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Chapter Text

Natural-Born Phoenixes

In the world where Dragons reign as the apex predators of nature and Ancient Powers shape destiny, there exists a higher existence—the Phoenix, beings of eternal flame and cosmic balance. They are beings just below the Gods, standing above even the mightiest Dragons, including the Dragon Lord. While Dragons are tied to the laws of the world, Phoenixes transcend them, existing outside the constraints of mortality, time, and even fate itself.

Every ten thousand years, a mortal is chosen by the Flame of Origin, an ancient, sentient fire that exists beyond the laws of the world. This fire does not merely grant power—it consumes the chosen, burning away their mortal self and rebirthing them as a Natural-Born Phoenix, a higher existence that embodies both destruction and renewal.

The Natural-Born Phoenix is not born, but chosen—the will of the world manifesting in flames. Unlike Dragons, who grow in power over centuries, or even the Divine Race, whose strength is linked to divine authority, Phoenixes stand outside the system of ascension. Their very existence bends the fabric of reality, and their flames are said to be capable of both erasing existence and restoring what was lost.

Dragons, whether Ancient or Dragon Lord, are the rulers of the mana, their magic capable of things that are beyond what a normal human mage could do. However, Phoenixes exist above them in the hierarchy of power. Where Dragons are bound by their lifespan, the Phoenix exists as long as it wills.

• Authority Over Dragons: Even the most arrogant of Dragons instinctively recognize the superiority of a Phoenix. While Dragons might challenge gods, they hesitate before the fire of a Phoenix—for it is the one flame that can erase even their mighty existence without hope of resurrection. But they are not above Imperial Dragons
• A Flame Beyond Magic: A Dragon’s mana is a force of nature, but a Phoenix’s flames are a fundamental truth of the universe. No Dragon, no matter how ancient, can match a Natural-Born Phoenix in a battle of pure existence.

Phoenixes are not gods, but they stand just beneath them. The gods, who govern the principles of the world, do not interfere with the Phoenix’s selection. Even the God of Death, the God of War, or the God of Balance cannot impose their will upon a Phoenix, for their power comes not from faith or worship but from the very essence of creation itself.

Some scholars believe the Gods and Phoenixes once stood as equals, and that the Phoenixes chose to remain in the mortal world rather than ascend to godhood. However, unlike the Divine Race, who require the presence of their gods to retain their strength, a Phoenix’s existence is absolute, requiring no external force to sustain them.

Emotions and Their Corresponding Eye Colors

1. Calm / Neutral – Ember Gold

• The default state of a Phoenix’s eyes—warm, golden like smoldering embers.
• A steady, unwavering glow, like a fire at rest, representing their balance between destruction and renewal.

2. Happiness / Joy – Sunlit Orange

• A bright, radiant orange, reminiscent of sunrise flames.
• The light in their eyes seems to flicker playfully, resembling dancing sparks.

3. Amusement / Playfulness – Fiery Amber

• A deep amber with streaks of molten gold, resembling crackling firewood.
• Their gaze holds a mischievous gleam, as if stoking the embers of curiosity and fun.

4. Sadness / Grief – Ashen Gray with Fading Red

• The once-bright flames in their eyes dim, turning into a smoky gray with faint traces of red, like embers dying out.
• Their gaze looks hollow, as if their fire has momentarily lost its warmth.

5. Anger / Wrath – Blazing Crimson

• Their irises become pure, searing crimson, burning like an inferno ready to consume everything.
• The whites of their eyes may darken, resembling burning coals surrounded by black smoke.

6. Rage / Uncontrolled Fury – Bloodfire Red with Golden Streaks

• A more intense version of anger—their irises become liquid fire, shifting between deep red and gold.
• Small embers might fall from their eyes like sparks, the heat making the air around them waver.

7. Fear / Panic – Flickering Blue Flames

• Their eyes take on the rare shade of blue fire, unstable and flickering like a candle struggling to stay lit.
• This signifies momentary weakness or doubt, though a Phoenix rarely experiences fear for long.

8. Determination / Resolve – Molten Lava Orange

• A glowing molten orange, with cracks of golden-red, resembling lava flowing through stone.
• Their gaze becomes unyielding, reflecting an unshakable will that will not be extinguished.

9. Love / Affection – Warm Sunset Gold

• A soft, golden hue with streaks of pink and orange, mirroring a sky set ablaze during sunset.
• Their eyes shine warmly, carrying the gentle heat of a fire meant to comfort, not consume.

10. Amusement with Malice / Teasing in a Dangerous Manner – Burning Scarlet with Black Edges

• A deep scarlet with black creeping at the edges, like flames consuming paper.
• Their eyes hold an unsettling gleam, playful yet carrying a dangerous undertone.

11. Serenity / Peace – Soft Glowing White

• Their flames dim to a pure white, radiating a gentle, almost divine glow.
• A state of complete balance, where destruction and rebirth exist in harmony.

12. Sadistic Pleasure / Mercilessness – Dark Gold with Crimson Slits

• A deep, metallic gold with slitted pupils glowing like heated metal.
• A sign of unrelenting cruelty—a Phoenix who has abandoned all restraint and is fully embracing destruction.

13. Shock / Surprise – Quick Flash of White Flames

• Their eyes briefly flare white-hot, a burst of light that flickers and vanishes in an instant.
• Often accompanied by a startled reaction, though it fades just as quickly as it appears.

14. Killing Intent / Battle Lust – Infernal Gold with Crimson Swirls

• Their irises become an intense, blazing gold, with crimson streaks swirling like fire caught in a storm.
• The gaze of a being who sees only battle—a Phoenix fully prepared to burn everything in their path.

15. Hatred / Absolute Loathing – Abyssal Black with Burning Red Core

• Their eyes darken completely, the irises turning black with only a faint red glow at their center, like dying embers hidden in a pit of ash.
• This is the coldest fire, a hatred so deep that it no longer rages—it simply waits, ready to consume all.

16. Despair / Hopelessness – Dull Ash Gray with No Fire

• Their flames completely vanish, leaving their eyes dull and lifeless, as though their fire has truly died.
• The rarest state, as a Phoenix is nearly impossible to break. But should they ever reach this point… their flames may never return the same way again.

Imperial Dragons

In the grand hierarchy of existence, where gods weave the threads of fate and phoenixes embody destruction and renewal, there exists a lineage of dragons that transcend death itself—the Imperial Dragons. Unlike their lesser kin, who rule as the apex of nature’s hierarchy, the Imperial Dragons are beings beyond mortality, time, and even destruction.

Even the mighty Dragon Lord, who rules over all dragons, must bow before them.

Even the Natural-Born Phoenix, whose flames erase existence, cannot reduce them to ashes.

Even the Gods, who shaped the world, dare not impose their will upon them.

They are the Divine Dragons, the Imperial Sovereigns, the Eternal Beasts of Creation—beings who have existed since before the first star was born and will remain even after the last ember of the cosmos fades.

Dragons are the pinnacle of the natural world, the apex predators that rule over mana, destruction, and time. They are feared and revered as beings of ultimate power. But even the oldest of Ancient Dragons is nothing more than a hatchling before an Imperial Dragon.

• Dragons are born and can die. An Imperial Dragon is never born, nor can it ever perish.
  
  
• Dragons wield immense mana, shaping the world with their power. An Imperial Dragon does use mana mana as well—but it commands the very laws of the world.
  
  
• The Dragon Lord is the ruler of all dragons. But even the Dragon Lord is a subject before an Imperial Dragon.

Divine Dragons will always be with Natural-Born Phoenixes. Whether as a companion or a lover. Imperial Dragons or Divine Dragons are the Apex Predator above all who is fated with the Natural-Born Phoenixes.

Chapter Text

The bedroom was quiet, save for the faint crackling of the fireplace and the steady breaths of the two figures watching over the newborn. The air was warm, thick with the scent of candle wax and lavender, a tranquil atmosphere fitting for the arrival of a noble heir.

Jour Henituse cradled the tiny child in her arms, her fingers brushing gently over his soft cheek. Her husband, Deruth, stood close beside her, his normally composed expression softened with quiet wonder as he gazed down at their firstborn. The child had yet to open his eyes, his breaths slow and even, untouched by the weight of the world he had been born into.

Then—the air shifted.

It was subtle at first. A warmth that had nothing to do with the fireplace or the flickering candles. It pulsed, faint but steady, spreading through the room like the first whisper of a summer breeze before a wildfire.

Jour gasped.

A spark ignited at the center of the infant’s forehead, flickering into existence as if it had been waiting for this very moment. It was small at first—almost unnoticeable, like a tiny ember floating in the dim light. But then it grew, unfurling in an intricate, flame-like sigil, its golden-red glow illuminating the child’s delicate features.

Deruth took a step forward, his breath caught in his throat.

The mark burned without burning, its presence undeniable yet carrying no pain. At its center, a small ember pulsed in perfect rhythm with the baby’s heartbeat—steady, unyielding. Around it, four concentric rings shimmered, ancient runes flickering across their surface, shifting in ways that defied logic. The outer edges stretched outward like eight wings of flame, their glow dancing like a fire untouched by the wind.

For a moment, the world itself seemed to pause.

The heat did not scorch, yet Deruth swore he could feel the very air bending, acknowledging the presence of something that should not be. A being that stood above dragons, beyond fate itself.

The child stirred.

And as if in response, the ember at the heart of the mark flared, its golden-red light swallowing the room in a single, silent blaze before fading just as quickly. The shadows recoiled, the flickering candlelight returning to normal, but nothing—not the warmth, not the presence—felt the same as before.

Jour’s grip tightened around the child, her heart hammering in her chest. Her lips trembled as she turned wide, disbelieving eyes toward her husband.

Deruth, pale and silent, could only stare.

Their son had yet to open his eyes. But the mark—his mark—remained, burning softly against his skin. An unspoken truth settled between them.

Their precious son was no ordinary child.

This was a being whose existence should not be known outside.

A Natural-Born Phoenix.

But as his parents they would do everything to not let anyone know. So they hid it, Deruth looked high and low for a magic device that would hide this child's mark. His son would be sought after if it had become known, so they would hide it. Once Cale got older, they would explain.

Natural born phoenixes are beings chosen by the cosmos, being higher than the Gods. It had been ten thousand years since the last natural born phoenix was chosen. But to think it would be his newborn son, he would do anything for his son.

So when he finally found a necklace that would grow with Cale, it was perfect. It had all the necessary spells to last for at least more than twenty years.

It would protect his son from being hunted down. These beings are revered anywhere, but humans are greedy beings. They would not revere the existence Cale is born as like the elves or dragons with that kind of greed, they would use him for more power and recognition.

Only him and his wife would know. Even years later when he remarried after his first wife died, he let his second wife know of the circumstances. She understood, she would protect him too.

