A few days later, life at the estate returned to its usual rhythm.
Leo had gone back to his academy.
Lessons.
Sword practice.
Noble etiquette.
All the things he complained about every evening.
That evening, just as the sun was setting and the estate lamps were being lit, a familiar voice shouted from the front gate.
"LEO!!!"
Leo, who had just walked out of the manor, froze.
"…Wait."
His eyes widened.
"Xavier??!"
A boy about Leo's age came jogging through the courtyard.
They immediately grabbed each other's shoulders in greeting.
"Hello!!"
"Man, it's good to see you!"
Leo laughed.
"How was your aunt's place?"
Xavier shrugged.
"Well… you know."
"New town, new people."
"New problems."
Then his eyes suddenly moved past Leo.
He froze.
"…Woah."
Standing near the barn was Mia in her dragon form, lazily resting beside the fountain.
Xavier pointed.
"That's Mia??"
Leo nodded proudly.
"Yep."
Mia lifted her head slightly.
"…Hi."
Xavier walked closer slowly, staring up at her.
"Dang…"
He whistled softly.
"I should've visited you more often."
He looked at Leo.
"Last time I saw her, she was like… puppy-sized."
He gestured with his hands.
"When we were ten!"
Then he looked back up at Mia's five-meter dragon body.
"…Now look at her."
He rubbed the back of his head.
"…God damn."
Mia blinked slowly.
"…Thank you?"
Xavier stepped closer cautiously.
"So…"
He looked at Leo.
"Can I still pet her?"
Leo immediately answered.
"She head-bumps people, by the way."
Xavier froze.
"…Right."
He looked at Mia again.
Then shrugged.
"Well."
"You know what?"
He stepped forward bravely.
"I'm gonna ask."
He raised a hand politely.
"Miss Mia."
"Can I ride you?"
Leo immediately started laughing.
"I've never ridden a dragon before!"
Leo crossed his arms and leaned against a pillar.
"…I don't know."
He pointed at Mia.
"Ask this grumpy dragon."
Mia turned her head sharply.
"Hey!"
Leo raised both hands innocently.
"What? It's accurate!"
Xavier nervously scratched his cheek.
"So… uh…"
"Permission to ride?"
Mia stared at both of them.
One hopeful.
One already amused.
Her tail flicked slowly across the ground.
"…Why does everyone want to ride me?"
Leo answered instantly.
"Because flying is awesome."
Xavier nodded rapidly.
"Exactly!"
Mia sighed deeply.
"…Humans."
In her minds.. "to be honest.. I would ask to ride a dragon too.."
She looked at Xavier again.
"…Have you ever fallen from a tree?"
Xavier blinked.
"…Yes?"
"Good."
She lowered one wing slightly.
"Then you already understand gravity."
Leo burst out laughing.
"Careful what you agree to, man!"
Xavier grinned anyway.
"…Worth it."
Mia stared at him for a moment.
Then sighed again.
"…Fine."
Leo straightened.
"Wait—really?"
"But only one condition," Mia said.
Both boys leaned forward.
"What?"
"No screaming."
Leo immediately pointed at Xavier.
"That rule is for you."
Xavier scoffed.
"Please."
"I'm not a kid."
Five minutes later—
The estate heard someone screaming happily from the sky.
The wind roared past them as Mia soared above the estate.
Below, the fields and rooftops grew smaller and smaller.
On her back—
Two very excited humans.
Xavier threw both arms up into the air.
"THIS IS AWESOME!!! WOOHOOO!!"
Leo immediately grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him down.
"Shut up!!"
"You're hurting my ears!"
He pointed forward dramatically.
"And Mia's too!"
Mia's tail flicked in agreement.
"…Correct."
But then—
She suddenly rolled slightly to the side in the air.
Xavier's excitement turned into panic instantly.
"WOAH—"
Leo grabbed onto her scales tightly.
"Hold on, idiot!"
