The Alpha And The Fifth Blood

Chapter 19

The creature tore through the clouds and forced its way into the sky above the hidden city. For a moment, everything slowed as its full form became clear. Its wings spread wide, casting a massive shadow over the battlefield, and its body moved with a steady, controlled power that felt completely unnatural. Its scales were darker than the night itself, and the air around it warped slightly, as if the world struggled to hold its shape in its presence.

Ariana’s breath caught as a thick wave of darkness leaked from its body and spread across the sky like smoke. The pressure hit her first, heavy and suffocating, like something pressing directly against her chest. "That’s not a dragon," she whispered. The man beside her stared upward, his face pale. "No. That’s an Abyssal." The word settled heavily in the air, making the silence feel heavier. Kael narrowed his eyes. "What does it do?" The answer came without hesitation. "It kills Sovereigns."

Above them, the creature opened its jaws and released a dense wave of darkness instead of fire. It rolled forward like a living storm, swallowing light as it moved. The Dragon King surged upward with a roar and collided with it midair, golden fire exploding outward in a desperate clash. The impact shook the mountain and sent a shockwave tearing through the sky. For a second, it looked like a real fight as gold and shadow tore into each other. Then the Abyssal struck once and sent the Dragon King crashing sideways through the clouds as if the impact meant nothing.

Ariana felt that moment like something breaking inside her. The Dragon King was not supposed to fall like that. Not so easily. Not so quickly.

Kael exhaled slowly. "That’s a problem." Ariana tightened her grip on his arm, her voice rising with disbelief. "A problem? It just threw the Dragon King." Another dragon dove toward them, but Kael moved instantly, shifting mid-step and slamming into it in his wolf form. He tore through its wing and forced it off course before it could strike. The creature crashed into the courtyard below, stone shattering beneath its weight, but more dragons still circled above, their movements less certain now. And the Abyssal remained untouched.

Then Malrec’s voice echoed from the fortress, calm and cold. "You see, Sovereign? You were never meant to rule." The runes along the fortress flared brighter, and Ariana felt her power flicker weakly beneath her skin. It wasn’t just fading. It felt like it was being pulled away from her, piece by piece. She pressed her hand against her chest, trying to steady herself. "He’s weakening me." The man beside her nodded. "Those runes suppress Sovereigns." Kael stepped forward without hesitation. "Then we destroy them." "That fortress is protected," the man warned. Kael’s eyes hardened. "Everything breaks."

High above them, the Abyssal struck again, forcing the Dragon King back once more. Golden fire burst across the sky, but it didn’t slow the creature. Ariana’s chest tightened as she watched the light falter. "He’s losing." The golden dragon beside her growled low, the sound vibrating through the stone beneath her feet. "The Abyssal feeds on Sovereign power." Ariana froze as the realization hit her fully. "So it’s getting stronger because of me." Kael glanced at her. "That’s not ideal." But something else had changed, and she felt it immediately. The Abyssal was no longer watching the other dragons. It was watching her.

The moment she realized it, the connection snapped into place. Not a bond. A target.

From the fortress, Malrec raised one hand slowly. "And now I have the perfect weapon." The Abyssal moved. Ariana’s stomach dropped as dread settled deep in her chest. "It’s coming here." Kael stepped forward immediately, placing himself between her and the sky without hesitation. "Then it goes through me." The man beside them shook his head. "That creature has already killed three Sovereigns." Kael didn’t hesitate. "Then it meets number four." The Abyssal dove.

It moved too fast for something that large, cutting through the air like a falling blade. The pressure of its descent hit the terrace before it did, cracking stone beneath their feet. Kael shifted instantly and launched forward, colliding with it midair, but the creature barely reacted. It struck him once and sent him crashing through a stone pillar. Debris exploded outward as the structure shattered, and the sound echoed through the palace.

"Kael!"

Ariana’s voice broke as she screamed his name, panic hitting harder than anything before.

The Abyssal landed heavily on the terrace, its claws cracking the stone beneath it. The entire structure groaned under the impact. Slowly, its head lowered, and its silver eyes locked onto her. Ariana stepped back, her power struggling to respond as panic tightened her chest. She raised her hands, but the light didn’t come fast enough.

Malrec’s voice came again, quiet and final. "End it."

The Abyssal raised its claw, and the massive shadow loomed over her. Ariana’s breath caught as the world seemed to narrow into that single moment. She could feel the weight of it, the certainty of what was about to happen. Her heart pounded painfully, her body refusing to move.

Then the creature stopped.

Its movement froze inches from her.

For a moment, nothing moved. Not the dragons. Not the flames. Not even the air.

Slowly, its gaze shifted away from Ariana and toward Kael.

She turned, her breath catching again.

Kael was standing.

Blood ran down his face, staining his skin, but he didn’t seem to notice. Something about him had changed. The air around him grew heavier, pressing outward like a storm gathering beneath the surface. It wasn’t just power. It was presence.

His eyes were no longer gold.

They had turned completely white, steady and unnatural, not glowing, not flickering, but filled with something ancient that made the air around him feel heavier. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

The ground beneath his feet cracked as he took a step forward. Ariana felt it instantly, the shift in the air, the difference between what stood behind her and what stood in front of her now.

This was not the same Kael.

Kael lifted his head slowly, his gaze locking onto the Abyssal. When he spoke, his voice was lower, deeper, filled with something ancient.

"You picked the wrong fight."

The Abyssal stepped back.

Just once. But it was enough.

For the first time since it appeared, the creature hesitated.

The man beside Ariana whispered under his breath, his voice almost lost to the silence. "The First Alpha."

Kael’s power surged outward, shaking the ground beneath them. The air shifted as the force spread across the terrace, pushing back against the lingering darkness. Even the Abyssal reacted, its body tightening, its movements no longer as certain as before.

The Abyssal roared again.

But this time, the sound was different.

It wasn’t anger.

It was fear.