She laughed, eyes misty.
"Idiot… you never change."
Then she pressed the locket gently to her chest and closed her eyes, a soft breath escaping her lips—relief, joy, ache, and love all at once.
She sat on the edge of her bed, holding the letter like a lifeline.