(The Timeless Ocean, Leonardo’s POV)
The faint hum of the crystal communicator filled the air as Leonardo poured his mana into it, his pulse thudding with an excitement he could barely contain.
The deck still buzzed faintly behind him, sailors whispering, ropes groaning under tension, but all of it blurred into a background haze the moment a familiar voice crackled through.
"Leonardo? What is it?"
Leo said from the other end, as Leonardo beamed hearing his voice.
"Uncle... it’s true!" he said, barely able to hold back his grin. "The island, I see it. It’s floating, just like the stories said. And there’s something else. I can see a golden aura around it, bright and alive, like fate itself."
For a moment, silence answered him. Then Leo’s breath came sharp through the channel.
"Golden aura?"
"Yes," Leonardo continued eagerly. "It’s faint, but it’s there. Like the whole island is glowing from within."
On the other end, Leo’s eyes narrowed, the gleam of the holographic feed casting half his face in light. His voice dropped low, heavy with something between disbelief and caution.
"Leonardo, listen to me carefully," he said. "You stay clear of it. Do not approach the island under any circumstances."
Leonardo blinked, confusion replacing his earlier thrill. "But Uncle..."
"No," Leo cut in. "You don’t understand. Gold doesn’t always mean fortune. It can be as dangerous as it is divine. The aura you’re describing could signify an imbalance, a place where risk and reward are aplenty"
Leonardo hesitated, gripping the railing beside him. "But what if it’s something good? What if it’s..."
"There’s no ’what if’ when it comes to your safety Leonardo.
You are Luke’s boy, and I’ll be damned if I ever let anything happen to you—"
Leo said, as his tone hardened.
"I’ve seen this before. Gold can either crown you or consume you, and it never warns you which until it’s too late. Tell Commander Anderson to keep visual contact but maintain distance. I’ll bring a destroyer ship and join you as soon as I can."
The command left no room for argument. Yet Leonardo’s heart sank, the rush in his veins ebbing into quiet defiance.
"Yes, Uncle," he said softly.
The call ended with a faint click.
The communicators glow dimming, as it left Leonardo alone to stare at the endless gray ocean once again.
He stood there for a long while, the wind teasing his hair, the golden reflection flickering faintly in his eyes.
A swirl of emotions churned inside him, gratitude for his uncle’s concern, yes, but also a growing frustration.
He had trained all his life under the shadow of giants. His father’s legacy, his uncle’s legend, both had been carved in trials, in battles where they faced the impossible and won.
But whenever his turn came, they wrapped him in caution, in safety, in rules meant to protect him from the very crucible that had forged them.
"Stay clear of it," he whispered, repeating the command under his breath, as his jaw tightened. "Is that what you would have said to yourself? Before you became who you are?"
He looked up again at the golden island, its reflection shimmering over the restless ocean like a heartbeat that refused to fade.
Maybe this was reckless. Maybe it was foolish.
But greatness never waited for permission.
*Sigh*
Leonardo exhaled slowly, resolve hardening behind his calm eyes.
"Alright then," he murmured to himself, as the wind carried his words away. "Let’s see if this is luck or doom."
He turned toward the helm, the faint gleam of the island lighting his path like a silent challenge waiting to be met, as he chose not to relay his uncle’s instructions to Commander Anderson.
—----------
(Meanwhile, Leo)
Leo did not waste a second after the call ended.
The moment the crystal communicator dimmed, he was already reaching for another, flicking through encrypted channels until the line connected.
"Chaosbringer," he said sharply.
"My Lord," came the familiar voice, smooth and steady despite the static of distance.
"I need a jet at once. The fastest one we have. I want it prepped for long-range travel and ready for takeoff within ten minutes."
There was a pause, short but knowing. "Destination?"
"Timeless Ocean, western quadrant. I’ll send you the co-ordinates. Leonardo’s fleet has found something, and I intend to see it for myself."
The faint sound of papers shuffling echoed through the receiver, followed by the click of a mechanical console. "Understood. I’ll reroute our fastest jet to you at once. ETA, twelve minutes."
"Good," Leo replied, his tone clipped yet calm as the line clicked off, and silence reclaimed the room.
Leo’s reflection in the glass wall stared back at him, calm yet restless, as he suppressed the unrest in his surging aura.
"Moltherak..." he murmured, the name heavy on his tongue.
For over twenty years, he had searched for the Fallen Dragon’s resting place, following trails so faint they could barely be called clues.
Myths, whispers, fragments of records buried in archeological discoveries, all of them had led him nowhere, until now.
However, this time this floating island covered in golden aura of fate showed promise.
If the aura Leonardo saw was truly gold, then there was a chance, faint yet real, that Moltherak’s remains were there. Perhaps even his soul.
Leo’s pulse quickened as he dressed up for combat once more, this time without his restraints, as he placed his utility belt across his waist.
"With Veyr’s execution drawing near," he muttered, "I need answers. I need Moltherak."
He turned toward the window, watching the faint glimmer of the twilight sky before him.
"With his ancient wisdom... maybe, just maybe, he can help me save Veyr."
A low rumble interrupted his thoughts, the unmistakable thunder of jet engines rolling across the airfield outside.
The windows vibrated faintly, and a faint trail of smoke cut across the darkening sky.
Leo’s gaze hardened.
He tightened the strap of his utility belt and stepped out without hesitation.
There was no more time to waste.
For the first time in two decades, there was a chance for him to see an old friend.