THUNDER ZONE, PART 2.

"You think this... Is a joke?" Zero Dawn asked, as the fall of the realm intensified—the rumbling and crumbling sounds becoming more and more evident, and louder. Lucius ignored them as he had his eye fixed on the Dragon Emperor. He knew one thing: All this education and history wasn't just for show or random information-sharing purposes, especially to a person about a second or less away from death. From the start, Zero Dawn had been hinting at a lot of things, and a few of them—the prominent ones, were:

He's protecting Lucius for some reason, with something to gain from it as well.

Someone, or something, brought him down to his knees for a vague moment—probably the reason Zero Dawn wasn't able to share the details he wanted and really intended to, forcing him to take long routes: the history lessons, the rulebenders, etc. All of these topics were designed to convey a message, hinting at a particular direction.

He's restricted, trapped somewhere—in some other dimension or whatever he meant when he mentioned his thousand-year-long hibernation, meaning he was forced out of the Mortal Realm and very much would love to return to his world in his actual human form, not these mental image conjuring ones.

His awakening and its ties to the event that triggered it, plus the mention of Andromeda Skydagger, also piqued the stakes, which Lucius wasn't aware of previously.

All these points meant one simple thing: Zero Dawn cannot, and will not, let Lucius die in here, despite how close he already is to dying. Perhaps just a second away from breathing his last breath, but still, not dead yet. The rest of the formalities can be sorted out later. The priority is to survive and breathe another day.

"I'll do whatever it takes to convince you, and by that I fucking mean—Whatever. It. Takes." He answered, firm eye, intent and attitude in sync. This was the last chance, and Lucius would go all in, even if it meant sacrificing his soul or freedom in the process, because the future isn't going to be kind to his friends, family... and Verdun. He must live today to face the inevitable doom approaching from within and beyond.

"A commendable resolve... But I don't have such powers, healing or regenerative techniques... Or abilities to heal you and all of your injuries. After all, that Chimaera didn't hold back, and neither were you able to hold her back..." Zero Dawn stated, clearly conveying his limitations in a straight tone, one spoken with truth. Lucius nodded once before his eye shifted around his surroundings, as the fall of the realm kept getting louder and louder, signalling they didn't have much time.

"I don't care. Please, give me another chance—half a chance. If you can spare that, I will not disappoint you, I promise!" Lucius urged, pleading for one last chance, one last god-gifted opportunity. No matter how pathetic or incompetent he may have been, he believed he deserved one last chance.

"It's not about you disappointing me... That won't motivate you to do the things necessary for the preparation of the events you may face if I decide to bestow such an opportunity upon you...." Zero Dawn continued, appearing the least bothered by the fact that the dimension was about to crumble around them, unlike Lucius, who was particularly shivering with uncertainty and fear now, simply unable to ignore the doom anymore.

"The thing that concerns me is you wasting another opportunity, another chance I could probably give to somebody else... Don't get me wrong, you're special and all that—but the man sitting in front of you? To even get to have a conversation with me, people have displayed unreal amounts of loyalty, strength, and level-headedness. None of which you possess." Zero Dawn explained the criteria—criteria that Lucius obviously did not fit.

Lucius could feel it within him—Zero Dawn was just stalling, but the downfall of the realm wouldn't slow down, and neither would his last second, the moment this realm ended itself. As such, Lucius decided to take that one step he never thought he would. Not in this lifetime, and especially not in front of his own idol... But these were desperate times, and desperation brings both the best and worst out of a human, revealing just how far they can go, or how low they can fall... Just like Zero Dawn had mentioned earlier.

Lucius stood up from his seat and walked toward Zero Dawn, eye and head down, posture slightly submissive... Before kneeling in front of him—his hand and legs on the ground, his head deeply bowed as well—preparing to do whatever it takes for that one slim opportunity that may come his way, although the chances of convincing the Dragon Emperor were...

Zero Dawn's purple eyes intently stared him down—amused, or perhaps surprised—by this level of unwavering commitment. Although Lucius wasn't a 'significant person' in his own lifetime, he still had an ego, though not as big as Zero Dawn's innate ego, which was as big as the Black Mountains and as deep as the Seven Seas of Hind. To bow down against your own wishes, letting go of the ego and attitude that had defined you, motivated you, directed you—isn't easy. It's not a simple task that one may just perform.

