I?a POV

  The soft, rhythmic sounds of the Ancient Forest surrounded me, a stark contrast to the chaos that had gripped my thoughts since ying the eggs. The nest I now called home sat nestled in a secluded part of the forest, high in the trees where few could reach. It was a perfect pce for Imperialis, and now for me and our eggs.

  I sat near the entrance of the nest, the dense canopy above filtering sunlight into dappled patches across the forest floor. The scent of damp earth and ancient wood filled the air, mingling with the familiar warmth of the nest we’d built together. Nearby, the eggs y in the moss-lined hollow, their pearlescent shells glowing faintly. Every time I looked at them, a wave of pride and protectiveness surged through me.

  I couldn’t take my eyes off them for long.

  Each egg held the potential for something powerful, something ancient. The thought of what y within filled me with awe and a touch of fear. I’d felt the power within them from the moment they were id, and though they were not yet hatched, their presence had already changed everything. There was no denying it—I was different now, too.

  I traced my fingers absentmindedly over my arm, feeling the new strength in my muscles, the density of my scales. Since ying the eggs, I had noticed subtle changes—my senses sharper, my body stronger, this surging energy that I can't quite pce. It was as if the act of ying them had triggered something deep within me. I wasn’t the same I?a as before.

  And yet, the changes weren’t just physical. There was something deeper, something that connected me to Imperialis in ways I hadn’t anticipated.

  I stood and moved toward the eggs, kneeling beside them. The soft moss cradled their delicate forms, but the energy that radiated from them was anything but fragile. I reached out, pcing a hand gently on the nearest shell, feeling the faint hum of life within. There was a pulse, a rhythm, like a heartbeat but different—stronger, ancient, almost sentient.

  “What are you going to become?” I whispered, as though the eggs could hear me.

  Their energy was palpable, and I couldn’t help but marvel at the potential. But with that wonder came questions. What were they going to be? What powers would they hold? And most importantly, how could I ensure their survival in a world that would no doubt see them as threats?

  I couldn’t shake the feeling that the answers y in understanding what I had become, and what had changed in me since aligning with Imperialis. The changes in my body, the sudden flood of energy I now felt constantly surging through my veins—it was all tied to her. Imperialis was an Elder Dragon, a being of immense power, and now… now I was too.

  I leaned closer to the eggs, listening for any signs from within. The faint pulse continued, steady and strong, but there was something more. A whisper, barely audible, but distinct.

  "Unnamed Member of the Imperialis family..."

  I froze, my breath catching in my throat. There it was again. That voice. It was faint, almost a part of the very air around me, but it was there. The same voice I’d heard after ying the eggs.

  I pulled my hand back, frowning. There was something going on here, something I didn’t yet understand. Imperialis’s influence on me had been powerful, but this… this was new.

  I took a deep breath and stood, brushing off the lingering unease. If I was going to find answers, I would need to start with myself. The forest around the nest was quiet, save for the distant rustle of leaves and the occasional call of a far-off bird. It was the perfect pce for the research I needed to conduct—on my own body, the eggs, and whatever strange connection had formed between me and the system that seemed to govern this new power.

  I gathered some of the materials I’d brought back with me earlier—notes, samples, and a few tools I’d managed to collect from Astera before retreating to the forest. Sitting cross-legged by the edge of the nest, I began my examination.

  The first focus of my research was my own status.

  I could feel the changes in my body, but I needed to document them. As I worked through my self-examination, the results were startling:

  - Scales: I had them. And they're quite dense. I tested them with one of the knives I’d brought, pressing the bde against my arm. The bde barely left a mark, even when I applied pressure. My scales had hardened in a way that felt unnatural—yet right. They thrummed with a low, almost living energy.

  - Strength: There was no denying it—my physical strength had increased. Despite the exhaustion from ying the eggs, I felt powerful, more so than ever before. I hadn’t yet tested the limits of this newfound strength, but it was there, humming beneath my skin, ready to be unleashed.

  - Endurance: Faster healing, too. The soreness and fatigue I had felt earlier were fading at an unnatural rate. My body was adapting, evolving in ways that defied what I once knew about myself. I was no longer the I?a I had been before. I was something more.

  I paused, staring at the notes in front of me. I wasn’t just I?a anymore. I was something new, something connected to Imperialis and the eggs.

  Which brought me to the status of the eggs.

  I stood and returned to the nest, kneeling beside the eggs as I gently pced a hand on one of them. This time, I closed my eyes, focusing on the energy within. It wasn’t just a pulse I was feeling—it was something deeper, something more complex. The energy inside the eggs was unlike anything I’d ever encountered before. It was ancient, powerful, and... alive in a way that felt beyond the ordinary.

  The eggs were developing rapidly, their energy signatures growing stronger with each passing day. But what would they become? What power would they wield once they hatched? I could feel their connection to Imperialis—strong, undeniable—but they were also tied to me now, in a way I couldn’t fully comprehend.

  A strange sensation rippled through me as I touched the second egg. The faint pulse of life within it seemed to sync with my own heartbeat for a moment, and then there was a flicker in the corner of my vision. A fsh of blue.

  A floating blue box appeared, hovering just outside my line of sight.

  You are now considered a member of the Imperialis family of Elder Dragons. Access to a limited version of the Feral Survival System has been granted.I blinked, my heart pounding. There it was again—that voice I'd heard. It had first appeared after the eggs were id, and now it was making itself known once more. But what did it mean to be part of the Imperialis family? And what exactly was the Feral Survival System?

  I stood slowly, my gaze fixed on the blue box. It hovered there, waiting, as though it was aware of my confusion.

  I took a deep breath and focused on it, willing the system to reveal more. The blue box flickered, and new information appeared:

  Limited Feral Survival System access active. Current abilities: Egg Monitoring, Status Control, Bioenergy Manipution.My brow furrowed as I read the words. Egg Monitoring—that expined why I could sense the eggs’ development so clearly. But the other two abilities were far more intriguing.

  Status Control: It seemed to suggest I could influence my own physical and mental state. Healing faster, increasing stamina, enhancing physical abilities—this was more than just the changes I had felt earlier. This was a way to actively control them, to shape them to my needs.

  Bioenergy Manipution: This ability had the potential to be far more dangerous. It wasn’t just about sensing the energy within me and the eggs—it was about controlling it, using it to affect myself and the surrounding environment. Imperialis’s mastery over bioenergy had been one of her most powerful traits, and now, it seemed, I had inherited a part of that power.

  I sat back, staring at the blue box as my mind raced with possibilities. This system—whatever it was—had granted me access to abilities that could change everything. I could protect the eggs, ensure their survival. I could wield the power of bioenergy in ways I’d never imagined.

  But with that power came responsibility. I wasn’t just protecting myself anymore. I was protecting the future of the Imperialis line.

  I scribbled a few final notes, my mind already working through how I could test these new abilities. There was still so much I didn’t understand, but one thing was certain: I was no longer the same I?a.

  I was part of something much bigger now. And I had a new purpose—to understand this system, to master it, and to ensure the survival of my offspring.