"Father… Father!" I screamed.
"What is it, Akira? Do you need anything?" he asked
"I made a new friend—but they aren't in school. I met them in the forest."
"That's great! Who are they? I know about your other friend Tobias," Father said excitedly.
"She's a Drago. Her name is Solfira. Tobias and I found her there alone, so we played together. She was really fun." I said, proudly.
Father's energy shifted, and he roared, "Are you joking? Don't you know that's illegal? You could be sentenced to execution. Now that I know, I could lose my knight status, and if I keep it a secret... I could be executed as well."
I cried, "Why are you yelling at me? I didn't do anything wrong! I just made a new friend, and she didn't—she didn't do anything!"
Father's anger vanished, and he said calmly, "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I just fear for the future. It's just… I really love you, and I want nothing to happen to you. So this should be something between you, me, and your mother. If anyone finds out, we're dead.
With a smirk on my face, I said, "You really didn't have to yell the first time."
Before he could react, I jabbed him lightly in the arm.
Father froze for a moment, then a small chuckle escaped him despite himself. "Akira! Are you trying to kill me with your punches now?"
I grinned, proud of myself. "Just keeping you on your toes, Father."
He shook his head, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips. He stayed silent for a moment, staring off as if lost in thought. Then he said quietly, "You're impossible… enjoy these moments while you can, Akira. One day, I won't be here to protect you."
It was silent for a moment, and I said, "Don't speak like that, old man," before punching him on the shoulder.
"All right, I'll stop," Father said, "But just know… I'll always keep you safe, even when I'm not there physically."
"Whatever you say, old man," I said, smiling.
Later that afternoon, Father and I walked home together, where we found Mother waiting with dinner already prepared.
It was a normal dinner. Everyone seemed neutral… until…
"Uh, Sera, I wanted to tell you—Akira made a new friend," Father said.
"Wow, that's nice! But why are you so nervous to tell me?" Mother asked, raising an eyebrow.
Father turned pale, sweat forming at his temples. "Well… about the friend… she's actually a Drago," he said, his voice trembling.
Mother froze, her hands shaking. Then she shouted, "A Drago?!"
The rest of the meal passed in tense silence. I poked at my food, my stomach twisting with unease, while Father avoided any eye contact, clearly unsure what to say next.
After that day and night, I knew my whole life was about to take a drastic turn.
"Hey, Tobias, let's go play with Solfira after school. Maybe we could even train my magic with her," I said.
"Okay, I guess… I wish I had magic too. Too bad I'm not magically blessed like you," Tobias said.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel left out," I said.
"No, it's all right. I'm not offended… I'm just… sad. I'm the only one in humanity born without mana," Tobias said.
We met Solfira every day to play and train; it quickly became our routine. Three months later…
Three months of peaceful training ended the forest felt… wrong. Shadows moved where they shouldn't, and a cold wind blew through the trees as we made our way home.
"I'm home!" I shouted as I entered the house.
Mother, Father, and the twins greeted me warmly, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Father seemed… off that night.
A few minutes later, a sudden knock came from the front door.
"Who could it be this late?" I whispered.
Father moved to check the door. His aura shifted, as if he could sense the danger approaching.
My father opened the door—and bam! A clash of mana erupted. The house trembled and shook as if it might collapse, and the shadowed figure before us was tremendously fearsome.
My father screamed, "Run! Now! Take the back door and get to the forest immediately!"
I was frozen in place, my hand covering my mouth. The man stared daggers at me, and a gut feeling told me I knew him—but I couldn't place from where.
Mother grabbed Kaito and Akari and ran, leaving me behind. I couldn't move; it was like my body refused to obey. I felt sick—his aura was tremendously powerful, and it pressed down on me like a heavy weight.
Then they began to throw hands. The clash of power shook the ground, sending shockwaves that you could feel all the way to the royal capital.
I regained movement. I stood up, watching as my father fought fearlessly… then all of a sudden—
Stab! A light blade plunged through his chest. The light revealed the man clearly: it was his right-hand commander, his closest friend.
Father screamed, "Why are you still standing? Run away, my son!"
Even with a hole through his chest, he continued fighting, gradually weakening by the second. I had no choice—I ran, just as he had instructed, glancing back to see him struggling, so close to death.
I caught up with the others, and behind us, we saw Tobias being chased by a figure. He reached us, crying for help.
My father caught up as well, though he struggled under the weight of his injuries. Behind him, the commander advanced, and my heart filled with hatred. I screamed, "How could you do this to your best friend?!" The commander smirked but remained silent.
Father, blood covering him, looked at me and said, "I'm sorry, son… please forgive me, for I will die tonight. There is no stopping that."
I started to cry. Kaito and Akari were huddled close, terrified.
"Can you promise me something, Akira?" Father asked, his voice strained but resolute.
"What is it, Father? I'll do anything you ask," I said, my throat tight with emotion.
"You made friends with a non-human," he said, his passion shining through despite the pain, "so I want to die peacefully knowing that you will unite us all—the humans, the elves, the fae, and the Drago."
"I PROMISE TO UNITE US ALL!" I shouted.
Father's eyes lit up with pride. He looked back, ready to face the enemy. With a roar, he charged with full power, his aura stronger than I had ever seen. I wondered why he had never revealed his power before—he was a captain, the strongest and highest-ranking, yet he had held back.
Then, out of nowhere, Solfira appeared. With a swift movement, she guided us away from the chaos and directed us toward the Dragon Region.
We ran for two hours straight. Finally, we crossed the borders and entered the Dragon Region.
As we approached the centre of the kingdom, everyone turned to stare at us like we were hideous creatures. Solfira led us forward, guiding us through the crowd and straight to the castle.
We eventually reached the capital and entered the kingdom, where we came face-to-face with the king. His aura was as strong as my father's—it scared me deeply.
It turned out Solfira was the daughter of the Dragon King, Magnus Vermilion. She had to convince her father to let us live in the castle as her friends.
Her father hesitated. In the Dragon Kingdom, no races outside of Dragos were normally allowed, and any trespassers faced execution. He would have to think carefully before granting us sanctuary.
We were sentenced to temporary imprisonment for four days, after which we would be told whether we would live or be executed.
Four days later...
"Seraphina Nomura, Akira Nomura, Kaito Nomura, Akari Nomura… Tobias King," the king called out, his voice echoing through the hall.
He went silent for a moment, the pause heavy enough to crush the air in my chest. Then he declared, "You have been sentenced… to execution."
My mother broke down, tears spilling as her body trembled. Tobias's eyes widened, his face pale as he stumbled back. Guards seized us immediately, dragging us all toward our cells.
On the way back to the cells, I noticed Tobias wasn't saying a word. His eyes darted around nervously, his brows furrowed as if something was eating at him. He muttered under his breath, too soft for me to catch. But the way he clenched his fists told me one thing—he was troubled, and Solfira's absence was at the heart of it.
Through the bars of our cell, we caught sight of Solfira outside the castle walls. She was struggling against a Drago man, thrashing and screaming as if she were being kidnapped.
We shouted for help, our voices loud and desperate, but no one heard. The guards didn't even glance our way.
With a single, powerful beat of his wings, the Drago man rose into the bright sky—carrying Solfira away.
To be continued…