Both boys clung to her back as Mia spun in a playful aerial loop.
Wind howled around them.
Xavier's voice cracked between fear and excitement.
"THIS IS EVEN BETTER!!"
They finally leveled out again.
Xavier slowly relaxed his grip.
"…Okay."
"That was terrifying."
"…Do it again."
Leo smacked the back of his head.
"No!"
Xavier laughed.
Then he looked down at Mia's scales where they were sitting.
"You know…"
"You guys should add a saddle."
Leo blinked.
"…What?"
Xavier shrugged.
"For a more comfortable ride."
He tapped the black scales beneath him.
"And probably better for her too."
"Her scales won't get scratched as much from people sitting directly on them."
Leo squinted at him.
"Since when did you become a dragon caretaker?"
Xavier scoffed.
"Come on."
"Everyone should know some basics."
He leaned back slightly, looking up at the sky.
"Who knows?"
"Maybe one day I'll have my own dragon."
Leo laughed loudly.
"Yeah right."
Xavier shrugged again.
"Okay, sure."
"The chance of finding a dragon egg or an injured dragon that bonds with you is like…"
He thought for a moment.
"…0.7%."
Leo burst out laughing.
"That's basically zero!"
Xavier grinned confidently.
"Still higher than zero."
Mia listened quietly while gliding through the clouds.
Then she spoke calmly.
"…If you ever do find one."
Both boys leaned forward slightly.
"…Do not scream like you did today."
Leo nodded immediately.
"Agreed."
Xavier looked offended.
"Hey!"
"I screamed heroically!"
Leo snorted.
"You screamed like a falling goat."
Mia suddenly tilted her wings again.
Both boys grabbed her scales instantly.
"HEY—"
"NOT AGAIN—"
Mia's voice was calm.
"…Testing stability."
Leo groaned.
"You're enjoying this too much."
Leo leaned forward comfortably against her neck while Xavier kept looking everywhere like a tourist seeing the world for the first time.
Then—
WHOOSH.
A sudden streak of blue light cut through the sky.
Wind pressure shifted sharply.
A blur shot past them before curving back around.
Blue trails shimmered briefly in the air.
Xavier's eyes went wide.
"WHAT WAS THAT—"
A large blue dragon slowed beside them midair, his wings beating with powerful control.
Golden eyes calm.
Scales glowing slightly under the sunlight.
Ebruhan matched Mia's flight speed easily.
"Good evening, Miss Mia."
His voice carried clearly through the wind.
"May I join you?"
Mia glanced sideways at him while maintaining her flight.
"…You already did."
Ebruhan chuckled lightly.
Then he added calmly,
"I was also expecting you to come for training tomorrow."
Leo perked up immediately.
"Oh right—"
But before he could continue—
Xavier leaned forward so suddenly he almost slipped.
"WAIT—"
He pointed dramatically at the blue dragon flying beside them.
"EBRUHAN?!"
His voice cracked from pure shock.
"THE EBRUHAN???"
Leo winced.
"MY EARS—"
Xavier stared like he had just seen a legend appear.
"I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE HIM IN PERSON!!"
He waved frantically.
"HELLO SIR ROYAL DRAGON!!"
Leo facepalmed.
"You're embarrassing us."
Ebruhan blinked once.
Then laughed softly.
"It is nice to meet you as well."
Xavier leaned closer to Leo and whispered loudly.
"YOU DIDN'T TELL ME YOU HANG OUT WITH THE ROYAL DRAGON!"
Leo whispered back just as loudly.
"I didn't think it was important!"
Xavier looked horrified.
"NOT IMPORTANT??"
Mia sighed while flying steadily.
Ebruhan flew slightly closer to her side.
"You seem to be enjoying your evening flight."
"…I am."
"And your companions seem… energetic."
Leo groaned.
"That's the polite way to say 'annoying.'"
Xavier pointed at him.
