When Arthur opened his eyes, there was nothing but sand.
A boundless desert stretched infinitely in all directions.
The sky was colorless, the air painfully dry.
The sun was a merciless white flame, offering no warmth, only searing heat.
There were no enemies. No monsters. No storms.
Only the endless weight of the earth pressing down.
Where… am I?
A voice echoed faintly within the desert winds.
"This is the Final Trial—the Trial of Burden and Endurance."
"The fire taught you to burn."
"The water taught you to yield."
"The wind taught you to flow."
"But earth… earth teaches you to carry."
Arthur took a step forward.
His foot sank.
The sand clung to him like chains, heavy and unrelenting. Every step he took, the weight of the desert pulled him deeper.
He pressed on.
After a dozen paces, his legs burned. His chest tightened. His breathing became ragged.
Why is it so heavy? Why is the ground itself pulling me down?
The voice returned, ancient and resonant.
"Because you carry the weight of a world you refuse to face."
"You carry your anger. You carry your guilt. You carry the fragments of the people you lost."
Arthur clenched his fists.
If I let go… I'll forget them.
"You must walk. Not because you will win. Not because you will be rewarded. But because some burdens cannot be cast aside. They must be borne."
He struggled forward.
The more he resisted, the heavier the sand became. His legs trembled. His body screamed.
Hours passed.
Or perhaps days.
The sun never moved.
His lips cracked. His vision blurred.
How much longer?
"As long as it takes."
"The earth does not care how long you crawl."
"The earth does not lighten its load."
"It merely waits to see if you will continue to stand."
Arthur collapsed.
The weight of the desert consumed him. His chest pressed against the scorching sand. His arms shook, unable to rise.
His mind screamed at him to surrender.
You don't have to keep going. No one would blame you.
He closed his eyes.
His sister's face flickered in his memory—her smile, the home he had lost.
Leonhard's stern gaze.
Theresia's patient companionship.
If I stop here… they'll be gone. I'll be gone.
Arthur's fingers dug into the sand.
I am not just the sum of my anger.
I am not just a shell.
He pushed. Slowly. Painfully.
His body trembled under the crushing weight.
But he rose.
One step.
Then another.
And another.
His breathing steadied—not because the burden lessened—but because he accepted it.
"Some burdens are not meant to be cast aside."
"They must be carried—with broken arms, with shattered hearts, with trembling legs—until the end."
The horizon shimmered.
In the distance, a colossal figure awaited him—a dragon with scales the color of polished stone, her wings folded like ancient mountain ridges.
Arthur approached, his steps steady now, his breathing even.
The Elemental Dragon regarded him with glowing amber eyes.
"You have walked the path of burden," she said, her voice soft but resonant. "You have failed, you have risen, and you have learned to carry what cannot be cast away."
Arthur bowed his head. "Why… did you put me through this?"
The dragon's gaze softened.
"Because this is your true trial. Not to master the elements, but to understand yourself."
She circled him slowly, her enormous claws leaving deep marks in the sand.
"Your soul… it should not exist. This body carries the fragments of ancient dragons—slumbering pieces of the creator himself."
Arthur's chest tightened.
"You were never meant to be. You should have been rejected."
His fists clenched.
"Yet here you are. Enduring."
The dragon lowered her massive head to meet his gaze.
"I took pity on you, Arthur. Among all who would have been devoured by this body, you alone clung to existence. That is why I willingly gave you my power. Not out of obligation—but out of choice."
His throat tightened. "Why me?"
"Because you dared to walk forward, even when you had no reason to."
She raised her claw and gently touched his chest.
"But your path does not end here. The other five dragons will awaken. Their wills, their power… they will consume you unless you subdue them—unless you make them part of you."
Arthur's breath caught.
"Why tell me this now?"
"Because you needed to understand. This life you've been given… is not a blessing. It is a burden. But it is yours to carry."
The dragon's eyes glimmered as she whispered, "Take this name, once held by my father, the one who built the foundations of this world."
Her voice etched the name into his soul.
"Asrial."
The desert faded.
---
Arthur's eyes snapped open.
His body trembled in Leonhard's arms, soaked in sweat.
Memories flooded into him—fire, water, wind, earth.
His chest ached with the weight of it all.
But for the first time, his gaze was not empty.
It burned with something new.
Purpose.
Leonhard's voice was distant, but Arthur heard him now.
"Welcome back… Arthur."
No…
My name is Asrial.