The Truth about Dragons E-Book

Michael Pennington

• Herausgeber: Spines
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Jessica and Michael's odyssey unfolds among the stars, ancient sanctuaries, and eldritch realms. As spectral adversaries challenge them, they strive to awaken celestial dragons, battling darkness with the help of mystics. Their quest, laden with forbidden knowledge and personal stakes, is a tale of cosmic awakening where destiny's call is perilous yet compelling. In a twilight world at the edge of doom, an unlikely fellowship seeks mythical guardians to fight an encroaching darkness. Haunted by past sins and burdened by the gravity of their choices, the companions confront both external threats and internal demons. Their journey is an epic saga oscillating between hope and despair, with the fate of their world hanging in the balance. This chronicle explores the complexities of redemption, regret, and atonement through trials that test their unity and spirit, revealing the price of peace in a universe where light and darkness vie for supremacy.

Leseprobe

The Truth about Dragons

Michael Pennington

The Truth about Dragons

All rights reserved

Copyright © 2024 by Michael Pennington

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

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Published by - Spines

ISBN: 979-8-89569-985-0

The Truth about Dragons

Michael Pennington

Introduction

Jessica and Michael enter the antique store, the weathered floorboards protesting beneath their feet. A symphony of creaks and groans greets them as if the store itself is whispering secrets of a forgotten era. The musty scent of old books and ancient relics invades their nostrils, a perfume both alluring and unsettling.

We wander through the labyrinth of shelves, our eyes drinking in the eccentric assemblage of artifacts: porcelain dolls with vacant stares, rusted swords that once tasted blood, and faded maps promising paths to nowhere. Each item seems to carry the weight of untold stories, tales that dance just beyond the edges of my comprehension.

As we venture deeper into the store's shadowy recesses, a peculiar sensation prickles at the base of my skull. It's as if an unseen presence is watching us, its gaze as heavy as the dust that coats every surface. I glance at Michael, searching for a flicker of unease in his eyes, but his expression remains inscrutable.

Do you feel that? I whisper, my voice barely rising above the oppressive silence.

He nods, his brow furrowing. It's as if the air is alive with something... something ancient and powerful.

In the dimly lit corner, a weathered tome catches my eye. Its leather binding is cracked and peeling, and the pages are yellowed with age. An inexplicable force draws me toward it as if the book itself is calling out to me.

We approach the tome with cautious steps, our heartbeats quickening in unison. The air grows thick with an unspoken anticipation, a sense that we are teetering on the precipice of a dark revelation.

My fingers tremble as they hover above the book's surface, hesitating to make contact. What secrets lie within its pages? What forgotten knowledge awaits, ready to unravel the fabric of our reality?

The decision hangs in the balance, a choice between blissful ignorance and the siren's call of forbidden wisdom. At that moment, I realize that our fate has already been sealed. The book has chosen us, and there is no turning back from the path it has laid before our feet.

With a deep breath, I let my fingers brush against the weathered spine and a jolt of energy courses through my veins. It's a sensation both exhilarating and terrifying, a whisper of ancient power that resonates deep within my soul.

Michael's gaze meets mine, a silent understanding passing between us. We are kindred spirits at this moment, bound by a shared curiosity that overrides our instinctual fear.

Together, we carefully open the book, its hinges creaking with the weight of centuries. The pages are filled with faded ink and intricate symbols, their meanings lost to time. As we stare at the cryptic text, the air around us seems to grow heavy, as if the very essence of the room is being drawn into the book's pages.

“What do you think it means?" Michael murmurs, his voice barely audible above the thundering of my own heartbeat.

I shake my head, unable to tear my eyes away from the mesmerizing patterns. “I don't know, but I can feel it... like a presence watching us from the shadows."

The symbols seem to dance before my eyes, their edges blurring and shifting in the flickering candlelight. A sense of vertigo washes over me, and for a moment, I feel as though I am falling into the pages, my consciousness slipping away from the confines of my mortal body.

Michael's hand on my shoulder anchors me back to reality, his touch a lifeline in the midst of the swirling darkness. “We shouldn't linger here,” he whispers urgently. “There's something about this book... something that feels wrong.”

But even as he speaks, I find myself drawn deeper into the arcane symbols, their secrets whispering to me from across the ages. The weight of forgotten knowledge presses down upon us, and I know that we have stumbled upon something far greater and more terrible than we could have ever imagined.

