Chapter #56
Afterward, Yuita, Hifung, Ray, Shelyn, and the mysterious girl sat down together on the sofa in Yuita's room.
Yuita: "Who are you?"
Before the girl could answer, Ray suddenly cut in.
Ray: "You're that dragon, aren't you?"
Everyone turned to him, shocked.
Hifung: "Eh? What do you mean, Ray?"
But the girl smiled softly.
Sheshi: "Yes. I am the dragon Sheshi. My name is Sheshi."
The room fell silent, stunned.
Yuita: "Why are you here!?"
Instead of answering directly, Sheshi moved closer to Hifung and sat beside him, holding his hand with sparkling eyes.
Hifung blushed faintly at the gesture, while Shelyn's face darkened with jealousy.
Yuita (thinking): "Strange… this dragon calls Hifung her master?"
Then Sheshi began her story.
---
—Sheshi's Past—
Long ago, Sheshi—still a small dragon no bigger than a tree—lay on the ground near a kingdom, gasping for breath. She seemed crushed under some unseen pressure.
A group of children appeared, grinning maliciously as they surrounded her. They kicked and struck her, and though she wanted to fight back, she couldn't. The pressure weighing her down was too much.
Then, a cloaked man appeared, his face hidden, much like the figure who had once saved Hifung and the others.
Man: "Hey. Don't bully that dragon."
The children turned to him, scowling.
Children: "What do you want, old man!?"
Man: "You brats—do your parents not care for you at all?"
The insult made them furious, and they rushed him. But with a simple wooden staff, the man tapped each of them lightly—on a leg, an arm, a shoulder. The children cried out, stumbled, then ran off in pain and fear.
Sheshi, relieved, lifted her head weakly as the man approached.
Man: "Don't be afraid… You're struggling with this world's chi pressure, aren't you?"
The little dragon raised her head further.
Sheshi (small, weak): "I… I was born in the lower world… but while I was playing, I found a gate. When I stepped through… I ended up here."
The man stroked his chin thoughtfully, then gave a faint smile.
Man: "I see. Then come with me."
He waved his hand, and suddenly the crushing pressure vanished from her body. Sheshi gasped in disbelief.
Moments later, she transformed into a human form. Startled and unclothed, she froze. The man quickly draped his cloak over her.
---
Weeks passed. Sheshi served under him—her new master—who turned out to be a king.
One day, in the king's chamber, she entered at his summons.
Sheshi: "You called for me, master?"
The room was large, lined with shelves and a grand desk at the far end. The man sat behind it, hands folded.
Man: "Come in. Sit."
Something about his tone made her uneasy, but she obeyed, sitting nervously before him.
Man: "I've thought long and hard… It's time I return you to the lower world."
The words shattered her. Silence weighed on the room.
Sheshi: "Eh…?"
Man: "I will send you back."
She lowered her gaze, panic stirring.
Sheshi: "I… I—"
Before she could speak more, he raised his hand, and in an instant they stood in a cave—the very one Hifung and the others would one day discover.
Man: "This is the Sixth World. A dragon like you will adapt quickly. But you cannot remain in the upper world. You will stay here."
Sheshi looked around in shock—the cave that would become her prison.
Man: "I have prepared a barrier and a gate. Only I can open it."
Sheshi: "But… how long must I wait here? What am I supposed to wait for?"
He took a few steps toward her, smiling faintly.
Man: "One day, someone will come. Someone who can open the gate. Someone with an aura like mine."
Her eyes widened.
Sheshi: "Aura… like yours?"
She couldn't understand.
Man: "Until then, this place will be filled with chi pressure equal to the upper world. It will help you adapt. And when the gate is opened… the pressure will vanish."
Sheshi: "But… how long must I wait for you?"
The man gave no answer.
And thus, her tale ended.
---
—Back to the Present—
Sheshi: "…And that's how it was."
Yuita thought deeply.
Yuita: "So, when you saw Hifung's aura… you thought it resembled your master's?"
Ray: "In other words, you believe Hifung is him?"
Sheshi blinked, startled.
Sheshi: "Eh?"
Hifung squeezed her hand gently.
Hifung: "Listen. I'm from the lower world. I'm still young. And I've never been anyone's master. You've got the wrong person."
Sheshi paused, then smiled sweetly.
Sheshi: "No. I know it's you."
She leaned her head against his chest, her eyes sparkling with affection.
Shelyn clenched her fists, jealousy burning inside.
---
That ni
ght, Sheshi insisted on staying near Hifung. Since she had nowhere else to sleep, she ended up in the same dorm room, curling up on a bed beside his.