Endless Abyss

There weren't always dragons in the Valley.

It used to be a soulless place, devoid of light. The barren terrain only held preying monsters staring at each other from the shadows, thirst for survival ruling every second of their life. They were born within the darkness of the Valley, unable to escape and wreak havoc on the world above them.

In the crevices between rock formations and cracks along the dangerously narrow cliffs that threatened to crumble and fall into the abyss, there were small life forms that hid away from the monsters that roamed freely. They were the weakest beings that resided in the Valley, their body wrapped with a useless membrane that didn’t serve as any type of protection. With their defenseless bodies and pitiful strength, the lesser monsters delighted in hunting this type of prey for an easy meal.

As monsters grew stronger from absorbing the darkness of other creatures, the Valley fell into a never ending cycle of slaughter and death. It was a place sealed off from the world, never to see the light of day.

Not until one day, a young dragon accidentally fell into a hidden crevice that plunged him into the Valley. The monsters stirred at the scent of ancient blood, fixating their attention on the morsel that willfully invaded their territory. They could recognize the power condensed in the young dragon’s body, not yet developed to its full potential. Under the young dragon’s scales that had yet to be replaced with the almost indestructible armor of an adult dragon, his flesh was still tender and easiest to devour in his current state.

The young dragon flew to escape as quickly as he could, feeling those countless greedy stares targeting him. Days and nights passed outside the Valley, the young dragon’s body now crossed with a shocking number of wounds. Although his stature showed an adolescent figure, the scars on his body could only have been accumulated from many life-threatening battles. His wing had been torn in the previous fight, preventing him from flying. He had no choice but to fight his pursuers one by one, claws gradually stained by the darkness leaked from the monsters that didn’t bleed. The monsters grew restless in the darkness, seeing the young dragon’s power glowing brighter and brighter through his growth.

Time was limitless in the Valley. His former silver scales slowly became muddled, morphing into an onyx color as the dragon learned to absorb darkness like the monsters around him, using it to supply his energy. The hunted became a hunter; through the years, the dragon became a powerful force in the abyss. The stronger monsters still hunted him relentlessly, while the weaker ones withdrew with disappointment. Such a tasty meal, but it seemed like they could no longer kill it with their abilities. The reverting power that once shone as brightly as the sun was slowly overtaken by the same power of darkness that made up every monster in the Valley.

On the day the dragon killed the leviathan, one of the oldest monsters in the Valley, he was no longer a juvenile dragon. Indestructible black scales ran along his body, the darkness contained in them not letting any reflections on the surface. His adult form had changed his appearance in almost every aspect, except for his golden eyes that coldly swept across the crowd of spectating monsters. None of them took a step forward. The dragon brought out one of those weak creatures scattered sparsely in the hidden corners of the Valley, carefully depositing it on his back. Monsters that have dwelled in the Valley for hundreds of years had already formed some semblance of consciousness. They watched their strongest allow one of those powerless creatures clamber on him, unable to comprehend the series of actions.

The dragon spread his wings and flew up with his companion clutching tightly onto his scales. He had patiently waited for this day, when he felt that he had accumulated enough power to break a small portion of the seal and bring them out.

The crack he fell into when he was young had been a sign of the seal weakening. Above the Valley, the contained darkness had already begun to leak out, weakening the land.

In the midst of a battle between two human kingdoms, a large black shadow erupted out of the ground, displacing troops within a hundred miles. The soldiers shouted in terror as they lost their footing, scrambling away from the large cracks spread across the ground. The commander dropped his sword in shock as the black dragon’s roar reverberated across the battlefield, disappearing towards the horizon in the blink of an eye.

He raced towards the hidden dragon isles, vaguely following his hazy memory and instincts. The dragon isles were not influenced by the shadows that escaped from the valley, thus their secluded territory was still relatively undisturbed.

His entrance was unexpected, met with hostility and wariness as no dragon had ever been born with obsidian scales. After so many years, the lost young dragon had long been forgotten by the long-living race. The elders were skeptical of his story, but their king recognized the Valley the dragon described.