The air grows thick with an unnatural stillness as if time itself has been suspended within the pages of the ancient tome. At that moment, I realize that our fates have become inexorably entwined with the secrets that lie within, and there is no turning back from the path that has been laid before us.

As the ancient words consume my thoughts, I feel a strange sensation creeping up my spine, like icy fingers trailing along my skin. The room seems to fade away, replaced by a void of swirling shadows and distant whispers that beckon me deeper into the mysteries of the text.

“Jessica?” Michael's voice sounds distant, muffled by the pounding of my own heart. "Are you alright?"

I try to respond, but my tongue feels heavy, as if weighted down by the secrets I have absorbed. The symbols on the page blur and shift, rearranging themselves into patterns that dance at the edge of comprehension.

Time loses its meaning as we delve further into the cryptic passages, our minds consumed by the tantalizing glimpses of forbidden knowledge. The outside world fades away, replaced by a realm of ancient wisdom and dark secrets that threaten to unravel the very fabric of our reality.

In the depths of my mind, I hear a voice whispering, its tone seductive and alluring. "Embrace the power," it murmurs, "and all the secrets of the universe shall be yours."

I feel myself slipping away, drawn into the voice's promise of endless knowledge and power. But even as I teeter on the brink of surrender, a small part of me clings desperately to the remnants of my sanity, fighting against the insidious pull of the ancient text.

"We have to stop," I manage to whisper, my voice hoarse and strained. "This knowledge... it's too much. It will consume us."

Michael's grip on my shoulder tightens his presence, a fleeting anchor in the midst of the gathering darkness. "We've come too far to turn back now," he says, his eyes gleaming with a feverish intensity. "We must see this through to the end, no matter the cost."

And so, we press on, our minds consumed by the secrets that dance just beyond our grasp. With each passing moment, I feel the weight of the ancient knowledge settling upon my soul, its dark tendrils burrowing deep into the recesses of my being.

In the flickering candlelight, the shadows seem to lengthen, reaching out to embrace us in their cold, ethereal grasp. As we descend further into the depths of the ancient text, I cannot help but wonder if we have sealed our own fate, forever bound to the secrets that now possess our very souls.

The candle sputters, its flame dancing erratically as if sensing the growing unease that permeates the room. I watch, transfixed, as the shadows on the walls twist and morph into grotesque shapes, their edges sharpening with each flicker of light.

"Do you feel that?" I whisper, my voice trembling. "It's like the very air is alive with something... something ancient and malevolent.”

Michael nods, his face pale in the dimming light. “The book... it's awakening something. Something that should have remained dormant."

As if in response to his words, a sudden gust of wind sweeps through the room, extinguishing the candle with a hiss. Darkness engulfs us, thick and suffocating, and I feel my heart pounding against my ribcage.

"Michael?" I call out, my voice sounding small and distant in the oppressive silence.

But before he can respond, a surge of dark energy erupts from the book, filling the room with a palpable sense of dread. It washes over us in waves, cold and insidious, seeping into our very bones.

I gasp, my body convulsing as the energy courses through me, its touch like icy tendrils wrapping around my heart. Beside me, Michael staggers, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and realization.

"What have we done?" he whispers, his voice barely audible above the pounding of my own heartbeat.

And in that moment, as the darkness swirls around us, I know that our actions have set something in motion. Something that cannot be undone. The ancient forces we have unleashed now threaten to consume us, body and soul.

With trembling hands, I reach for Michael, seeking comfort in his presence. But even as our fingers intertwine, I feel the weight of our transgression bearing down upon us, a suffocating burden that threatens to crush us beneath its immense power.

In the suffocating darkness, I close my eyes, desperately seeking a glimmer of hope amidst the encroaching shadows. But all I find is the echo of our own folly, a haunting reminder of the price we must now pay for our insatiable curiosity.

And so, we sit in the darkness, our minds reeling from the realization of our own hubris. The ancient text lies before us, its secrets now a curse rather than a blessing. As the night deepens around us, I cannot help but wonder if we will ever find our way back to the light or if we are forever doomed to wander in the shadows of our own making.

The ethereal figure's words hang heavy in the air, a portentous warning that chills me to the bone. I can feel the weight of Michael's gaze upon me, a silent question lingering between us: What have we done?