***

The battlefield was chaotic. Screams and steel clashed in the air, a cacophony of death and desperation. The acrid scent of blood, smoke, and charred flesh mixed together, forming an unbearable stench that clung to the ruined earth.

Cale could barely keep himself upright, his limbs screaming in exhaustion, his body battered and broken from the relentless battles that had come before. His vision swam as he coughed out another mouthful of blood, the metallic tang sharp on his tongue.

Across from him, Choi Han struggled, his body convulsing under the White Star’s grip. The Hero of this era—Cale’s last remaining hope—was suffocating, his fingers clawing desperately at the invisible force crushing his throat.

“Time is oddly wrapped for you.”

The words slithered through the air like a curse.

Cale’s heart pounded in his chest. His mind reeled.

No. No. No.

His mother’s power. Her ancient powers.

That was a power that should have vanished with her. A power that allows a person to see all living things' time in the form of annual rings of a tree. The power that could see the annual rings of a person from birth to death.

Yet here it was. In the hands of the White Star.

The realization sent ice crawling through Cale’s veins.

If the White Star wielded his mother’s power, then—

Crack.

He heard Choi Han’s neck snapped. He could only gulp and stopped resisting underneath all the corpses of his comrades. He’s gonna die, he’s gonna die by the hands of the bastard that has probably killed his mother.

The White Star turned to him. The bastard’s eyes widened when their eyes met.

“What a peculiar man..” He could hear him muttering, “But no matter.”

Then he died.

***

Darkness.

It swallowed him whole.

There was no pain, no sensation—just an endless abyss, cold and silent, stretching beyond eternity. It was not death as he had once imagined it. There was no afterlife, no warm embrace of the gods. Just… nothingness.

For a moment—if time even existed here—Cale thought this was the end. That his struggles, his sacrifices, all of it had led to this void.

But then—

A spark.

Small, barely a flicker, but undeniably there.

A warmth, a pulse—like a heartbeat.

Cale’s heartbeat.

Then came the fire.

It roared to life within him, golden-red flames igniting from his very core, tearing through the darkness like a vengeful storm. The void recoiled, twisting and writhing, unable to contain him.

And suddenly—

He breathed.

A violent gasp tore from his throat as his eyes snapped open. He sat up on instinct. He was in his old bedroom, did… Did he regress? He saw the bandaged peeking through his sleeves. Ah.

He regressed to the time after he was beaten up. But how?

Twinge.

Cale’s breath hitched as flashes of knowledge seared through his mind—fragments of the past, the present, and something beyond either. Images of fire and blood, of battles lost and won, of the moment he died—and then of the power that refused to let him go.

His fingers twitched against the bedsheets. His body remembered dying. His bones had been crushed, his skin torn apart, his vision darkening as his last breath was stolen away by the White Star. But now—

He was here.

Alive.

A shaky breath left his lips.

“This doesn’t make sense,” he muttered, his voice hoarse. His mind reeled, torn between disbelief and the overwhelming certainty that he was no longer in the time he should have been.

The bandages around his arms, the faint sting of bruises hidden beneath—these were injuries from when Choi Han had beaten him up.

Which meant…

He had regressed years before the war.

Twinge.

Another pulse of heat flickered beneath his skin, centered around his forehead. Cale instinctively reached up, this had been itching during the first timeline.

Then—golden-red light bloomed at the edges of his vision.

He jolted, stumbling out of bed to face the mirror across the room.

There, against the dim glow of moonlight filtering through the windows, he saw it.

The Phoenix’s Mark.

Unveiled. Unsealed.

The eight-winged sigil pulsed softly, no longer contained by the enchantments his father had painstakingly placed upon it. For the first time in over twenty years, its flames flickered freely, no longer bound, no longer hidden.

Cale exhaled harshly. His mind spun, trying to process the implications.

The regression alone was an anomaly. But this?

It meant he was never human? Did his mother know? Did his father know?

His hand reached for the necklace he had been wearing since he was an infant, he could feel the mana.

He wasn’t an idiot, he knew about Natural-Born Phoenixes. He was told about it before his mother died, he thought nothing of it. After all, it had been ten thousand years since the last one.

But him? The trash of the count’s family was this generation’s Natural-Born Phoenix.

Cale stared at his reflection, his breath coming in slow, measured exhales. The golden-red glow of the mark flickered faintly against his skin, the intricate wings of fire shifting as if alive.

His hands gripped the edges of the wooden dresser, knuckles white. His mind was a storm of confusion, disbelief, and something dangerously close to dread.

The Phoenix’s Mark.

Unsealed.

Revealed for the first time since his birth.

A bitter laugh escaped his lips. “What kind of joke is this?”

[It is no joke, Cale Henituse.]

A voice echoed in his mind—deep, ancient, weighty in a way that made his very soul tremble. It was not a voice of comfort or warmth. It was absolute, unyielding.

The God of Death.

Cale’s breath hitched, his fingers tightening against the wood.

Of course. Of course, it had to be that bastard.

[You have regressed, and you have awakened to what was hidden from you. Consider this a compensation for what is to come.]

Cale scoffed. “Compensation?”

A flood of knowledge surged into his mind, forcing him to stumble back onto the bed. His skull ached as images, words, and truths he had never known were carved into his consciousness.

Natural-Born Phoenixes—beings not just blessed, but chosen by the cosmos itself. Not creatures of myth, not mere immortal birds. They were above dragons, below gods, tethered to the very fabric of creation.

And he was one of them.

The last one born had been over ten thousand years ago, their presence a rarity that even the divine had cherished so. Phoenixes were not just creatures of fire and rebirth. They were fate’s disruption, wild cards in the game of existence.

His own existence had been hidden, sealed by his parents, protected so no one could use him.

And yet, here he was, regression forcing open what had been locked away.

Chapter Text

Kim Rok Soo did not know how long it had been since he was reincarnated

He had died. That much, he was certain of. Did he give a flying fuck about his death? Not really. He had entrusted everything to Kim Min Ah—she would do well as the new Team Leader in his place. His only regret, if he had any, was that he could not see how his subordinates would move forward without him.

Before he could even open his eyes, a whisper had reached him.

"Zaerys Noctirion… That is your name."

A statement, not a question. And with that, Kim Rok Soo ceased to exist.

Zaerys was born.

Now, he resided in this place—Elyndor.

He was not certain how long he had been here. Time did not flow normally in this realm. There were no days or nights, only an endless existence that pulsed with an unshakable rhythm. He had been… resting. Or perhaps, simply existing, adapting to a body and power that had never been his before.

Slowly, his golden eyes opened.

And before him, his domain stretched into infinity.

Elyndor was not a mere lair. It was absolute sovereignty given form.

The sky was a swirling tapestry of gold and void, neither light nor darkness fully dominant, but shifting in perfect equilibrium. Constellations moved at his will, rearranging themselves as though they were mere brushstrokes on a celestial canvas.

The air was silent, yet it hummed with power. It was not the silence of emptiness, but the silence of something vast, something incomprehensible. Something eternal.

Zaerys rose from his throne, the movement effortless, silent. The obsidian beneath his feet did not so much as echo his steps—his presence did not disturb Elyndor. It was Elyndor.

Columns of celestial stone stretched toward the heavens, their golden runes shifting, rewriting themselves in response to his awareness. They were not decorations, but records—an ever-updating archive of fate itself.

Beyond, the great halls and chambers of his domain lay untouched, waiting for him. The Astral Library, filled with knowledge woven from the very fabric of existence. The Hall of Immortality, where nothing could age, die, or be lost to time. The Celestial Pool, whose light held the power to undo erasure itself.

Zaerys knew them all. And yet, he had never once stepped foot into them.

Why would he?

This realm, this Elyndor, was an extension of himself. He did not need to walk its halls to know them, just as he did not need to speak to command the very stars.

He turned his gaze upward.

The golden ring in the sky pulsed once, as if acknowledging him. It was the only other entity that could be considered akin to a heart in this realm—except it did not beat for him.

It beat because of him.

Zaerys Noctirion exhaled softly, and the very fabric of Elyndor trembled in response.

This was his throne. His dominion. His eternity.

And he was its sovereign.

***

Zaerys Noctirion stared at his reflection, though calling it that felt almost laughable. The smooth, obsidian-like surface of the floor didn’t show a man. It didn’t even show a dragon. It showed something other—something that wasn’t supposed to exist in the first place.

Kim Rok Soo had been human. He had been many things—an orphan, a leader, a survivor. He had seen his own reflection countless times in cracked bathroom mirrors, in the polished windows of ruined buildings.

But this?

This wasn’t him.

His hair was too long, flowing like liquid darkness, as if light itself refused to touch it. Gold flickered through the strands, not like highlights, but like stars struggling to escape a black hole. It didn’t move with the air. It moved with something else, something unseen, as if it obeyed laws that had nothing to do with physics.

His skin wasn’t human either. It was black—not in the way of ink or night, but in the way the void was black. Like a vast, endless abyss, speckled with golden veins that pulsed too slowly, too deliberately, like they weren’t just carrying blood, but something older, something that shouldn’t belong to a body at all. If he looked too long, he felt like he was staring into a space where time didn’t exist.

And then, there were his eyes.

They weren’t golden. That would’ve been too easy.

They were molten. Burning. Alive. Not reflecting light, but creating it, radiating something that wasn’t warmth, but presence. When he blinked, the afterimage of them stayed for a second too long, burned into reality itself. They weren’t just eyes. They were a statement.

He exhaled.

The golden crown of horns on his head pulsed faintly, humming with a power that felt both foreign and familiar. It wasn’t a thing he wore—it was part of him, growing from him, shifting when he moved, like a celestial artifact welded to his very being.

And his wings…

They weren’t even wings, not really. No bones, no feathers, no structure. Just light, just energy, spreading behind him in patterns that never quite settled, shifting between golden flame, cosmic dust, and something akin to the remnants of dying stars.

Kim Rok Soo had been human.

Zaerys Noctirion was not.

He didn’t need to touch his own skin to know it wasn’t flesh. He didn’t need to test his strength to know it was limitless. He didn’t need to move to bend the world around him.

This body wasn’t his.

And yet, it was.

***

It had been a bit jarring to see his humanoid form.

Zaerys had assumed that, like the lesser dragons, he would shift into something closer to a human—something with flaws, something bound by mortal limitations. But as he stood there, gazing into his own reflection, he realized that even in this form, he was still beyond comprehension.

His hair remained untouched by mortality—a cascade of black darker than the void, streaked with shifting strands of golden stardust. It wasn’t just silky or smooth; it was weightless, flowing as if it existed in a realm untouched by gravity. The strands seemed alive, shifting ever so slightly, as though mirroring the movement of unseen celestial currents.

