the internal shadow

Chapter 1: Awakening of the Supreme Dragon

Aetheron’s eyes snapped open, the world a blur of colors and sensations unfamiliar yet strangely enticing. His body felt... strange. Powerful. Far beyond anything he had possessed before.

He lay upon a bed of gleaming crystal, its surface shimmering with a subtle glow. The air was thick with energy, so potent it felt like breathing pure essence.

Slowly, he lifted his arm, and his gaze narrowed. His skin was scaled, a deep, dark silver with traces of ethereal violet glowing beneath. The scales themselves were impossibly durable, yet smooth, their texture like polished obsidian.

He extended his fingers — claws, sharp and deadly, gleaming like weapons forged by the gods themselves.

A dragon... I am a dragon.

But not just any dragon. As his senses adjusted, Aetheron felt the weight of power thrumming through his veins. Power over shadows and illusions, yes, but something else... something far more potent.

He closed his eyes and focused. His mind delved inward, examining the core of his new existence. And there, entwined with his very soul, was a force beyond comprehension.

Time Manipulation.

The ability to bend the flow of time itself, to stretch moments or condense them into flashes of brilliance. To alter causality, to rewrite destiny.

Aetheron’s lips curled into a grin, his fangs gleaming in the soft light. He had been reborn not as a mere dragon, but as one of the Supreme Dragons, a being whose power was rivaled only by the gods themselves.

The memories of his past life remained, vivid and sharp. His power over shadows and illusions, the cunning and knowledge he had accumulated over eons. But now, they were enhanced, refined by his new body’s innate abilities.

The sound of footsteps echoed from beyond the chamber’s entrance. Powerful, deliberate, and authoritative.

Aetheron’s head turned, his senses sharpening as he prepared himself. His body was new, but his mind was the same. Unyielding.

The doors parted, revealing a towering figure with crimson scales and a crown of horns. His gaze was cold, his presence oppressive. Yet, within those eyes was a hint of curiosity.

“Aetheron,” the figure spoke, his voice a deep rumble that seemed to shake the very air. “You have finally awakened.”

Aetheron stared at the being before him, recognition flickering through his mind.

Father. Elder Lord Chronos. The most powerful dragon in the universe. The ruler of the Aurora Galaxy.

Aetheron lowered his gaze, not out of submission, but calculation. His mind was already moving, adapting, preparing.

“Father.” His voice came out smooth, confident. “I have returned.”