"You must find the strength within yourselves," the figure whispers, its voice a haunting melody that echoes through the room. "The path ahead is fraught with peril, but it is the only way to restore the balance you have disturbed."

I swallowed hard, and my throat suddenly dried. "How?" I manage to croak out, my voice trembling with a mixture of fear and desperation.

The figure seems to shimmer, its form shifting like mist in the wind. "Seek the Ethereal Realm of the Dragons," it intones, its words carrying a power that resonates deep within my soul. "There, you will find the answers you seek and the allies you need to face the darkness that now threatens to consume all."

Michael's hand tightens around mine, a silent reminder that we are in this together. I draw strength from his presence, even as the enormity of our task threatens to overwhelm me.

"But be warned," the figure continues, its voice growing more urgent. "The forces you have unleashed will stop at nothing to prevent you from succeeding. You must be prepared to face your deepest fears and darkest secrets, for they will be your greatest enemies on this journey."

I nod, my jaw clenched with determination. I know that the road ahead will be long and treacherous, but I also know that we have no choice but to follow it. The fate of the world now rests upon our shoulders, a burden that we must bear, no matter the cost.

As the figure begins to fade, its form dissolving into the shadows, I feel a sudden surge of energy coursing through my veins. It is as if the ancient magic of the text has awakened something within me, a power that I never knew I possessed.

And with that power comes a glimmer of hope, a faint light in the darkness that threatens to consume us. I know that the journey ahead will be filled with danger and uncertainty, but I also know that we must press on, no matter what horrors lie in wait.

For the sake of the world, and for the sake of our own souls, we must find the strength to face the darkness and to emerge victorious on the other side. And so, with a heavy heart and a determined spirit, we set forth into the unknown, ready to face whatever challenges may come our way.

I turn to Michael, my voice trembling with a mixture of fear and resolve. "We have to close the book," I whisper, my eyes flickering toward the ancient tome that lies open before us. "We have to seal away the darkness that we've unleashed."

Michael nods, his face grim. He reaches out with shaking hands, his fingers hovering over the weathered pages. I can see the hesitation in his eyes, the fear that even this simple act might somehow make things worse.

But we both know that we have no choice. We have to act before it's too late.

Together, we grasp the edges of the book, our knuckles turning white with the force of our grip. And then, with a swift, decisive motion, we slam it shut, the sound echoing through the room like a thunderclap.

For a moment, nothing happens. The air is still, the silence deafening. But then, slowly, I begin to feel a change. The darkness that had been pressing in on us began to recede, the shadows growing shorter and less menacing.

And yet, even as the immediate danger fades, I know that our troubles are far from over. We have awakened something ancient and powerful, something that will stop at nothing to consume the world in darkness.

We have to find a way to stop it. We have to seek out the knowledge and power that we need to combat this rising threat. And we have to do it quickly before it's too late.

I meet Michael's gaze, my eyes burning with fierce determination. "We have to do this," I say, my voice low and intense. "We have to find a way to fix what we've done."

He nods, his expression mirroring my own. "Whatever it takes," he says, his words a solemn vow. "We'll do whatever it takes to make this right."

And with those words, we set forth on a journey that will test the very limits of our strength and courage. A journey that will take us to the darkest corners of the world and the darkest depths of our own souls.

But we have no choice. The fate of the world depends on us, and we will not fail.

The door to our home creaks open, a plaintive cry that echoes through the stillness. Inside, the air is heavy with the weight of our discovery, the ancient text clutched tightly in my trembling hands.

"We need to study this further," Michael says, his voice a distant echo in the tumult of my thoughts. "There must be answers hidden within its pages."

I nod, my mind already racing with the possibilities. What secrets does this text hold? What dark powers have we unleashed upon the world?

We set to work, clearing a space amidst the clutter of our lives. Books and papers are pushed aside, replaced by the tools of our newfound quest. Pens and notebooks, reference materials and ancient tomes were all scattered across the surface of our makeshift study.

Time loses all meaning as we pore over the pages, our eyes straining in the flickering candlelight. The symbols dance before us, their meanings tantalizingly close yet always just out of reach.

"There must be a pattern," I mutter, my fingers tracing the lines of faded ink. "Some kind of code that we're missing."

