[2023 Wattys Shortlist, 2023 Amby Awards winner, Featured 3 times in Wattpad Picks lists]
Kaleth has worked as an agent of Luxarx for years. What the average person might see as an exciting, dangerous job has become the routine, and the only thing...
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When Kaleth had entered the building, he'd expected to find a lot, but he hadn't been prepared for this. All he could do was stare at the sight in front of him.
"Holy...!" Kaleth heard Nef exclaim, and he agreed. There was a black, winged lizard lying on the ground behind four giant walls of glass, one from each side, through which Kaleth was currently gaping at it. The animal was about twice the size of a horse, but it was hard to tell with how it was hiding under its wings. From the front leg he could see, the lizard wasn't all that tall despite its size, though.
"Is that an actual goddamn dragon?!" Nef sounded as if he had given up trying to understand anything. Given that he had just been told his girlfriend of four years was actually a noble from Irithara, it was fairly understandable.
"Dragons don't exist," Kaleth replied, but he wasn't sure who he was trying to convince anymore. He didn't even bother only mouthing the words anymore. It was as if this whole base was devoid of life. There was no one here at all, and most of the place was on lockdown. There was no one here, except for the lizard right in front of him.
Kaleth wasn't even sure how he'd managed to find it. Even with Nef guiding him—or trying to—this place was a maze. He was certain that if there were armed people around, he'd be dead already.
"Yeah, sure they don't," Nef said mockingly. "What the hell is that, then?"
Dragons weren't real. Sure, they were a big part of Enorian mythology. In fact, the entirety of their old religion was centered around dragons, but they didn't actually exist. This had to be some kind of experiment. What a genetic experiment like this would be doing in a facility where the Umbra were being held was another question, however.
Kaleth felt like he was missing something huge here, but there wasn't anyone he could interrogate and get some answers.
"Kaleth," said a displeased voice from behind him, and he flinched, whirling around and raising his gun.
"Relioth?" Kaleth was almost more shocked by seeing the politician than seeing the dragon. He lowered the gun slowly and pulled his goggles down, letting them hang around his neck. How had Relioth gotten here without Kaleth noticing? How had Relioth gotten here at all?
"Y'know, I always say that Dehro is stubborn, but damn, he's got nothing on you—what would it have taken to make you stay away from here? Should I have told someone to break your legs?"
Kaleth had no idea what Relioth was talking about, but he tightened his grip on the gun just in case. Relioth hardly ever used a serious tone, even during public speeches, so to hear it now put Kaleth on edge.
"Yeah, I know, you don't get what I'm saying," said Relioth before Kaleth could even ask. "That doesn't matter. You're not supposed to be here."
"Oh, and you are?"
"Well, seeing as I run this place...." Relioth chuckled, but he didn't sound happy. He sounded more like a disappointed parent, which was kind of hilarious since Kaleth was a bit older than him. Kaleth wasn't laughing though. He couldn't after hearing that.
