Awakening: I Became The Supreme Mage In Another World

The skies above Velisgard burned crimson, the city consumed by chaos. 

Once the pride of Magekind, its towering spires of white stone now crumbled beneath the wrath of the dragons. 

These were no mere beasts — they were ancient, intelligent, and vengeful, descending from the heavens like harbingers of ruin. 

For decades, the war between humans, dragons, and demons had raged, leaving the Human Continent on the brink of collapse.

Tonight, the dragons had come for Velisgard, and no amount of magic could halt their fury.

When Caelith opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was the suffocating heat. 

Flames roared in the distance, their crackling mingling with the terrified screams of the city's people. He blinked, disoriented, his body aching as if it had been torn apart and hastily stitched back together.

"What…?" he muttered, his voice hoarse. 

His surroundings came into focus: a street littered with rubble, the air thick with smoke and ash. His hands rested on the ground, the cobblestones warm to the touch.

Except these weren't his hands.

Caelith — or rather, the man who had been known as Elliot Kato, an ordinary office worker from New York — stared at his unfamiliar palms. 

They were rough and calloused, unlike the soft, unremarkable hands he had known all his life. 

Panic surged through him as fragments of memory flooded back: a late bus ride home, rain streaking the windows, a blaring horn, and then…

Darkness.

"I… I died," he whispered, his voice trembling. Yet here he was, alive — or something close to it — in a body that wasn't his own, in a world that defied all logic.

His thoughts were cut short by a deafening roar. He looked up, and his breath caught in his throat. 

A dragon soared overhead, its obsidian scales glinting in the fiery glow. Its massive wings beat against the air, sending gusts of wind that scattered ash like snow. 

The beast circled, its molten eyes scanning the ground with predatory intent.

A scream pierced the air as the dragon descended, landing with a thunderous crash that shook the earth. Its claws gouged deep trenches into the cobblestones, and its maw opened, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.

Elliot — no, Caelith — froze. His instincts screamed at him to run, but his legs refused to move. He had no idea where to go or how to defend himself.

"Get down!"

The shout came from behind him, and before he could react, a wave of force slammed into him, sending him sprawling to the ground. 

A brilliant blue barrier materialized just as the dragon unleashed a torrent of fire, the flames colliding with the shield and dissipating in a shower of sparks.

He turned his head to see a woman standing nearby, her staff glowing with arcane energy. 

She wore dark leather armor reinforced with Mage insignias, her expression fierce despite the sweat and soot streaking her face.

"What are you doing just standing there?" she demanded, her voice sharp. "Move!"

"I… I don't know where to go!" Caelith stammered, his heart pounding.

Her eyes narrowed, but she didn't waste time arguing. She gestured sharply, and the barrier shimmered, expanding to form a protective dome around them.

"Follow me if you want to live!" she ordered, grabbing his arm and pulling him to his feet.

The streets of Velisgard were a battlefield. Mages hurled spells at the invading dragons, their magic lighting up the night sky in bursts of color. 

Civilians scrambled to escape, their cries of fear and desperation echoing through the ruins. Everywhere, fire raged unchecked, consuming everything in its path.

The woman led Caelith through the chaos, her staff glowing as she deflected falling debris and stray fireballs. 

Caelith stumbled behind her, his new body awkward and unfamiliar.

"What's happening?" he managed to gasp as they ducked into a narrow alley.

"The city's under attack," she said, glancing back at him. "Dragons. A whole flock of them. I don't know how they got past the wards, but — "

Her words were cut off by another roar, closer this time. 

The ground trembled as a shadow passed overhead. The woman cursed under her breath, spinning around and raising her staff.

"Stay back!" she ordered, positioning herself between Caelith and the alley's entrance.

The dragon landed with a crash, its massive form blocking their escape route. Its molten eyes locked onto them, and it let out a low growl that reverberated through the air.

The woman stepped forward, her staff blazing with power. "Run!" she shouted over her shoulder. "I'll hold it off!"

"No!" Caelith protested, panic surging through him. "You'll die!"

"And you won't if you stay here!" she shot back, unleashing a blast of energy that struck the dragon square in the chest. The beast staggered but quickly recovered, snarling in anger.

Caelith's mind raced. He hated the thought of leaving her, but what could he do? He had no magic, no weapons — nothing but the faint memory of his previous life as a mundane salaryman. He was useless.

"I don't have time to argue!" she yelled, launching another attack. "Go!"

Clenching his fists, Caelith turned and ran.

The city was a nightmare. Flames licked at the edges of buildings, and the acrid scent of smoke filled his nostrils. 

He dodged falling debris and pushed past fleeing civilians, his heart pounding in his chest.

His mind reeled as he tried to make sense of his situation. 

He had died. He was sure of it. So how was he here, in this burning city, in a body that wasn't his? And what was this world, with its dragons and magic and chaos?

A scream tore through the air, jerking him out of his thoughts. 

He skidded to a halt, his gaze snapping to a young girl trapped beneath a collapsed awning. Her cries for help were barely audible over the roar of the flames.

Without thinking, Caelith ran to her side. He grabbed the edge of the debris and heaved, his arms trembling with the effort. 

For a moment, it seemed impossible — this body felt weak, unfamiliar. But then something inside him surged, a strange warmth spreading through his limbs. 

With a final push, he managed to lift the debris just enough for the girl to crawl free.

"Go!" he urged, helping her to her feet. She nodded, tears streaming down her face as she ran off into the crowd.

Caelith stood there for a moment, his chest heaving. Whatever had brought him to this world, whatever force had placed him in this body, it wasn't done with him yet.

As another dragon roared in the distance, he squared his shoulders and pressed on.