"So what you’re telling me," Leo said slowly, his voice flat yet simmering with disbelief, "is that just by existing, just because of my bloodline, I’m destined to be hunted across the stars by some self-proclaimed righteous faction, whether I’ve wronged them or not?"
He asked, as Fan gave him a quiet nod.
"The very fact that your blood exists is a threat to their universal order, they won’t rest until every last trace of the Timeless Assassin’s lineage is erased. Which is why you don’t get to choose peace, which is exactly why the only viable choice you have now is to become the next Dragon, as it’s the only way to free your family from this nightmare." Fan replied, as for a while Leo said nothing.
For a while, he did nothing but look at his clenched fists, as if making up his mind.
But then eventually, he did look up, and this time he had steel in his gaze.
"Fine," he said, voice firm.
"If me and my family can’t avoid the fate of war, then there’s no point in me thinking that I could have just sat this one out somehow.
Give me the fastest and hardest route to becoming the next dragon, but give me a sure shot way.
If someone must carry this burden, then it’s best it’s me, rather than Luke or that washed old man.
So tell me what must I do to become this Dragon that you want me to be?" Leo asked, as a faint spark of appreciation flickered in Fan’s eyes.
"The hardest path?" she asked, arching a brow. "Are you sure that’s what you want?"
"There’s nothing in this universe that I, ’The Boss’, can’t achieve," Leo replied coldly.
"If becoming the Dragon is the only way to protect my family, then so be it."
He leaned forward, eyes burning with resolve.
"Just tell me what I need to do next." He demanded, as Fan exhaled a long, weary breath before speaking again.
"Alright then, listen carefully, because your mission won’t be easy. You’ll have to erase your memories, suppress your identity, and infiltrate the very heart of the enemy. You’ll train amongst the righteous faction’s elite, hide in plain sight, and pass every psychological background test they throw at you."
Leo’s brow twitched, but he didn’t interrupt.
"You’ll live as a common student at Rodova Military Academy," she continued. "You won’t remember your past, your family, or even who you are, not until the time is right."
She stepped closer, her voice lowering.
"And if you survive it all, if you somehow make it through the ranks undetected, your final task will be to infiltrate the Black Serpents Guild and retrieve a lost scroll placed securely within their armory.
It’s a scroll that’s extremely important to the cult and must be retrieved at any cost necessary, and if you manage to do all that, no one in the cult will ever question your right to be the Dragon, and I can guarantee you will be crowned the successor." Fan said, as she studied him for a long moment.
"So, Leo Skyshard, I ask you this one final time….. Are you truly prepared for this? To give up everything you are, just for a chance to save your family from a life of horrors?"
As Leo’s answer came without hesitation.
"Yes," he said, voice steady as stone. "Yes, I am."
—----------
(Present moment, Leo’s new accomodation room, Twin Fang Planet)
Once the memory recall was complete, Leo slowly opened his eyes, the ceiling above him appearing a blur at first, as his senses realigned— except this time, he remembered everything.
The silence in the room felt heavier than before, as he pushed himself up ever so slightly and saw Mu Fan standing at the foot of his bed, watching him carefully, almost nervously.
Her hands were behind her back, her posture straight, yet there was a flicker of unease in her eyes, as though she wasn’t sure if he’d thank her or try to kill her.
Leo said nothing at first.
He simply stared at her, his gaze blank, yet simmering just beneath the surface, as the truth of everything he had learned sank deep into his bones.
He had been played.
Used by the cult like a piece on a chessboard, as he was handed nothing but half-truths by Mu Fan, who forced him into a war he never asked to be part of.
The worst part?
He was manipulated by the very side that claimed to be saving him, as at this point his only reason to stick with the Cult was because they were the only faction in the universe that did not want him dead, while everyone else was out for his blood.
"So…" Mu Fan finally said, her voice cautious, "how do you feel?"
Leo let out a dry, mirthless chuckle, but his eyes never left hers.
"I feel enlightened," he replied coolly, "I finally understand the rules of the game."
And though he didn’t raise his voice, and didn’t accuse her directly… the weight of his silence said more than any words ever could.
Mu Fan gulped nervously, as Leo’s reaction confirmed her worst fears.
’He has stopped trusting me and the Cult—’ She assessed, as she let out a dry mirthless laugh of her own.
She had known long ago that the methods the elder suggested to manipulate Leo into taking part in this game were wrong.
However, such was the desperation of the Cult, that neither could they be forthright with Leo, nor could they afford to lose him.
He was the last dice they had to roll to turn the tide of war that had seen them shrink in influence over the past 1000 years.
As unless the next Dragon could rally the strength of the entire Cult Of Ascension behind him.
Mu Fan knew that they might not survive yet another 100 years and still remain a credible threat to the current universal order.