THE DRAGON’S BLOODLINE

Kaelen stood in front of the bathroom mirror, adjusting his frayed suit jacket, the one he'd worn for every interview in the past two years. He looked at himself, tired eyes staring back, and couldn't help but wonder if this was all life had left for him—chasing dreams that always seemed to slip away just as they got close. His reflection was weary, but he couldn't afford to give up. Not now.

The résumé in his hand was worn, folded in too many places, a testament to the countless applications that had gone unanswered. He sighed, tucking it under his arm as he stepped out of the bathroom. This had to be the day everything changed.

Outside, the city was alive with noise and movement, but to Kaelen, it all felt distant. His focus was on the looming building ahead—the one where his interview was scheduled. He walked in with his head held high, though doubt clawed at his insides.

Kaelen sat in an office that felt too clean, too pristine for someone like him. Across the desk sat the recruiter, an older man with glasses that magnified his eyes as he scanned the résumé in front of him. The man hadn't looked at Kaelen once, just that piece of paper—Kaelen's entire life reduced to bullet points.

Finally, the man cleared his throat and set the résumé down. "You've worked hard, Mr. Stormrider, no doubt about that. College, on your own, with your background… that's impressive."

Kaelen nodded, his throat dry. This was the part he hated. The polite prelude before they tore you down.

"But," the recruiter continued, "we're looking for someone with more hands-on experience in this industry. It's not that you're not qualified. It's just... not quite what we need right now."

Kaelen felt the words hit like a punch to the gut, but he was too used to this to show it. He forced a smile, though it felt as thin as the air in the room. "I understand. Thank you for your time."

He stood, shaking the recruiter's hand with all the strength he could muster. Walking out of the building, the weight of failure seemed to press down on him. How many times could one person fall before they were too tired to stand again?

Kaelen had no idea where to go next. His thoughts were a mess of frustration and self-doubt. He'd given everything to make it through college, working nights and weekends, and surviving foster homes that didn't care if he made it or not. And for what? Another rejection.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and kept walking, trying to drown out the noise of the city around him. That's when he heard the sirens.

He looked up and saw smoke rising from the building he'd just left. Panic swept through the streets as people ran, shouting, fleeing from the growing blaze. But Kaelen didn't move. Not away, anyway.

Without thinking, he pushed through the crowd, heading straight for the building. Firefighters hadn't arrived yet, and the smoke was getting thicker. People were trapped inside.

Heart racing, he bolted through the lobby, the heat already unbearable as flames licked the walls. He covered his mouth with his sleeve, moving toward the screams coming from the upper floors. No plan, no thought of safety—just the need to help.

He found the first person in a corner office, a woman crouched under her desk, coughing from the smoke. Kaelen yanked her out, helping her to her feet. "Come on, let's go!" he shouted over the roar of the fire.

They stumbled down the stairs, barely making it out as the flames began to consume the floor above them. As soon as they reached the street, she collapsed into the arms of waiting bystanders, tears streaming down her face, but Kaelen didn't stop to watch. There were more people inside. He had to go back.

On his third trip into the burning building, Kaelen felt something shift. The heat was oppressive, the smoke choking. He could barely see now, and the building groaned under the strain of the fire. Just as he reached the third floor again, he heard a deafening crack.

He looked up—too late to react.

The ceiling came down in a rush of debris and flame, and Kaelen was crushed beneath it. He tried to move, but his body wouldn't respond. The pain was distant now, his mind slipping away as the heat burned through him. He'd saved a few people. Maybe that was enough.

The last thing he felt was the pressure of the rubble and the fading thought that this wasn't how it was supposed to end.

When Kaelen opened his eyes again, he wasn't in the building. He wasn't anywhere he recognized.

He stood in an empty, endless space, like a dream made of swirling mist and light. His body felt weightless, but his mind was sharp. Was this the afterlife?

Before he could piece it together, a figure appeared in front of him. The being was tall, wrapped in robes that shimmered with an otherworldly light. His face was ageless, but his eyes… his eyes glowed like molten gold, and when he spoke, his voice echoed in Kaelen's head.

"You've done well, Kaelen Stormrider."

Kaelen blinked, unsure if he should speak. "Who… who are you?"

The figure smiled faintly, stepping closer. "I am Solvren, the God of Balance. And you, Kaelen, have been chosen."

"Chosen for what?"

Solvren's gaze pierced into him as he could see into Kaelen's very soul. "You died today, trying to save others, and for that, you have earned a second chance. But not here."

Kaelen's mind raced. This couldn't be real. It had to be some kind of hallucination, right? But everything felt too… clear.

"I need you," Solvren continued, "to restore balance to my world. A world called Drakoria, torn apart by chaos. Only someone with a will like yours can bring peace. I offer you this chance, but know this—you will lose everything from your old life."

Kaelen swallowed, his thoughts spinning. His old life? What did he have left there? Pain, rejection, a constant struggle. But this… this was something else. A purpose. A chance to be more.

"What do you need me to do?" he asked, his voice steady.

Solvren smiled a small flicker of approval in his eyes. "You will be sent into a new body, the body of a young man named Kaelen, whose destiny is tied to ancient dragons. Your mission is to survive, to rise above the chaos, and to bring balance. But your path will be harder than any you've known before."

Kaelen nodded. What did he have to lose?

"I'm ready," he said.

Solvren raised his hand, and the world around Kaelen began to blur. "Then go, and know that your will alone will shape your destiny."

The light swallowed him, and Kaelen felt himself pulled into a new world—into a new life.