Michael leans in closer, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Maybe it's not just the words themselves," he says slowly. "Maybe it's the way they're arranged, the spaces between them."

We work in silence, the only sound of the scratching of our pens and the rustle of turning pages. The hours slip by the world outside, fading away until there is only this room, this text, and the weight of our responsibility.

And yet, even as we search for answers, I can feel the darkness pressing in around us. The shadows seem to lengthen, the air growing colder with each passing moment. It's as if the house itself knows what we've done and is slowly turning against us.

"We have to hurry," I whisper, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart. "We're running out of time."

Michael looks up, his eyes meeting mine in the flickering light. "We'll find a way," he says, his voice steady and sure. "We have to."

And so we press on, our minds and hearts consumed by the task at hand. The fate of the world hangs in the balance, and we are the only ones who can set things right.

But even as we work, I can't shake the feeling that we're being watched, that something dark and ancient is lurking just beyond the edges of our vision, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

And I know, with a terrible certainty, that our journey has only just begun.

The candle gutters cast frenzied shadows across the walls as we pore over the ancient text. The symbols seem to swim before my eyes, their meaning tantalizingly close yet slipping through my grasp like wisps of smoke. Michael's brow furrows in concentration, his fingers tracing the faded ink as if he could divine its secrets through touch alone.

"There must be something we're missing," he mutters, frustration seeping into his voice. "A key to unlocking this cipher."

I nod, my own mind racing with possibilities. The weight of our discovery presses down upon me, a physical burden that settles in my bones. The knowledge we seek feels like a double-edged sword, promising power and understanding, but at what cost?

As the night wears on, the air in the room grows heavy and stale, thick with the dust of forgotten tomes and the tang of our own sweat. The silence is broken only by the frantic scratching of pens and the rustle of turning pages. Time loses all meaning as we delve deeper into the mysteries before us.

But even as we search for answers, I can feel a creeping unease settling over me. It's as if the shadows in the corners of the room are growing longer, reaching out with tendrils of darkness to ensnare us. The floorboards creak with a sinister rhythm, and the walls seem to pulse with a malevolent energy.

I try to shake off these unsettling thoughts, telling myself that it's just my imagination running wild. But deep down, I know that we've unleashed something far beyond our understanding. The ancient text whispers to me in the silence, its words a siren song that threatens to lure us into madness.

"We're close," Michael says, his voice cutting through my reverie. "I can feel it."

I look up at him, seeing the determination etched into the lines of his face in that moment, I know that we will stop at nothing to unravel the truth, no matter the price we may pay.

As we continue our study, the room becomes a sanctuary of knowledge and determination. The candle's flame flickers, casting long shadows on the walls, as Jessica and Michael delve further into the mysteries of the ancient transcription. But even as we press forward, I can't shake the feeling that we're being watched by something ancient and malevolent, biding its time until we make one fatal mistake.

Chapter1

Inciting Incident

The ancient text lay open before us, its yellowed pages whispering secrets in an arcane tongue. I traced my finger along the delicate symbols, feeling a strange electricity tingle beneath my skin.

"Jessica, look at this passage," Michael said, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "It almost seems to shimmer when I touch it."

I leaned closer, my breath catching as the intricate glyphs appeared to writhe and dance. "Be careful," I warned, a chill creeping up my spine. "We don't know what power lies dormant in these words."

But even as I spoke, my own fingertips betrayed me, drawn inexorably to the enigmatic script. The apartment faded away, replaced by visions of starry realms and spectral dragons. Had I known then the horrors we would unleash, would I have stayed my hand?

Michael's voice cut through my reverie. "Do you feel that? It's like the air is... vibrating."

I nodded, unable to tear my gaze from the text. "We should stop," I whispered, though I made no move to close the book. "This is dangerous."

"Or it could be the key to everything," Michael argued, his expression fever bright. "Think of the knowledge we could uncover!"

As we continued to study the arcane symbols, a part of me screamed to run, to burn the cursed tome and forget we'd ever seen it. But a darker voice whispered of power beyond imagination, of mysteries long forgotten by mortal minds.

"Just a little longer," I murmured, more to myself than to Michael. "We're so close to understanding..."

Little did we know, with each caress of those eldritch runes, we drew closer to our doom - and the doom of countless innocents. The weight of that sin would haunt me for eternity.

