Arthur felt the cosmic energy building between them, Sera's dragon fire calling to the Primordial essence within him. The system notifications pulsed with urgent intensity, promising transcendence beyond mortal limitations. For a moment, he almost surrendered to it—the pull of ultimate power, the completion of their otherworldly bond.
Then he stepped back.
"Wait," he said, his voice carrying new harmonics even as he resisted the final merger. "Not yet, Sera."
The ancient dragon's golden eyes flashed with surprise, then something that might have been approval. "Restraint? How... unexpected."
"You've endured three years of torture to position yourself for this moment," Arthur said, his hands still on her bare shoulders but his grip gentle rather than possessive. "I won't rush it now because I'm impatient for power."
