The Third Dragon War: Fire Awakens

Jackson never expected his drive down I-80 to turn into a fight for survival. On that day, a massive entity in the sky unleashed fire, transforming the world into chaos. His instincts saved him, barely. He awakens in a military field hospital hastily set up near the highway. A doctor examines him quickly before rushing off to lead a helicopter squadron toward a series of firestorms moving toward Chicago. Jackson, revealing a darker edge, insists on joining her. Dr. Beverly Thompson barely has time to brief him when Air Traffic Control warns of a fast-approaching bogey. Moments later, the bogey destroys a reconnaissance drone and an entire squadron of helicopters, leaving the sky ablaze with fireballs. Jackson and Thompson bail out just before their helicopter crashes. They take refuge in a farmhouse, but whatever downed the choppers lands on the roof, hunting them. Miraculously, it leaves before finishing the job, as though called away. Frustrated, Jackson quits, shouting and cursing as he walks away from the burning farmhouse. But the military isn’t done with him. He’s picked up again, and the enormity of the situation begins to sink in. Thompson briefs him on their mission as the military prepares to confront whatever is behind the fiery devastation. Their destination is clear: Chicago. But Jackson has his own secret agenda. Throughout the journey, he covertly reports his findings to a mysterious contact, his motives driven more by profit than survival. As they head toward the city, the situation worsens. Massive trails of fire crisscross the sky, some visible for hundreds of miles. What they’re facing isn’t a single threat—it’s an invasion. The military scrambles to understand the situation before launching an all-out attack to eliminate the bogeys. Jackson starts calling them dragons. It’s the only name that fits these massive creatures filling the sky with fire. Driving through a fiery border meant to deter civilians, they receive a chilling report: a dragon is now chasing them. When Jackson finally sees the creature, he freezes in terror. It’s colossal, with scaly skin, bat-like wings, and cold, evil eyes. Nothing in his life had prepared him for this. Thompson and the soldiers keep their composure, and they flee down Interstate 55, the dragon in hot pursuit. Jackson uses every trick he knows—and some he makes up on the spot—to escape. Finally, the dragon’s fiery destruction provides them a window to find refuge in Chicago, sheltered under the deceptive security of a concrete roof. In a brief respite, Thompson shares shocking revelations with Jackson. For centuries, dragons had been hidden from humanity, their existence carefully concealed. She tells him about “Specimen One,” a dragon so massive it causes seismic waves, its heat signatures visible from space. Even as she speaks, Jackson’s mind races, thinking about how to profit from this disaster. But their conversation is cut short by blaring sirens. The horizon burns, and the sky is filled with enormous dragons, surging toward Chicago. Within hours, the city falls. Dragons battle for dominance over the ruined streets, forcing people underground—into subways and parking garages. Some even begin to worship the creatures. Worse, tiny baby dragons, no bigger than cats, perch on people’s shoulders, turning them into slaves. Thompson remains focused on one thing: confronting Specimen One. They push through the burning city, crawling through flame-ravaged streets and crumbling skyscrapers. No obstacle can stop her; her target is the monstrous dragon at the heart of the invasion. The next morning, the military launches its counterattack. Helicopters, tanks, jet fighters, and amphibious forces converge on Chicago. The dragons, distracted by the city’s western approaches, seem unaware of the attack coming from Lake Michigan. It fails spectacularly. As Jackson and his team hide, a shadow blankets the city. Specimen One descends, its massive form blocking the sun. In mere minutes, it obliterates Chicago Harbor and Millennium Park, transforming them into smoldering pits. Even the lake waters flooding parts of the city can’t extinguish the flames. Jackson has reached his limit. He refuses to die fighting a nightmare made flesh. He abandons Thompson, who continues toward Willis Tower with a small but powerful Fuel-Air bomb, determined to finish the mission. But guilt eats at Jackson. Against his better judgment, he returns. He takes the bomb and fights his way through the burning streets toward Willis Tower, Specimen One’s lair. In a final confrontation, Jackson’s body is left battered and broken, dumped at Thompson’s feet by the very dragon that had pursued them since the beginning. Somehow, Jackson survives. He wakes five days later to a world in chaos. Dragon attacks are happening everywhere. Entire regions of Asia are cut off, and shocking footage shows humans fighting alongside dragons—some of them even mutated. Reports emerge of a massive subterranean gate near the North Pole, with thermal signatures unlike anything ever seen. Electromagnetic anomalies are intensifying, especially around Chicago. Jackson meets Thompson’s gaze, a realization dawning in his mind. His body now shows the same mutations that were broadcast in the footage. Something inside him has changed. But none of that matters now. The world is on the brink of destruction. Humanity’s only choice is to fight for survival.