The journey through the mountain pass was long and cold.
Rael led the way in silence, his dark cloak blending into the shadows of the rocky path. The air grew thinner as they climbed, and with each step, Kaito felt the weight of the world pressing down on him — the truth of his blood, the threat of the Crimson Order, and the promise of power he still barely understood.
They had traveled for hours before Rael finally spoke.
"We're close."
Kaito looked up. Jagged peaks loomed ahead, and nestled between them was a massive cavern entrance, half-shrouded by mist. A strange warmth pulsed from within, cutting through the mountain's chill.
"What is this place?" Kaito asked, his breath visible in the cold.
Rael didn't answer. He walked forward, and Kaito followed.
Inside the cavern, the temperature shifted. The walls glowed faintly with veins of crimson crystal, casting flickering light. The air felt alive, heavy with something ancient.
Kaito's heart raced. He could feel it — a hum, deep in his chest, resonating with the cavern.
Rael stopped before a massive stone archway, its surface etched with runes that pulsed softly.
"Beyond this," Rael said, "is the one who can show you the truth."
Kaito hesitated. "A dragon."
Rael nodded. "The last of the Elders. She's old, powerful, and dangerous. Speak with respect. And listen."
With a deep breath, Kaito stepped through the archway.
The chamber beyond was vast, its ceiling lost in shadow. At its center, a great pool of molten lava bubbled, casting a golden-red glow. The heat was intense, yet it didn't burn.
Kaito's eyes widened.
Curled around the pool was a creature of immense size, scales glinting like polished obsidian, eyes closed, breathing slow and deep.
A dragon.
But unlike anything he had imagined.
Her wings were folded, horns curling back elegantly, and veins of fire seemed to pulse beneath her scales. Even in rest, she radiated power.
As Kaito approached, her eyes opened — twin orbs of fire, ancient and knowing.
"So," her voice echoed in his mind, "the blood awakens again."
Kaito swallowed hard, his knees threatening to give way.
"You… you're real," he whispered.
She raised her head, towering above him. "As are you, child of cursed blood."
Rael stepped forward, bowing slightly. "Lady Seraphine, this is Kaito."
"I know who he is," Seraphine said. Her gaze never left Kaito. "I have waited centuries for one like you."
Kaito took a step back. "Why? What do you want from me?"
Seraphine's eyes narrowed. "Not what I want. What you need. You carry the blood of two worlds — vampire and dragon. Few can survive it. Fewer still can master it."
"I don't even know how I got it," Kaito said. "I died in my world, saving someone who didn't deserve it. Now I'm here, with powers I don't understand, hunted by creatures I've never seen."
"You are here because fate chose you," Seraphine said. "Or perhaps, because the world needs you."
Kaito shook his head. "I'm not some hero."
"No," she agreed. "You are something else."
She lowered her head, close enough for him to feel her breath, warm and heavy.
"Do you feel it, Kaito? The fire in your veins? The hunger in your soul? That is the legacy of your bloodlines. But legacies can destroy, or they can create."
Kaito clenched his fists. "Rael said you could help me control it."
"I can," Seraphine replied. "But it will come at a price."
"What price?"
"Knowledge," she said. "The truth of what you are. And the pain that comes with it."
Kaito met her gaze. "I'm not afraid."
Seraphine's eyes flashed with something — approval, perhaps. Or warning.
"Then kneel."
Kaito dropped to his knees, the heat of the lava pulsing around him.
Seraphine spoke in an ancient tongue, words that stirred the air, made the cavern tremble. Her eyes blazed, and light filled the room.
Suddenly, Kaito's mind was pulled away — into darkness, into memory.
He stood in a battlefield.
Fire and blood. Screams. Wings blotting out the sun.
At the center, a figure — tall, regal, with eyes like his, and wings of both bat and dragon.
The child of the first blood.
Kaito watched as armies clashed, as the figure unleashed fire and shadow, as the world trembled beneath his power.
Then, betrayal.
A blade through the heart. Blood spilled, and the figure fell.
But the blood — it didn't die. It flowed, hidden, waiting.
Kaito gasped, falling back into his body.
"What… what was that?" he panted.
"The truth," Seraphine said. "You are the heir of that blood. The last of the Bloodfire line."
Kaito's mind reeled. "I can't… I'm not him."
"No," she agreed. "But you could become something greater. Or worse."
Rael stepped forward. "Now you understand, Kaito. The power inside you isn't just rare. It's dangerous."
Seraphine nodded. "And many will want it. Some to kill. Some to claim."
Kaito stood, unsteady but resolved.
"Then let them come."
Outside the cavern, the wind howled.
Far away, in a fortress of black stone, robed figures gathered, eyes glowing red.
"The Bloodfire awakens," one whispered.
"It is time."