His eyes burned with the same molten gold, deep and endless. They weren’t merely striking—they were all-consuming. Looking into them was like staring into eternity itself, where time had no meaning, where everything simply was.

His features were nothing short of divine. Perfectly sculpted, sharp yet refined—an impossible blend of delicate elegance and overwhelming presence. His nose was straight, his jawline sharp, his lips curved into something that wasn’t quite a smirk but held the kind of quiet confidence that did not need to be spoken aloud.

His skin, now appearing human, still held an impossible quality—smooth, flawless, but with an undertone that wasn’t quite natural. At certain angles, under certain lights, one could swear they saw faint traces of gold beneath the surface, like veins of divine power barely restrained.

He stood tall, his build effortlessly perfect—broad-shouldered, but not overly imposing, his frame carrying the kind of inherent grace that made every movement seem calculated, controlled, inevitable. It wasn’t the muscle of a warrior who trained for strength. It was the body of something born superior, something that did not need to fight to remind others that it was above them.

And his clothing…

It was as fluid as he was. A high-collared, black-and-gold ensemble, woven from a fabric that did not exist in the mortal realm. It shifted subtly, reflecting the cosmos itself—one moment appearing as regal silk, the next as woven stardust, caught between reality and something far greater.

Zaerys tilted his head slightly, studying the image before him.

"Not bad."

For something he had never attempted before, he had to admit—he had done a damn good job.

***

He was finally living the slacker life he had wanted.

He was simply slacking off in Elyndor. He had learned within the library of this place that he could conjure things out of thin air. It was simply fascinating. So, out of boredom, he had decided to create something that would let him know how old he is right now.

He almost dropped the bowl of fruits in his hands.

“Oh, fucking hell.” He cussed. Ten thousand years, he was over ten thousand years old. HE'S A FUCKING OLD MAN???? He had been alive for ten thousand years?

He really needs to get a fucking calendar in this place.

Chapter Text

Cale took a deep breath as he let the servants dress him up, he was trying to not flinch at all. During the twenty years war, he was taken by Arm, no one cared. He was there for two whole years.

Their reason? They needed a plaything. So he escaped by himself, he saved himself because no one bothered to save a trash like him.

And then five years into the war, White Star appeared in front of many when he was recovering from an injury. Everyone had assumed he was the White Star until they appeared in the same place five years later, but by then, he had avoided everyone.

He did not like being touched by anyone else. So right now, during this second run, he had to suck it up. Even if he was very uncomfortable with their touches.

As Hans led him to the dining room, he was contemplating what he would do next. If his father knew that he was a Natural-Born Phoenix, by extension both of his wives knew it too. His mother because she gave birth to him, his stepmother because she needs to be aware of what's going on in the family she married into.

Yeah, he was gonna confront his father.

Everyone was silent as he took his seat. He could see his sibling taking a glance at him, more specifically his bandages. But seeing as he was a Natural-Born Phoenix, he could heal himself, the bandages are just for show.

“Get out.” Everyone flinched at his words. When they turned to him, he was looking at the servants. “All servants, get out.”

Everyone hurried to get out of the room, thinking that he was probably gonna throw a tantrum towards his family this time.

“Cale..?” His father cautiously called out for him.

Cale took a deep breath and stared at his father dead in the eyes. How long has it been since they looked at each other's eyes? Ten years for his father, but for him? It had been twenty two years.

“Father, the necklace broke.”

At his words, Deruth Henituse paled as a sheet. Even his stepmother, Violan, was as pale as him. Basen and Lily looked confused.

Deruth’s breath hitched. His hands curled into fists on the table, but he forced himself to remain composed.

“…When?” His voice was steady, but Cale could see the barely concealed panic in his father’s eyes.

“Last night.” Cale leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “I woke up, and it was gone. The seal broke.”

Silence stretched between them, thick with tension. Violan looked between them, her sharp mind already working through the implications. Basen and Lily were still lost, but they could sense the weight of the conversation.

“…You knew,” Cale finally said, his voice quiet but sharp. “You both knew.”

Deruth exhaled slowly, closing his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again. “Yes.”

Cale let out a humorless chuckle. “And when were you going to tell me?”

“When you're twenty.” This time, it was Cale’s turn to have his breath hitched. Twenty. The war started when he was twenty. They never got the chance to tell him at all.

Cale’s fingers curled slightly on the table, but he forced himself to relax. His father’s voice was steady, but there was an underlying regret beneath it.

“We were planning to slowly ease you into it this year.” His father admitted, “You are already eighteen, an adult. Your mother and I thought that slowly easing you to that knowledge.”

Cale let out a breath, “So you weren’t planning to keep me ignorant?”

Deruth and Violan looked startled at that question. “Of course not!” Violan denied, “You suddenly stopped your lessons, your father and I thought that maybe, once you are an adult, and discovered it. You would want to learn it at your own pace.”

“Wait.. So you were planning to tell me?” He asked again.

His father nodded his head, “That’s right, we were planning to tell you as Basen leaves for the celebration…”

Cale invisibly flinched. The celebration. The Plaza Terror Incident. Right, it hadn’t happened yet, it hadn’t happened yet. His younger brother is not hurt yet.

“Uhm…” Basen spoke with hesitation, “What is going on?”

Cale took a moment to compose himself. His heartbeat had sped up for a second, the memory of the Plaza Terror Incident flashing in his mind. But he forced himself to push it aside. It hadn't happened yet.  

His gaze flickered to Basen and Lily, both looking lost and confused. Right. In this life, they didn’t know anything.  

Cale exhaled before finally speaking. “Basen. Lily. What do you know about phoenixes?”  

Basen blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question. “Phoenixes? They’re… mythical creatures of rebirth and fire. There hasn’t been a confirmed sighting of one for centuries.”  

Lily nodded. “They're sacred beings, right?”  

Cale hummed. “And what if I told you that one has been living in this estate this whole time?”  

Basen and Lily both frowned, clearly not understanding at first—until realization slowly dawned on Basen's face. His eyes widened slightly as he looked between Cale and their father. “Wait… are you saying—”  

“Yes.” Deruth interrupted, his voice low but firm. “Cale… is a Natural-Born Phoenix.”  

Silence.  

Lily looked utterly lost, while Basen’s mouth parted in shock. “That’s—”  

“Ridiculous?” Cale finished for him. He let out a short, humorless chuckle. “Yeah. I would’ve thought the same.”  

Lily shook her head quickly. “No! Not ridiculous, just—just surprising. But… how? Wouldn’t that mean you should have fire powers?”  

Cale scoffed. “Fire? You think I’ve ever awakened anything close to that?” His voice was dry, but there was an underlying bitterness to it.  

Violan, who had been silent for a moment, finally spoke. “That’s because the necklace suppressed it.” She looked at Cale carefully. “Now that it’s broken, have you… felt anything?”  

Felt anything?  

Cale stilled. He had assumed the broken necklace only meant the truth had been revealed. But now that he thought about it—  

His body had felt… lighter. Warmer.  

He would be collecting the ancient powers from the information he got from the God of Death. But there was something deep inside, waiting.  

“…No,” he finally said, deciding to keep it to himself for now. “Nothing.”  

His father and Violan shared a look, but they didn’t push him.  

Basen, however, was still staring at him like he was trying to process the revelation. “So you’re saying… you can’t die?”  

Cale froze.  

For a second, something ugly crawled up his spine, memories of blood and pain flashing behind his eyes. He forced them down.  

“…I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I sure as hell don’t plan to test it.”  

Basen looked like he wanted to say more, but Lily spoke up instead. “Does this mean you have to leave?” Her voice was hesitant, almost afraid. “Phoenixes are… important, right? Won’t people come looking for you?”  

Cale met her worried gaze and smiled slightly, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Not if I don’t let them.”  

Lily frowned but didn’t press further.  

Deruth sighed. “Cale. Now that you know… what do you plan to do?”  

Cale tilted his head. “What do I plan to do?”  

He already knew the answer.  

The war was coming. The Plaza Terror Incident was coming. The White Star was coming.  

This time, he wasn’t going to be caught off guard.  

“I plan to live,” Cale finally said, voice steady. “On my own terms.”

He had really thought about what he would do once the war was over. He would want to fall in love and have a family, maybe through adoption. Yeah.. He would definitely like that.

But first, he has to get the Indestructible Shield.

Chapter Text

Zaerys just yawned as he walked through the streets in a hood. He had decided to go into the human realm after ten thousand years in Elyndor. He was gonna get that fucking calendar for his castle.

The description of this place was somewhat familiar. He reactivated his Record ability as he walked around trying to find a store that sells a calendar.

Bump.

He steadied himself and the person he bumped into.

Reddish brown eyes met molten gold eyes.

“Are you okay?”

The person Zaerys had bumped into blinked up at him, momentarily stunned.

Reddish-brown eyes, tinged with wariness, locked onto his own molten gold ones.

Zaerys tilted his head slightly. Something about this human felt… odd. Different. His Record ability hummed faintly, as if trying to tell him something, but the information remained elusive.

The young man in front of him quickly straightened, brushing imaginary dust off his sleeves. “I’m fine.” His tone was polite but distant, his posture relaxed yet guarded.

Zaerys narrowed his eyes slightly. Interesting.

“Good,” he said simply, before stepping aside to continue on his way. The human didn’t move, but he also stopped in his tracks when he finally remembered who this human was.

Cale Henituse.

The minor villain of the novel [The Birth of A Hero], the one he had read before he died as Kim Rok Soo. Judging from the bandages around this human, Zaerys arrived after this human was beaten up by the protagonist.

But this feeling… Cale Henituse wasn’t human?

Zaerys frowned slightly, his Record ability still humming in the back of his mind, trying to process something it clearly couldn't.  

Cale Henituse wasn’t human.  

At least, not entirely.  

His molten gold eyes flickered over the bandages wrapped around the redhead’s body. They were neat, well-done—but ultimately, unnecessary. Not for someone like him.  

Something clicked in Zaerys’ mind.  

Ah. A phoenix.

He hadn't even needed his Record ability to tell him. He could feel it—the faint pulse of something old, something powerful, lingering beneath Cale’s skin. It wasn’t active, wasn’t burning like it should be, but it was there. Dormant, waiting.  

Zaerys tilted his head slightly, watching the human—no, the phoenix—who still hadn’t moved.  

“...You sure you’re fine?” he asked again, a bit more curious this time.  

Cale’s reddish-brown eyes narrowed slightly at him.  

Zaerys didn't react. He simply waited.  

Then, Cale let out a short breath and stepped back. “I said I’m fine.”  

His voice was firm, but Zaerys could hear the exhaustion beneath it.  

Something about it felt… familiar.  

For a moment, Zaerys thought about letting it go. This wasn’t his problem. He was here for a damn calendar, not to get involved in some reincarnated protagonist’s mess.  

