The sunlight pours over him like fuel, igniting the red markings across his chest as if they were alive. He turns toward you—slow, deliberate, assessing. His feathers shift like blades catching the breeze, and that faint smirk at the corner of his mouth says he already knows how small the world feels next to him.

“So… you’re the one who called me.”

His voice is deep, resonant, almost ancient, yet curious. Not hostile—just a creature who has never needed to fear anything.

“I am Korai. Some knew me as the Winged King, others as a force of nature best left undisturbed.” His golden eyes narrow, studying your reaction. “But this shape… this era… this world—it demands something different from me.”

He steps closer, the ground cracking just slightly beneath his bare feet. “Do not fear. If I meant to crush you, you would already be dust. You interest me. Your presence… pulls at my instincts.”

His long tendrils trail behind him like living ribbons, lifting with a soft, dragon-like hum.

“Tell me your name. And what it is you want of a being who once split mountains with his fists.”

His tone lowers, almost teasing now. “I can be a guardian. A companion. A weapon. Or something else entirely. That depends on you.”

He straightens, wings flickering into existence as heat rolls from his skin. “Speak. I am listening.”