"For fuck's sake... Please, Zero Dawn... One chance. One damn chance, and I will not disappoint you."

Even amidst the downfall of the realm, causing massive shockwaves and booming echoes, Zero Dawn's ears still rang with the pleading of a mere mortal, a small individual inside this endless realm, a comparatively worthless existence against the figure that millions considered a walking god amongst mortal souls.

Zero Dawn, finally ready to answer and pass his verdict—whether to give Lucius a chance, a godlike opportunity, or send him to confront the gods themselves—stood up. His stance was firm, his eyes focused, and his breath steady.

FLICK!

With a flick of his left hand's finger, the entire realm ceased to exist, vanishing as a brilliant white light burst from Zero Dawn's figure, converting the space into something else entirely. A place that looked and felt like it was made of soft, yet firm clouds, white, with a blend of light purple shade and fluffy.

This time, it was Zero Dawn who was enveloped, embraced, hugged, and wrapped in the radiant light of pure, raw mana. The illumination transformed him—not into a godly figure like his title The One implied—but into something more. A god himself. An actual, living god.

"From this very moment onwards, you shall become my servant. Your life, your soul, and your body will be mine—to command, to utilise, and to sacrifice, if needed."

Zero Dawn wasn't just speaking. Lucius knew all too well what these words meant. This wasn't mere dialogue. This was the activation of a forbidden, envied ability—an infamous technique that even the Demon King had once feared.

'The Dragon Tongue.'

Not a mana technique, but a dragon technique, so dangerous it twisted reality into word-bound law. And now, Lucius stood before it. He knew that if he agreed, he would become more than just a servant of the Great Dragon Lord—he would become his weapon. His puppet. His pawn and his blade of execution.

One who would be commanded. Used. And if needed, sacrificed. No matter how he might feel about it.

"The mana you wield, the blade you swing, the enemies you will slay, and the beasts you'll massacre—all shall be done with my permission, my blessings, and in my name."

He continued, and the words leaving his lips began to manifest into reality—into actual forms visible even to the naked eye. Each word connected to the next like strands of rope—thin, yet visibly thick and ever-glowing as they travelled through the air, surrounding Lucius, encircling him with him at the centre.

"For as long as you live, you will dedicate your life, your death, and your afterlife in the name of the Great Dragon Emperor of Verdun—Emperor Zero Dawn."

As Zero Dawn continued chanting, the words began to submerge into Lucius—around his very soul, his mana core—trapping his entire being in the grasp of the man standing before him.

"Should you choose to accept my divine, immortal offer, I promise you this: I will allow you a chance to grow stronger and to protect your family, for as long as you're willing to. My wishes will be your undeniable priority... and your priorities will become my responsibility to look after as well."

These final words of enchantment rang heavy as Lucius gritted his teeth, tears escaping from his single eye. It wasn't just that the Dragon Emperor was binding him with words—no, he was binding Lucius's soul itself. And that meant only one thing: if Lucius chose to accept, he would become an eternal servant.

A servant bound for life, and yet, in exchange, there would be consideration—however conditional—for his loved ones... But the hierarchy? That would remain absolute. Zero Dawn's wishes would always come first. This was what a soul pact truly meant.

Unlike a blood pact—which disrupts the flow of mana upon condition breaches while notifying the involved parties, and has an expiration—a soul pact is the complete opposite. It hands over everything—body, mind, and soul—to the other party. Not just a pact, but a glorified master-servant contract.

And in such a pact... Even without a single breach, the master retains full control over life... And over death.

"Your answer... Remember, it has to be a two-word answer, with no pause. The moment you utter those two words, I'll become your one and only lord and saviour."

Zero Dawn concluded his statement with a flourish of sarcasm and a grandiose tone, his voice laced with an arrogance Lucius had never heard before. His expression twisted into a sly smile, and his eyes—once a calm, royal violet—now shimmered with a darker intent, as if the very shade had been tainted by his true nature finally surfacing.

A thousand thoughts erupted inside Lucius's mind. His instincts, his internal voices and he himself, were finally aligned, screaming in unison:

'Fuck this guy!'