For the rest of the day, Jhonny was repeating the tests of intuition, dexterity, and meditation. As he progressed through the tests, there was an improvement in his attitude: he no longer felt so distrustful of himself, as he focused on completing each task that Cyrus gave him, no matter how difficult it seemed.

"It's time for him to face his last task," Cyrus said to himself, "The one that will show if he has the strength necessary for the next test"

As the young apprentice was doing his last training in making a series of bonfires dance with only his mana, Cyrus interrupted him:

"Fantastic," Cyrus said, "You are a very impressive student. Now, let me tell you about the last test I must give you."

"I'm... ready," Jhonny said, "What is it about?"

Cyrus led Jhonny back to the cave. Then, he pointed to the top of a mountain (it wasn't a volcano) a few meters away from where they were.

"Near the top, there is another cave" Cyrus explained, "It's the cave where Cerberus gets his power, to continue tormenting newcomers. You must face him in his lair, but it won't be easy: his pit is full of volcanic gases"

"So, is it toxic?" asked the student.

"Not that way. But not in the way you think: those gases don't kill, but rather confuse the mind, making you remember bad times. That will affect you in combat, but if you burn that inner fire of yours, you will be able to beat your enemy"

That didn't make Johnny feel better, because all the mistrust he had managed to put aside had come back down like a bath of ice water... was he ready for that dangerous test?

"I will..." he said, feeling very unsure.

The young apprentice marched towards the place, reviewing in his mind every lesson learned by his new master. When he arrived at the place, it was clear that it was a matter of life or death: the cave was shaped like a demonic dragon's head, similar to that of Malefor's mountain. On the outside of the cave, there were bones of various small animals and others almost the same size. On the ground, there were small geysers from which strange volcanic gases were gushing out. From within, a nauseating and rather confusing smell could be perceived; it was undoubtedly full of geysers.

"Those must be the gases..." he said to himself, "I must avoid inhaling too much..."

With his scales still trembling, the apprentice entered the cave, trying to breathe as little as possible. However, it was easier said than said: the air itself was full of that confusing gas and there was almost no pure oxygen left.

"You are useless... you are clumsy..."

"Look, the weirdo in the classroom..."

"Did you see him? He is trying to act like a hero..."

"Failure..."

Those unbearable words echoed back to him in his head, causing a slight pain to the young dragon in that part of his body. He thought for a moment about leaving there and giving up everything he had fought for... until the sound of something collapsing stopped him:

Where the entrance to that damned place was now, there were several rocks blocking it. In front of them, looking at him defiantly and with a desire for blood, was Cerberus.

Jhonny gulped just by looking at him, something that the beast seemed to notice. It could be an illusion of the young apprentice due to the confusing gases, but it seemed that Cerberus was... smiling? Of course, it was an evil smile, for any other reason.

"So, the decrepit sent the useless one against me..." said the beast, which left Jhonny stunned.

"Weren't you wild?" he asked.

"It's easier for prey to think a predator is wild so they can be careless. I pretend to be wild when I'm actually hiding my true self..."

He seemed rational, but the saliva dripping from his jaws made it seem that he was quite the opposite... or at least, he wasn't totally wild if he could talk.

"Satanic Roar!"

A massive wave of dark energy came out of Cerberus' mouth. Johnny tried to dodge it, but something prevented him from moving: the pain in his head, the negative echoes in his mind and the difficulty in breathing completely eclipsed him. He couldn't see the attack clearly and ended up hit by it and thrown against the ceiling of the cave.

In pain and confused, the young dragon stood up again, feeling his head shaking in all directions.

"Useless... clumsy... nobody..."

"Enough!" he shouted, holding his head, "No more... please!"

It was impossible to focus on the enemy with such memories destroying the young dragon's confidence. Everything he had managed to overcome with his training came back with great intensity and he could not remember Cyrus's teachings well.

"It seems that you are confused" Cerberus mocked, "It is impossible for you to think clearly. This is my territory and you are just a simple rabbit in the wolf's cave."

With that, he tried to crush him with his jaws. With difficulty, Johnny managed to dodge it and avoid being devoured. However, those echoes in his mind still prevented him from fighting well. He tried to throw fire, but his vision was blurry and he ended up failing. The beast didn't even have to dodge it.

"Dark Area!"

Cerberus' eyes (all of them) flashed at the same time and the cave around him began to turn dark, as if all light was fading away. However, the smell of the confusing gases still persisted and confused the young dragon's mind.

Suddenly, a quick and powerful blow hit Johnny's body, while he could feel claws tearing his scales. It was lucky that his new body had resistance, because those claws could cut a human body in a single blow.

One by one, several more blows followed... the blows were painful and in a few seconds the quantity was going to inflict quality. He couldn't see or hear his enemy... the echoes in his head repeated themselves more and more in his head:

"Stop acting like a hero..."

"You're useless..."

"You can't help anyone..."