“It is a place where the followers of Somnus, the Dark God, were locked up many centuries ago.” The king’s golden eyes bore into his own, addressing the shocked mutterings of the elders. “He has lived in the presence of the Dark God’s aura until his scales and claws have been stained by the essence of the followers of darkness. But his eyes prove that he has retained his identity as one of the dragon clan.”

A blue-scaled elder noticed something moving behind the dragon. “Why have you brought a human into our sacred realm?”

The black dragon’s eyes flashed. He recalled that he saw many other creatures that looked similar to his companion on the way here. His tail swept the ground in agitation, coiling loosely around his companion’s feet. “He found me in the Valley.” The human had on a pair of tattered clothes the black dragon had snatched for him, standing close with a palm pressed against the cool, hard scales.

The king seemed annoyed by the elder’s irrelevant question, glancing at the harmless creature with slight distain. “That’s enough nonsense, Luciel. I will call the others to discuss what shall be done with the situation.”

The dragons had signed a pact with other races, creating a council to deal with continental issues. Besides the elves, seafolk, beastkin, and demons, there was also a single seat reserved for the Grand Mage of the human race. Arrogance was a trait none of the ancient races lacked. In their eyes, the humans who held no magical capabilities were as noticeable as the dirt on the ground. Only the Grand Mage, as the strongest human being, held the qualifications to sit with them.

Concerns came pouring out as soon as the dragon king called for the meeting. The darkness penetrated their defenses slowly, but undeterred it had become a major problem for all of them.

Complete extermination.

That was the final conclusion. Each race agreed to send a special force composed of their strongest to wipe out the inhabitants of the Valley, erasing the presence of the Dark God from the world forever.

The black dragon was in charge of leading the dragons into the Valley. There was endless slaughter on both sides, the bottom of the Valley dyed in pools of black and dark red until they were indistinguishable from each other.

The human followed the black dragon everywhere he went, treating his wounds when he got injured and running around to cater for him. The other races gossiped about it quietly, but no one came forth with their questions, suppressing their curiosity because of the cold golden eyes that swept over them.

Eventually, the battle was won. The last of the monsters perished, and with the help of purification spells the dispersed shadows allowed the seal to lift from the Valley. Celebratory cheers rang out from the exhausted force, some falling asleep on their feet as their vigilance was finally lifted. Their joy was contagious, laughing with their comrades as they spent their final night in the Valley.

However, none of them would leave their last battlefield.

The black dragon partook in the festive activities with his companion, retreating after a few hours with an offhanded excuse.

Isolated by the shadows, he calmed the turbulence in his heart. Now that the battle was over, he could take him to explore the world like he promised.

It was his last thought, and his unspoken regret.

As the black dragon fought to keep his consciousness afloat, he heard a faint voice.

For the sake of everyone else… you need to die too. Sorry.

The human hummed a foreign tune as he moved towards the living space he shared with the dragon, carrying a carefully wrapped package in his hands as he fought to suppress his grin.

It was something he saved for a long time, he was sure his dragon would love his gift very much. He spotted a familiar black tail around the corner and ran a few steps before slowly coming to a dazed halt, the package crashing onto the ground.

“Talis?”

A pale hand trembling touched the dragon’s snout, tracing the familiar features. Slowly, scale by scale, not a single area was left out. Finally, it rested against the cool scales running along the chest, where a strong heartbeat normally thumped in response. The silence that greeted him was deafening.

The human knelt next to the dragon, calmly petting the cool scales now devoid of life. In the shadows, the two remained in this position, separated by the greatest distance.

._____.

“The next day after the seal was lifted, when the esteemed leaders of the council arrived above the Valley, they discovered that their elite troops had all perished in a brutal slaughter. A diary was discovered in the belongings of an elf soldier along with the memoir stone of the renowned dragon general Viske, detailing merits and victories. The black dragon, Ritalis, had a monument built in his honor in the depths of the Valley.”

August threw the book onto the table with a sigh. “History class is too complicated. Boring.”

Sunlight filtered through the window, enhancing the relaxing atmosphere in their secluded corner.

The black haired youth sitting across from him glanced at his chatterbox friend in annoyance. “Don’t throw books in the library.”

“I’ll just charm our lovely librarian and beg her to forgive us again.” To illustrate his point, August swept a hand through his golden hair and winked at the nearly girl staring in their direction. With a red face, she quickly ducked away. August adjusted the lapel of his uniform with an expression akin to a peacock.

