A bright morning arrived as sunlight streamed through the window. A cool breeze blew in, swaying the curtains and brushing against Mraksha's hair.
He stretched on the bed, then stood up while rubbing his head. When he glanced toward the study desk, he saw Chaya curled up there, sleeping soundly and snoring softly.
Mraksha stepped forward, the wooden floor creaking beneath his feet. The dragon Chaya woke up, yawned, looked at Mraksha, and suddenly jumped onto his head, knocking him down before enthusiastically licking his face.
"Hey, hey, that's enough, Chaya."
"Cha!"
As if understanding him, Chaya stopped licking and climbed down from Mraksha's head.
Mraksha lifted Chaya and placed him on the study desk, then sat down on the chair.
"Alright… since no one else is here, be honest. Who are you really?" Mraksha asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
There was no response. Chaya only stared at him with a confused expression.
"What am I even thinking… there's no way this dragon is dangerous, right?"
"Right?"
Mraksha carefully examined every detail of Chaya's body.
"But your black color is really extreme—like a dense shadow. It reminds me of the shadow that entered my body back at that temple."
Chaya remained silent and began licking Mraksha's hand. Mraksha then picked him up and held him like a kitten.
"Alright, Chaya. It's time for us to take a walk outside," Mraksha said as he left his room.
Before going out for a walk with Chaya, Mraksha helped Afriani prepare breakfast. At first, Afriani was surprised that her older brother could cook, but Mraksha managed to convince her by saying that he had secretly practiced cooking late at night. Afriani felt relieved, knowing she would now have help managing the meals at home.
With his stomach full and his sleepwear changed, Mraksha stepped outside to look around and gather information about where he was.
It turned out that Mraksha was in a village called Hiraeth, a small, peaceful village on the western outskirts of the Kingdom of Swargantara. Hiraeth was surrounded by fields of wildflowers and green hills.
Mraksha walked around the village with Chaya. They passed houses made of pine wood with straw roofs. The villagers were very friendly, greeting Mraksha warmly—it seemed he was well known in the village. Children were playing, adults were chatting cheerfully, and craftsmen worked while singing.
At the center of the village stood a stone clock tower, sturdy and still chiming. According to the villagers, the clock had existed since the founding of Hiraeth itself.
Near the tower stood a man with black hair and a black beard. He was wearing a thin white shirt, black trousers, and boots, standing with his arms crossed. When he noticed Mraksha staring, the man frowned and hurried over, gripping Mraksha's shoulder firmly.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, RAKSHA?!" the man shouted.
"Huh? Who is this uncle?" Mraksha thought.
Before Mraksha could ask who the man was, he was dragged away by the arm.
The man pulled Mraksha past the neighboring houses. The villagers who saw them laughed and shouted,
"Hahaha, Mraksha, running away again, huh?"
"Hang in there, Mraksha!"
"Naughty Mraksha!"
Their voices were clear, but instead of helping him understand, they only made Mraksha more confused.
"Running away? DON'T TELL ME MRAKSHA IS A FUGITIVE?!" Mraksha panicked internally.
Just as he was about to beg not to be thrown into prison—because he had adorable younger siblings to take care of—the man stopped, tossed an apron at his face, and said,
"Let's get ready to work, Raksha. Put on your apron."
"An apron?"
The man then entered a building that looked like a warehouse.
The warehouse was different from the villagers' houses. It was built of stacked bricks, forming a sturdy workshop. Inside were charcoal-heating tools like a traditional furnace. Various tools hung on the walls—hammers, iron tongs—and there was a chimney that kept the place from becoming suffocating with smoke.
While Mraksha was looking around, the man ignited the charcoal with a small flame from his hand, took a heated piece of iron, and struck it with a hammer. He glanced at Mraksha.
"Hey, what are you doing? Hurry up and help me."
Mraksha joined in, even though he had no idea what he was doing.
Three hours later, Mraksha finally understood what he was doing—and who the man was. He was helping his father's acquaintance, Satya Purnacandra, the man currently keeping the Rajani family's business running.
Thanks to Satya, the Rajani family's blacksmith business had become well known in Hiraeth, with rumors even reaching the capital of Swargantara. Because of his skill in forging weapons, Uncle Satya always had customers from both inside and outside the village.
While they were working, Satya asked,
"Hey, Raksha… have you heard any news from your parents?" he asked hesitantly.
"Not yet, Uncle," Mraksha replied.
"How about your siblings? Are they doing well?"
"Don't worry, Uncle Satya. They're all healthy. Afriani still wakes me up, Ilya always invites me to play, and Arsa always asks me to accompany him wherever he goes."
Hearing that, Uncle Satya looked relieved and continued hammering the iron, which was beginning to take the shape of a sword.
Mraksha kept helping in the blacksmith workshop until the sky grew dark.
It had been a week since the young man began living as Mraksha Rajani, and he was starting to grow accustomed to it. In the mornings and evenings, he helped Afriani prepare meals. After breakfast, he played with Ilya and Arsa—though Ilya's boundless energy often caused trouble, like climbing trees and falling, only to laugh afterward. When Arsa saw Ilya fall, he would cry in worry, forcing Mraksha to calm him down. Watching Ilya run around and climb trees was exhausting, but Mraksha was grateful to inhabit a body with such a warm family.
"Family…"
Suddenly, Mraksha thought of his family in his original world—especially his mother. He worried about whether she was doing well. Was she panicking because her child had suddenly disappeared? He hoped she wasn't too distressed.
"Wait for me, Mom… I'll find a way to leave this world."
After playing with Ilya and Arsa, Mraksha returned to the blacksmith workshop to help Uncle Satya.
"By the way, Mraksha…" Satya said.
"Yes?"
"What is that animal on your head?" Satya asked, confused.
"Oh, this?" Mraksha replied innocently. "He's a dragon. His name is Chaya."
The atmosphere instantly fell silent.
"HUH?! A DRAGON?! SINCE WHEN ARE YOU KEEPING A DRAGON?!" Satya shouted in shock.
"I found him in my wardrobe a week ago," Mraksha replied just as calmly.
Satya sighed deeply and excused himself to rest, perhaps unable to process what his friend's child was keeping as a pet.
Mraksha continued working, gripping the hammer as it struck the hot metal. Sparks flew into the smoky air. Calluses began forming on his hands, his arms ached, and his back was soaked with sweat.
After finishing the blade, Mraksha heard a startled voice from the living room near the workshop. That room was usually used by Satya to receive customers and discuss weapon commissions.
Mraksha quickly ran there, still covered in charcoal dust. He saw Uncle Satya kneeling on the floor, his face pale with shock. In front of him stood two people. The one in the back looked like a male servant, wearing a black suit with a ribbon at his collar. In front of him stood a young woman with long silver-white hair tied neatly behind her back, radiating both elegance and strength. She had sharp silver eyes and wore classical attire with a high collar and a black ribbon, giving her an air of authority and grace.
She glanced briefly at Mraksha, then walked toward the sofa.
"You are Mr. Satya, correct?" she asked, crossing her legs.
"Yes, M-My Lady," Satya answered nervously.
"I would like to discuss something with you. Would that be acceptable?"
"O-Of course, My Lady!" Satya replied quickly as he sat across from her.
Mraksha was then told to return to the workshop, as the woman seemed to have important business with Satya.
An hour later, while Mraksha was continuing his work, Satya returned with a bright, happy expression. He wrapped an arm around Mraksha's shoulders.
"Raksha, tonight I'm treating you and your siblings."
"What happened, Uncle?" Mraksha asked.
"Later… later. I'll come by tonight and tell you everything," Satya replied with a wide smile.