System: Daily login!!, jackpot on the first day!!!

After a brief but heartfelt reunion with his family, Taufik led Rakhsahsa II through the castle halls once more. Their destination this time was a quieter corner of the celebration, a private chamber where three powerful presences awaited.

Dagraha, The former King of the Green Dragons.

Akh'sha of the Blue.

And Kania, the Golden Dragon Queen.

They didn't need an introduction. Even before Taufik opened the door, the Dragon Kings and former Dragon King already knew who stood beside him.

Taufik kept it simple. "From today on, Rakhsahsa II and the Naga Merah will be part of my grand plan"

That was all he said. He gave no order and demanded no oath.

Just a stage, an opportunity.

At first, silence ruled the space. Tension lingered in the air like an old scar not yet healed.

Dagraha's gaze was cool but curious.

Akh'sha leaned back, arms crossed, as if testing the weight of his instincts.

Kania's eyes flicked between Rakhsahsa II and Taufik, measuring something unspoken.

It was awkward, of course it was.

The Red Dragons had not been allies for generations, they never.

Mistrust ran deep, and no amount of words could erase the memories overnight.

But time moved.

And so did the music.

As twilight deepened and stars blinked into the velvet sky, the celebration transformed.

The air grew warmer, the notes of string instruments and soft drums echoed through the castle.

Wine glasses clinked.

Stories surfaced.

Laughter bubbled up... Awkward at first, then real.

Taufik didn't push. He simply watched.

Conversations started small. A comment about battle scars. A shared grievance about politics. Then a jab. A challenge. A joke.

Rakhsahsa II, though clearly out of his element, responded. He stumbled once.

Then again.

But the others didn't laugh at him, they laughed with him. Somewhere between the second toast and the third round of wine, the weight of history loosened.

The awkwardness dissolved. The past, though not forgotten, faded like a shadow behind warm light. The future, Taufik's future, their future, all of that felt like a distant yet beautiful dream.

And in that moment, there was only the present.

Three Dragon Kings.

The Former King.

Not enemies.

Not rivals.

Just people, sharing wine, stories, and a fragile, flickering trust.

There had been no talk of cooperation; none was expected, and none was forced.

The wounds of the past were not so easily mended, and trust was not something that bloomed overnight.

But for now, that was enough.

No declarations were made. No promises were exchanged. Just shared space, shared breath, shared silence that spoke louder than words.

The wine was poured not as a gesture of alliance, but of courtesy.

The smiles were not signs of unity but of possibility.

The night did not end with treaties but with something quieter and perhaps more valuable: a seed. Small, uncertain, but real.

Taufik didn't need more than that. Not yet.

Because the first step wasn't war.

It wasn't a strategy.

It was a presence, being there.

And in that moment, The Dragon Kings and The Former King, who were the most influential in their respective kingdoms, were present. Together.

Not allies. Not enemies.

Just people… Breathing the same air.

Sharing the same firelight.

And that was enough.

When the celebration finally waned and the music faded into the soft hum of the castle's quiet, Rakhsahsa II chose not to linger. There was no dramatic farewell, no heavy exchange of words, just a quiet departure, the kind that spoke of duty rather than distance.

He had already said his goodbyes to Taufik and to Taufik's family, his tone respectful, his gaze steady.

There was still much to be done in the Inferno Continent, and Rakhsahsa II was not one to leave his people waiting.

The gift Taufik had given him, the orb was already being prepared for use, and the implications of it were far too important to delay.

Meanwhile, Akh'sha and Kania chose to remain another night in the Green Dragon Kingdom.

It wasn't merely out of courtesy, they wanted to see off Taufik and his family in the morning, to stand together one more time before each of them returned to their own lands and responsibilities.

There was no talk of tomorrow, no burden of what must come. Just a quiet night beneath the forest canopy, where dragons, once divided, now shared laughter and breath under the same stars.

And for a moment in time, that fragile peace, unspoken, unsealed was the most precious thing of all.

--------

Early in the morning, as mist still clung to the treetops of the Forest Continent, the air was filled with a calm reverence.

Sunlight filtered gently through the leaves, casting golden streaks across the clearing where the portal stood, silent and waiting.

Taufik and his entire family stood at its threshold, their figures poised yet relaxed, ready to return home.