"Maybe it's not my destiny..." thought Jhonny. But then, another memory came to his mind:

"Each one of us can write our destiny..."

That memory of Ignitus came to his mind suddenly. Suddenly, he felt on his right wrist that amulet that Edel had given him.

"...we will meet again" he remembered her voice when he saw the amulet.

"One knows when to accept defeat or stand firm in the face of a possible defeat" he heard Terrador's voice.

"You have more than you imagine, you must trust in what you feel, more than in what you think" he heard Cyrus' voice.

"It doesn't matter if you are human, ape or dragon: you have proven to be a great friend" he remembered Spyro's words again. His strength was beginning to return to him, "It's true: my friends await my return. I cannot die here..."

A heat wave was surrounding him and starting to create fire around him. Meanwhile, Cerberus was preparing to deal one last blow when the body of his prey suddenly disappeared.

"Where did it go?" he wondered.

From another side, a flame appeared in the middle of the darkness... a tiny flame that grew so intense that it dispelled the darkness around him. The young apprentice was engulfed in flames and looked determinedly at his opponent.

"No more..." he said, "I will not listen to those people in the past... I have changed. I may not be a hero, but I will not break the promise I made to my friends!"

"I am not interested in what you can do!" Cerberus shouted, "I will destroy you... Satanic Roar!"

The great wave approached the young dragon. Responding, Johnny exhaled all the fire he had in his body in a torrential blaze. These attacks hit, but the fire consumed the other attack as if it were a mouth and, for a moment, the apprentice managed to see something: like a dragon's head that swallowed the darkness and dragged it back to Cerberus.

The fire not only hit Cerberus, but also hit the rocky wall of the cave, making a round and perfect hole like heat melting metal. When it was over, Cerberus lay on the floor of the cave, dead and with his armor cracked in several places.

Johnny was exhausted with such an expulsion of energy and the gases were beginning to take effect again. Without hesitation, he left through the hole he had made himself. However, when he pulled his head out and then the rest of his body, and was able to breathe fresh air, his strength was exhausted and he collapsed towards the outside. Luckily, he landed on Cyrus' back, who was waiting for him.

"You've done very well, young dragon," he said, even though Cyrus was unconscious, "You certainly have great potential. Now, you must rest and then you will continue your journey."

(The next day...)

Jhonny's stomach was growling with hunger and he was still somewhat exhausted. Finally, he opened his eyes to find himself back in Cryus' lair, surrounded by dried fruit and a bowl of water. Next to him was another bowl with a wet cloth, which made him assume that he had been unconscious for a long time.

"You're finally awake," his master told him when he entered again, "You've been sleeping for almost a full day."

"A day?" the apprentice asked, "Is it the fifth day? How did I do, master?"

"Well, you've managed to exceed the expectations I had of you: you've shown to have a great fighting spirit and strong determination. You have even partially released the dragon that truly lives in you."

"The dragon that lives in me..." Johnny repeated, trying to remember: the fire he had expelled. Had it really taken form? Was that the dragon that lived inside him?

"Wow!" Cyrus suddenly exclaimed, "How could I have forgotten that detail?"

He pointed to a scratch on Johnny's shoulder. Using that vial of fireflower juice, he brought it close to the wound. For a moment, the young dragon remembered how the alcohol could hurt sometimes, but he was surprised to see that a drop immediately healed that wound: no pain, no burning, and only a small column of white smoke left behind.

"That's it," the dragon told him.

"Thank you very much, Master Cyrus," the apprentice replied.

"You don't have to thank me, that is my function. Now, you must go, ready to face your ultimate test: the reflection of the conflict between light and darkness."

"Light and darkness?"

"You have learned everything I have taught you, and your spirit, confidence, and wisdom have grown with you. But as you approach a great torch, the shadow you cast grows as well. Therein lies the dilemma; what use is that power you have gained to you? Will you use it wisely or will you let yourself be carried away by it? Will you be a being of light or one of darkness?"

Jhonny tightened his chest a little as he answered: "I am a being of light."

"Words sometimes don't prove that someone is good or bad, even himself. To find that answer you must go to your next destination, where you will be taught to balance those forces of good and evil that battle in every heart"

The young dragon sighed as he felt again that energy he had obtained, very slightly. More confident than before how he started, he answered:

"I will do that"

"Well said young dragon. Now eat and regain your strength" Cyrus replied.

Towards dusk, after having eaten and drunk, Jhonny packed a few things that his new master had given him (except the flower juice, which would evaporate if it left that ecosystem) and Cyrus took him to the border of the territory, where the Burning Lands ended and a great ocean stretched out.

"May the ancestors protect you, young dragon. You and your friends" Cyrus told him.

"Thank you very much, master. I will always keep your memory" Jhonny replied.

Saying goodbye, the young apprentice took flight and launched himself towards the distant sea, but not before taking a last look at the Burning Lands, and at the master who taught him to gain self-confidence.