The crimson fog in the Crimson Hollow seemed to tighten its grip around Ray, its tendrils coiling like serpents as the Netherdrake's howl reverberated through the ancient trees, a sound that sent shivers down his spine. It was 10:44 AM IST on May 27, 2025, and the Dominion's untamed wilderness felt more alive—and more dangerous—than ever. Ray's amber eyes darted through the haze, his small Shadowfang Cub body trembling with a mix of fear and defiance, the Soul Shard Fragment clutched in his paw pulsing with a faint saffron light. The vision it had triggered—a cavern beneath the Dominion, obsidian seals cracking, a voice whispering of the Ashura's heir—lingered in his mind, a puzzle he couldn't yet solve. But survival came first, and the approaching Netherdrake was a threat far beyond the Bloodthorn Stag he'd just defeated.
The fog parted like a curtain, revealing the beast—a Tier 5 Netherdrake, its scales black as midnight, its wings dripping with venom that sizzled against the ground, its eyes glowing with a sickly green light. The sigil of the BlackRabbit Order was etched into its collar, a glowing emblem of Dom energy that marked it as a tamed beast, a weapon of the Dominion's rulers. Atop the drake sat a man clad in black armor, his face scarred, his eyes burning with a ruthless intensity. Kael, the BlackRabbit enforcer sent by Arjun Pandit, leaned forward, his voice a low growl that cut through the fog. "So, you're the cub with the Ashura's soul," he said, his scarred lips curling into a cruel smirk. "The High Sovereign wants you alive… but he didn't say I couldn't make you suffer first."
Ray's heart—or whatever passed for a heart in this beastly form—raced, his instincts screaming to flee, but the Netherdrake's presence pinned him in place, its aura a suffocating weight. The evolution system chimed in his mind, its mechanical voice a stark contrast to the chaos around him: Threat Detected: Netherdrake – Tier 5. Tamer: Kael – Soul Resonance: 8. Survival Chance: 5%. Objective: Escape or Fight. Reward: Evolution Point +2, Soul Shard Fragment. Failure: Capture or Death. The odds were grim, but Ray's resolve hardened. He'd been weak on Earth, a bullied orphan with no one to rely on, but here, in the Dominion, he had a chance to fight—to evolve. He wouldn't be prey.
Kael raised a hand, his armor glinting with Dom energy, and the Netherdrake lunged, its wings beating a gust of venom-laced wind that burned Ray's fur as he dove to the side, his small frame barely evading the drake's snapping jaws. The ground where he'd stood dissolved into a smoking crater, the venom eating through stone and root alike. Ray darted into the fog, his Agility stat of 6 giving him a slight edge, but the Netherdrake's senses were sharper, its green eyes locking onto him as Kael chanted a Mantra: "Vayu Bind!" Dom energy surged, forming ethereal chains that lashed out, wrapping around Ray's hind leg, yanking him back with a force that made his bones creak.
Pain seared through him, his Resilience dropping: Resilience: 1/2. Ray snarled, his claws slashing at the chains, but they held firm, their Dom energy a burning vice. Kael dismounted, his boots crunching against the scorched earth, a curved dagger in his hand etched with glowing runes. "You're a spirited little beast," he said, his voice dripping with mockery. "But spirit won't save you. The High Sovereign sees something in you—something about the Ashura's Breath. Let's see if you're worth the trouble."
The mention of the Ashura's Breath sent a jolt through Ray, the Soul Shard Fragment in his paw flaring brighter, its runes shimmering as if responding to Kael's words. Another vision flashed—a figure cloaked in saffron light, standing before a colossal seal, a damru beating in rhythm with a storm of Dom energy. The figure turned, its eyes meeting Ray's, and a voice echoed: "The heir must rise… or the requiem will consume all." The vision faded, leaving Ray gasping, the shard's warmth spreading through him, his Soul Resonance ticking up: Soul Resonance: 3.
Kael's eyes narrowed, sensing the shift, and he lunged, his dagger aimed at Ray's flank—not to kill, but to wound, to break his will. Ray's instincts kicked in, his small body twisting free of the chains with a surge of adrenaline, his claws raking across Kael's arm, drawing blood. The tamer hissed, stepping back, his Netherdrake roaring as it charged again, its venomous wings slashing through the fog. Ray dove beneath a thorned bush, the drake's attack tearing through the foliage, venom splattering inches from his tail.
He couldn't win—not against a Tier 5 beast and an S-Rank tamer like Kael. Escape was his only option, but the fog offered little cover, and Kael's Mantras kept the chains coming, each one tighter than the last. Ray's mind raced, the Soul Shard Fragment pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat, its runes glowing brighter, as if urging him to act. He focused on the shard, a desperate plea echoing in his thoughts: Help me. To his shock, the shard responded, its Dom energy surging into him, a new notification flashing: Soul Shard Fragment Activated: Ashura's Echo – Temporary Boost. Strength: +2, Agility: +2. Duration: 60 seconds.
Power flooded Ray's small frame, his muscles coiling with newfound strength, his amber eyes glowing with a saffron light. He burst from the bush, the Netherdrake's jaws snapping at empty air as he leaped onto its back, his claws digging into its scales, drawing black blood. The drake roared, thrashing to dislodge him, but Ray held on, his fangs sinking into its wing, tearing through the venomous membrane. Kael shouted, his Mantra faltering, the chains dissipating as he rushed to aid his beast, but Ray was already moving, leaping off the drake and sprinting into the fog, the temporary boost giving him the speed to outrun even a Tier 5 predator.
The fog swallowed him, the Netherdrake's roars fading into the distance, but Ray didn't stop, his heart pounding as the boost wore off, his stats returning to normal: Strength: 4, Agility: 6. He collapsed behind a gnarled tree, panting, the Soul Shard Fragment dimming in his paw, its power spent. The system chimed: Objective Complete: Escape. Reward: Evolution Point +2, Soul Shard Fragment. Current Points: 3/5. Another shard materialized, its runes identical to the first, but this one triggered no vision—only a faint whisper, a single word: "Ashura."
Ray's mind reeled, the word echoing the vision's cryptic message. Who—or what—was the Ashura? And why did Kael and Arjun Pandit think he was tied to it? The Netherdrake's distant howl reminded him he wasn't safe yet, but the encounter had revealed a truth: the Soul Shard Fragments were more than rewards—they were keys to a mystery older than the Dominion itself, a mystery tied to PatalLok, the Ashura's Breath, and the requiem that haunted this realm.
High above, Raghav Pandit watched, his damru beating a slow, steady rhythm, his saffron form shimmering with a mix of pride and sorrow. "The cub fights," he whispered, his voice carried on an unseen wind. "But the path grows darker… PatalLok will not wait." In Ashvamedha, Arjun Pandit's golden eyes glinted, a smirk playing on his lips as he sensed the shard's activation through his crystal orb. "The Ashura's heir reveals itself," he murmured. "Kael, bring it to me—or I'll find another who can."
Ray clutched the shards tighter, his amber eyes burning with resolve. He'd escaped, but the Dominion's secrets were closing in, and the next encounter might not end with his survival. Somewhere deep beneath the realm, Bali's laughter echoed through PatalLok, a promise of chaos to come.