Of course, the moment Ebruhan left the council chamber...
he completely ignored the spirit of King Cedric's order.
Technically, he had left to rest.
Instead, he made his way through the palace gardens, checked that nobody was watching, and quietly activated his concealment magic.
His figure faded from sight.
Moments later, powerful wings carried him into the night sky.
Straight toward the Vinson Estate.
The estate was peaceful when he arrived.
Lanterns glowed softly along the pathways.
Crickets sang in the distance.
Near the barn, Mia sat in human form while talking with Emma.
The conversation came to an abrupt stop when a familiar figure suddenly appeared nearby.
Mia blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then her eyes widened.
"...Oh my god."
"Ebruhan?! You look terrible!"
Emma nearly jumped.
"Sir?!"
She immediately stood up.
"You should be resting!"
Ebruhan looked as tired as he felt.
The dark circles beneath his eyes were becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
His clothes still carried dust from travel.
Yet somehow he was standing here anyway.
Ebruhan simply waved one hand dismissively.
"I am fine."
Both Mia and Emma immediately gave him identical looks.
The kind that clearly said:
You are obviously not fine.
The dragon pretended not to notice.
"I merely came to check on Mia."
Emma folded her arms.
"You flew across half the continent."
"You reported to the king."
"You haven't slept."
"And your first decision afterward was to come here."
Ebruhan thought about it.
"...Correct."
Emma looked ready to throw something at him.
Mia meanwhile stared at him for a few moments before quietly asking:
"...How did the meetings go?"
The humor immediately faded.
Ebruhan's expression became more serious.
"Some good."
"Some bad."
Mia already understood what that meant.
The dragon sat down nearby with a small sigh.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Mia noticed something unusual.
Ebruhan's shoulders seemed heavier.
Not physically.
Mentally.
The kind of look someone carried after receiving too many answers they did not want.
Mia lowered her voice slightly.
"...It's that bad?"
Ebruhan looked toward the stars.
Then nodded.
"...Worse than I hoped."
The night grew a little quieter after that.
Emma exchanged a glance with Mia.
Neither liked that answer.
Because Ebruhan was not someone who worried easily.
And if he was worried...
Then the future was becoming increasingly uncertain.
Still, after a moment, Mia nudged him lightly with her shoulder.
A small gesture.
Nothing dramatic.
Just enough to make the exhausted dragon glance toward her.
Mia smiled faintly.
"At least you made it back."
For the first time since returning to Lumeris, Ebruhan smiled.
"...Yes."
At least he had made it home.
------------
The atmosphere had finally begun to relax.
For the first time since returning from his journey, Ebruhan felt some of the tension leave his shoulders.
Then he glanced around.
Something felt off.
Usually there was one particular person attached to Mia's side like a shadow.
Ebruhan frowned slightly.
"Where is Leo?"
Emma shrugged.
"Sleeping."
"He came back exhausted and practically collapsed into bed."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"He said he was tired."
Ebruhan nodded.
"I see."
That certainly sounded like Leo.
Before anyone could continue the conversation, another voice suddenly drifted down from above.
"So..."
"...it seems my daughter still hasn't entered her growth phase."
Everyone froze.
Mia's eyes widened immediately.
Ebruhan's expression darkened.
Emma nearly jumped out of her skin.
Slowly, all three looked upward.
Two crows sat upon a nearby branch.
One possessed a striking purple eye.
The other a deep blue.
Neither bird belonged anywhere near the estate.
And everyone present knew it.
Ebruhan immediately stood.
"Varkryth."
The larger crow tilted its head slightly.
Meanwhile the second crow let out an amused chuckle.
"Hello, my child."
Mia's eye twitched.
"...Mom?"
The two birds hopped down from the branch.
Dark mana rippled through the air.
Their forms distorted.
Expanded.
Changed.
Moments later, two familiar figures stood before them.
Varkryth crossed his arms casually.
Beside him stood Nythera with a gentle smile.
Mia stared at them in disbelief.
"...How long have you two been there?!"
Nythera looked thoughtful.
"Hmm."
"A while."
Mia nearly choked.
"A WHILE?!"
Then she pointed accusingly at Varkryth.
