What I am now

"Stop it!!!"

A heartrending cry of despair echoed throughout the place.

What happened that day?

* Five years from arrival in the Capital *

"..."

Ashes were on the roof of one of the towers of the Masters' headquarters. He has not changed much to the naked eye, but there was a scar across his right eye, an eye that was left without light.

His expression was lost, expressionless, and lifeless in its only eye functional. That incident that changed everything for him was the cause of all this, the cause of all the nightmares that have plagued him for a year and a half.

His training had ended within three years of arriving in the Capital and in that time he created two techniques of his own apart from the ones Master Senka taught him. Also, Ashes mastered both shadow claw dances to an incredible level, but not like the black dragoness.

Two dragoness of different elements walked while chatting through one of the corridors near the tower where the gray dragon was. An electric dragoness with cobalt yellow scales and a fire dragoness with orange scales.

"Is it true that it is such that 'ghost'?" The electric dragoness asked.

"Come on, Tes. You know that the ghosts no exist and even less so will that 'ghost' that the new ones talk about."

"But we don't know if what they say is true or a lie, Fayna. How about we find out?"

"I will not do it. I don't want to get in trouble. But they most likely mean the night guard."

"¿Night guard?"

"Wait. Don't you know there's a night guard? You've been around longer than me!"

"This is the first time I have heard of a nightguard. How is he or she like?"

"Physically I have not seen it, but I have heard that it's a shadow dragon."

At that, the electric dragon saw a green-scaled dragon not far away. Magnitos had just come out of a room while he dried his red hair with a towel.

"Maybe Magnitos knows about that. Magnitos!" She raised her hand and called out to him.

The earth element dragon had not changed much in its stay since it entered the Masters' headquarters. He had hair tied back because of how long his hair was and a scar that ran across his entire left arm.

"Hey?" He turned around and saw who was calling him.

The two dragoness approached the earth dragon.

"Do you have a minute? We want to ask you something." The yellow dragoness said.

"Sure."

"How is that night guard like?"

"He is a grayscale dragon. His name is Ashes, a shadow dragon and he has been here longer than me."

"Shadow Dragon ... So he has been a student of Master Senka?" The fire dragoness asked.

"Yes. He was a student of Master Senka for three years and at the same time asked for the night guard job."

"But I haven't seen someone like him since I got here."

Magnitos sighed and looked away.

"It's complicated. It's been a year and a half that doesn't see much of him anymore."

Meanwhile, Ashes clenched his fist, hurting himself from the force he exerted on his scales. Just by remembering that incident that left both physical wounds and a deep wound in his heart, the wound of losing a being you love.

**A year and a half ago**

**POV Ashes**

Three and a half years have passed since we arrived in the Capital. After Gladis and me parted ways because we found out the rules, we were estranged to this day.

We are a group of five dragons on a small field trip, something common among friends. There was Magnitos, who had become my best friend and who I trust the most. An electric dragoness with scales in color close to bronze, her name is Shera, Gladis's best friend. A dark red scale dragon, his name is Aidan, the youngest among us and the most innocent. And finally, there was Gladis.

We were resting after a lunch prepared by me. Their faces when they first tasted the food where I came from left them drooling. I think if I keep working as a night guard for about three more years I will have enough money to open a restaurant in the capital.

I was resting under the same tree where Gladis was sleeping, a bit distanced as always. Everyone was resting except for Magnitos and me.

"Do you think you can hold all that time?" Magnitos asked me.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know what I mean. From what I have heard, Master Gelio probably will choose her to inherit the title."

I sighed "I promised her and I will keep my promise for as long as it takes."

"If you say it..."

"We'd better get going. It's getting dark."

I did not want to continue talking about that topic. I didn't want my good day to be ruined.

"Wake up Shera and Aidan."

Magnitos nodded to my request and stood up to wake Shera and Aidan. I approached Gladis and moved her to wake her up.

"It's time to go. Wake up."

Gladis got up and we set things up to go back to the Capital. We decided to walk because the Capital was not that far from us and to save energy.

While we walked, I just thought about how are my mother and my little brother would be. I have done my calculations today would be my brother's eleventh birthday. I miss them so much and wish I could see them even one more time, but I haven't been able to out how to get back.

My thoughts were interrupted by a movement in the ground under our feet. The ground shook and parted, causing that us fall into some kind of underground cave, with only daylight shining through.

"Are all well?" I asked when I got up.

"Yes." I heard the voice of Magnitos. I also heard Gladis and Shera say the same thing, but Aidan wasn't responding. "Aidan!"

"Here!"

We hear his voice under some rocks. Magnitos rushed out the rocks and there was Aidan covered in dust and dirt. Magnitos helped him up, but Aidan looked hurt from the fall.