But then his curiosity won.  

“I see.” Zaerys hummed, tucking his hands into his pockets. “Then I’ll be going.”  

Cale said nothing, just nodded, already looking like he wanted to be anywhere else.  

Zaerys took exactly three steps away before pausing.  

“…Actually.” He turned back, smiling slightly. “Do you know where I can buy a calendar?”  

Cale stared at him like he had just spoken in an entirely different language. “…A what?”  

“A calendar,” Zaerys repeated patiently. “You know, dates, months, years? Something to tell me how long I’ve been alive?”  

Cale looked at him for a long moment, as if debating whether he had time for this conversation. Then, to Zaerys’ mild amusement, he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.  

“…There’s a bookstore two streets down.”  

Zaerys grinned. “Thanks.”  

Cale gave him a flat look but didn’t say anything else before turning and walking away.  

Zaerys watched him go, his golden eyes gleaming with quiet amusement.  

Cale Henituse. A Natural-Born Phoenix. And, if his instincts were right—someone who had seen things far beyond what a mere noble’s son should have.  

Interesting.  

Maybe this trip to the human realm wasn’t going to be as boring as he thought.

***

What the hell was that?

That man—no, that being—was not human.

Cale’s instincts, honed through years of being in a battlefield, screamed at him. That golden-eyed man wasn’t ordinary. His presence was too heavy, his gaze too knowing, and the way he stared at him was sending shivers up to his spine.

Stopping by the entrance of the Man-Eating Tree, he took several deep breaths.

Calm down, Cale. He scolded himself. But that man was handsome though… He couldn’t help but blush when he remembered the eyes of that stranger again.

Cale came back to his senses as he headed toward a tree that was fenced off in all directions. The fence, which was made of planks the width of Cale’s body, had an entrance that had rotted. It was easily broken once Cale pushed at the fence.

This large tree seemed to have lasted for hundreds of years. Trees in the slums were usually chopped into firewood or had its layers peeled off to make it useless, but this tree was not like that.

The reason was simple. The reason could be heard in Cale’s ear. These two were the only two who had followed him until the end from the slums.

“You can’t approach that t-tree!”

Cale ignored that warning. He heard another worried voice as well.

“You can’t go there! It’s a man-eating tree!”

A man-eating tree. Anyone who hung themselves on this tree became mummies overnight. Furthermore, any blood that landed on this tree instantly disappeared.

Finally, there was only dirt around this tree. Grass, and even weeds, were nowhere to be found.

This was the tree that Cale was looking for.

This tree is said to have grown on top of his body, and that person’s grudge and strength were both in this tree. The Indestructible Shield that Cale was looking for was here.

Cale took bread out of the bag and carefully observed a hole that was the size of an adult’s head. He needed to first send away the owner of that voice before starting his work. However, before Cale could even say anything, the voice was even louder this time as they could no longer see Cale from outside the fence because he crouched down. The voice was shaking quite a bit.

“You’re going to die! Don’t do it!”

Cale pressed his temples with his fingers.

“Sigh.”

The number of people following him decreased the closer he got to the man-eating tree at the top of the hill, however, the owner of that voice continued to follow him.

‘There are always nosy punks no matter where you go.’

Cale frowned as he turned his head around. When he did, he noticed a girl who seemed to be around 10 years old, holding her younger brother’s hand while looking at him. Her eyes were full of concern.

Seeing that Cale was frowning and staring at her, the young girl stumbled on her words and started to mumble.

“It’s a man-eating tree. You’re going to d, die.”

“I won’t die.”

Cale took two breads out of the bag and threw it toward the little girl. It didn’t matter if it rolled on the ground because they were all individually wrapped.

“Take that and get lost.”

The young boy instantly grabbed the bread, but the young girl was still hesitating. In the end, Cale needed to use his identity. He stood up and pushed his head outside of the fence.

“You two don’t know about Cale the trash?”

The young girl’s face turned pale. Her younger brother just looked toward Cale before picking up the other bread for his sister and started to tug on her arm.

“Noona.”

“Uh huh.”

The young girl looked back and forth at the tree and Cale even as she was being pulled.

“You can’t die.”

Cale clicked his tongue at the young girl who continued to say that, before making sure nobody else was around as he sat down underneath the tree. Nobody would be able to see what he was doing unless they came right up to the fence.

“Let’s get started.”

He started by taking a loaf of bread out of the bag and putting it into that hole. His hand soon disappeared into the darkness underneath the tree, and Cale could feel a cold sensation as the bread in his hand disappeared.

He felt like his whole hand might be sucked in, and quickly took it out.

The darkness in the hole underneath the tree was still the same.

“If you die with a grudge, you have to resolve that grudge.”

This man-eating tree wasn’t actually a man-eating tree. It was a tree that would eat anything. It was the side effect of the power that was left behind by the person who starved to death. But for such a thing to be related to an ancient strength…it was comical, but made it seem more realistic.

‘I remember it said I need to feed it until the darkness disappears.’

The darkness in the hole underneath the tree was not the result of shade. It was darkness formed by the grudge.

This could not be done with other people. One person had to continue to provide a large amount of food until the darkness disappeared. Once the darkness finally disappears, the light that was hiding underneath would appear.

Once he eats that light, the, ‘Indestructible Shield,’ will become Cale’s.

“Eat all you want.”

Cale put the opening of the bag into the hole and emptied all of the bread into it. In a normal situation, that small hole should have become filled with bread, however, only the darkness continued to remain once Cale removed the bag.

***

“Oh?” Zaerys, who had successfully bought a calendar that he will enchant later, had followed the redhead. He was well aware of the Ancient Powers after all, as someone who had read the novel up until volume five. But this Cale Henituse isn’t supposed to know anything about it.

Regressor.

This Cale Henituse was a regressor. Was it because he was a phoenix? No. They could rebirth or resurrect themselves, but not regress. It’s either the work of the God of Time or the God of Death. But seeing as that the God of Time is actually a hermit who does not involve herself with the humans, it has to be that annoying bastard God of Death.

Did he make a deal with this Cale? Or perhaps he sent his soul into the past as he was rebirthing.

Fascinating.

Zaerys hummed in amusement, flipping through his new calendar absently as he continued watching Cale from a distance. The redhead was still crouched by the tree, feeding it loaf after loaf of bread with the same deadpan expression he’d had earlier.

From an outsider’s perspective, it would look absurd. A noble’s son, sitting under a supposedly cursed tree in the middle of the slums, stuffing bread into a hole like he was feeding some kind of gluttonous pet.

But Zaerys knew better.

He had read about this moment.

This was when Cale Henituse would gain the Indestructible Shield, his first Ancient Power. It was supposed to be the start of his path to survival—of playing dead while quietly amassing strength in the shadows.

But Zaerys had a problem.

This little fire bird looks so lonely in Zaerys’s eyes.

“Shall I be this little bird’s companion?” He mused to himself as he watched Cale successfully gain his first ancient powers. While his plate is made of glass, he could tell with the connection of his phoenix that the glass-like plate was getting sturdier, larger, and stronger. He could handle multiple ancient powers then.

***

Cale frowned.

Something felt… off.

He was still crouched by the tree, feeding it the last of the bread, but his instincts—honed from years of near-death experiences—were screaming at him.

He was being watched .

Slowly, as if just stretching his shoulders, Cale turned his head. His reddish-brown eyes flicked over the area behind the tree, scanning the surroundings.

Nothing.

No bandits, no knights, no assassins lurking in the shadows.

But the feeling didn’t go away.

His grip on the empty bag tightened slightly. He had successfully gained the shield. He could protect himself with it just until he could master his powers as a phoenix.

Cale exhaled slowly, keeping his expression neutral. He wasn’t in immediate danger—whoever was watching him wasn’t making a move. But that didn’t mean they wouldn’t.

‘Tch. I really don’t have time for this.’

He adjusted his posture, standing up and brushing dust off his clothes. The warmth of the Indestructible Shield hummed faintly beneath his skin, a reassuring presence. He hadn’t tested it yet, but he knew—if something were to happen, he wouldn’t die that easily.

Still, he didn’t like this.

He turned his head slightly, as if gazing toward the slums in the distance. He wasn’t expecting to see anyone. He certainly wasn’t expecting—

Golden eyes.

Cale’s breath hitched, though he masked it immediately.

The same man from earlier. The one who had bumped into him. The one who wasn’t human.

Zaerys Noctirion, though Cale didn’t know that name yet, simply smiled at him.

It was not a threatening smile, nor was it friendly. It was amused. Curious.

Cale narrowed his eyes. His instincts screamed louder now.

He had encountered many powerful beings in his past life, but this one… this one felt different. Ancient. Overwhelming.

“Phoenix,” Zaerys called out, his voice smooth, laced with something unreadable.

Cale stiffened.

His mind raced. Had he exposed himself? How? He hadn’t used his flames—hadn’t done anything to give away his nature. No one should know—

“You—” His voice came out steadier than he felt. “What did you just call me?”

Zaerys tilted his head slightly, his golden eyes practically glowing in the dim light. “What?” he said, innocent as could be. “Did I say something wrong?”

Cale forced himself to relax. He schooled his expression into one of irritation, crossing his arms. “I don’t know what nonsense you’re spouting, but I don’t have time for it.”

Zaerys chuckled.

It wasn’t a threatening sound, but it set Cale even more on edge.

“You’re fascinating,” Zaerys mused, stepping closer.

Cale tensed, but forced himself not to back away.

“First, you’re supposed to be a minor villain.” Zaerys continued, still watching him with those too-knowing golden eyes. “Second, you’re supposed to be human.”

Cale kept his face blank. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Zaerys smirked. “Oh? Are you sure?”

Cale said nothing.

Zaerys let the silence stretch between them before he finally sighed, stretching his arms above his head as if this entire encounter was just a casual chat.

“Well, no matter,” Zaerys said airily. “I have decided to be your companion, isn’t that great?”

“What?”

What did this weirdo just say? And why is he smiling like a fucking scammer? Is he gonna get scammed by this handsome(completely his type by the way!) stranger?

Chapter Text

“What?” Cale asked incredulously.

Zaerys grinned. “You heard me.”

“No,” Cale deadpanned. “I really don’t think I did.”

Zaerys took another step forward, utterly unbothered by Cale’s growing sense of alarm. “I said I’ve decided to be your companion.” He tilted his head. “Is that a problem?”

Cale stared at him, trying to comprehend how—exactly—this man’s brain worked. Who the hell just walked up to a stranger and declared something like that?

…No, wait. More importantly—

“I didn’t agree to that.”

Zaerys hummed, flipping through his calendar absently. “You don’t have to.”

