When Du Wei stirred awake, a sharp pain stabbed through his neck, as if it might snap with the slightest twist. Grimacing, he shifted his head, wincing at the ache that followed. His body lay pressed against the cold, damp earth, and as his senses slowly returned, fragments of clarity pierced the fog in his mind. He was alive.
He didn't rush to move. Instead, he lay still, methodically checking his limbs and torso for injuries. Only after confirming nothing was broken did he grit his teeth and haul himself upright, his head still spinning.
His last memory before blacking out flickered to life: the dragon, battered and bleeding, could no longer hold its strength. It plummeted from the sky, wings faltering. And Vivian—poor, naive Vivian—despite her rank as an eighth-level mage, had crumbled under pressure. No trace of a master's poise remained as she wailed like a frightened child, crying for her mother. Pathetic… yet oddly endearing.
In that final moment, the dragon had summoned its last reserves, flapping desperately to slow their descent. But it wasn't enough. With two riders clinging to its back, it spiraled downward in a reckless dive, crashing toward the forest below. After that, Du Wei's memories blurred—only the deafening boom of impact and the splintering of trees lingered.
Rubbing his eyes, he surveyed his surroundings and let out a heavy sigh. Not far off, the dragon lay sprawled in a shallow crater, surrounded by shattered trees it had flattened in its fall. Its crimson scales glinted faintly, even in the dim light, a testament to its resilience. No new wounds marred its hide, though the gash on its wing looked worse—likely aggravated by its stubborn flight.
The beast was deep in slumber now, its massive frame rising and falling with breaths that rumbled like distant thunder. Wisps of black smoke curled from its nostrils, a reminder of its ferocity. Even at rest, the dragon exuded an aura of raw power, stirring an instinctive unease in Du Wei's chest—a primal fear of such a colossal predator.
Yet, as he recalled the chaos of the previous night, a spark of excitement flared within him. To witness a battle of that magnitude—dragons clashing, magic blazing—was a spectacle no mere illusion could rival. It was no dream, no trick of the mind, but a raw, visceral reality far surpassing the special effects of his past life's films.
Still, the outcome had been grim, just as Joanna, the ice-cold beauty, had predicted. Vivian, ever the bleeding heart, had drained much of her magic to cast a teleportation array, shifting the battle to the distant Half Horn Mountain to spare innocent lives. A noble act, no doubt, but it left her depleted. When the duel resumed, she was no match for her sister.
At first, the two mages had been evenly matched, commanding their dragons—Vivian's Scorching Sun against Joanna's ice dragon—in a breathtaking clash of fire and frost. But as Vivian's strength waned, her spells faltered, and defeat became inevitable.
Even in her loss, the girl's kindness shone through. She hadn't fled alone but had dragged Du Wei along, saving him from her sister's wrath. That same compassion had spared his men back in the city. Reflecting on it now, Du Wei felt a pang of guilt for his earlier harshness toward her.
With another sigh, he glanced at Vivian, sprawled nearby on the ground. Her eyes were closed, long lashes trembling faintly. She seemed unharmed, her breathing steady. Moving closer, Du Wei knelt and gently patted her cheek. In her sleep, she mumbled, lips twitching. "Mama… Papa… poor little Vivian…"
He chuckled softly. She didn't stammer in her dreams—a small, charming quirk. A child at heart, despite her power.
Gratitude softened his tone as he patted her cheek again. "Hey, wake up. Come on, rise and shine."
Vivian stirred, her eyes fluttering open. The moment she saw Du Wei's face inches from hers, she yelped, scrambling upright. Her hands flew to her collar, clutching it tightly as she scooted back, wide eyes fixed on him like a cornered doe, half-expecting him to pounce.
Du Wei couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. Easing back to give her space, he gave a wry smile. "Easy, Mage Vivian. You're awake at last. We're in a bit of a mess here."
She blinked, shaking her head as clarity returned. Then, with a gasp, she cried, "M-my d-dragon!"
Spotting Scorching Sun nearby, she sprang to her feet and darted to its side, throwing herself against its massive claw. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed, "L-Lieyang… my Lieyang… t-teacher's g-gift…"
Her hands traced the dragon's wounds, and she rummaged through her robe, only to pull out her empty satchel—its contents long since pilfered by Du Wei. With no materials left, she raised her hands, chanting swiftly. A faint, milky-white glow flickered from her palms, but it was weak, barely a whisper of light. Even Du Wei, no mage himself, could tell something was wrong.
