Arin kept glancing around as he led the strange dragon-boy through the gap in the construction fence. Every second felt like a countdown to disaster.
Kairon walked behind him, surprisingly quiet for someone who was literally a dragon. His glowing eyes stayed alert, scanning everything as if expecting an attack.
"Keep your head down," Arin whispered.
"I am disguised," Kairon replied. "No one will recognize me."
Arin stared at the glowing blue streaks in his hair and the faint scales on his arms.
"Yeah, you look totally normal," Arin muttered.
Kairon didn't understand sarcasm. "Good. Then let us continue."
They slipped onto the sidewalk. Workers were still gathered near the crater, arguing about what caused the collapse. No one noticed the two of them.
Every step toward Arin's apartment felt more surreal.
How was he supposed to hide a dragon?
Even if the dragon was currently a glowing teenager?
They turned onto a quieter street. Arin finally exhaled, rubbing his forehead. "Okay, listen. My apartment is close. No weird glowing, no dragon noises, no transforming. Just stay—"
Kairon suddenly stopped walking.
Arin looked back. "What now?"
Kairon narrowed his eyes and tapped his chest, just once.
BOOM.
Arin's heart skipped. A pulse went through him—sharp, internal, impossible to ignore.
He staggered. "Ow—what was that?!"
"Our bond," Kairon said simply. "Your body reacted to my energy. It must adjust."
"Adjust?! Adjust to what?!"
Kairon tilted his head, thinking. "To me."
"Great. Fantastic. Wonderful," Arin muttered under his breath.
---
Arin lived alone in a small 1BHK on the third floor. Cheap rent. No nosy neighbors.
Perfect for hiding a dragon.
He unlocked the door and pulled Kairon inside. "Okay—first rule. Don't break anything."
Kairon stepped in and surveyed the room like he was inspecting a battlefield.
"This shelter is… small."
"It's called an apartment," Arin said.
"It is too small for a dragon."
"You're not a dragon right now!"
Kairon considered that and nodded. "Acceptable."
Arin shut the curtains immediately. The last thing he needed was someone outside spotting a glowing boy.
Kairon walked toward the fridge and opened it. The bright light made his eyes widen.
"A storage box with a freezing aura…" he muttered. "Humans progressed more than I expected."
"That's just a fridge," Arin said.
Kairon reached inside, grabbed an ice pack, and bit it.
Arin nearly had a heart attack. "No—don't eat that!"
Kairon paused mid-bite. "This is not food?"
"No!"
He dropped it on the floor like it offended him. "Humans store objects next to their food. Very chaotic."
Arin pinched the bridge of his nose. "Please. Just sit down. Quietly."
Kairon sat cross-legged on the floor, looking annoyed.
Arin turned on the TV mostly for background noise, but the first headline hit him immediately.
"BREAKING: Strange seismic activity detected in East Ward. Construction site collapses. Authorities investigating unknown energy readings."
Arin froze.
The screen showed aerial drone images of the crater. Operators analyzed the blue mist around it.
Kairon watched silently.
"They already noticed," Arin whispered.
"Of course," Kairon said calmly. "Dragons cannot wake without the world feeling it."
"That's a terrific thing to mention now!"
Suddenly, Arin felt a dull ache in his temples. A second pulse.
He gripped his head. "That again—why does it hurt?"
Kairon studied him carefully. "The bond is stabilizing. Some humans cannot handle it. But you survived the initial activation, so you should live."
"'Should'?!"
Kairon nodded. "Most likely."
"Wow," Arin said flatly. "Comforting."
Kairon stood and walked toward the window, peeking through a tiny gap in the curtains.
"Human," he said, not turning around, "listen carefully."
Arin stiffened. Kairon's voice sounded different—serious, older, almost commanding.
"My awakening will attract others. Dragons. Hunters. Cults. Nations. No one must know I am with you. If they learn, they will chase you."
Arin swallowed. "Why chase me?"
Kairon turned, and for the first time, Arin felt the weight of something ancient behind those glowing eyes.
"Because you touched the heartstone," Kairon said. "And that means you are now my bond-holder."
Arin blinked. "…Meaning?"
Kairon pointed to Arin's chest.
"You carry part of my power now. Anyone who wants control of me must take you."
Arin's stomach dropped.
"People will come after me… because of you?"
"Yes."
No hesitation.
Arin sat down on the couch, staring blankly.
"Great. Just great. I woke up, wanted to go to class, and now I'm apparently a dragon target."
Kairon corrected him calmly.
"A target for powerful beings far beyond your imagination."
"Thanks, that makes it sound so much better."
A sudden knock at the door made both of them freeze.
Arin's heart spiked. Kairon's eyes turned sharp, glowing brighter.
Another knock.
Firm. Slow. Intentional.
Kairon whispered, "Someone sensed the awakening."
Arin's hands shook. "W-wait—already?!"
Kairon placed a hand on Arin's shoulder.
His voice dropped to a quiet, deadly calm.
"Do not open that door."
The knocking stopped.
Silence spread through the room.
Then a woman's voice spoke from the hallway—soft, polite, and chilling.
"Arin Rao… we need to talk about the crater you visited this morning."
Arin's blood turned cold.
Kairon's eyes glowed like fire.
"Do not speak," he whispered.
"If she steps inside, I will have to kill her."