“On the contrary, I think history suits you.” Pale fingers flipped a page casually, eyes never leaving the material in front of him. “You’re both boring.”

“Ooh, Yun is being snarky today.”

The hand flipping the pages paused. “If you’re going to be noisy I’ll kick you out myself.”

August groaned, raising his hands in surrender. “Fine, fine. I can’t believe someone actually comes here to read,” he mumbled under his breath.

A rolled up piece of paper floated up and whacked his head in retaliation for his words.

“Ow!”

“August Silverstein, one more disturbance from you and I will ban you for a month!” The librarian appeared behind him, glasses perched precariously on her nose. “Students come here to learn, not slack off!”

August shrank down in his chair. “Of course, Violetta,” he gave her a flattering smile. “I’m just accompanying my good buddy Yun.”

She stared down at him, ears twitching in annoyance, “It’s Ms. Violetta for you, young man.”

When she walked out of sight, August waited a few more minutes before lowering his voice to complain to Yun, “Elves are too stingy with protocol.”

Yun finally lifted his eyes, a trance of indifference in the golden pupils. “Humans are much stingier with their emotions.”

August looked at him in confusion. “How?”

Yun stared absentmindedly through the window, watching the grass sway gently in the wind. The black haired youth was dressed in a simple white button-down and the uniform tie, jacket long discarded. His image exuded an aura of youthfulness, but his eyes were piercing as he said coldly, “The human race is naturally characterized by selfishness. Once they lose something, someone else will also need to pay a price regardless of their involvement.”

Ding-dong.

The ringing bell signaled the next class. Yun stood up calmly, collecting his materials and shoving them into his bag. “Let’s go.”

The Auroral Academy was the result of the combined efforts of the six races to cultivate their best magical talents. It was the only school that allowed every race to study there, given they could prove their ability during admissions, located on the edge of the Valley.

The school had specially tailored curriculums. Each race matured in different stages, so it was difficult to pinpoint the point between their juvenile state and their adult form. Therefore, regardless of their studies each race had a specific department to report to. There were subtle undercurrents running through the student body because of the vast differences in age and characteristics. In particular, humans seemed to hold some hidden grievance against demons while beastkin and elves didn’t get along. Dragons were usually the most arrogant, while the seafolk mostly kept to themselves.

“Hey, there seems to be a lot of commotion today,” August commented as he swept his gaze across the empty podium in the middle of the classroom. Almost every seat in their history class was filled.

Yun hummed noncommentically, laying his head down on his desk. Sleepy.

Spying shock of red hair in the crowded classroom, August shouted in surprise. “Theon!”

Fierce eyes turned in their direction, lighting up when they saw the blond haired youth. “August!” He leapt over two rows of seats with ease, slapping August on the back. “You’ll be glad you didn’t skip today.”

August looked him over with a critical eye. “I can’t believe those words came out of your mouth.”

“Well you won’t believe what I found out from the student council,” Theon shrugged smugly. “It’s something that’s going to blow your mind.”

Skeptical, August turned to ask Yun for his option, only to see him sleeping. “......” Nevermind, let him sleep.

Their history teacher came in, dressed in wide flowing robes that made her look like she was floating. Her silver hair reflected the nature of her scales in dragon form, pale blue horns sticking out notably. She knocked casually against the podium to gain the class’s attention. “All right, quiet down. Before I make an important announcement, I would like to introduce someone first.”

The class settled, the noisy environment gradually down until there were only a few intermixed whispers. Yun propped his head up with a hand, turning his head to hide his yawn.

“Due to some circumstances, this student was unable to come on campus until now. He just arrived, so I hope you’ll help him settle in.” Professor Ibith motioned for someone at the entrance of the classroom.

Dozens of curious eyes instantly shot over, craning their necks to get a glimpse of the new student.

“Where is he? Do you see him?”

“I hope he’s hot!”

“No way, no one can replace the council secretary!!”

“Can you two not fight over faces for two seconds!?”

“Get out of the way! This is the best place to find attractive people, okay!?”

A tall figure calmly walked into the classroom, his adolescent features already showing signs of maturity in his refined facial features and the way his well-proportioned physique fit in the uniform.

