<Prologue>

Absolute pitch black darkness.

Nothing moved, nothing stirred. An emptiness that filled no void. A place where no moon or sunlight could ever reach nor sound could ever escape. Only coldness was its friend.

A pair of bright green, diamond-shaped, raptor-like eyes opened slowly. They glowed mesmerizingly in the dark. Soft gold light flickered on the gold markings that accentuated its body. Its large, reptilian face lazily rested on top of both its claws. Six pairs of sharp horns decorated its head like an emperor’s crown.

With a slight shift of its body, it caused millions of bones to crunch underneath its weight. A puff of hot steam blew out of its nose, creating a soft mist of acidic smoke. Clouds of hot steam settled down onto the ground, hissing and sizzling, melting through the bones.

“I know you are there,” said the creature lazily. Its voice booming, it lifted its head. Two more pairs of diamond-shaped eyes opened wide with interest. Its head bobbed side to side like a cobra.

“I can ssssmell you.” Its tongue flickered out like a snake’s. Its head shifted towards the scent. “You are not afraid, child of Adam?” It chuckled, amused.

Lifting itself up, the majestic creature sat comfortably on the bones. It flickered out its thick tongue. It sniffed the air, and its golden claw ground through the bones. It turned them into fine dust.

“I can almost taste you.” Puffs of smoke escaped its nose, “I can ssssseeee you.” Its eyes blinked wide with interest.

“Have you come to mock me?” it whispered, its voice tinged with a touch of anger and surprise. Its long slender tail appeared from behind him as it wrapped around its body.

“So you have come to stare at the beast.” It angrily slammed its fist into the piles of bones as it arrogantly puffed up its chest. Thousands upon thousands of ghastly green orbs appeared from the pile of bones. Souls from the dead screamed in agony, despair, anger, and sadness. They began to float upwards into the void, dimly lighting its surroundings. As far as the eye could see, piles upon piles of human bones were underneath its body.

“Let me hear your voice,” it whispered through the darkness. It waited patiently to hear. It has been an thousand years since it has heard anyone’s voice.

“No?” The beast chuckled as smoke rose from its nose. “One day you will sing for me with your pretty little voice. Your name is of no importance to me. Many have come, and none have ever left. But it seems you are lucky today. I am here, and you are there.” All six of its eyes glowed brightly, dangerously. It rumbled deeply in its throat in annoyance. Its tail flicked from side to side. How it wanted to taste the flow of fresh human blood, the life force of power.

A burst of noxious green gas erupted from its mouth and surrounded him. Electric sparks cackled in its throat. It spewed out a chain of lightning that set off the clouds of gas. An earsplitting explosion erupted and a chaotic green flame appeared. Six black, enormous wings fully opened. Black and green scales glistened from the fiery flames. An angel of death and destruction. The life-taker. The Beast. The Dragon.

“I will come for you.” It grinned evilly from ear to ear as it shuddered with ecstasy.

“I will be reborn.” Its maniacal laugh echoed endlessly into the void.

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