"Just... what are we doing here?" Xavier's voice broke the silence as we stood before the entrance to the Garden of Myst.
His small dragon form perched lazily on my shoulder, his golden eyes narrowing in suspicion as he surveyed the towering, ivy-covered gates. A grin tugged at my lips as I glanced at him, his tiny claws digging into my cloak.
"We're going against demons, Your Highness," I said, my tone light but firm. "Of course, we need to find ways to utilize your powers."
His eyes widened, and he tilted his head, his expression a mix of confusion and indignation. "Hey, hey, what do you mean utilize my power? I'm not some tool for you to experiment with."
I chuckled, unable to resist teasing him. "You can't fully control your demonic powers yet, can you?" He hesitated, then shook his head reluctantly. "Exactly. So, from now on, we'll train together. I'll teach you swordsmanship, and you'll help me learn how to use this properly." I patted the hilt of Slayer, the ancient blade hanging at my hip.
Xavier snorted, his wings fluttering as he shifted his weight. "You're weaker than me, Captain."
I blinked, caught off guard by the title. "Captain? Why are you calling me that?"
He looked away, his gaze fixed on the garden's entrance. "Aren't you the leader of this little expedition? A dumb, weak captain."
I felt a surge of irritation but held back the urge to toss him off my shoulder. Despite his attitude, I couldn't deny that his baby dragon form was oddly endearing. "You'd better watch your tone," I said, my voice sweet but laced with warning. "Remember the blood contract."
His body stiffened at the mention of the contract, and he let out a frustrated sigh. "You're rotten, even without being a demon," he muttered under his breath.
I smirked. "Let's go, Your Highness."
---
The last time I'd come to the Garden of Myst, I'd been met with silence. As an outsider, I hadn't been able to hear any response, but I'd hoped that bringing Xavier might change things.
This place was said to hold secrets—secrets that could make us stronger. And I needed to be stronger. Strong enough to ensure that the horrors of the past would never repeat themselves.
I took a deep breath and stepped forward, extending my hand to feel for the invisible barrier . To my surprise, my hand passed through effortlessly. I glanced at Xavier, who was still perched on my shoulder.
"Looks like I'm in," I said, taking another step. But before I could go further, Xavier let out a yelp as he collided with an invisible wall.
"Ugh! What is this?" He growled, rubbing his snout with a tiny claw.
I stifled a laugh. "You can't enter?"
He shot me a glare. "No, I just enjoy slamming into invisible walls for fun."
I shook my head, trying to suppress a grin. "Maybe you need to ask for permission. Show some sincerity."
Xavier's eyes narrowed. "I don't beg. Not even from the dead."
I sighed. "Then what's your plan? Break the wall? Do you even know what this place is?"
He snorted. "A tomb for fools who couldn't finish what they started."
Before I could respond, a soft, melodic laughter echoed around us. The air seemed to shimmer, and the garden's entrance transformed before my eyes. The once-dark path was now bathed in golden sunlight, the trees towering above us like ancient sentinels. Golden butterflies flitted through the air, their wings catching the light as they danced around us.
But Xavier's expression remained grim. He wasn't seeing what I was seeing.
"Hey, you dead Skeletons!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the trees. "Are you really going to play games with me? You left a mess, and now we're the ones cleaning it up!"
I blinked, startled by his outburst. "Xavier, what are you—"
Before I could finish, he kicked at the invisible wall with his tiny feet. Instead of rebounding, he shot forward, tumbling through the air toward me. I caught him instinctively; his small body was surprisingly soft in my hands.
"Oww," he muttered, his voice muffled as he squirmed in my grip.
I couldn't help but laugh. "You're lighter than I expected."
He glared at me, his golden eyes flashing with irritation. "Put me down, Captain."
I set him back on my shoulder, still chuckling. But my amusement faded as a voice—soft, feminine, and dripping with amusement—spoke from the air around us.
"Dragons are as short-tempered as ever," the voice said.
Xavier's eyes narrowed. "Show yourselves."
A deep, resonant voice responded this time. "You're an interesting one, little dragon. Born with both mana and aura, only to have them sealed away."
I felt a chill run down my spine. The voices seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once, their presence heavy with power.
As the voices spoke, the garden around me shifted. The golden sunlight dimmed, and the air grew heavy with the scent of iron and decay. I blinked, and suddenly, I was no longer standing in a lush paradise.
Before me stretched a nightmarish landscape—a vast sea of blood, its surface rippling with an unnatural stillness. Jagged reeds pierced through the crimson waves like skeletal fingers, and the sky above burned with a hellish glow.
Lightning streaked across the heavens, illuminating the twisted forms of countless wounded creatures—humans, dragons, elves, and beings I couldn't even name. Their eyes, hollow and filled with pain, locked onto me, and I felt a wave of despair crash over me.
"Xavier," I whispered, my voice trembling. "What is this?"
He didn't answer immediately. His small form was tense, his eyes fixed on the horrifying scene. "This," he said finally, "is the true nature of this place. The Cataclysm of Dawn and Dusk. The final battle."
I felt my knees buckle under the weight of the vision, but Xavier's voice pulled me back. "Don't lose yourself, Captain. This is just an illusion."
"An illusion?" I gasped, struggling to breathe. "It feels so real."
"That's the point," he said, his tone grim. "The garden shows you your true nature. For you, it's life. For me... it's death."
The voices returned, their tones now more somber. "The descendant of Lunaria sees life," the feminine voice said. "But the dragon... he sees the end."
Xavier's expression darkened. "Is that why I'm stuck with this nightmare?"
"Yes," the deep voice replied. "Your true nature is death, little dragon. And hers is life. Together, you are the balance this world has long awaited."
I shook my head, trying to make sense of their words. "What does that mean? What are we supposed to do?"
The voices didn't answer immediately. Instead, the garden shifted again, the horrifying vision fading back into the golden paradise I had seen before. The air grew lighter, and the scent of blooming flowers replaced the metallic tang of blood.
"You must grow stronger," the feminine voice said softly. "Only then will you understand the truth of this place—and your roles in the battles to come."
As we left the garden, Xavier remained unusually quiet. His small form was tense, his eyes distant as he processed what we had seen.
"Are you okay?" I asked, glancing at him.
He snorted. "I've been through worse."
I smiled faintly. "You're full of surprises, Your Highness."
He didn't respond, but I could see the weight of the revelation in his eyes. The Garden had shown us our true natures—life and death, light and shadow. And though I didn't fully understand what it meant, I knew one thing for certain: our journey was just beginning.