Silver bangs scattered messily across his forehead, contrasting the rest of his immaculate appearance. Black jagged horns protruded from the silver, paired with his dark eyes.

A silent, scary iceberg.

Some students closer to the front shrank back from his momentum, affected by an unknown oppressive pressure.

Professor Ibith raised an eyebrow at her unusually silent class with satisfaction. If one overthought it, they could even say she looked a tad smug. “Come up and introduce yourself.”

“Sol, from the dragon clan.”

Silence.

“... Anything else?”

“No.”

Professor Ibith sighed helplessly. “Alright then.” She turned to the class, “Can someone take him to the dorms and get him settled?”

“I’ll do it.”

August started as the voice sounded next to him. “Yun!?” He turned to look at his friend, mouth falling open when he saw his face. He had been friends with Yun since they were children, and not once had he seen him looking as awake and excited as he looked now.

“I’ll do it, Professor,” Yun repeated firmly.

“I’ll leave it to you then.”

August watched, stunned, as his friend quickly walked down to the podium, exchanging a few quiet words with Sol before the two walked out.

Seconds after they left the classroom, the class erupted unceremoniously.

Professor Ibith forcefully suppressed the commotion by sweeping her magic across her unruly students. They glared at her disgruntledly.

“I haven’t finished. Mr. Silverstein, I’d appreciate it if you closed your mouth.”

August shut his mouth with an audible click.

She nodded in satisfaction. “Next week, all of my students have been permitted to take a trip down to the Valley.”

This time, she didn’t bother to contain the excitement in the classroom, allowing the students to shout the roof down.

._____.

“... Is this all yours?” Yun pointed to the pile of suitcases left near the door, almost as tall as himself.

Sol nodded, taking a large suitcase in each hand.

Yun’s mouth twitched, unable to express his emotions. In the end, he sighed helplessly and picked up the remaining luggage with a wave of his hand. “What dorm building were you assigned to?”

“Dorm B.”

A flash of surprise passed on Yun’s face and he fell into contemplation. Then, almost tentatively: “Room number?”

“497.”

… Since he saw the silver haired youth, he had this feeling that everything around him seemed to be playing a big joke on him, to give him a beautiful dream only to rip it away from him when he fully succumbed.

Someone crowded into his space, piercing dark eyes staring down at him thanks to their height difference. “What’s wrong?”

Yun’s foot took a step back before he could comprehend the situation. “Ah…” He smiled carelessly. “It’s nothing. Coincidentally, it looks like I’m your new roommate.” A slender finger pointed down the hall, “This way.”

They walked in silence, with Yun occasionally pointing to the buildings they passed.

“That’s the cafeteria with the best food. Don’t go to the one next to it, they don’t serve fresh meat.”

“Over there is the biggest field. You should go to the one behind the medical building so you can avoid the crowd.”

“The best place to get some peace is the top of the astronomy tower. Not even the dragons like to fly all the way up there.”

Finally, they reached the dorm buildings. There were a total of six dorm buildings, scattered all around campus. Dorm B was mainly white with blue detailing, the majestic building towering above them like a behemoth. There were landing platforms protruding artfully outside the building for flying races to avoid the crowded magic platforms that moved them from floor to floor.

Inside, Yun led Sol to an empty platform, temporarily releasing the luggage from his spell. It thudded down, the platform shuddering pitifully from the weight before continuing to rise.

Sol didn’t seem particularly interested in their surroundings, staring blankly in front of him as the platform moved from floor to floor.

A few minutes later, Yun had a pile of luggage and an iceberg disguised as a dragon in front of their room. He waved a hand over the sensor to verify his magic, unlocking the door. He motioned for Sol. “Come here and register your magic imprint.”

The door released a cheerful jingle to welcome its new owner.

Moving the last few pieces of luggage inside, Yun looked around in satisfaction. When he heard the door closed behind him, he suddenly had an ominous feeling. Sure enough, that familiar aura surrounded him, tyrannically subduing his movements.

“You seem to know me.”

From the almost negligible distance between them, Yun saw that Sol’s eyes were not just a dark color like he thought, but the deepest obsidian.

So it is you.

“And somehow, I seem to know you too.”

Welcome back.

Talis.