"And you brought Mom too?!"
Nythera immediately looked offended.
"What do you mean too?"
"I wanted to see my daughter."
Mia buried her face in her hands.
Meanwhile Ebruhan looked significantly less amused.
"You entered Lumeris again."
His voice carried a clear warning.
The temperature of the conversation seemed to drop several degrees.
Varkryth merely glanced at him.
Completely unimpressed.
"So?"
The single word hung in the air.
Emma suddenly found the nearby grass extremely interesting.
Mia could practically feel a headache forming.
One exhausted royal protector.
One abyss sovereign.
One dragon mother.
And herself caught in the middle.
Again.
Then Nythera quietly walked over and gently touched Mia's hair.
"...You look tired."
Mia immediately deflated.
"...It's been a long week."
Nythera smiled softly.
"Clearly."
Meanwhile Ebruhan and Varkryth continued staring at each other.
Neither willing to look away.
Neither impressed by the other.
And somewhere inside the estate, completely unaware of the gathering of absurdly powerful dragons occurring outside his home...
Leo was peacefully asleep.
Probably for the best.
--------------
The air immediately grew tense.
Varkryth glanced toward Ebruhan.
The royal protector looked exhausted.
Not injured.
Not defeated.
Just tired.
The kind of tired that came from carrying responsibilities for too long.
Varkryth's purple eyes narrowed slightly.
"You still haven't learned a single thing, have you? Blue dot"
Ebruhan's expression hardened.
"What are you talking about?"
Varkryth gave a dry snort.
"Still trying to challenge things beyond your reach."
The dragon's gaze was calm.
Almost amused.
"Still trying to fight me."
Ebruhan's fist clenched.
A faint crack echoed from his knuckles.
"I will if I have to."
For a brief moment, dark mana stirred around Varkryth.
Not enough to threaten.
Just enough to remind everyone who he was.
The Abyss Sovereign.
Then a hand smacked his shoulder.
Nythera.
"Vark."
The black dragon immediately looked innocent.
"What?"
"Stop it."
"I am merely stating facts."
Nythera sighed.
Emma quietly took several steps backward.
Mia noticed.
And honestly?
She didn't blame her.
Varkryth folded his arms.
"It's not as though I was going to rip him apart."
Ebruhan looked completely unconvinced.
Nythera looked even less convinced.
The Abyss Sovereign looked offended that nobody believed him.
Deciding the conversation was heading nowhere productive, Nythera turned her attention toward Mia.
Immediately her expression softened.
The difference was so dramatic it almost gave Mia emotional whiplash.
Nythera gently brushed a strand of dark hair behind Mia's ear.
"Now."
Her voice became warm.
"Tell me honestly."
Mia immediately knew where this was going.
The dragon mother tilted her head slightly.
"Are you unwell, my little star?"
Mia lowered her eyes.
"You should have entered your growth phase by now."
Silence followed.
Even Varkryth stopped talking.
Mia looked away.
"...I..."
The words stuck.
For once, she couldn't hide behind jokes.
Couldn't change the subject.
Couldn't run away.
"...I don't know, okay?"
Her voice came out smaller than she intended.
Everyone listened quietly.
Mia swallowed.
Then finally admitted the truth.
"Maybe..."
"...maybe I'm scared of it."
The words felt strangely heavy.
Nythera's eyes softened.
Mia clenched her hands.
"What if..."
She hesitated.
"What if I'm not me anymore?"
The garden fell silent.
Even the night insects seemed quieter.
For weeks, that fear had been sitting inside her.
Growing.
Waiting.
Now it was finally out.
"What if I wake up and I'm different?"
"What if I lose something?"
"What if I become someone else?"
Her voice trembled slightly.
"What if Mia just..."
She looked down.
"...disappears?"
No one answered immediately.
Not Ebruhan.
Not Emma.
Not even Varkryth.
Because for all their strength, wisdom, and experience...
they knew this wasn't really a dragon problem.
It was a fear every person understood.
The fear of change.
The fear of growing up.
The fear of becoming someone unfamiliar.
Nythera slowly pulled Mia into a gentle hug.
"My little star."
Her voice was soft.
"So that is what has been troubling you."
