Zara gently patted his back as they walked. "And listen, next time someone stops us, don't get angry like that. Biblio was only doing his duty. We should respect others, understand? You are the King of Dragons, so you should be the calmest of all.
Vane softly rubbed his face against Zara's cheek, as if letting her know he understood.
The moment Zara reached her bedroom, she closed the door quietly. She stretched to shake off her exhaustion, took off the tiny royal crown from her forehead, and set it down on the table. Through the large window, the ocean waves and the palace lights were clearly visible.
Zara collapsed onto her bed, and Vane instantly shrank down, hopping right next to her.
"You know, Vane," Zara said, turning onto her side to look into his eyes. "Biblio said that book is only for Mom and Dad. That means it holds some family secret that I don't need to know right now. But my mind... it just can't sit quiet."
She gently touched Vane's tiny wing with her finger. "You also came to me only when I turned fifteen. Why were so many dragons born on the day I was born? And where were you hiding all these years? Are you a part of that 'Hidden World'?"
Vane looked at Zara with his transparent eyes, which held a strange, mysterious depth. He rested his head on her hand and began to purr softly.
Zara smiled and held him close to her chest. "It's okay, buddy. If not today, we will find the answers to these questions tomorrow. For now, we should sleep. Training starts again tomorrow, and I have to show Master Thorn what we can do."
Zara gently closed her eyes, but the silver letters of that black book kept flashing in her mind. Wrapped up in these thoughts, she soon drifted into a deep sleep.
The night grew deeply silent as Zara slept peacefully. But Vane? Sleep was far from his eyes. He lay beside her, watching her innocent face, unable to forget the black book from earlier and the disappointed look on Zara's face.
Vane took a 'heroic' stretch and flapped his tiny wings. Making himself completely transparent so no one could see him, he slipped out of the window and began flying down the corridor.
He moved exactly like a seasoned detective. Whenever a palace guard walked past, Vane would press himself against the wall and hold his breath.
When he reached the library, the door was locked. But Vane is the King of Kings! He squeezed right through the keyhole and slipped inside.
Inside, Biblio was stationed on duty. He wasn't asleep; instead, he was busy cleaning one of his shelves. Vane spotted the 'Hidden World' book still sitting high up on the shelf.
Vane quickly formed a plan. He used his tail to give a gentle push to a small dictionary sitting in another corner of the library.
Biblio turned with a jerk. "Who's there? Which book moved out of place?" He rushed toward the sound on his paper-like legs.
This was his chance! Vane flew swiftly toward the black book. It was massive and heavy compared to Vane's tiny size, but he used all his strength and dragged it off the shelf.
*Chrrr...*
The book was so heavy that Vane lost his balance. He was about to crash down with it, but he managed to wrap his tail around it mid-air. He was now struggling in mid-air—the book pulling him down, and Vane pulling up. It looked incredibly funny, like a tiny balloon trying to lift a heavy boulder.
Just then, Biblio walked back. "There's no one here... strange."
Vane immediately hid behind the book. Biblio walked right past him. Vane squeezed his eyes shut tightly, and luckily, Biblio didn't notice the shifting black book.
The moment Biblio turned his back, Vane gripped the book with both of his tiny feet and headed toward the window with a 'mission successful' smile. The heavy book made it impossible to fly straight, causing him to wobble through the air. Every now and then, the book would bump into his face, and he would irritably adjust his grip.
After a lot of struggle, Vane finally reached Zara's room. Very carefully, he placed the heavy book right next to her pillow. He puffed out his chest with pride and looked at Zara, as if saying—"Just wait until you wake up tomorrow morning to see what a surprise your friend has brought you!"
Vane was so exhausted that he collapsed right on top of the book. Resting his tiny tail on the cover, he drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, when the Princess opened her eyes, the first thing she found was Vane sleeping on top of her. She gently picked him up and set him aside, and then her gaze locked onto the book Vane had brought with so much effort.
She immediately picked up the book and cheered, "I can't believe this book is actually here!"