"Hey!"
Then he looked back at Ebruhan with shining eyes.
"Sir! How fast can you fly?!"
Leo muttered quietly,
"…Don't encourage him."
Ebruhan's eyes sparkled slightly with amusement.
"Well…"
"If you are curious…"
His wings spread wider.
Blue mana began flowing faintly along the edges.
"…Would you like to see?"
Xavier instantly screamed—
"YES."
Leo grabbed Mia's scales tighter.
"Oh..no"
The blue dragon suddenly tilted his wings—
Then shot forward.
BOOOOOM—
A burst of wind followed as he accelerated through the air.
Blue mana flowed along the edges of his wings, leaving glowing sapphire trails behind him like streaks of lightning across the sky.
The trails curved and spiraled beautifully as he cut through the clouds.
Elegant.
Fast.
Ridiculously fast.
Mia watched him disappear ahead in seconds.
(…A living F-22 fighter jet, for real.)
Behind her—
Xavier's jaw dropped completely open.
"WHOOOOOOAAAAAA!!!"
He pointed wildly at the blue streak racing across the sky.
"THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!"
Leo grabbed onto Mia's scales again just in case.
"Yeah yeah, we get it."
A few seconds later—
The blue streak curved back around the clouds.
Ebruhan slowed smoothly and matched Mia's speed again, flying calmly beside her as if nothing had happened.
The faint blue trails slowly faded behind him.
"That," he said calmly, "is my attribute."
"My stamina allows me to maintain extremely high flight speeds."
Mia nodded honestly.
"…That was really cool."
She looked at her own wings for a moment.
"I wonder what my attribute will be."
Ebruhan shrugged slightly while flying.
"No one truly knows until it manifests."
Mia sighed.
"…Right."
Then she muttered quietly,
"Magic casino."
Leo blinked.
"…What?"
Xavier leaned forward.
"Casino??"
Ebruhan tilted his head.
"I do not believe that is a magical classification."
Mia froze.
"…Nothing."
She coughed.
"…Nothing at all."
(Dang it… another Earth reference.)
They continued flying together for a while longer, drifting across the sky above the estate lands.
Eventually, Ebruhan slowed and angled away.
"It was pleasant flying with you."
He dipped one wing politely.
"I will see you tomorrow for training, Miss Mia."
Then he shot away again, leaving another fading blue trail behind him.
Soon the sky was quiet again.
Mia turned back toward the estate.
She descended slowly.
The courtyard grew larger below them.
THUD.
She landed smoothly on the grass.
Leo slid off first, stretching.
"Man… flying never gets old."
Xavier jumped down next.
He looked absolutely thrilled.
"Okay."
He rubbed his face like he needed to confirm reality.
"That was god-level cool."
Then he reached into his pocket.
Clink.
He held out seven gold coins toward Mia.
"Here."
"For your hoard."
Mia blinked.
"…What?"
Xavier looked confused.
"What?"
"You don't hoard treasure?"
Leo burst out laughing immediately.
"Oh man—"
"She's gonna hate that."
Mia stared at the coins.
Then at Xavier.
"…I do not have a hoard."
Xavier looked genuinely shocked.
"Wait."
He slowly turned to Leo.
"Your dragon doesn't hoard treasure??"
Leo shrugged.
"She hoards hay."
Mia snapped her head toward him.
"I do not—"
Leo pointed at her barn dramatically.
"You absolutely do."
Xavier looked back and forth between them.
Then he nodded seriously.
He placed the coins gently on the ground anyway.
"Every dragon deserves a starter hoard."
Mia looked down at the small pile of gold.
Her tail flicked once.
"...right.. thanks.. I guess"
The next morning, Mia informed Vinson before leaving.
"I will be going to the palace today."
Vinson looked up from the documents on his desk.
"For training with the royal dragon?"
"Yes."
He nodded calmly.
"You have my permission."
