Three years had bled away since Lilly and Ash had last graced the capital. Dan sat on the sun-warmed stone steps of the training court, his chin resting heavily in his palms. His eyes were fixed on the blur of motion below: Flynn and Areia were at it again.
It had started two years ago—Flynn taking a sudden, keen interest in the girl's progress. Areia was a prodigy, yet in all this time, she hadn't landed a single clean hit. Not that it stopped her.
Areia sprinted, her small boots kicking up dust. She stopped short, but Flynn was faster; he caught her by the hair with casual ease and swung. She went airborne, crashing through a row of wooden training dummies that splintered like dry kindling. She didn't stay down. Lunging back into the fray, she became a whirlwind of somersaults and flips, landing on all fours behind him like a predatory cat.
She flattened herself to the dirt as Flynn's hand swooshed over her head—a move that would have crushed her skull. She launched herself upward, using her knees and hands as springs, but Flynn caught her by the ankle, dangling her upside down like a prize catch.
She's strong, Flynn thought, staring at the eleven-year-old. Maybe overpowered. Her movements are unpredictable, adapting into some strange, self-taught style. But his pity flared; no matter how flexible she was, a child's body eventually hits a wall. I'll just let her go and—
BOOM.
A heavy blow caught Flynn square on the chin. The shockwave sent the remaining dummies flying. Before he could blink, Areia twisted her trapped ankle and delivered a devastating kick to the side of his head. The ground groaned under the impact.
"Whoa," Flynn muttered, dusting off his hair. "Two solid blows. Quite the feat."
Yet here you are, completely unharmed, Areia thought bitterly, her chest heaving. What a monster. That would have shattered an experienced fighter's skull.
"How long are you gonna keep holding me, perv?" Areia asked, her gaze icy. Flynn released her, and she landed perfectly, immediately snapping another kick toward his head. She stopped centimeters away, the sheer wind of the strike rippling through the yard.
"You'll break your leg if you keep trying to hit me," Flynn said calmly. "But you're strong. I doubt Haki would have an easy time defeating you again."
Areia lowered her leg. Haki. So that was the name of the purple, unhinged demi-human who had overpowered her before. She wasn't sure she could win yet, but it wouldn't be so easy next time.
"Is it finally my turn?" Dan called out, descending the stairs.
"No," Flynn replied instantly.
"Why not?" Dan asked, picking up a stray dummy. "Areia is my age. Is it because she's stronger?"
Flynn scratched his head nervously. "Your mum would kill me if she caught us fighting."
"Well, she's away," Dan countered. "Where does she even go, anyway?"
"Ask her yourself," Flynn said, his voice tight.
"I'm not in a position to discuss that."
It just struck me, Areia thought, watching them. Does Dan even know his mum is a dragon? If he doesn't, he has no idea he's a hybrid.
The Dragon Kingdom existed in a pocket dimension—a massive, hollowed-out boulder floating in the ether, larger than the world Dan knew. Lizzy soared through the gloom, her massive bat-like wings flapping rhythmically as she descended into a dark clearing.
"Why is this place always so big?" she grumbled. "Fuck it, I'll just search everywhere." She took off with a sonic boom that shook the cavern.
Finally, she reached the heart of the nest. The room was a shimmering sea of gold coins and ancient artifacts. Atop the hoard sat a titan: a dragon with oxblood scales and wings that could shroud the sun. His golden eyes opened, the slits menacing.
"How many times must I tell you not to appear in human form?" his voice boomed, vibrating in Lizzy's bones.
"Oh, you're still sore about that?" Lizzy scoffed, winking. "Is that the greeting I get? I'm human now, and I only take my true form for Arthur. Where's Mum?"
"The forty-seventh wing. A meeting of the females," the dragon sighed. "And your brother Bora is exploring the human world. But speak plainly, girl. If this is about your son, save your breath. I know."
Lizzy hovered in the air, her expression turning serious. "I couldn't find any records of hybrids—not a human and a dragon. Is Dan the first?"
"What a stupid question," the dragon hissed. "Dragons were never meant to mate with other races. It isn't in our DNA. You are the first to fall for a man; therefore, your child is the first of his kind."
Lizzy landed softly on her father's massive head, sitting comfortably between his horns. "It's a bummer. I wanted to teach him magic, but ever since he blew up that island, he hasn't manifested a spark. It's like it was a fluke."
"The Sphere is moving," the dragon interrupted.
Lizzy froze. "The Sphere? Why?"
"It has only moved once in my long life—the day you were born. If it moves now, it is trying to correct an error. Take care of your son, girl. That boy has a lot of misfortune ahead of him."
The air in the room grew cold.
"You are strong," her father continued. "Stronger than me, perhaps. But if the Sphere has a target, there is only one logical solution. Kill the boy and save the world from chaos."
Lizzy didn't scream. She didn't shout. She stood up on his head, her voice a low, terrifying whisper. "Speak of this again, and I will destroy half the dragon realm."
The dragon felt a shiver of genuine fear. He knew she meant it. Lizzy was a pacifist by nature, but her son was her soul.
"I came here to tell you one thing," Lizzy said, walking toward the exit. "If it comes to war, I am on my family's side—even if it's against the dragons. Don't touch my boy."
With a thunderous bang, she vanished, bursting through the stone wall in a flash of red light.
Back at the training court, a massive crater suddenly opened in the earth. Areia grabbed Dan and sprinted to safety, standing protectively in front of him.
Lizzy stepped out of the dust, clutching bags of sweets and giggling. "Dan! Areia! I brought cakes!" She glanced at Flynn. "None for you, go get your own."
What happened? Areia wondered, a drop of sweat rolling down her temple. For a split second, Lizzy's face had held a look of absolute, murderous rage.
"You looked like you did when you burnt that cultist to death," Flynn whispered to her as they gathered on the grass.
"That bad, huh?" Lizzy scoffed, her eyes softening as she looked at Dan. "I'm fine now. Seeing him... he looks so much like his father."
They sat together, the tension melting into the simple joy of rich chocolate cake.
"Mum, what happened to Ash and Lilly?" Dan asked.
"An academy for nobles in the North," Lizzy replied. "Learning etiquette and skills. You won't see them for a while."
"Why don't we go?"
Lizzy laughed, ruffling his hair. "You're smarter than most adults, Dan. You learned a whole language on your own! It would be a waste of time."
Suddenly, Lizzy stood up and stretched. "Time for a magic trick."
Massive, crimson wings sprouted from her back, blotting out the light. She grabbed Dan's hand and launched into the sky. As they ascended, the training ground became a tiny speck. Dan looked at his mother—this woman who uprooted trees and controlled primordial fire—and realized for the first time that his "normal" family was anything but.
High above the clouds, where the sky felt like a painted wallpaper, Lizzy hovered. "I reached the top, Dan! Isn't it beautiful?"
"Yeah," Dan whispered, looking at the endless horizon.
They descended in a blur of speed, landing softly. Lizzy reached into her pocket and pulled out a necklace and a ring.
"The necklace summons me if you're ever in trouble," she said, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "And the ring is connected to my... vault. It has enough gold to last a hundred lifetimes. Use it if you ever need to."
As Dan put them on, the jewelry merged with his skin, vanishing from sight.
"Let's go home," Lizzy said, smiling brightly to hide the worry in her heart. "I think we've spent enough time in this world for today."