Cale’s eye twitched. “What do you mean I don’t—” He exhaled sharply, pressing his fingers against his temples. “No. Just no. I don’t need a companion. I don’t need—whatever this is.”

Zaerys raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Absolutely sure?”

Cale scowled. “Yes.”

Zaerys smiled, sharp and knowing. “Even if I said I could help you?”

Cale hesitated for just a fraction of a second—barely long enough to notice. But Zaerys did. Of course he did.

Damn it.

Cale clenched his jaw. He was good at lying, but this bastard was too sharp. Too perceptive. It was unsettling.

“I don’t need help.”

Zaerys just looked at him, golden eyes gleaming with amusement.

Cale hated how good-looking he was.

“So, even if I said I could help you with your powers as a phoenix?” Zaerys asked casually.

Cale froze.  

For a moment, his mind went blank.  

Then, his instincts flared up again, louder than before. Danger. This man was dangerous. Not in the way most people were—he wasn’t an assassin, wasn’t a knight, wasn’t some noble trying to manipulate him.  

No, Zaerys Noctirion was dangerous because he knew too much.  

Cale forced himself to stay calm. His face remained impassive, his posture relaxed, but his mind was racing.  

“What kind of nonsense are you saying?” His voice was as dry as ever, but there was the slightest edge to it. “Phoenix? Me? Do I look like some legendary beast to you?”  

Zaerys just smiled.  

Cale wanted to punch him.  

“No,” Zaerys said, and his golden eyes gleamed with something unreadable. “You look like a noble’s son with a penchant for self-destruction.”  

Cale twitched.  

Zaerys hummed, watching him far too closely. “But I know what I saw. I know what I felt. And more importantly—” he stepped even closer, into Cale’s space, forcing the redhead to tilt his head up slightly, “—I know what you are.”  

Cale refused to step back.  

Instead, he let out a slow, measured breath. “And what exactly do you think I am?”  

Zaerys grinned. “A fledgling.”  

Cale stiffened.  

A fledgling.  

Not a full-fledged phoenix. Not an awakened being. A fledgling—one whose powers were still unstable, one who had yet to fully grasp what they were.  

Damn it.  

Zaerys leaned in slightly, lowering his voice so that only Cale could hear.  

“I wonder,” he murmured, “how long you plan to keep playing human?”  

Cale’s heart pounded, but his face remained blank. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  

Zaerys chuckled, straightening up. “Oh, you do. But I’ll let you pretend for now.” He clasped his hands behind his back, his golden gaze never leaving Cale’s face. “I’ll say it again—I’ve decided to be your companion. It’s been a while since I’ve had a little bird to take care of.”  

Cale clenched his jaw. “I’m not a bird.”  

Zaerys smirked. “Not yet.”  

Cale inhaled through his nose, exhaled slowly, and turned on his heel.  

Zaerys raised an eyebrow.  

“Where are you going?”  

Cale didn’t look back. “Away from you.”  

Zaerys grinned. “Oh? Let’s go, then.”  

Cale stopped in his tracks. “What.”  

Zaerys, completely unbothered, began walking alongside him. “You said you’re going somewhere. I’m coming with you.”  

Cale turned his head, scowling. “Did you not hear me earlier?”  

“I heard you loud and clear.” Zaerys beamed. “I just don’t care.”  

Cale resisted the urge to scream.  

This bastard was worse than Choi Han.  

And the worst part?  

Somehow, deep down, he had a feeling he wasn’t getting rid of him anytime soon.

“What even are you?” He scowled.

“An Imperial Dragon.”

Thump.

His heart beats loudly.

“What.” Cale’s mind raced. Divine Dragons—no, Imperial Dragons—weren’t just rare. They were practically myths, even among dragons. They existed outside the hierarchy of Dragon Lords, acting as arbiters of balance, enforcers of divine will… or, in some cases, unpredictable wild cards who did whatever they pleased. And basically only one was recorded to be born, but that was ten thousand years ago!

And this man was that dragon!?

Zaerys tilted his head, observing him with open amusement. “You look surprised.”

Cale schooled his expression into one of mild boredom. “No. Just wondering how unfortunate I have to be to run into something rarer than a Dragon Lord.”

Zaerys laughed. “Unfortunate? I’d say it’s the opposite. I’m quite the prize, you know.”

Cale sighed, already regretting this conversation. “Great. Fantastic. Why don’t you go be someone else’s prize?”

Zaerys’s grin widened. “Because you’re interesting.”

Cale stared at him. “I am not.”

“You really are.”

Cale pressed his fingers to his temples. “So let me get this straight. You, an Imperial Dragon, just happened to find me, and now you’re declaring yourself my… what? Babysitter?”

Zaerys’s golden eyes gleamed. “I prefer something else but babysitter works fine for now.”

Cale twitched.

He needed out of this conversation. Preferably out of Zaerys’s line of sight, permanently.

Unfortunately, the bastard didn’t seem like the type to be deterred.

“Alright,” Cale said, crossing his arms. “Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that I believe you. What does an Imperial Dragon want with me?”

Zaerys hummed, his expression turning contemplative. “Lots of things, actually. But for now?” He smiled, all sharp teeth and knowing amusement. “I just want to see what you’ll do next.”

Cale exhaled slowly.

Fantastic. Another lunatic.

“I don’t suppose there’s any way to get you to leave me alone?” he asked dryly.

Zaerys chuckled. “Not unless you manage to bore me.”

Cale scowled. “Then you should leave now.”

Zaerys grinned. “Not a chance.”

Cale was really starting to hate this guy. And he has that handsome face and is freakishly tall? So unfair!

Chapter Text

Cale was glaring daggers at this tall, tan skinned man walking in front of him. Why is he so handsome yet so infuriating!? Cale wanted to scream.

This man claimed to be an Imperial Dragon but couldn’t even be bothered to materialize a calendar? Or was the calendar an excuse to go to the human realm? And wait… Imperial Dragons don't live in the human realm?

Cale scowled at the broad back in front of him. Tall, regal, disgustingly perfect. His black-and-gold robes flowed around him as if reality itself bent to accommodate him, shifting like a living tapestry of celestial silk, and why and when did he remove his cloak? His long, void-black hair shimmered faintly with gold, catching the light at just the right angles to be obnoxiously mesmerizing.

"Are you glaring at me, little bird?" Zaerys mused without even turning around. His voice was smooth, calm—too amused for Cale’s liking.

Cale clicked his tongue. Little bird? Who the hell was he calling little? He had met dragons, beaten up dragons, and dragged them into his problems. And now this overpowered cosmic lizard had the audacity—

"I wouldn’t waste my energy glaring at someone as useless as you," Cale replied flatly, arms crossed.

Zaerys finally stopped and turned, golden eyes gleaming with amusement. Infuriatingly beautiful, like molten stars encased in darkness.

“Yet, this useless me is going to be your companion, and you.” He approached Cale and lifted his head using his index finger underneath his chin, “are taking me to your home, to help me register in the human realm, in this kingdom.”

Cale slapped Zaerys’s hand away immediately.  

“First of all,” he said, voice dripping with irritation, “don’t touch me.”  

Zaerys only chuckled. “Duly noted.”  

“Second,” Cale continued, ignoring the urge to strangle this overpowered lizard, “why the hell would I take you home?”  

Zaerys tilted his head, looking entirely too unbothered for Cale’s liking. “Because you’re a good person?”  

Cale scoffed. “Wrong. Try again.”  

“Because you don’t want to make an enemy out of me?”  

Cale’s eye twitched. That was technically correct, but he refused to acknowledge it.  

Zaerys grinned, clearly enjoying this far too much. “Or maybe,” he leaned in just slightly, golden eyes gleaming, “because you’re curious.”  

Cale refused to react. He refused to give this bastard the satisfaction.  

“Fine,” he said, voice flat. “I’ll take you to get registered. But that’s it. You’re not staying.”  

Zaerys hummed. “We’ll see.”  

Cale inhaled sharply through his nose. This was worse than dealing with that annoying God of Death.  

And that was saying something.  

He turned on his heel, walking away without another word. He’d get this over with as quickly as possible and then wash his hands of this disaster.  

Zaerys fell into step beside him, perfectly at ease. “So,” he mused, “tell me about this home of yours.”  

Cale ignored him.  

Zaerys smirked. “Oh? The silent treatment? That’s cute.”  

Cale clenched his fists.  

This was going to be a long, long day.

***

Zaerys looked amused. Sure in front of him was Cale Henituse, the so-called minor villain of the novel [Birth of A Hero]. When Zaerys was still Kim Rok Soo, he had only finished until Volume Five.

Zaerys hadn’t thought much about Cale Henituse back then. Just another stepping stone for the protagonist, Choi Han—an arrogant noble who got what was coming to him.  

But now?  

Now, he wasn’t just reading a novel. Now, he was standing beside a man who was supposed to be insignificant but was anything but.  

Zaerys stole a glance at him. Cale’s expression was as indifferent as ever, but his shoulders were tense, his jaw clenched just enough to be noticeable.  

Interesting.  

“You’re quiet,” Zaerys observed.  

Cale shot him a look. “Because I don’t want to talk to you.”  

Zaerys chuckled. “Lies.”  

Cale let out a slow, controlled exhale. “Listen,” he said, stopping in his tracks. “I don’t know what you’re expecting, but I have no intention of letting some random dragon—Imperial or not—stick around and ruin my plans.”  

Zaerys grinned, stepping closer, invading Cale’s space just enough to be mildly irritating. “Ruin? No, no, little bird. I plan to make them better .”  

Cale stared at him, unimpressed. “I don’t need your help.”  

Zaerys hummed. “That’s what you keep saying.”  

Cale clicked his tongue and turned away. He’d wasted enough time already.  

Zaerys followed, hands clasped behind his back, looking as relaxed as if they were taking a casual stroll through a garden rather than heading toward the capital city’s administrative offices.  

As they walked, Zaerys’s mind wandered back to the novel.  

Cale Henituse had never been relevant past the early volumes. A wasteful, trashy noble who was a good-for-nothing.  

Except…  

That wasn’t who this Cale was.  

This Cale was sharp, calculating. He played the fool well, but Zaerys could see the cracks. The way his eyes flicked to every alleyway, every rooftop—subtle, but telling. The way he adjusted his pace slightly, ensuring Zaerys was always in his peripheral vision.  

This wasn’t the Cale Henituse of Birth of a Hero .  

This was someone entirely different.  

Zaerys smirked to himself.  

Well.  

This just got even more interesting.

Chapter Text

Zaerys Noctirion, as he introduced himself to Cale, was really eye-catching, Cale noted.

Even with the fact that the Imperial Dragon is currently in his human form. He was too eye-catching. He was at first hesitant to bring this man(?) into his home, but… He is the only person that could help him manage his powers as a Natural Born Phoenix.

