Pain.
It was everywhere.
A sharp, burning ache spread through Mia's entire body. Even breathing felt heavy.
The air smelled strongly of herbs and medicine.
Voices echoed somewhere nearby, but they sounded distant and blurry.
"…Grrrah…"
Mia slowly opened her eyes.
The ceiling above her was unfamiliar. Stone walls. Lantern light. Shelves filled with bottles and cloth.
A healing chamber…?
She tried to move.
Bad idea.
Pain shot through her ribs and wings immediately.
"—Argh…"
She was still in dragon form, lying across a large reinforced marbel bed made to support her weight.
A chair scraped softly nearby.
"Oh—Mia!"
Ebruhan stood up quickly.
He was in human form, wrapped in bandages from shoulder to waist. His face looked tired, but relief spread across it the moment he saw her awake.
"You're awake! How are you feeling?"
Mia blinked slowly.
"…Like I got hit by a dragon."
Ebruhan paused.
"…That is… surprisingly accurate."
He folded his arms and leaned against the chair.
"You took a direct hit from a dying dragon during the last fight."
His voice softened slightly.
"That attack was meant for me."
He looked at her seriously.
"You saved my life."
"I'm… truly grateful for that."
Mia groaned and shifted slightly.
"Don't… mention it… ugh…"
Suddenly—
BANG!
The door slammed open.
"MIAAAAA!!!"
Leo burst into the room with tears already in his eyes.
Mia and Ebruhan both widened their eyes.
"Leo!! Wait—!"
"Don't—!"
Too late.
Leo ran straight to the bed and hugged Mia tightly around the neck.
Mia's eyes bulged.
"ARRGHHH!!"
She wheezed painfully.
"My ribs!! My ribs, Leo!!"
Leo froze instantly.
Behind him, several healers rushed into the room in panic.
"Careful!! She has multiple fractured bones!"
"Don't squeeze the patient!"
Leo slowly let go.
"S-Sorry!!"
But only a second later—
He wiped his eyes.
Then he pointed a finger at Mia.
And began scolding her.
"You idiot! What were you thinking?!"
"You almost died!"
"You promised you'd come back!"
"You call that being careful?!"
Mia blinked in shock.
Then she glanced at Ebruhan.
Ebruhan quietly looked away.
Very clearly trying not to laugh.
Meanwhile Leo continued his full lecture, scolding a dragon like an angry older brother.
Mia sighed painfully.
"…I just woke up…"
Leo crossed his arms, still glaring at Mia.
His eyes were red from crying, but that didn't stop him.
"YOU'VE BEEN LYING HERE FOR A WHOLE WEEK!!"
The entire room went silent.
"Do you have ANY idea how worried I was?!"
He pointed an accusing finger at her.
"You bad dragon!!"
Mia blinked slowly.
"…A week?"
She looked genuinely confused.
Across the room, Ebruhan suddenly looked very interested in the ceiling.
Leo's head snapped toward him immediately.
"And YOU!"
He marched over and pointed at Ebruhan now.
"Mr. Blue Guy!"
Ebruhan stiffened slightly.
"Don't act all nice and calm!!"
Leo jabbed his finger at him.
"You're the reason she got hurt like that!"
The room fell awkwardly quiet.
Ebruhan coughed lightly.
"…I suppose I cannot deny that."
Leo opened his mouth to continue the lecture—
But suddenly—
A large hand grabbed his ear.
"OW—HEY!!"
Vinson stood behind him, completely expressionless.
He was already dragging Leo toward the door.
Leo struggled helplessly.
"Dad!!"
"You're disturbing the patient," Vinson said calmly.
"But I'm not finished yet!!"
Leo flailed his arms dramatically as he was pulled away.
"ARRGH!! I STILL HAVE MORE TO SAY!!"
The door closed behind them.
Silence returned to the room.
For a few seconds—
Neither Mia nor Ebruhan said anything.
Then Ebruhan quietly rubbed the back of his neck.
"…He's very passionate."
Mia groaned and laid her head back down.
"My ribs agree with him…"
A moment later, the door opened again.
Vinson stepped inside.
The room immediately felt calmer.
He walked over to the bed and looked down at Mia. His expression was stern… but his eyes carried clear relief.
"You really caused quite worries this time," he said quietly.
Mia lowered her head slightly.
"…Sorry."
Vinson sighed.
Then he reached out and patted her gently on the head, careful not to touch any of her injuries.
"Rest for now," he said softly.
"You've done more than enough."
Ebruhan nodded from the side.
"She really has, sir."
Vinson slowly turned his gaze toward him.
"And you," he said calmly, "have no right to say that, Ebruhan."
The blue dragon scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"…Fair."
Mia lifted her head slightly.
"Sir… he really has nothing to do with it."
Both of them looked at her.
"It was my choice to go," she continued.
"If anyone should be blamed… it should be me."
Vinson was silent for a moment.
Then he shook his head slightly.
"This isn't about blame."
He looked at her one more time.
"Just recover."
Then he quietly left the room.
The door closed with a soft click.
For a moment, the room was silent again.
Ebruhan leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.
"You should really listen to him," he said.
"You're in far worse shape than I am."
Mia snorted.
"Oh please…i fin....e"
She tried to shift her position—
"ARRGH—!"
Pain shot through her ribs instantly.
She froze.
"…Okay."
She sighed weakly.
"…Maybe not that fine."
Ebruhan chuckled quietly.
Three days later…
Mia deeply regretted waking up too early.
Every movement hurt.
Turning her head?