Vivian froze, her brow furrowing. Taking a deep breath, she chanted again, slower this time, each syllable deliberate. The white glow strengthened slightly, creeping over the dragon's claw. A healing spell, Du Wei realized, watching as the torn flesh began to knit together—agonizingly slowly. The light barely covered the span of her hand, a pitiful fraction against the dragon's vast frame.
It wasn't enough. The spell faltered, healing only half a minor scratch before Vivian swayed, her face ashen. She collapsed, staring at her trembling hands in disbelief.
"M-my m-magic… i-it's n-not w-working!" she stammered, her voice breaking.
Du Wei blinked. "What did you say?"
"M-magic… n-not w-working," she repeated, tears welling up.
Not working? Du Wei's mind reeled. He'd been counting on her to heal the dragon so they could escape this forsaken place. They were surrounded by dense forest, its depths unknown. They'd fled blindly through the night, directionless, and now had no idea where they'd landed.
"Is your magic drained? Maybe your spirit's too weak," Du Wei suggested cautiously. "Try meditating to restore it."
"N-no, it's n-not that," she said, shaking her head. "I c-can f-feel my m-magic, b-but I c-can't c-cast it!"
Du Wei stared, stunned. This was worse than he'd thought.
Frowning, he pressed, "Your magic's failing? Try another spell—something else."
Vivian obeyed, desperation in her eyes. But each attempt was a disaster. Her magic, once formidable, had withered to a shadow of itself. A fireball spell produced only a pair of feeble sparks before she doubled over, gasping. Higher spells like Blazing Shift were beyond her reach entirely. Even basic incantations drained her spirit, yielding only the weakest effects, their power slashed by half or more.
Vivian was shattered. Magic was her gift, her pride, her shield. To lose it—nine-tenths of her strength gone—was unthinkable. Her eyes widened, frozen in terror, unable to speak.
Du Wei, too, was at a loss. Had Joanna struck her with some curse during the battle? Or was it an injury, hidden and insidious? Whatever the cause, their situation was dire.
Without her magic, Vivian's courage shriveled. Always timid, she now seemed as skittish as a mouse, barely able to string words together. Tears fell freely as she looked to Du Wei, fear etched across her face. He softened, offering what comfort he could. "You're probably hurt… or maybe your sister cast something on you. Don't worry—your magic's strong. It'll come back. And your teacher—she's powerful, right? She'll know how to fix this."
At the mention of her teacher, Vivian's panic eased slightly. Her trust in that figure was absolute. She stood, resolute. "I-I n-need to s-see t-teacher!"
"Good," Du Wei agreed. "I need to get back too. But we have to be careful—your sister chased us all night. We only lost her at dawn. Without your magic, we can't face her if she finds us." He nodded at the dragon. "Can Scorching Sun still fly?"
Vivian shook her head, explaining haltingly. The dragon's wounds, though not fatal, were severe. Without magical aid, it could heal naturally through its innate dragon magic—but the process was slow. Flight was impossible until it recovered, and that could take a year or more of deep slumber.
Their hope of flying out dashed, Du Wei sighed. "Fine. I'll scout the area, figure out where we are. Maybe find a village or a road."
The dragon couldn't move, and Vivian refused to leave her beloved Lieyang. Du Wei, feeling a debt to her kindness, didn't press. He broke off a sturdy branch to use as a staff and picked a direction, venturing into the forest. He stayed cautious, not straying too far, intent on mapping a path.
Luck, it seemed, was both with him and against him.
His plan was simple: exit the forest, find locals, and locate the nearest town. The first part went smoothly. In less than half an hour, he broke through the trees, stepping into open air.
But what greeted him wasn't a road or village—it was the sea.
Waves lapped against a sandy shore, stretching endlessly before him. Du Wei froze. Did we fly all the way to the coast?
Unease gnawed at him as he retraced his steps, the forest's silence pressing heavier with each stride. Something felt wrong. He sprinted back to Vivian and the dragon, breathless, and shouted, "Vivian! Can you still use a flight spell? Get up high—check the terrain! Hurry!"
Startled but spurred by his urgency, she nodded. Her magic was frail, her wind-based flight spell lasting mere seconds. But it was enough.
She rose, climbing just high enough to see beyond the trees. Then, with a strangled cry, she plummeted. Du Wei lunged, catching her as they both crashed to the ground, tangled together.
Vivian didn't pull away this time. Her face was ghostly pale, her voice trembling with dread. "W-we… w-we're… o-on an i-island!"