And he still needs to talk with his father more about what precautions he and his late mother had talked about. If they were willing to hide his origin so tightly, there must be other reasons. The fact that he never knew until the day he died in the first timeline says a lot about their preparations.

But first, he has to get Zaerys to his father for his so-called registration.

Zaerys was still enjoying himself far too much.

Cale could feel the amused glances the dragon kept throwing his way as they walked through the capital, heading toward the Henituse estate. It was infuriating.

“You’re sulking,” Zaerys observed, hands clasped behind his back.

Cale scoffed. “I don’t sulk.”

Zaerys hummed, tilting his head slightly. “Are you sure? Because from where I’m standing—”

Cale stopped walking and turned to glare at him. “Do you want to get kicked out before you’re even registered?”

Zaerys just smiled, completely unbothered. “You wouldn’t do that.”

“Try me.”

The dragon chuckled, clearly entertained. “I am trying you, little bird.”

Cale clenched his fists and turned back around, quickening his pace. He didn’t have time for this nonsense. He had more important things to worry about—like the conversation he needed to have with Deruth.

The estate gates came into view, and Cale signaled for the guards to let them in. They hesitated for a moment—understandable, considering the man walking beside him radiated importance—but they didn’t question it, opening the gates without issue.

As soon as they stepped inside, a familiar voice called out.

“Young master Cale.”

Hans stood by the entrance of the mansion, a pleasant, unreadable smile on his face. He looked at Zaerys for a brief moment before turning his attention back to Cale. At that moment, he had wished it was Ron welcoming him back, but he left with that punk, Choi Han.

“Y-You have a guest?” Cale wanted to roll his eyes, couldn’t they stop with the stuttering?

Zaerys chuckled under his breath, clearly amused by the reaction his presence garnered. "It seems I made quite the impression," he murmured.  

Cale resisted the urge to smack him. Instead, he sighed and turned to Hans, rubbing his temple. "Yes, unfortunately."  

Hans blinked rapidly. "U-Unfortunately?"  

Zaerys only smiled wider. "I'm honored to be such a burden."  

Cale shot him a look. "Shut up."  

Hans coughed into his fist, schooling his expression into something more professional. "Shall I inform the Count of your return?"  

"Yes," Cale replied, already making his way inside. "Tell him I need to speak with him. And that I've brought someone for registration."  

Hans gave a sharp nod, casting another wary glance at Zaerys before hurrying off.  

Zaerys, meanwhile, looked around with open curiosity, taking in the elegant yet sturdy architecture of the Henituse estate. "Hmmm."  

Cale glanced at him. "What?"  

The dragon hummed. "Nothing. Just... nostalgic, in a way."  

Cale narrowed his eyes. "What the hell does that mean?"  

Zaerys didn't answer. He simply smiled, a knowing, unreadable thing, and continued following Cale inside.  

Cale swore under his breath. This bastard was getting on his nerves.  

And worse—he had a feeling that was exactly what Zaerys wanted.

***

Deruth does not like men with black hair near his son.

Not at all.

Especially after that man, Choi Han, had beaten up his eldest? There was just no way he was welcoming someone with black hair again.

Deruth Henituse was a patient man. A reasonable man. But when he saw his son walk into his office with yet another tall, black-haired stranger in tow, he felt his headache return with a vengeance.  

He had barely recovered from the ordeal with Choi Han, and now this?  

Cale, completely oblivious—or rather, completely indifferent—to his father’s internal suffering, sat down without preamble. Zaerys, on the other hand, remained standing, his golden eyes filled with quiet amusement as he observed the office, hands casually folded behind his back.  

Deruth let out a slow breath. Patience, Deruth. Patience.  

"...Cale," he started, eyeing Zaerys warily. "Who is this?"  

"Zaerys Noctirion," Cale answered without hesitation. "He needs to be registered as a citizen of the Roan Kingdom, more specifically in the County."  

Deruth frowned. He didn’t recognize that surname. It wasn’t one from the nobles of the Roan Kingdom, nor from any neighboring kingdoms he was familiar with.  

"And what," Deruth asked carefully, "is his reason for coming here?"  

Zaerys smiled—polite, charming, but somehow still unreadable. "I wished to experience life in the human realm," he said smoothly. "I assure you, Count Henituse, I have no ill intentions."  

Deruth didn’t relax. If anything, that only made him more suspicious.  

His eyes flickered to Cale, who looked as disinterested as ever, arms crossed like he was already done with this conversation.  

"...And why exactly are you involved in this?" Deruth asked, narrowing his eyes at his son.  

Cale sighed, rubbing his temple. "Because he won’t leave me alone otherwise."  

Zaerys let out a quiet chuckle, looking far too pleased.  

Deruth felt his eye twitch.  

Why was it always his son attracting troublesome black-haired men?

***

The process was too easy, maybe because it was Cale that bought Zaerys in the office.

“Oh, by the way, Father.” Cale looked like he remembered something, “He would be staying here in the Manor… In my wing.”

Deruth choked on air.

“…Excuse me?”

Zaerys, the shameless bastard, merely smiled in amusement while Cale leaned back in his chair as if this entire situation wasn’t about to shave years off his father’s lifespan.

“He’ll be staying in your wing?” Deruth repeated, his voice tight. His grip on his quill twitched, but he managed to school his expression. Barely.

“Yes,” Cale confirmed, completely unbothered. “It’s convenient.”

“For who?” Deruth demanded.

“For me.”

Deruth inhaled sharply. He turned his gaze to Zaerys, who looked far too entertained for his liking. “And you are fine with this arrangement?”

Zaerys nodded, eyes gleaming with something unreadable. “Of course.”

Deruth took another deep breath. Patience, Deruth. Patience . He did not want to go through another incident like last time .

“…And what, pray tell, is your relationship with my son?”

Zaerys, the shameless bastard that he is, answered before Cale could, “I’m his lover!”

A heavy silence fell over the room.  

Cale’s brain short-circuited.  

Deruth’s face went completely blank.  

Zaerys just stood there, radiating smug amusement, golden eyes gleaming with pure mischief.  

Cale slowly turned his head to glare at the dragon. “I will kill you.”  

Zaerys chuckled, utterly unrepentant. “Now, now, little bird. No need to be shy.”  

Deruth looked between them, his expression unreadable. Then, very slowly, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled through his nose.  

“…No.”  

Zaerys raised a brow. “No?”  

“No.” Deruth reopened his eyes, gaze sharp. “I refuse to acknowledge this nonsense.”  

Cale pinched the bridge of his nose. “Because it is nonsense,” he gritted out.  

Deruth ignored him. His sharp eyes remained locked on Zaerys, analyzing him like he was an enemy on the battlefield.  

“…You are playing some sort of trick.”  

Zaerys placed a hand over his heart, looking offended. “Count Henituse, do you truly think so little of me?”  

“Yes.”  

Cale had to cover his mouth to stop a laugh from escaping.  

Zaerys blinked before chuckling. “Fair enough.”  

“Explain,” Deruth demanded, voice firm.  

Zaerys, ever the shameless dragon, hummed thoughtfully. “I simply thought it would be fun to say.”  

Cale shot up from his chair. “ Fun? ”  

Zaerys smiled. “Yes.”  

“I hate you.”  

“You wound me.”  

Deruth groaned and rubbed his temples, regretting every life decision that had led him to this moment.  

“…Cale,” he said after a long silence, exhausted. “Do not bring more troublesome people into this house.”  

Cale waved a lazy hand. “No promises.”  

Zaerys grinned.  

Deruth suddenly missed the peace and quiet before his son had returned with this man.

Chapter Text

Zaerys, the absolute punk, got to stay in the Manor, in Cale’s wing. And he’s right across his room.

But right now? Zaerys is in his bedroom.

“What is it?” The Imperial Dragon had told him that he wanted to talk to Cale.

“I will bring you to Elyndor.” The black haired man told him. Cale tilted his head, Elyndor? What’s that?

Seeing his confused expression, Zaerys explained further. “Elyndor, it is my lair. It’s in a different dimension altogether. Meaning I could change anything there.”

Cale narrowed his eyes, he does not get what this dragon is saying at all.

“I will slow down the time in Elyndor.” His eyes widened when Zaerys had said that. “I will bring you there to train you until you have complete mastery of your own power.”

Cale stared at Zaerys, his mind processing the implications of what the dragon had just said.  

"Slow down time?" he repeated, voice carefully neutral.  

Zaerys nodded, lounging comfortably on the couch in Cale's room as if he owned the place. "Yes. Time flows differently in Elyndor. One day in the outside world could be weeks, months, or even years inside." His golden eyes gleamed with something unreadable. "It's the perfect place for you to train without interruptions."  

Cale’s fingers twitched. "You’re saying I could spend years there, but only a short time would pass here?"  

Zaerys nodded again, looking far too pleased with himself. "Exactly."  

Cale exhaled through his nose, leaning back in his chair. "That sounds dangerous ."  

"For someone unprepared? Absolutely," Zaerys agreed with a smirk. "But for you? It's an opportunity."  

Cale narrowed his eyes. "And what do you get out of this?"  

Zaerys chuckled. "You wound me, little bird. Do I need a reason to help you?"  

"Yes," Cale deadpanned.  

The dragon laughed, shaking his head. "Fair enough. Let’s just say I just wished for you to master your powers. A phoenix with no control whatsoever is dangerous for everyone, you know."  

Cale tapped his fingers against his desk, considering his options. He used to hate training. Absolutely despised it. But when the war started he had no choice but to do it, for his revenge. But now… This wasn’t just about getting stronger. This was about control.  

His abilities as a Natural Born Phoenix were dangerous. Even now, he doesn't fully understand the extent of his powers. If he lost control—if he made a mistake—he wasn’t sure he’d survive it.  

He had no intention of dying for a second time.  

"...How long would I be in Elyndor?" he finally asked.  

Zaerys shrugged. "That depends on you. A few years, perhaps. Maybe longer."  

Cale’s eye twitched.  

"A few years ?"  

"Don't worry," Zaerys said with an easy smile. "Physically, you won't age. But mentally? You'll have time to refine your skills, to master them. And when you return, it’ll be as if only days have passed in this world."  

Cale leaned forward, pressing his fingers against his temple. This was… insane. Absolutely ridiculous.  

And yet.  

This was also an opportunity.   

If he mastered his power now, he wouldn't have to suffer through near-death experiences in the future just to survive. He could handle problems before they even became threats.  

He could control his own fate.  

Zaerys watched him with quiet amusement, waiting patiently.  

Cale exhaled. "Fine."  

The dragon grinned. "Then let's begin."

***

Cale was in awe.  

He stood in Elyndor, Zaerys’ so-called lair, and for once, he had no words.  