A sudden surge of energy erupted from the pages, dark and malevolent. The room shuddered, books tumbling from shelves as an unseen force pressed down upon us. The air grew thick and oppressive as if we had been plunged into the depths of some cosmic abyss.

"Jessica," Michael gasped, his face ashen. "What have we done?"

I met his gaze, my heart hammering against my ribs. The terror in his eyes mirrored my own, a silent acknowledgment of the catastrophe we had unwittingly set in motion.

"I don't know," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the low, ominous thrumming that filled the air. "But something's terribly wrong."

The ancient text before us seemed to pulse with an unholy light, the symbols we'd so carelessly traced now writhing on the page like living things. I wanted to look away, to flee, but found myself paralyzed by a mixture of fear and morbid fascination.

"We need to close it," Michael said, reaching for the book with trembling hands. "Maybe if we⁠—"

His words were cut short as another wave of energy rippled outward, knocking us both back in our chairs. The walls of our once-cozy apartment seemed to warp and twist, reality itself bending under the strain of whatever eldritch forces we had awakened.

"It's too late," I murmured, a cold certainty settling in my gut. "We've opened a door that was never meant to be opened."

As the room continued to quake around us, I couldn't help but wonder: what price would we – and the world – pay for our insatiable curiosity?

I stumbled to the window, drawn by an unseen force. My breath caught in my throat as I gazed upon the city I once knew. New York had become a nightmarish hellscape, its towering skyline now a twisted mockery of itself.

"Michael," I choked out, "you need to see this."

He joined me, his face ashen. "Dear God," he whispered.

Shadows writhed across buildings like living ink, their tendrils reaching hungrily toward the ground. The air itself seemed to whisper, a cacophony of voices speaking in tongues long forgotten.

"What have we done?" I asked, though I knew he had no answer.

The floor beneath us shuddered violently. Cracks spiderwebbed across the pavement below, glowing with an unholy light. As we watched, horrified, clawed hands burst forth from the fissures.

"They're coming through," Michael said, his voice tight with panic. "We've opened a gateway."

I couldn't tear my eyes away from the demonic forces clawing their way into our world. A part of me wondered if this was retribution for past sins, for the darkness we had both carried within us.

"We need to leave," I said, finally finding my voice. "Now."

But even as the words left my lips, I knew there was nowhere to run. The nightmare we'd unleashed was spreading, and we were at its epicenter.

My legs felt like lead as I stumbled away from the window, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst from my chest. Michael's hand found mine, his grip tight and trembling.

"The book," I gasped, my eyes darting to the ancient text still lying open on our dining table. "We can't leave it."

We scrambled toward it, our movements frantic and uncoordinated. As my fingers closed around its worn leather cover, a jolt of energy surged through me, and I nearly dropped it.

"Jessica," Michael's voice was strained, "we need to go. Now."

I clutched the book to my chest, its weight both comforting and terrifying. "Where?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. "Where can we possibly go?"

Michael's eyes met mine, and I saw my own fear reflected in them. "Anywhere but here," he replied.

We stumbled toward the door, the floor beneath us groaning and shifting. The walls seemed to pulse with otherworldly energy, shadows dancing across them in a macabre waltz.

“This is our fault,” I choked out as we reached the hallway. "We should have known better than to meddle with things we didn't understand.”

Michael's grip on my hand tightened. "We'll fix this," he said, but I could hear the doubt in his voice.

As we fled down the stairs, the building itself seemed to cry out in agony. The air grew thicker with each step, filled with whispers that clawed at the edges of my sanity.

"Do you think we can truly undo this?" I asked, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

Michael didn't answer immediately, and in that silence, I heard the weight of our guilt, the crushing burden of the consequences we now faced.

"We have to try," he finally said as we burst out onto the street. "We're the only ones who can."

The world outside had transformed into a nightmarish hellscape. Shadows writhed across crumbling facades, their tendrils reaching out to snatch at fleeing figures. The air was thick with ash and the acrid stench of brimstone.

"Oh God," I whispered, clutching the ancient text even tighter. "What have we done?"

Michael's face was ashen as he surveyed the chaos. "We need to move," he said, his voice barely audible above the cacophony of screams and shattering glass.

We darted down the street, dodging falling debris and the grasping hands of shadowy entities. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat a reminder of our culpability.