Legend spoke of a Great Wyrm that had bled onto the earth centuries ago, its blood turning into veins of sentient gold. But the story Emma discovered was darker. The "wound" wasn't just a physical scar on the mountain; it was a rift in time, a curse shared between a fallen guardian and the human woman who had tried to save him.

"You shouldn't have woken the memory," a voice rasped from the shadows.

The wound was reopening, and this time, it required more than just gold to heal; it required a sacrifice of the very bloodline that had broken the pact. Emma realized then that she wasn't just a scholar recording history—she was the final chapter.