Beside them stood a gathering rarely seen throughout history: the Royal Families of the Green, Blue, and Gold Dragons, together in one place not for war or formality, but to bid farewell to the man who had united them through presence alone.

Akh'sha, the Blue Dragon King, offered a firm nod. Kania, ever more expressive, stepped forward and embraced her older sister, Rani in tears.

Dagraha of the Green Dragons remained still but respectful, his eyes revealing a quiet appreciation. Not like Arman, the current King of Green Dragon, who is already in tears.

None of them said much, there was no need. Words, in moments like this, often fall short.

Taufik turned to face them all one last time, his gaze sweeping over dragons in human and draconic forms alike and then down to his children standing by his side.

"… Take care, all of you," He said with a smile. "We'll meet again when the time is right"

Then, without fanfare, he stepped through the portal with his family. One by one, they followed until the last ripple of energy shimmered and then was gone.

And for a time, silence reigned, filled not with absence, but the quiet acknowledgment of something greater now in motion.

--------

Taufik stepped into the portal, expecting to emerge in the heart of the Saranjana Kingdom, The kingdom he had built with Gaia.

But when he opened his eyes, the sight before him was far from familiar.

Instead of golden spires and vibrant skies, he was met with a world drowned in shadow, cold, lifeless, and hauntingly silent.

'This is not Earth' The only thought Taufik had right now.

The air was thick and heavy with the scent of something ancient and long forgotten.

The ground beneath him cracked like frozen ash, and the sky above was a canvas of swirling black mist.

Taufik didn't panic. No confusion crossed his face. He simply sighed.

"... *Sigh* This again. Did Fate mess with me again?"

A voice answered him, soft, feminine, yet carrying a weight that pressed against his bones. It echoed not in his ears, but inside his soul.

"Sorry to disappoint you. This time, it's not Fate… It's me"

The voice was unfamiliar, yet disturbingly familiar, like a dream half-remembered.

Taufik narrowed his eyes.

"...Who are you?"

"Uhh~ That hurts. You forgot me already? After everything, I even helped you once"

He scowled. "Cut the bullshit. I don't have time for riddles. Who are you, and what do you want from me?"

"So impatient," She cooed, a teasing edge in her voice. "But I like that attitude"

"Tch...!"

"Alright, alright~ I'll show you"

*Snap*

With the sound of a single finger snap, the world shifted. There was no flash, no dramatic pull, just an instant change.

Taufik now stood in a vast chamber of bone and silence.

The walls seemed alive, made from interwoven skeletons and skulls, whispering unintelligible words through empty mouths.

Shadows flickered across the chamber like living things, curling around pillars carved from spine-like columns.

Before him stood a throne, monumental, grotesque, and majestic.

Crafted entirely from bones, it radiated an aura of ancient authority. And upon it sat her.

A woman, impossibly beautiful, so much so that the mind struggled to process her features.

Her presence was both mesmerizing and terrifying. Her eyes shimmered like dying stars, and her skin was as pale as moonlit snow. She watched Taufik with a serene, knowing smile that chilled him far more than the cold air ever could.

Instinctively, his katana materialized in his hand, its dark blade humming softly with power.

Beauty meant nothing to Taufik.

The fact that this woman had dragged him into this place without effort was proof enough that she was no ordinary being.

She smiled wider as if pleased by his reaction.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Taufik…"

[DING]

The System's voice chimed in, calm but laced with urgency.

[Master, that woman is-]

And simultaneously, she spoke.

""Death""

Their voices overlapped, perfectly synchronized.

Taufik remained silent, while Death, she... She tilted her head, her otherworldly smile deepening as her fingers drummed lazily on the armrest of the bone throne.

"What should I call you, Taufik?" She purred, her voice as smooth as silk and sharp as a blade. "The Defiant…?"

She stood every movement a blend of grace and silent menace. The chamber seemed to darken with her presence.

"Or perhaps… The Rewrite?" She mused, eyes glowing faintly like coals buried in ash.

She descended the steps of her throne, each footstep echoing like the ticking of a divine clock.

Then she stopped, just inches from him, too close for comfort, and leaned in ever so slightly.

"...Or should I just call you Darling?"

The word dripped with mockery, affection, and something deeper, something that felt older than love or hate.

....

...

..

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