She opened the first page, but her eyebrows furrowed. She flipped to the second page, then the third, then the fourth. She went through the entire book, but every single page was blank. They were completely bare, as if no one had ever written a single word. There wasn't even a scratch of ink. Her eyes widened in astonishment.
"What is this..? There's nothing written here; the whole book is empty. Maybe Father hid the text, but it doesn't matter, nothing stays hidden from me...!"
She brought a candle over and began inspecting the book differently. Holding a random page up against the candlelight, she searched for hidden ink, but still, she found absolutely nothing.
"Is there really nothing written here? Is this book truly just an empty book? It must be," she muttered, carefully putting the book away.
A few hours later, Zara arrived at the Academy with her dragon. A massive crowd had gathered at the training ground today because everyone wanted to see the magical duo—Zara and Vane—in action for the first time.
The blue sunlight filtered through the waves onto the field. The roars of dragons and the clashing of weapons echoed through the air. In a corner of the field, Callem and Alexis stood waiting for Zara. Callem was polishing his heavy shield, while Alexis performed light tricks in the air with her dragon, Lunar.
"Zara! Over here!" Alexis called out loudly, waving her hand. She looked more excited today than ever before.
The moment Zara reached them, Alexis pulled her into a tight hug.
"What's the matter, showering me with love so early in the morning?" Zara asked, stepping back with a wide smile. Her laugh was so radiant that her eyes squeezed shut, making her look even cuter.
Callem dismounted from his dragon. "What's the story? Why are you two so happy today? Let me in on it too!"
Zara looked at both of them and said seriously, "I need to tell you something very important. Meet me at our usual spot after classes, okay? Don't forget."
Just then, a heavy voice echoed across the field. It was Master Thorn, Abyssonia's oldest and strictest instructor. His hair was stark white, but his build was as solid as a young warrior's.
"Fall in line, everyone!" Master Thorn barked.
The three of them weren't alone on the field. Children of other ministers and wealthy households stood ready in their uniforms. Some of the boys had massive, terrifying dragons clawing at the dirt, frequently glancing over at Zara and her tiny, transparent companion.
"Let's see what the Princess will do with that little toy," a boy whispered from the back of the line.
Zara ignored the remarks, but Callem's face tightened with anger. He clenched his fist, but Zara signaled him to stay calm.
Master Thorn stood before them. "Today, we will test how deep your mental bond is with your dragon. Without speaking, you must signal your partner to touch the crystal floating in the air."
One by one, the students stepped up. Callem's Ignis charged toward the crystal with immense force, though he was a bit too aggressive. Alexis's Lunar was incredibly agile, tapping the crystal in a flash, making Alexis jump with joy.
Now, it was Zara and Vane's turn.
A hush fell over the entire training ground. Even Master Thorn narrowed his brows. Vane, still in his tiny form, slowly took flight from Zara's shoulder.
Zara closed her eyes, channeling the deep bond she had felt in the library the night before. She didn't utter a single spell; she simply pictured the action in her mind.
Vane let out a soft, resonant hum in the air and suddenly vanished. Everyone gasped in shock. "Where did he go?" someone yelled from the crowd.
The next moment, the crystal began to glow on its own, dancing through the air. Vane was playing with it while remaining completely invisible. Then, he suddenly materialized—this time slightly larger, glowing brilliantly like a sphere of pure light.
For the first time, a faint smile appeared on Master Thorn's face. "Unique... absolutely unique."
Once the first round of training ended, the three friends gathered back together.
"My goodness, what was that?" Alexis exclaimed, grabbing and shaking Zara's hand. "How did he disappear? My Lunar can only camouflage for a little bit, but Vane literally turned into the air!"
Callem breathed a sigh of relief. "I have to admit, Zara, your brilliance paired with Vane's power... you two are going to be unstoppable."
Zara beckoned Vane back, who now looked a little exhausted. Stroking him affectionately, she murmured, "This is just the beginning. We still have a lot to learn about each other."
On the other side of the field, the rest of the students no longer viewed Zara as weak; she was now a fascinating mystery. Zara realized that her true training had officially begun—one that required not just raw power, but sharp intellect and absolute trust.