The suffocating silence inside the Demon King's chamber was broken only by the flicker of crimson flames along the walls. The Dragonoid King knelt, his claws scraping lightly against the obsidian floor. Around him, his soldiers dared not breathe too loud.
The hooded figure on the throne did not turn. His pale hand remained motionless upon the blackened armrest, his voice as frigid as a frozen tomb.
"Well then…" the Demon King spoke at last, his words like slow, curling smoke."If you know I have a contract with North Ryehem, you should also know that I cannot interfere in their affairs. Those dragons you speak of — manipulated or not — are casualties I have no reason to avenge."
The Dragon King's jaw clenched, his crimson eyes flashing with fury, but he kept his head bowed.
The Demon King continued, his voice devoid of sympathy."As long as North Ryehem continues to benefit me, their petty schemes and bloodshed are of no concern. Two lost dragons? Worthless… compared to what I stand to gain."
The words stabbed like ice into the Dragon King's pride.
"So leave. Now."
The weight of dismissal was absolute. The Dragonoids, sensing the danger, turned and exited swiftly, the Dragon King following, his wings heavy with humiliation.
Once outside the cursed palace, they took to the skies, flying back to their own lands under the dark, oppressive clouds. The journey was silent, the air thick with tension as not a single soldier dared speak.
As the towering cliffs of the Dragon Kingdom came into view, something within the Dragon King snapped.
Landing on a rocky plateau, his crimson aura erupted violently. With a guttural roar that shook the heavens, he drove his fist into a nearby mountain
The entire mountain shattered into rubble, the shockwave flattening trees and sending boulders tumbling down the valleys. The Dragonoids scattered, fear in their eyes.
The Dragon King's eyes glowed like twin suns of wrath, his aura burning crimson against the dusk.
"In a single day… I have suffered two humiliations," he growled, his voice a deadly promise."Two defeats… and for what? Lies… betrayals… worthless politics!"
He turned toward the distant horizon, where the lands of South Ryehem and North Ryehem lay. His claws clenched, his rage uncontained.
"Mark my words… the next time an agreement falters, or the chance arises — I will burn them all. South Ryehem… North Ryehem… no matter their gods, no matter their empires, no matter their armies… I will reduce their lands to nothing but cinders."
His voice carried across the mountain range like a storm.
"They will pay. Every last one of them."
Without another word, the Dragon King returned to his chamber, the fires of vengeance seething in his heart.
The Dragonoids who witnessed the outburst exchanged fearful glances. For centuries, their king had ruled with might — but this was something darker. Something unhinged.
A storm was brewing in the Dragon Kingdom. And the world would soon feel its fury.