The alarm clock screamed at exactly six in the morning.
Without even opening his eyes, **Lukas Vale** reached out, grabbed it from the nightstand, and hurled it into the wall.
**BANG!**
Silence returned.
A smug little smile touched his lips as he sank deeper into the mattress. *Another victory for the forces of sleep.*
Then the thought hit him.
*The egg.*
Lukas's eyes snapped open. He sat up so fast his vision swam.
"Where's the dragon egg?!"
Last night, he had left it right in the center of his desk—its silver-veined shell practically glowing under moonlight. Now? The desk was empty.
A quick sweep of the room told him nothing had been disturbed. No broken wards, no footprints. Vale Manor's protective enchantments were legendary; even if the Dark Lord himself returned, he'd be lucky to make it past the front gate. And no one knew about the egg. Not a soul.
Which left only one possibility.
"…I'm dreaming," Lukas muttered.
He flopped back down, intending to reclaim his precious sleep—
And his hand landed on something warm and smooth.
Slowly, cautiously, he turned his head.
There it was. Right beside him, nestled in the blankets like a sleeping pet: the dragon egg.
Its shell shimmered faintly, as if starlight had been trapped inside crystal.
"Well, well," Lukas whispered, leaning closer. "You can hear me, can't you?"
The egg gave a small, deliberate wobble.
"Oh, you *can*." A grin tugged at his lips. "I thought I'd have to wait days for you to react. Looks like you're ahead of schedule."
In the wizarding world, people walked owls, cats, and the occasional puffskein. Ordinary folk walked dogs.
Lukas Vale was about to walk a dragon egg.
---
The massive front doors of Vale Manor creaked open. Morning sunlight spilled across the marble steps as Lukas stepped outside, holding the egg with both arms as if cradling a priceless jewel.
**Rowan**, the family's long-serving butler, happened to be passing through the hall at that moment. His eyes widened. "Young Master, you're… awake? At this hour?"
Lukas didn't even glance his way. "Don't sound so surprised."
Rowan's gaze drifted to the gleaming shell. "That's… unusual. May I—?"
"No." Lukas's grip tightened instantly.
"I only meant to examine—"
"Uncle Rowan." Lukas's voice sharpened, carrying the weight of someone who'd lived far longer than his eleven years. "You've known me long enough to recognize when I'm serious. Don't push it."
Rowan bowed slightly. "…Understood."
---
Ten minutes into their walk around the manor grounds, Lukas's arms began to ache.
By the fifteen-minute mark, he'd had enough. He tied a silk ribbon around the egg, muttered a **Levitation Charm**, and let it drift lazily through the air beside him like an oversized pearl balloon.
"Perfect," he said with satisfaction. "Light exposure? Check. Zero arm strain? Check. Maximum bonding time? Double check. Honestly, I should patent this."
The egg wobbled faintly, as if unimpressed.
---
An hour later, Lukas returned to the front doors. Rowan was still in the hall, watching the boy closely.
He noticed something rare—Lukas was smiling. Since Lord and Lady Vale had gone abroad, such expressions had been scarce.
"Young Master, it's already seven," Rowan said carefully. "Will you be heading to West Cross Alley today?"
"Not today. I'll eat here."
Lukas briefly considered taking the egg along… but the idea died instantly. Its patterns were too unique, its vitality too rich. Any wizard with half a brain would recognize it as extraordinary.
And extraordinary things attracted dangerous attention.
---
Back in his room, Lukas set the egg gently on the desk.
"I'll be back before sunset," he told it. "No wandering."
The egg gave a slow, deliberate wobble.
"I said no," Lukas replied. "You're worth more than most vaults. If someone got their hands on you, I'd have to kill them. And I'm trying to avoid unnecessary Ministry paperwork."
The egg wobbled again, harder this time.
"When you hatch, I'll take you everywhere," Lukas promised. "Until then, you stay put."
The egg turned slightly, almost sulking.
At the doorway, Rowan hid a small smile—until Lukas's gaze flicked toward him, cold enough to chill the air.
The butler cleared his throat. "I'll prepare your breakfast, Young Master."
"Good," Lukas said, already turning away.
---