Mia buried her face against her shoulder.
For once, she didn't argue.
Didn't complain.
Didn't try to act brave.
And for the first time that evening, even Varkryth's expression lost its usual confidence.
Because suddenly...
the Abyss Sovereign wasn't looking at a future dragon.
He was looking at a frightened daughter.
Meanwhile ,
Nythera gently continued stroking Mia's hair.
The black dragon girl remained pressed against her shoulder, looking thoroughly confused.
Nythera smiled faintly.
"You are stronger than you think."
Mia looked up.
"...I don't feel strong."
That earned a small chuckle from Nythera.
"Most people who are truly strong rarely do."
Mia blinked.
Nythera's blue eyes reflected the moonlight above.
"And fear is not always your enemy, little star."
Mia frowned.
"...What?"
Nythera tapped the center of Mia's forehead lightly.
"Fear is what makes you become something."
Mia stared.
"...Eh?"
That answer somehow raised even more questions.
Nythera laughed softly at the expression on her face.
"What do you think happens to dragons who fear nothing?"
Mia opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
Then shrugged.
"...They become brave?"
Varkryth snorted.
"They become dead."
"..."
"..."
"...That escalated quickly."
Even Ebruhan rubbed his forehead.
Nythera shot Varkryth a look.
The Abyss Sovereign merely shrugged.
"What? It is true."
Nythera sighed before continuing.
"A dragon who fears nothing learns nothing."
"A dragon who fears nothing takes foolish risks."
"A dragon who fears nothing never questions themselves."
She gently placed a hand over Mia's chest.
"But fear..."
Her voice softened.
"Fear makes you protect what matters."
Mia's eyes widened slightly.
Nythera continued.
"You fear losing yourself because being Mia matters to you."
"You fear leaving Leo because he matters to you."
"You fear leaving your family because they matter to you."
The words struck surprisingly hard.
Mia found herself unable to respond.
Nythera smiled.
"That fear is proof that those bonds are real."
For a moment, the garden became quiet again.
Then Nythera tilted Mia's chin upward.
"Use that fear wisely."
"Do not let it chain you."
"Let it guide you."
Mia thought about that.
Slowly.
Carefully.
The fear was still there.
It hadn't vanished.
But it felt... different somehow.
Less like a monster waiting in the dark.
More like something she could understand.
Something she could carry.
"Growth phases do not erase who you are."
Nythera's voice became gentle again.
"They reveal who you choose to become."
Mia stared at her.
"...Really?"
This time, it wasn't Nythera who answered.
It was Ebruhan.
The tired blue dragon stepped forward slightly.
"Really."
Mia turned toward him.
Ebruhan crossed his arms.
"I have gone through growth phases."
Nythera nodded.
"So have I."
Even Varkryth spoke.
"And I have survived several."
Mia looked between all three dragons.
None of them seemed particularly worried.
None of them seemed like strangers to themselves.
For the first time in a while, Mia no longer looked completely overwhelmed by the thought of her growth phase.
Nythera noticed.
A small smile appeared on her face.
Then she turned toward Ebruhan.
The blue dragon looked back, slightly confused by the sudden attention.
For a brief moment, the usual rivalry between dragons seemed to disappear.
Nythera lowered her head respectfully.
"Thank you, Ebruhan."
The royal protector blinked.
"For what?"
Nythera's smile softened.
"For taking care of my little star."
Mia titled her head,her face slightly red
"Mom!"
Nythera continued anyway.
"For protecting her."
"For guiding her."
"For being there when she needed someone."
The garden became quiet.
Ebruhan looked away slightly.
Clearly uncomfortable receiving that much gratitude.
Then another voice spoke.
Varkryth.
The Abyss Sovereign folded his arms.
"And for teaching her with your knowledge."
Everyone immediately looked at him.
Including Nythera.
Including Mia.
Including Ebruhan.
Because hearing a compliment come from Varkryth felt about as common as snowfall in the desert.
The black dragon frowned.
"...What?"
Emma looked like she had just witnessed a historical event.
Varkryth ignored her.
His gaze remained on Ebruhan.
"She has improved."
That was all he said.
Coming from anyone else, it would have sounded ordinary.
