So they went to the left and then straight ahead. No one spoke on the way into the unknown. Mike, however, felt that something was calling to him from afar. And so they walked through the seemingly endless Cloud Land.

After only a few hours of wandering, looking up and hoping to discover something, fate took a turn. They saw a tower. Behind it, the sky was red, and black lightning struck down from the heavens. Blood red light soaked half of the tower. Normally, the tower was white. It was wide at the base but bent sharply upward into a point.

They decided to go inside, so they ran toward the entrance. Mike and Ice were a bit too eager and opened the small gate immediately. A gust of wind at the base of the tower seemed to push them inside. Mike and Ice fell in at once. Hero, however, was thrown inside with full force. He flew past Ice and Mike and landed hard on the gray stone floor.

They were at the entrance and looked up. It was a massive, tall tower. The walls were far apart, and the only way upward was through ladders, wooden beams, and broken stairs.

Mike spoke up. "Ice and Hero, I can tell that you are not doing very well right now. Maybe I should do this alone, and you can just wait here."

Hero nodded. "That is fine with me." A quiet sigh colored his voice.

Ice nodded as well and said the same. "That is fine."

Mike nodded and looked around. Ice and Hero sat down, lost in thought. They had a lot to process. Mike did too, because he had to climb the entire tower.

It turned out to be harder than expected. In some places, everything was broken away, forcing him to make long jumps. The jumps had to be precise and perfect. Waiting down below would not help, and Mike wanted to know what was at the top of the tower.

He saw that it all started with a ladder attached to the wall. Mike grabbed the wooden rungs and climbed upward piece by piece. He could not stop thinking about the path that had led them to Sky City. He already felt like he never wanted to climb again.

He was higher now, and the ladder ended. Above him was a straight wooden beam, thick enough to hold his weight. Mike noticed that the beam extended into the wall. It had been meant for climbing.

He grabbed the beam and let go of the ladder, hanging by both hands. His feet and his entire body dangled in the air. Mike pulled himself up and stood on the beam.

He looked up and sighed in frustration. There were still many meters to go before the chamber. He saw a kind of door at the top. Where did it lead? Mike did not know. There was no second room. The tower only went upward. If someone opened that door, they would probably fall downward. That was what Mike thought, at least.

The only way to find out was to reach it.

He looked to the right and saw stone stairs leading upward beside him. Mike balanced his way from the beam to the first steps. As soon as he placed a foot on them, small pieces crumbled from the stone.

He moved carefully, then a bit faster. After several steps, the stairs suddenly ended in midair. Mike saw that they continued farther up. The missing section must have collapsed.

There was no other choice. He had to jump.

Mike took a short run up. He did not want too much speed, because there was a risk the stairs would collapse completely. He jumped, not too far and not too close. Almost perfectly.

He landed on the next set of stairs. What he did not expect was that they bent downward slightly under his weight. His heart pounded as the stone steps shifted, but then they stopped moving.

Mike hurried upward. After many more steps, he saw a rope hanging down at the end of the stairs. It was secured to the ceiling. Only a few meters separated him from the platform that led to the door in the wall.

Mike immediately knew what to do.

"I have to swing."

He grabbed the rope and jumped. Hanging from it, he built up momentum. On the first try, the rope carried him across. He let go and landed perfectly on the small platform in front of the door.

"Well then…"

Mike felt a surge of anticipation as he wondered what awaited him behind it.

(Dragon Tower. You are expected. Use the chance to speak with the dragon Zaikel, who is enjoying his final seconds) the system spoke.

"Zaikel?" Mike asked in surprise. "And his final seconds? What happened?"

Mike immediately reached for the door. It was an old wooden door, and when he pushed it, it creaked but would not open fully. Only a small gap appeared. Suddenly, a stone shot out through the slit. It was medium sized and completely red. The door vanished at once, slamming shut abruptly. Mike was pulled forward slightly but let go in time.

The crimson red stone lay on the ground. Mike picked it up.

"Enter Dragon Tower?"

Mike agreed, and he was instantly teleported to the real and true Dragon Tower. Apparently, the previous room had only been a test to see whether he was worthy of speaking with the mighty Zaikel.

Mike found himself standing in an endless red sea. The water reached his feet, barely covering even half of them. It was very shallow. A red moon appeared above, bathing everything in blood red light.

Mike looked around. There was nothing except…

Zaikel.

A massive spear pierced straight through Zaikel's chest. It destroyed the dragon from the inside and the outside. Blood covered his body, and he looked weak. Zaikel's head hung low, as if he might close his eyes at any moment.

But when Mike appeared before him, the dragon's eyes widened.

"Mortal… you?" Zaikel's voice trembled with exhaustion.

So this was what the system had meant by his final seconds.

Mike spoke....

"Zaikel, who… who was that?" Mike asked.

The spear jutted powerfully from the dragon's chest. Mike scanned the area. A battle had clearly taken place here, and Zaikel confirmed it. The dragon opened his mouth slightly and spoke.

"Mortal… you must kill it, or it will take everything from us. Promise me!"

Zaikel's eyes glowed fire red.

Mike froze and asked in panic, "Who was it, Zaikel?"

The roots inside Zaikel's body continued to dissolve, and his remaining seconds slipped away faster and faster.

"The Cloud of Joy… I cannot explain… only help!"

Zaikel paused and lowered his head to the ground. These were now his final words, and Mike listened carefully.

"My time is over. You… I have always felt that you are one of the shadows. So take my shadow and avenge me. You will find the Cloud of Joy above. You only need to climb the tower further."

Mike quickly asked, "Wait, wait. How further up? It does not go any higher."

Zaikel took one last shallow breath and spoke slowly and unclearly.

"C… l… o… u… d…"

Mike asked immediately, "Cloud? What about the cloud?"

Zaikel was dead.

The mighty king of the jungle met his end here, slain by the hand of the Cloud of Joy. Mike had heard about this cloud again and again and how evil it was. Why was it called Joy? It made no sense.

Suddenly, Mike was pulled from his thoughts. Dragon Zaikel began to dissolve. Green golden particles peeled away from his body until a black streak shot through what remained.

"Zaikel has given himself to you. Fulfill his revenge so he may find peace."

The dragon's body completely dissolved, and the golden green particles drifted into the air. Mike did nothing. He only stood there and watched the spectacle.

Then, suddenly, a black tail fin shot up from the crimson red water. Mike immediately wondered how that was possible, since the water did not even fully reach his feet. But a full body rose behind the tail.

It was a dragon's body.

It was Zaikel.

The dragon who had just died now stood before him as a shadow. It was almost like an empty shell. He stood silently, gazing at the red moon. The system spoke on Zaikel's behalf.

"The dragon's final wish has been passed to you. He will fight at your side until the death of the Cloud of Joy. Do you accept?"

Mike nodded. Of course he did.

Mike owed Zaikel much. For carrying him and Ice across the jungle, for warning them about the titans. Now it was Mike's turn to do the dragon a favor so he could finally find peace.

Mike was already tense and wanted to find and kill the Cloud of Joy as soon as possible.

He looked at the shadow and immediately noticed the similarities to Zaikel. No, it was him. Just… different.

So Mike spoke, "I will kill it. I promise."

Mike opened his eyes and found himself sitting beside the wall on the small platform high up in the tower. But he had to go higher to reach her.

"Higher?"

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