The East Sea stretched endlessly, its waters deep and mysterious, filled with palaces of coral and armies clad in white-scaled armor. Here, beneath the weight of pressure and history, the Dragon Clan ruled. It was said no intruder could step into these waters without being crushed. Yet on this day, a boy with silver hair and blue eyes wandered unknowingly into their realm.
He looked no older than five. The horns on his forehead were faint and small, but they were unmistakable—dragon horns. His aura, however, was hollow, empty, as if he were a body without a soul. His steps were slow, steady, eyes half-curious, half-distant.
Under the guidance of the general, Taiyi now stood before a magnificent palace. The general had decided to take him to meet the emperor.
"Bring him," the general ordered.
---
The coral palace of the East Sea Dragon King was vast, pillars carved from glowing shells, floors lined with pearl tiles. The Dragon King himself sat upon the throne, his golden beard flowing, his eyes sharp and deep as whirlpools.
The boy was brought before him, still silent.
Murmurs spread through the court.
"An abandoned whelp?"
"His horns are real, but where is his dragon aura?"
"He looks more like a cursed spirit than a prince."
The Dragon King lifted a hand, silencing the whispers. His gaze lingered on the boy's silver hair—rare even among dragons. "What is your name, child?"
The boy blinked. He could not speak their tongue. But in the silence, he remembered something. A word he had chosen for himself when he first opened his eyes in this world. He touched his chest and whispered softly, almost inaudibly:
"…Taiyi."
The name echoed faintly through the palace. The courtiers stilled, then laughed.
"Taiyi? He names himself?"
"A wild stray with no bloodline dares call himself thus!"
The Dragon King's eyes narrowed, silencing them again. "Taiyi…" he repeated, as if tasting the name. Then, with a flick of his sleeve, he declared, "From this day forward, he shall remain under my roof. Adopted, but never recognized as heir. Let him grow if he can."
The boy did not react—no joy, no sorrow. Only the same calm, unreadable eyes.
---
Life in the palace was not kind.
The dragon youths mocked him openly. His lack of aura made him a perfect target. He was shoved, beaten in spars, insulted as "hornless dragon" and "mute beast." His silence only fueled their laughter.
But Taiyi never resisted. Never defended himself.
Instead, he watched.
He noticed how Long Rui, the Dragon King's legitimate son, always attacked with the same reckless pattern, eager to impress. He noticed how servants feared certain generals more than others, and how soldiers whispered in corners when they thought no one listened.
Though young, his mind was sharp, and every humiliation was carved into memory. Each insult was stored, each weakness filed away like weapons in an armory.
At night, when alone, he would stare at the sea currents outside his chamber and whisper to himself in that calm, emotionless tone:
"Not yet."
---
The Dragon King, watching from afar, grew curious.
Most children would cry, lash out, or wither under constant scorn. But this silver-haired boy endured it all with the stillness of stone. His silence was not weakness—it was restraint. His calm eyes hid something deeper.
One day, the Dragon King asked him privately, "Why do you not fight back, boy? Why do you endure?"
Taiyi stared up at him. For a long time, he said nothing. Then, in halting words, broken but firm, he replied:
"If I… strike too soon… I lose. They are not worth it," Taiyi said the last words with a kind of determination and for a moment even the dragon king was shocked.
The Dragon King's pupils narrowed.
The boy bowed slightly, his face calm as still water.
This was the first time the East Sea realized—the silent stray was no fool. He was something else. Something they did not yet understand.
The Dragon King left shortly after that short conversation but it had left a mark in his heart and he knew it. The son he had adopted was not that simple. This led to many questions that had no answers.
Taiyi went back to his room but instead of sleeping he stood at his window as always staring at the sky as if looking for something but even he didn't have an answer.
He just felt that a piece of him was missing but he couldn't pinpoint it. He just silently stared at the sky.
"When will I get back?" Taiyi said with a heavy sigh. His blue eyes were now filled with void and for a moment one could have seen a different kind of emotion on Taiyi's face.
For the first time a genuine smile appeared on his face but it faded just as soon as it came.