The landscape around him was unreal. The sky stretched infinitely, shifting between hues of twilight and dawn, blending deep purples, oranges, and blues into something mesmerizing. Floating islands hovered in the distance, waterfalls cascading from their edges only to vanish into mist before touching the ground. The air itself felt charged with energy, thick with an ancient, powerful presence that made Cale’s skin prickle.  

The ground beneath him was smooth, dark stone, lined with veins of gold that pulsed faintly like a heartbeat. And ahead of him, a massive fortress stood—black obsidian walls with intricate carvings glowing softly with an ethereal light.  

This was a dragon’s lair.  An Imperial Dragon’s lair.

Cale swallowed. He had expected something grand, but this was beyond anything he had imagined.  

Zaerys chuckled, stepping beside him. "Welcome to Elyndor, little bird."  

Cale shot him a glare, shaking off his awe. "Stop calling me that."  

Zaerys ignored him, instead spreading his arms as if to take in the entire realm. "What do you think?"  

Cale took a deep breath, shoving down the remnants of his amazement. "It’s big."  

Zaerys blinked, then laughed. "That’s all you have to say?"  

"It’s big, and it looks like something only a dragon would have," Cale added dryly.  

Zaerys grinned. "Why, thank you."  

Cale rolled his eyes. He had more important things to focus on than indulging a dragon’s ego. "How do we start?"  

Zaerys’ golden eyes gleamed, the amusement in them shifting into something more serious. "First, we test exactly how much control you have. And then, we build from there."  

Cale exhaled. He had expected that. "Fine."  

Zaerys raised a hand, and the space around them warped. The sky darkened, and the floating islands shifted, as if the entire dimension itself responded to his will. In an instant, the fortress vanished, replaced by an endless, open expanse of sky and land.  

Cale frowned. "What did you—"  

BOOM!  

A sudden, searing heat surged through him.  

His vision blurred, his body instinctively reacting before his mind could catch up. Flames burst forth from his hands, raw and untamed, surrounding him in a spiraling inferno. The air twisted, the heat distorting reality itself.  

Cale gritted his teeth, forcing himself to pull back— to stop .  

But it wouldn’t stop.  

The fire crackled, refusing to obey him. It wasn’t just fire—it was something alive , something tied to his very soul. It burned hotter, fiercer, his heartbeat accelerating with it.  

And then, a shadow loomed over him.  

Zaerys stood before him, unbothered by the raging flames. He didn’t even flinch. Instead, he simply lifted a single finger—  

And the fire vanished.  

Just like that.  

Cale staggered, his breathing uneven. His hands were trembling.  

Zaerys tilted his head, observing him with something unreadable in his golden eyes. "That," he murmured, "is why you need training."  

Cale clenched his jaw, frustration bubbling beneath his exhaustion.  

Zaerys smiled. "Let’s begin, shall we?"

Chapter Text

Zaerys threw him over a volcano.  

For training, he says.  

Cale, plummeting straight toward the roiling pit of molten lava below, had just enough time to think, That damn dragon is insane.  

The heat was unbearable. It licked at his skin, threatening to scorch him alive before he even hit the lava. The air itself shimmered from the intensity, making it impossible to breathe. His instincts screamed at him to survive—to do something, anything, to stop his impending death.  

Phoenix… 

A voice echoed within him, ancient and unyielding.  

Fire does not burn a phoenix.   

Zaerys’ voice, ever-infuriating, rang through the air above him. “Survive, little bird!”  

I will kill him.   

But first, he had to survive.  

Cale clenched his fists, reaching deep into himself—into the embers of power that had been lying dormant. Heat pressed against his skin, curling around him, demanding obedience. He could feel it now, thrumming within him like an unawakened beast.  

The moment he hit the lava—nothing happened.  

No pain. No burning.  

Instead, the molten rock parted around him like water, cradling him in its fiery depths. The overwhelming heat became something else—something familiar. It wasn’t trying to consume him. It was welcoming him.  

This is my domain.   

The realization settled in his bones.  

He wasn’t drowning in fire. He was fire.  

Above him, Zaerys chuckled, his golden eyes glinting with satisfaction. “Good. You’re finally waking up.”  

Cale scowled, emerging from the lava’s surface, flames licking at his skin but never burning him. His entire body glowed with a golden-red hue, his magic reacting to the power of the volcano.  

Zaerys smirked. “Lesson one: Fire does not harm a phoenix. Now, let’s see if you can control it.”  

Cale gritted his teeth.  

This was going to be hell.

***

The two of them would often go back to the manor, to not mess with his body clock , Zaerys explained.  

Cale suspected it was less about preserving his routine and more about Zaerys finding amusement in watching him stagger back into his bed, exhausted beyond reason, only to be dragged back into Elyndor the next day.  

It was a vicious cycle. Train, return, sleep, repeat.  

And it was working.   

His control over his fire had shifted from raw instinct to something he could actively wield. He could feel the power in his veins now, no longer dormant embers but roaring flames waiting to be shaped.  

But today, Zaerys had a new lesson in mind.  

“Breathe.”  

Cale rolled his eyes. “I am breathing.”  

Zaerys, perched on a floating rock above the lava lake, smirked. “Not like a phoenix, you’re not.”  

Cale crossed his arms. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”  

Zaerys flicked his wrist, and the air shimmered around him. A wave of heat rippled outward, distorting the space itself.  

“The breath of a phoenix isn’t just air,” Zaerys explained. “It is fire, life, destruction, and rebirth. If you master it, you can reduce an entire battlefield to ashes with a single exhale. Or…” He tilted his head. “You can breathe life into something long thought dead.”  

Cale stiffened. That… That sounded absurdly powerful. He didn't like it.  

“So, what? You expect me to just—what? Breathe fire ?”  

Zaerys grinned. “Exactly.”  

Cale stared at him. Then, he sighed. “You’re insane.”  

Zaerys only laughed. “Come on, little bird. Show me what you’ve got.”  

Cale gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. The air in Elyndor was thick with heat, charged with power. He pulled it in, drawing the energy into his lungs.  

The flames inside him roared to life.  

And when he exhaled—  

A torrent of golden fire erupted from his mouth, hotter and brighter than anything he had ever produced before. It wasn’t just fire—it was something more. It carried weight, an undeniable force, a command written into the very essence of the flames.  

The lava lake below responded to it, shifting, rising, as if drawn to his will.  

Zaerys raised an eyebrow. “Not bad for a first try.”  

Cale coughed, smoke curling from his lips. “I hate you.”  

Zaerys only chuckled. “You’ll thank me later.”  

Cale highly doubted that.

***

Cale had to admit, he was a damn good teacher.

Maybe it was because he had been alive for ten thousand years?

It wasn’t just his powers they had to go over. He was also taught multiple sword arts from Zaerys’s previous life. That’s right, he was told that this Imperial Dragon was a reincarnator like that damn White Star. He was from the same world as that punk, Choi Han, but a few years into the future. Meaning, that Choi Han was not the “youngest” swordmaster, but the oldest.

“Are you listening?” He snapped back to reality when he heard Zaerys’s voice. He was being taught Korean, Russian, Japanese, English, and German for some reason.

Cale stared blankly at Zaerys, his brain still struggling to process the absurdity of his situation.

"Why the hell do I need to learn five different languages from your previous world?"

Zaerys gave him a look that made it very clear he thought Cale was an idiot. “That way no one would know our plans, duh.”

Cale pinched the bridge of his nose. “Zaerys.”  

“Yes, little bird?”  

He exhaled slowly, willing himself to remain calm. “Why. The hell. Would we need a secret language when we already have *telepathy*?”  

Zaerys grinned. “Because it’s fun.”  

Cale closed his eyes. “I hate you.”  

“Mm-hmm.” Zaerys leaned back against a floating rock, arms crossed. “But seriously, you should at least *try* to learn. Besides, it’s useful. You’d be surprised how many reincarnators and transmigrators exist in different dimensions. One day, you’ll run into someone who speaks these languages.”  

Cale highly doubted that. But knowing his luck, *maybe* it wasn’t impossible.  

Still, he wasn’t about to just *accept* this madness.  

“So you’re saying,” Cale said, tone dry, “that we’re doing all of this because *maybe*—*possibly*—I’ll run into someone who speaks, what, Russian?”  

Zaerys nodded sagely. “Exactly.”  

Cale stared at him.  

Zaerys stared back.  

A long, painful silence stretched between them.  

Then, Zaerys clapped his hands. “Alright! Back to training! Let’s start with Korean—”  

Cale turned and walked away.  

“Cale! Cale, come back!”  

“I’m done for today.”  

“You still haven’t perfected your phoenix breath!”  

Cale raised a hand and flipped him off as he kept walking.  

Zaerys sighed, shaking his head. “You’ll thank me later.”  

Cale highly, highly doubted that.

Chapter Text

Cale was excited.

Zaerys, an Imperial Dragon , was going to teach him magic alongside his phoenix abilities. He was told that he also has enough mana inside his body as a phoenix to topple over human mages.

Zaerys smirked, watching Cale’s rare expression of genuine excitement. “Well, well. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this eager.”  

Cale ignored him. Magic. He was finally going to learn magic. Not just ancient powers or natural-born phoenix abilities, but actual spellcasting. If he could master this, he wouldn’t have to rely on just his body or instincts—he would have a whole new set of tools at his disposal.  

Zaerys clapped his hands, pulling his attention back. “Alright, first things first—you already have mana, but you don’t actually know how to control it properly.”  

Cale nodded. “I’ve used magic scrolls before, but…”  

“Right, but that’s just borrowed magic. It’s not yours .” Zaerys snapped his fingers, and a thin, glowing thread of golden energy appeared between them. “Mana is not just a power source—it’s an extension of yourself. A mage uses formulas, spells, and constructs to shape it. But for you? That’s unnecessary.”  

Cale frowned. “What do you mean?”  

Zaerys grinned, and Cale immediately knew he wasn’t going to like what came next.  

“You, little bird, are a phoenix. You don’t need spell formulas—you just will magic into existence.”  

Cale stared at him. “...That doesn’t sound real.”  

Zaerys shrugged. “And yet, here you are, a reincarnated, regressed, magic-wielding phoenix. Reality’s already bent over backwards for you.”  

Cale exhaled. He’s not wrong, but still…  

“So, what, I just think and the magic happens?”  

Zaerys wiggled his hand. “Kind of. But you need intent. You need focus. If you don’t want your spells exploding in your face, you better learn to shape them properly.”  

Cale scowled. “And how do I do that?”  

Zaerys grinned. “By throwing you into the deep end.”  

Cale’s instincts screamed at him.  

“Zaerys—”  

The dragon snapped his fingers—  

And suddenly, Cale was falling.  

Again.  

This time, however, he wasn’t plummeting toward lava. Instead, he found himself free-falling through an endless, shifting void filled with swirling golden mana.  

