The night was quiet in Vailor.
After so many days divided between administration, travel, training, and missions, there was finally a rare moment of absolute calm within the mansion. The cold wind drifted gently through the open hallway windows, while the distant sounds of the city nearly disappeared as the night grew deeper.
I was sitting near the bedroom window holding the magic book Lyannis had lent me days ago.
The ancient pages contained complicated writing, but little by little I was beginning to better understand the flow of mana described within. Unlike ordinary magic books, this one spoke about internal control, magical circulation, and elemental stabilization.
It was not a book made for beginners.
Perhaps that was why Lyannis had recommended it.
I slowly closed the book and exhaled.
My mana was far more stable than before.
The power I had received from the Dragon King was finally beginning to obey my will without consuming excessive energy. It still wasn't perfect, but the difference compared to the beginning was enormous.
I looked at my right hand.
A small flame appeared at the tip of my fingers.
It remained there.
Stable.
Without exploding.
Without losing control.
I smiled faintly.
"So I'm finally starting to understand..."
Behind me, I heard light footsteps.
I turned my head and saw Lyannis slowly walking across the room.
Her hair was slightly messy from sleep, yet she still carried that calm expression she always had.
"You're still studying?"
"A little."
She looked at the book in my hand.
"And?"
"Your book is dangerous."
She smiled slightly.
"I imagined you would say that."
I closed the book completely and placed it on the table.
"But it works."
Lyannis slowly approached.
"Your control has improved a lot."
"You noticed?"
"Everyone noticed."
She sat beside me.
"The mana around you is more stable now. Before, it felt like your body was trying to contain something far too large. Now... it feels different."
I looked at my hand again.
The flame slowly disappeared.
"I still feel like this power is far from its limit."
"It probably is."
Lyannis kept her eyes on me for a few seconds before continuing.
"The Dragon's Breath was not an ordinary power even among dragons. The Dragon King would not have given something like that to just anyone."
"You think he already expected this?"
"Maybe."
I remained silent for a few seconds.
Over the last few days, I had begun noticing something strange.
The more I trained that power, the more my magical perception increased. I could sense mana with far greater precision than before.
Even the presence of people felt different now.
It was as if my body were slowly changing.
Lyannis noticed my silence.
"What is it?"
"I think my magical perception has changed."
She immediately seemed interested.
"How?"
"It feels like I can sense the mana around me better. Not just the amount... the flow too."
Lyannis crossed her arms.
"That makes sense."
"It does?"
"The power of dragons is extremely connected to perception. They can sense magical changes long before other races."
I looked at her.
"So this is normal?"
"To a certain extent."
She turned her gaze toward the window.
"But in your case... you may be evolving too quickly."
Before I could answer, we heard a sleepy voice near the bed.
"You two are still awake?"
Scarlet lifted her head slightly while rubbing her eyes.
Liriel slowly opened her eyes beside her.
"Takumi..."
I smiled faintly.
"You still haven't slept properly?"
"You're the one who's still awake."
Scarlet let out a small yawn before sitting up in bed.
Vespera remained deeply asleep near the wall while Rai'kanna seemed to be merely resting with her eyes closed.
Elara slowly turned her face toward us.
"You were talking about magic again?"
Lyannis answered calmly.
"He is finally managing to control the Dragon's Breath better."
Rai'kanna opened one eye.
"It's about time."
Scarlet laughed.
"You almost set half the training grounds on fire last week."
"It was only a small accident."
"Small?"
Liriel began laughing quietly.
The mood in the room quickly became light.
For a few minutes, we simply talked without any worries.
Simple things.
Training.
The cyclopes' village.
The missions.
The crops.
The peace of that moment felt strangely comforting.
Perhaps too comforting.
After a while, Lyannis stood up.
"You need to rest."
"I know."
"If you keep training without sleeping, you'll lose efficiency."
Scarlet immediately agreed.
"She's right."
I closed my eyes for a moment.
My body was truly tired.
I slowly stood from the chair and walked toward the bed.
The girls made room as I lay down.
The room became silent once more.
Only the faint sound of the wind continued drifting through the window.
I slowly closed my eyes.
And then I fell asleep.
...
At first, it seemed like nothing but darkness.
Nothing but a silent void.
But something was wrong.
I could feel it immediately.
The mana around that place was heavy.
Dense.
Cold.
I slowly opened my eyes.
Everything around me was covered by a profound darkness.
There was no ground.
There was no sky.
Only emptiness.
Then I heard footsteps.
Slow.
Heavy.
A monstrous presence began to emerge before me.
The magical pressure was absurd.
Far greater than that of ordinary demons.
Far greater than anything I had faced recently.
A figure slowly appeared within the darkness.
Tall.
Covered in black armor.
Its red eyes glowed like embers in the void.
At that instant, my entire body tensed.
I already knew who it was.
The First Demon General.
He watched me in silence.
Even standing still, his presence seemed to crush the entire environment.
Then he spoke.
"Enjoy your peace while you can... hero."
His voice echoed through the darkness as if it were passing directly through my mind.
I kept my hand near my sword.
"What do you want?"
He took a step forward.
"To observe."
His mana slowly increased.
"The world is far too calm."
My gaze hardened.
"If you came to threaten me, then say it already."
The general let out a cold little laugh.
"Do you truly believe you're prepared?"
An overwhelming pressure fell upon me at that instant.
My entire body became heavy.
Even within the dream, it felt far too real.
Draconic flames slowly began appearing around my body almost instinctively.
The general observed the fire with interest.
"So this is the power you received from the dragons..."
The darkness around him began to tremble.
"Keep growing."
His red eyes seemed to glow even brighter.
"Because when the time comes..."
His voice became heavier.
"You're going to need all of it."
The ground beneath me began to disappear.
The darkness became unstable.
Then another presence appeared.
A familiar aura emerged beside me.
The Spirit of the Sword.
Its light immediately pushed back part of the darkness.
The Demon General stepped back a few paces.
The Spirit of the Sword stood beside me in silence before speaking.
"The danger is finally approaching."
I immediately looked at him.
"What does that mean?"
"The balance is changing."
His voice sounded more serious than usual.
"The demonic forces are beginning to move again."
I looked back toward the general.
But he was already beginning to disappear into the darkness.
Before vanishing completely, he spoke one final time.
"We will meet soon... hero."
Then everything disappeared.
The darkness shattered.
And I immediately woke up.
I opened my eyes sharply as I drew in a quick breath.
The room was still dark.
The early hours of the morning remained silent.
My heart was beating hard.
Scarlet quickly sat up beside me.
"Takumi?"
Liriel also woke up immediately afterward.
"What happened?"
I slowly ran a hand over my face.
Another dream.
But this time it felt different.
Far more real.
Far heavier.
I looked toward the bedroom window.
The darkness of dawn remained motionless outside.
I closed my eyes for a moment.
Then I spoke softly.
"The danger is coming..."