The days within the Kingdom of the Giants began to pass differently from what I was used to. For the first time in a long while, I no longer woke up expecting a battle or a new emergency to appear before me. The tension of the war against the demons still lingered in the air, but after the purification of the land and the destruction of the enemy encampments, the kingdom finally seemed able to breathe again.
That morning, I woke up early as usual. Sunlight slowly filtered through the enormous windows of the mansion that had been built for us in the castle's garden. Even after several days there, it still felt strange to look out the window and see trees taller than ordinary towers and colossal walls surrounding the entire region.
Scarlet was still sleeping peacefully beside me. Liriel was lying closer to the window. Elara was hugging a pillow in her sleep, while Vespera remained completely motionless, as if she stayed on guard even while asleep. Lyannis had several books scattered beside her bed, and Rai'kanna was sleeping deeply after the intense training from the previous day.
I spent a few seconds silently watching all of them.
So much had happened since the beginning of our journey. Wars. Dragons. Demons. Kings. Lands to govern. And even so, somewhere amid all that chaos, moments like this still existed.
Simple moments.
I quietly got out of bed so I wouldn't wake them and walked onto the balcony. The cold mountain air immediately struck my face.
From there, I could see part of the kingdom waking up.
Giants walked through the streets carrying enormous wooden crates. Blacksmiths began working in their forges. Guards changed shifts along the walls. Several giant children ran near the rustic houses while the townspeople resumed rebuilding the areas destroyed by the demonic invasions.
The kingdom was coming back to life.
"You're awake this early already?"
I turned around and saw Freyja stepping onto the balcony.
At that moment, she was wearing the Royal Giant Artifact, so she was in her human-sized form. Her long brown hair swayed gently in the morning breeze, and her blue eyes reflected the golden light of dawn.
I smiled faintly.
"I woke up early like always."
She walked over until she was standing beside me.
"The people are happy again. It's been a long time since I've seen the kingdom like this."
I looked down at the streets once more.
"The giants are strong. They just needed time to recover."
She gave a small smile.
"Even so, we were saved by you."
I shook my head.
"It wasn't just me. Everyone helped."
Freyja glanced briefly inside the bedroom.
"Your companions are incredible."
"They really are."
She remained silent for a few moments before speaking again.
"My father is already considering strengthening relations with the other kingdoms after all of this."
That caught my attention.
"So King Gromkar changed his mind about alliances?"
"A little. The giants have always been too proud to admit they needed help. But after everything that happened... I think he realized the world has changed."
That made sense.
The demons were changing as well.
They were becoming more organized.
Smarter.
More dangerous.
And that was exactly what worried me.
Before I could continue thinking about it, Scarlet stepped onto the balcony, still looking sleepy.
"You two started talking way too early."
Freyja laughed softly.
"Sorry."
Scarlet crossed her arms as she looked at me.
"You should get a little more rest once in a while."
"I can't."
"I know."
Not long afterward, the others also began waking up.
Liriel appeared while fixing her light-colored hair and quietly yawning. Elara immediately asked whether we had any plans for the day. Vespera remained as quiet as always, while Lyannis carried a massive book despite having only just gotten up. Rai'kanna simply sat down on the sofa, still clearly exhausted from training.
"So what are we doing today?" Elara asked.
Before I could answer, Freyja spoke.
"My father has given you permission to visit part of the northern mountains. They're one of the most beautiful regions here."
Scarlet raised an eyebrow.
"Giant mountains?"
"Basically."
We accepted.
After breakfast, we headed out with Freyja and several giant guards toward the more remote areas of the kingdom.
Even after spending days there, I was still amazed by the scale of everything.
Enormous bridges stretched across entire valleys. Colossal stone statues watched over the mountains. Some ancient structures looked as though they had stood there for thousands of years.
Lyannis carefully observed everything.
"The mana in this place is different."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"It's heavier. More stable as well."
Rai'kanna nodded.
"I've felt that ever since we arrived."
Freyja looked at us.
"The elders say the Giant Mountains possess primordial energy."
"Primordial?" Elara asked curiously.
"Yes. A very ancient form of mana."
That immediately made Lyannis even more interested.
We spent most of the day exploring various parts of the kingdom. Some villages had already been rebuilt. Others still bore the scars of the recent war.
Even so, the giants seemed determined to move forward.
At one point, we stopped near a massive lake surrounded by mountains.
Scarlet sat down on a rock while admiring the scenery.
"I have to admit... this place is beautiful."
"You're only saying that because you don't have to carry those giant trees on your back," Vespera commented.
Scarlet looked at her.
"You didn't complain when you carried three demons at once."
"That was different."
I couldn't help but laugh.
Moments like these between everyone had become more frequent lately.
Maybe because we finally had some time to enjoy peace.
Or maybe because everyone knew that peace wouldn't last forever.
Later, we trained near the lake.
Rai'kanna sparred against several giant warriors in contests of pure strength. Even though she was much smaller than they were, her draconic strength remained astonishing.
Scarlet practiced swordsmanship against Durgan while Elara trained her magical speed. Liriel continued refining her holy magic, and Vespera practiced stealth movements throughout the mountains.
Lyannis stayed beside me, quietly watching.
"You're thinking too much."
I looked at her.
"As perceptive as ever."
"You're worried about the demons."
"They're not going to stop."
She slowly closed her book.
"Neither are you."
I remained silent.
Deep down, I knew she was right.
As long as the First General remained alive... all of this was only the beginning.
When night fell, we returned to the giant castle.
That evening, another small celebration took place in the kingdom's central district. It wasn't a grand banquet like the previous one, but several giants still gathered enormous tables throughout the main plazas.
Music echoed through the streets.
Children ran around.
The townspeople chatted cheerfully.
For the first time since we had arrived, the kingdom truly seemed to be at peace.
Freyja walked beside me as we watched the festivities.
"I wish this could last forever."
I looked at her.
"So do I."
She looked away for a few seconds.
"Are you really going to fight the First General?"
"I am."
"And what if he's stronger than you imagine?"
I took a slow breath.
"Then I'll become stronger."
She smiled softly after hearing that.
Later, close to midnight, we returned to the mansion.
The girls were exhausted after spending the entire day walking through the mountains.
Scarlet immediately collapsed onto the sofa.
"These giants can turn even a sightseeing trip into military training."
"You humans get tired far too quickly," Rai'kanna teased.
"You're half-dragon. That doesn't count."
Elara started laughing while Liriel prepared tea for everyone.
Vespera remained by the window watching the night sky, while Lyannis returned to reading one of her books.
I quietly watched that scene.
It felt strange.
Even with the war raging on... these small moments still existed.
Perhaps those were exactly what I needed to protect.
Later, after everyone had gone to sleep, I stepped out alone onto the balcony of the mansion.
The cold mountain wind brushed against my face once again.
High above, the sky was perfectly clear.
I looked at my hands for a few seconds.
Draconic fire slowly appeared around my fingers.
Far more stable than before.
Far more controlled.
I really was becoming stronger.
But my enemies were as well.
And I could feel it.
I slowly closed my hand as the flames disappeared.
Behind me, I heard Freyja's quiet voice coming from the balcony door.
"Thinking about the war again?"
I continued staring toward the distant horizon.
"It never left my mind."
She walked over until she was standing beside me once more.
And at that moment, as I watched the lights of the giant kingdom illuminating the mountains beneath the silent midnight sky, I realized those two weeks of peace were coming to an end.
Very soon... everything would begin to change again.