A tall, sharp-eyed man stepped from the shadows, his presence cutting through the silence like a blade. His black hair framed a pale, emotionless face, and his eyes—deep, hollow, like an endless abyss—swept across the room. The echo of his footsteps filled the chamber, unnaturally clear in the dead silence, as if even the air held its breath.
The throne room, once majestic, now stood in solemn ruin.
Massive black stone pillars rose toward a high ceiling darkened with soot. Cracks split through the marble floor, and scorch marks stained the walls where murals once depicted dragons in flight. Shattered statues of old dragon kings lay scattered like fallen gods. The grand throne—carved from obsidian and gold—sat at the far end, cold and empty, its grandeur dimmed by betrayal.
The air was thick with the scent of ash and blood. Shadows clung to every corner, flickering faintly under the weak light of dying torches. It was no longer a place of honor, but of loss.
A soldier knelt before him. "Your Majesty, we have captured Dragon King Ignis… along with his eleven generals."
The man—Maverick, king of the human empire—offered only a faint, unreadable smile. He said nothing at first, his gaze settling on the broken bodies of dragons at his feet.
"You may go," he said quietly.
Chained in enchanted restraints, their wings torn and scales dulled, the once-mighty dragons knelt. At the center of them lay Ignis, the Dragon King—bloody, and defeated. He looked up at his younger brother with much difficulty.
"Noxious…" he whispered, voice cracked. "Why… Why did you do this? Why betray the kingdom? Why betray… me?"
He didn't shout. He didn't curse. There was no hatred or anger in his voice—just a quiet, hollow ache. A question in his eyes...
WHY?
Noxious, draped in dark dragon scales. His face twisted into a sneer, one corner of his mouth curling upward with something between resentment and satisfaction.
"Why else, brother?" he said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "For the kingdom."
He stepped forward slowly, letting the words sink in.
"Father gave you the throne just because I was venomous. He said you were the flame meant to lead us." His voice lowered, bitter. "But tell me—what was my crime? Being born with poison instead of fire?"
Ignis stared silently.
"You disgusted me, brother. Always so noble. Always so perfect. Pretending not to look down on me while you sat above us all. But now…" His voice rose with cold triumph. "Now, I have won. I've defeated you. And I'll rebuild the kingdom without your blind ideals."
Ignis opened his mouth slowly, his eyes glimmering with a pain deeper than wounds could inflict.
"Father never thought that … He loved you. Even when everyone doubted you. He loved and cherished you ..."
Before the moment could stretch further, Maverick's calm voice cut through the room.
"Congratulations, King Noxious," he said, his tone as faint as a whisper. "You now sit on the throne of dragons."
Noxious turned, silently as though anticipating bad omen
"As per our agreement," Maverick continued, "I will be taking Dragon King Ignis and his eleven generals."
For the first time, Noxious faltered.
"If I let him leave now, he'll return. And next time… he'll come for me and entirety of dragon Kingdom. But I can't stop him.Not now. Maverick has the mages with binding magic strong enough to hold Ignis in his wounded state.And he's a peak Level 9 mage—if we fought now, I'd suffer. And I can't afford that. Not yet.Damn it… From the beginning, I've been dancing in his hand."
He clenched his jaw while not revealing a hint.
"…Of course," Noxious said. "That was the agreement after all. Take them. King Maverick."
His voice was flat. Hollow.
"But forgive me—I can't see you out. I have matters to attend to."
Maverick gave a slight nod, that same cold smile etched into his face. But his eyes—those void-like eyes—held nothing but icy calculation.
"I understand, King Noxious. Then I… bid you farewell."
He turned.
Behind him, his soldiers—black-armored executioners—marched in step. With them followed the bound dragons. Ignis was the last to be dragged away, his gaze never leaving his brother's. It wasn't hatred he carried.
It was heartbreak.
And thus, the Dragon who had once breathed flame for the skies was led away in silence.
And so ended the Great Dragon War.
What followed was two years of silence—oppression, rising taxes, chained dragons, and a king who ruled with both magic and fear. None dared rise. Not with Ignis bound by soul to the human king, and the eleven dragon generals distributed among his executioners like cursed trophies.
This world was one of magic and fire, of dragons and men.
There are ten levels of magic. From Level 1, where a mage barely feels mana, to Level 10—a level only whispered of in theory, where the world itself bends to one's will.
Only Maverick stood near that impossible edge. And with dragons at his feet, none questioned his reign.
But far from the stone halls of the capital—beyond the reach of royal capital —. a different story was beginning.
In the quiet countryside of the Great Lumina Empire
A whisper in the wind.
A beginning.
[This is an original work begin published exclusively on webnovel by Kusan. All rights reserved]