Pain.
Stretching her wings?
Pain.
Trying to adjust her position on the bed?
Even more pain.
She groaned miserably.
"…Why does everything hurt…"
Even sleeping was impossible.
Every time she tried to relax, some part of her body would start aching again.
Her tail twitched slightly.
"—ARRGH."
Bad idea.
Across the room, Leo was sitting on a chair with his arms crossed like an angry guard.
In front of him sat a tray of food.
Carrots.
And cooked chicken.
He narrowed his eyes at her.
"You haven't eaten."
Mia looked at the tray like it had personally offended her.
"I'm not hungry…"
Leo's eyebrow twitched.
Without warning—
SLAP
He smacked her lightly on the side.
"HEY!!"
Mia yelped.
"My ribs!!"
leo hold out a carrot
"Eat your food!"
"I'm injured!"
"That's why you need food!"
Another healer nearby sighed tiredly.
"Please stop hitting the patient."
Leo huffed but pushed the tray closer anyway.
Mia stared at it again.
"…Why carrots?"
"They're healthy.you want apple?"
"I'm a dragon.not a horse..."
"And dragons still need vegetables!"
Mia looked deeply unconvinced.
Across the room, the healer shook their head again and walked closer.
"Lady Mia," the healer said calmly, checking her bandages.
"Do not try to transform back into your human form yet."
Mia blinked.
"…Why?"
"Because it will disturb the healing process."
The healer finished adjusting the bandage around her wing.
"Your bones are still recovering."
"If you transform now, the strain could reopen the injuries."
Mia sighed dramatically.
"So I'm stuck like this?"
"For now."
Mia groaned and dropped her head back onto the bed.
"…Great."
Leo crossed his arms again.
"Good."
He pointed at the tray.
"Now eat."
Mia stared at the carrots.
Then at Leo.
Then back at the carrots.
"…This is dragon abuse."
Night in the healing chamber was quiet.
The lanterns burned low, casting soft golden light across the room. Most of the healers had already left to rest.
But Leo was still there.
Whenever Mia shifted uncomfortably, he would immediately stand up.
Carefully patting the spots the healer had shown him.
Sometimes he would even help replace the warm herbal cloths placed along her wings and ribs.
He wasn't very skilled at it.
But he was trying his best.
Mia watched him for a while before speaking.
"…Why are you doing that?"
Leo paused.
He looked at her like the question made no sense.
"You shouldn't even ask that."
He gently adjusted one of the bandages on her wing.
"I'm your big brother."
He shrugged.
"Of course I'm doing this."
Mia was quiet for a moment.
In her old life…
She had never really experienced something like this.
Someone staying up just to make sure she was comfortable.
Her eyes softened slightly.
"…Right."
Leo didn't notice the change in her expression.
He was too busy focusing on placing another warm cloth on her ribs.
"Does that hurt?"
"…Less than before."
"Good."
Leo sat back down beside the bed, still watching her carefully.
And for the first time since waking up—
Mia slowly relaxed enough to fall asleep.
Far from the capital.
Far beyond the lands where humans dared to travel.
In a wasteland of broken mountains and twisted forests, the ground itself was scarred with abyssal cracks—deep wounds in the earth where dark mist endlessly leaked into the air.
Monsters roamed freely here.
Corrupted beasts.
Twisted creatures.
Even dragons.
At the center of this cursed land stood a massive chasm, its depths swallowing all light.
From the sky, a winged creature descended.
Its wings were ragged like torn leather, its body covered in black scales and bone-like spikes.
The creature landed near the edge of the abyss and immediately knelt.
"Lord Varkryth," it said in a low voice.
"I, Skarn, bring a report from Red Dragon General Kalis."
For a moment…
Nothing answered.
Only the wind howled through the broken cliffs.
Then—
The shadows inside the abyss moved.
A deep rumble echoed from the darkness.
Smoke and black mist poured outward as something enormous began to rise.
First came the eyes.
Two glowing purple lights in the abyss.
Then the massive head of a dragon slowly emerged.
Scale by scale.
Claw by claw.
A colossal 46-meter-long black dragon stepped forward from the darkness, his wings folding against his massive body like storm clouds.
This was Varkryth, Lord of the Abyss.
His voice rumbled.
"Impossible."
His eyes narrowed.
"Are you certain?"
Skarn lowered his head further.
"Yes, my lord."
"General Kalis has fallen."
"The one responsible was the royal protector dragon known as Ebruhan…"
Varkryth's claws dug slightly into the stone.
"And?"
Skarn hesitated before continuing.
"…another dragon was present."
"A young black dragon."
"The reports say her mana capacity was… extraordinary."
"Even General Kalis struggled against her."
"However, he managed to wound her badly before his death."
The abyss suddenly grew silent.
Slowly…
The rest of Varkryth's massive body emerged from the shadows, his full size towering over the kneeling monster.
His wings stretched slightly, casting a massive shadow across the ground.
"A black dragon…"
His voice dropped into a thoughtful growl.
Skarn spoke again.
"My lord, we could mobilize forces."
"If she grows stronger, she may become a threat in the future."
"We could eliminate her now."
For a long moment, Varkryth said nothing.
Then a low rumbling chuckle echoed from his chest.
"No."
His glowing eyes turned toward the distant horizon.
"Do not engage."
"Not yet."
His massive tail slowly swayed behind him.
"Only watch her."
Skarn lifted his head slightly.
"My lord?"
Varkryth's eyes glowed brighter in the darkness.
"A young black dragon with such power…can't it be..."