Coming from Varkryth...
It was practically a royal decree.
For several seconds, Ebruhan simply stared.
Then he gave a small nod.
"...She worked hard."
Mia's face somehow became even redder.
"Can everyone stop talking about me like I'm not here?!"
Nobody listened.
Nythera laughed softly.
Then she and Varkryth stepped back.
Dark mana gathered around them.
Their human forms began to dissolve.
Black feathers emerged.
Limbs shrank.
Within moments, two crows stood where the abyss dragons had been.
One with a blue eye.
One with a purple eye.
The familiar disguise.
Nythera fluttered her wings.
Then looked back one final time.
Her gaze lingered on Mia.
Warm.
Proud.
Motherly.
"Farewell, my little star."
Mia opened her mouth.
Then hesitated.
For a moment, she looked like a child again.
Not a dragon.
Not a future warrior.
Just a daughter.
"...Bye, Mom."
The blue-eyed crow seemed to smile.
Beside her, Varkryth glanced toward Ebruhan.
Then toward Mia.
Then snorted.
"Do not die."
Mia immediately shouted back.
"THAT'S YOUR GOODBYE?!"
The purple-eyed crow launched into the air.
Nythera followed moments later.
Together, the two birds climbed higher and higher into the night sky.
Until they became little more than shadows against the moon.
Then they were gone.
Emma stood completely frozen in the middle of the garden.
Her brain had given up trying to process events several minutes ago.
The night breeze moved through the grass.
Everything was peaceful.
Everything was normal.
Which somehow made it worse.
Emma slowly pointed toward the sky where the two crows had disappeared.
"Did..."
She paused.
"I..."
Another pause.
"...Am I dreaming?"
Mia, who had already accepted that her life had become absurd years ago, simply shrugged.
"Calm down, teacher."
Emma immediately turned toward her.
"Calm down?!"
Her voice nearly cracked.
"Those were Abyss Dragon Lords!"
Mia winced.
"Technically..."
"No!"
Emma pointed dramatically.
"Do not technically me!"
She began pacing in circles.
"The Abyss Sovereign!"
"The legendary ruler of the Abyss!"
"The dragon that kingdoms have nightmares about!"
Then she pointed at Nythera's vanished position.
"And your possible parents!"
Mia scratched her cheek awkwardly.
"...Yeah."
Emma stared.
"...Yeah?"
"THAT'S YOUR RESPONSE?!"
Mia shrugged again.
"What do you want me to say?"
Emma opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
Then opened it again.
Nothing came out.
Because honestly...
What could she say?
At that moment, Ebruhan stood up.
The exhausted dragon clearly wanted absolutely nothing to do with whatever emotional crisis Emma was currently experiencing.
"I am going to rest."
Emma immediately pointed at him.
"YOU!"
Ebruhan paused.
"You were just casually talking to the Abyss Sovereign!"
"Correct."
"And you're leaving?!"
"Also correct."
Emma looked genuinely betrayed.
Ebruhan simply nodded toward Mia.
"See you around."
Then, before anyone could stop him, he transformed.
Blue mana flashed.
A powerful dragon appeared.
With a single beat of his wings, he launched himself into the night sky.
Gone.
Just like that.
Emma stared upward.
"...He escaped."
Mia nodded.
"He does that."
A few moments later, Mia stretched and transformed.
Yawned.
"Well."
"I am going to sleep."
Emma slowly turned toward her.
"You too?!"
Mia blinked.
"What?"
"You just had a conversation with two Abyss Dragons!"
Mia thought for a moment.
"...Yeah."
"And?"
Emma looked like she might actually explode.
Meanwhile Mia simply walked toward her barn.
A few moments later, she curled up comfortably inside.
The giant black dragon let out a content sigh.
"Mhmm."
Then closed her eyes.
Completely unbothered.
Silence.
Emma remained standing alone in the garden.
The moon shone overhead.
The crickets chirped.
Everything was peaceful.
Far too peaceful.
The mage slowly looked at the sky.
Then at the barn.
Then at the sky again.
Then at the barn.
"...What is this family?"
No answer came.
Emma stood there for another minute before finally groaning.
"I need a vacation."
-------