Leo immediately jumped up from his chair.
"I'm coming too!"
Vinson didn't even look at him.
"Your exams are next week."
Leo froze.
"…Right."
His shoulders slumped.
"Academy is a cruel place."
Mia glanced at him.
"…Study."
Leo pointed accusingly.
"You're enjoying this."
"…Maybe."
A few minutes later, Mia launched into the sky and headed toward the palace.
When she arrived at the royal training grounds, Ebruhan was already waiting near the garden lake where they had spoken before.
The blue dragon lifted his head as she landed.
"Welcome."
He transformed into his human form again.
"Since you already understand the basics of magic…"
He smiled slightly.
"Let me share some of my personal experiences."
"And of course…"
His tone grew a little more serious.
"We will begin preparing you for your growth phase."
Training began that day.
And continued for the next two months.
Some days Leo came along.
Sometimes with Xavier.
Sometimes alone.
Other days Mia trained by herself with Ebruhan.
Every session was different.
Ebruhan taught her combat basics first.
How to strike properly with claws.
How to use her tail for balance and impact.
How to bite without exposing her neck.
Then came mana control in battle.
"How you gather mana determines how fast you attack."
He showed her how to condense mana into bursts.
How to launch mana shots from a distance.
Her first attempts scattered wildly across the training field.
But after weeks of practice—
Her aim became sharp.
Precise.
One day, Ebruhan introduced a technique he called—
"Mana Headbutt."
Mia blinked.
"…That sounds stupid."
"Watch."
He gathered mana around his forehead.
Then SLAMMED into a large stone pillar.
The impact exploded with a burst of blue energy.
The pillar cracked in half.
Mia stared.
"…Okay that is actually cool."
Soon she was practicing it too.
Leo laughed so hard the first time she accidentally blasted herself backward.
"Your head is a weapon now!"
Ebruhan also demonstrated Mana Sword.
A blade of condensed mana forming along his forearm.
Elegant.
Deadly.
Perfectly stable.
Mia tried it.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The mana kept collapsing before forming properly.
After many attempts, Ebruhan finally shook his head.
"That is normal."
"You are still young."
"Your mana control is powerful, but not yet refined."
Mia sighed.
"…One day."
Then came stamina training.
Flying drills.
Mana-assisted flight.
"Use mana through your wings," Ebruhan explained.
"It reduces drag and increases thrust."
The first time Mia tried it—
She nearly crashed into a tree.
Leo, watching from below, yelled:
"TRY NOT TO DIE!"
But after weeks of repetition—
Her speed improved.
Her turns became sharper.
Her dives faster.
Sometimes training became conversation.
Ebruhan told stories about monsters he had fought.
A giant stone serpent in the northern mountains.
A swarm of shadow wyverns near the coast.
Ancient creatures that even dragons avoided.
Mia listened with fascination every time.
Then there were the discussions about the growth phase.
That part always became serious.
"In your dream battle," Ebruhan explained, "you will face your future self."
"You cannot use magic there."
Mia frowned.
"…What?"
"Only your physical strength."
"Your instincts."
"Your will."
He looked directly at her.
"That is why we train your body."
"Not just your magic."
Days turned into weeks.
Weeks turned into two months.
And slowly—
Mia could feel it.
Her movements were sharper.
Her mana flowed more smoothly.
Her wings carried her farther with less effort.
Her strikes landed harder.
She was becoming stronger.
Not just as a dragon—
But as a fighter.
One evening after training, she sat near the lake, breathing slowly.
Ebruhan watched her quietly.
"You are improving faster than I expected."
Mia looked down at her claws.
"…I can feel it."
She flexed her wings slightly.
"Something is changing."
Ebruhan nodded.
"Yes."
He looked toward the sky.
"That means your growth phase may not be far away."
The wind rustled the trees around the lake.
And for the first time—
Mia wondered if she was truly ready for the battle waiting inside her own mind.