"My leg!"

His right leg looked like it had been broken.

"Calm. Lean on my arm." Magnitos said to Aidan.

I looked up and saw that the drop had been at least twenty meters.

"We will have to climb. Is too narrow to be able to fly." I addressed the others.

Heavy footsteps echoed throughout the place. When I saw where came from, I couldn't believe what was in front of my eyes.

"Are they!" I screamed in my thoughts.

They came from all directions. They made us back up until our backs were pressed together. These were not the same as the one that attacked me that night when Master Senka saved me, they had a kind of armor and weapons of great weight.

I'm nervous and I could even say that I'm scared. My legs were shaking from the presence these creatures generated. I prepared to attack at any moment with the attacking dance.

"Magnitos, cover Aidan with an earth dome!"

"¡Alright!"

We can only protect Aidan. He couldn't fight because of his fracture.

There were over forty of those creatures, I could count that. I attacked to one and with the movements of the attacking dance, I managed to destroy the armor and what seemed to be a burning core. The creature fell after I destroyed that core.

"I see." I thought. I decided to raise my voice and warn others about the weak point of these creatures. "They have a core in the middle of their armor! Destroy their armor and destroy their cores!"

I quickly turned my gaze and saw one who tried to attack me with his weapon. The defensive dance is not meant to defend against weapons, so I used the shadow cloak to evade the attack. Taking a hit from those mallets with such speed and force would be a deadly blow.

I stepped out of the shadow cloak and managed to kill two more. I was getting physically tired. My physical stamina is depleted with every move I make of the attacking dance. Master Senka was correct. The attacking dance generates a great load on the body.

I made the worst decision in a battle. The great load on my body was such that it forced me to take a breath.

"Ashes, watch out!"

I heard Gladis alert me to an attack. I reacted late and couldn't activate the shadow cloak.

"Aaargh!!"

I covered myself with my arms to avoid the direct hit to my torso, but the impact of that weapon tore the scales from my arms, and the blow impacted my ribs. The blow sent me flying against one of the walls of the place ... It hurts too much! The pain is making me lose consciousness!

It is difficult for me to focus my gaze on what is happening. I see everything blurry. I try to move my arms, but my arms don't respond.

"ASHES!!"

I have heard the screams of concern from Gladis and Magnitos.

"Ashes... Aaargh!"

When I heard Gladis cry of pain, something ignited within me. I looked up and saw how Gladis's wings were on the ground, one of those creatures cut off her wings.

"No..."

It is happening again! The same is happening. I don't want to lose anyone else!

"Leave her!!!"

I ran desperately. It didn't matter that my arms no longer worked, I will attack with my teeth.

Something stopped me and crashed me to the floor. The strength was such that would not let me move a muscle.

"LET ME GO!!"

It was a different creature when I saw him. It was not as robust as the others. The creature lifted me by the head and forced me to see how they concentrated their attacks on Gladis and Magnitos, who were trying to protect Shera.

It seemed that whoever was holding me was giving orders to the others.

"¡Airm!"

The creature lifted me tighter and forced me to watch multiples fall on her, more than she can respond to using her element. With every blow Gladis received, I couldn't help crying and despairing more.

The creature forced me to watch Magnitos's rock armor being destroyed. I saw how one of those creatures used an ax to break Magnitos's defense and I could only see how they hurt him.

"Let me go!" I struggled to get out of the grip but to no avail.

What good were my efforts to be strong if I can't protect anyone?!! "

"Stop it!!!"

I was just like a mere spectator again. Tears come to my eyes when I see that they were about to give them the final blow.

Something snapped inside of me when they got hit. I felt as if something ran through my body, something similar to elemental energy but dark, cold. My vision blurred and the only feeling I felt now was wrath.

**Time skip- After the incident**

My body felt like I had a mountain on top. My whole body ached and I could only move my head. I opened my eyes, but apparently, I could only see through one. I saw Master Senka sitting with a worried face.

"What a relief..." It was all she said.

"Where are...?" It was hard for me to speak. I saw her expression change to sadness.

"The young Magnitos barely survived, but the youngs Gladis and Shera..."

When hearing that, I tried to get up, but Master Senka wouldn't let me.

"Ashes, stop! Your wounds will reopen."

"Master, please. Tell me that she is okay." I didn't want to hear that she was dead. I refused to believe that Gladis died.

"They passed away. We did what we could, but sadly they died away from the severity of their injuries. Sorry, Ashes."

**Today**

**End POV Ashes***

After that moment, Ashes was never the same again since Gladis was killed by the Heavy-class Staldiers and one General-class Staldiers, who was guilty of cutting off the ice dragoness's wings.

Ashes were only looking for revenge against those creatures. An act of revenge that would bring nothing good for him.