Cale’s eyes widened as the energy surged toward him, wrapping around his body. It didn’t burn , but it felt like it could, if he let it slip from his control.  

He gritted his teeth. Focus.  

The mana wasn’t hostile—it was responding to him.  

Zaerys’ voice echoed from somewhere above. “Lesson one: Control. Either shape the mana around you, or let it swallow you whole!”  

Cale cursed under his breath.  

Fine.  

If this was his first magic lesson, then he would master it.   

He spread his arms, reaching out with his mind—  

And the mana answered.

Cale could feel it.  

The mana swirled around him, shifting, twisting, responding to his thoughts before he even had the chance to fully grasp what was happening. It wasn’t just flowing around him—it was reaching for him.  

His instincts screamed that this was wrong —that he was falling and that he needed to stop himself before Zaerys pulled another one of his ridiculous “lessons.”  

Shape the mana. Control it.  

Easier said than done.  

Cale clenched his fists, narrowing his focus. He had no incantations, no formulas, no ancient scripts to guide him. Just raw, unshaped power.  

Zaerys’ voice echoed again, filled with amusement. “You’re still thinking like a human, little bird. Command it. ”  

Cale scowled. He wasn’t a damn human mage. He was a phoenix.  

Fine.  

He exhaled sharply and willed the mana to stop his descent.  

The response was immediate.  

The golden currents around him shifted, thickening, solidifying under his command. Instead of plummeting deeper into the void, his momentum slowed, his body hovering in place as if he had simply *decided* gravity no longer applied to him.  

Cale’s eyes widened slightly.  

He did it.  

Zaerys whistled, appearing in front of him as if he had been there the whole time. “Not bad.”  

Cale shot him a glare. “You threw me into another free fall. Again.”  

Zaerys smirked. “And you figured it out. See? Progress.”  

Cale resisted the urge to blast him with the very mana he had just gained control of.  

Instead, he turned his attention back to the golden currents around him. He could feel them now, shifting with his thoughts, waiting for him to give them shape.  

“Now,” Zaerys continued, watching him closely, “let’s take it a step further.”  

Cale narrowed his eyes.  

Zaerys grinned.  

Then snapped his fingers.  

The swirling void around them suddenly changed.  

The mana that had once been calm surged violently, no longer waiting for his command.  

It lashed out.  

Cale barely had a second to react before a wave of raw power crashed toward him. His instincts screamed at him to control it , to shape it before it overwhelmed him.  

This wasn’t just about using mana anymore.  

It was about mastering it.

***

It was a flying lesson for a week and a half. It was a bit challenging, but Cale mastered it. He was onto his next lesson. Defensive spells.

“Defense is the best offense, remember that little bird.” Zaerys told him during that first lesson.

“I was a sword and aura master before my regression.” He informed the dragon.

Zaerys hummed, tilting his head. “A sword and aura master, huh? Impressive, but that won’t help much when magic comes into play.”

Cale crossed his arms. “It taught me how to read attacks and react accordingly.”

The Imperial Dragon grinned. “True. But you’re thinking too small.”

With a wave of his hand, the space around them shimmered. Golden runes appeared mid-air, glowing faintly before shifting into circular formations.

“Your shield is absolute defense, yes?” Zaerys mused. “But it’s static. Unchanging. What happens when you’re attacked from multiple angles?”

Cale frowned. “…I block it.”

Zaerys laughed. “And if your enemy is smart enough to overwhelm you?”

Cale’s scowl deepened. He didn’t like where this was going.

Zaerys snapped his fingers.

The golden runes flared to life.

A barrage of energy spears materialized from all sides, each one aimed directly at him.

Cale reacted instinctively.

Baaaaaang!

A translucent barrier expanded outward, intercepting the attacks. Sparks flew as the energy spears shattered against the sturdy defense.

Zaerys didn’t stop. The next wave came faster—more precise. The spears curved mid-air, shifting in unpredictable angles.

Cale’s eyes narrowed. He couldn’t just react—he needed to anticipate.

His shield was absolute defense. But absolute didn’t mean perfect.

Zaerys chuckled. “Figure it out, little bird. Defense isn’t just about blocking—it’s about adapting.”

Cale gritted his teeth. Fine. If his shield wasn’t enough, then he would make it enough.

He reached out—not with his hands, but with his will.

The shield shifted.

Instead of remaining in one place, it moved. Sections of it extended outward, forming additional layers where the spears curved. The golden projectiles crashed into nothingness, their force redirected instead of absorbed.

Zaerys’ eyes gleamed. “Now that’s more like it.”

***

Cale had long since stopped questioning how time flowed in Elyndor.

A year. A whole damn year inside this space, training under an overly enthusiastic Imperial Dragon who took way too much pleasure in throwing him into life-or-death situations.

Three days in the outside world.

It didn’t matter.

Cale was stronger now. His shield wasn’t just a static wall anymore—it moved, adapted, and redirected attacks instead of merely absorbing them. It had layers, depth, and flexibility.

It was no longer just defense .

It was an extension of his will.

Zaerys had been relentless, forcing him to push the limits of what his shield could do. At first, Cale had struggled, unable to grasp the difference between simply blocking and manipulating his defense.

Now, however—

Cale raised a hand, summoning his shield.

Not as a single dome.

Not as a rigid barrier.

But as a flowing, shifting force that weaved around him, constantly changing form to meet attacks before they could land.

Zaerys smirked, watching from a distance. “Not bad.”

Cale didn’t bother responding. He was too busy focusing.

Golden spears rained down from all directions, Zaerys’ latest test.

His shield moved like a living thing, its edges shifting and solidifying at different points. Some attacks were deflected at an angle. Others were absorbed and dispersed into the void.

Cale’s brow furrowed. He could feel it—the way the mana responded to his will, the way his defense shaped itself accordingly.

This was control.

This was mastery.

Zaerys clapped his hands, causing the spears to vanish mid-air. “I’d say you’ve got the basics down.”

Cale exhaled, letting his shield settle. “…That’s it?”

Zaerys grinned. “Oh, no. We’re just getting started.”

Cale resisted the urge to groan.

A year in Elyndor, and Zaerys still had more in store for him.

At this rate, he was never getting a proper break.

***

Cale didn’t know when it started.

Maybe it was when Zaerys first threw him into freefall, forcing him to grasp control of his mana. Or maybe it was when the dragon smirked at him after every successful breakthrough, like he was genuinely proud of Cale’s progress.

Or perhaps it was in moments like these—when they stood in the stillness of Elyndor’s vast, endless sky, golden mana swirling gently around them, and Zaerys watched him too closely .

“Not bad, little bird.” Zaerys' voice was softer now, lacking its usual teasing edge.

Cale huffed, shaking off the strange feeling stirring in his chest. “You’ve been saying that a lot lately.”

Zaerys hummed, stepping closer. The golden glow of Elyndor cast soft shadows across his face, highlighting sharp features that Cale was beginning to find too familiar.

“Well,” Zaerys murmured, tilting his head, “you’ve been improving a lot lately.”

Cale looked away, focusing on the remnants of his shifting shield. He should be thinking about the next lesson. He shouldn’t be noticing the way Zaerys’ gaze lingered, or how his presence was warm, even in this timeless void.

Zaerys moved again, standing beside him.

“It’s strange,” the dragon mused. “I’ve lived for ten thousand years, but this past year? It’s been… different.”

Cale exhaled. “Because you finally have someone to torment?”

Zaerys chuckled. “No.” His voice was lower now, softer. “Because for the first time in a long while, I actually enjoy teaching someone.”

Cale turned to him, startled by the sincerity in his tone.

Zaerys wasn’t smirking. He wasn’t teasing.

He was just looking at Cale, golden eyes filled with something unreadable.

Cale’s chest felt oddly tight.

Damn it.

This was dangerous.

Zaerys was an Imperial Dragon. He was immortal . Cale had seen countless lifetimes—he wasn’t unfamiliar with affection, nor the fleeting warmth of companionship.

But this?

The way Zaerys watched him, the way their mana had started resonating together during training, the way something between them had shifted over the course of this past year—

Cale didn’t know what to do with it.

So he did what he did best.

He looked away. “Enough talking. What’s next?”

Zaerys chuckled, but there was something knowing in his gaze.

He didn’t push.

Instead, he stepped back, a flicker of amusement returning to his face. “Alright, alright. Next lesson—attacks. You’ve mastered defense, little bird, but now it’s time to see what happens when you go on the offensive.”

Cale exhaled, relieved at the change in subject.

But even as he braced for whatever madness Zaerys had planned—

He couldn’t shake the way his heart had skipped just moments ago.

Chapter Text

The moment Zaerys let go of his hand, Cale knew he was in trouble.  

Not because of the training. Not because of the magic.  

But because of the way his own pulse had stuttered in that brief second of contact.  

Damn it.  

Cale exhaled sharply, brushing imaginary dust off his clothes as he stood up. He wasn’t going to dwell on this. No, he was going to focus on training, on magic, on anything but the fact that Zaerys was watching him like he was something worth watching.   

"Again," Cale said, stretching his arms.  

Zaerys arched a brow, his smirk returning. "Determined, aren’t we?"  

"You said I need to stop relying on my instincts," Cale muttered, rolling his shoulders. "So let’s go again."  

Zaerys grinned, and before Cale could react, the dragon vanished—only to reappear behind him.  

"Too slow."  

Cale barely managed to twist out of the way before Zaerys’ attack landed. He retaliated with a wave of golden fire, but Zaerys merely flicked a hand, dispersing the flames effortlessly.  

"Your flames may be powerful, but you’re not using them properly." Zaerys stepped closer, golden mana curling around his fingers. "You still think like a human fighter."  

Cale gritted his teeth, his mind racing. He wasn’t going to let Zaerys control the pace. He wasn’t going to let the dragon win. 

So he tried something reckless.  

Instead of pulling back, he stepped forward.  

Zaerys blinked.  

And then Cale was right there, too close, his fist crackling with energy as he aimed directly for Zaerys’ chest.  

Zaerys could have dodged. He could have countered.  

But he didn’t.  

Instead, he caught Cale’s wrist with ease, stopping the blow mere inches from his heart.  

The problem was, now they were very close.  

Too close.  

Cale’s breath hitched—just barely, but Zaerys noticed. Of course he did. The dragon’s eyes gleamed with something unreadable, his grip tightening around Cale’s wrist.  

"You’re getting better," Zaerys murmured. His voice was softer than before, lacking its usual teasing edge.  

Cale swallowed. "Naturally."  

Zaerys’ fingers lingered for a moment before he finally let go.  

Cale took a step back.  

Zaerys let him.  

Neither spoke.  

***

By Midday, Cale was exhausted. Not physically—he could push through that—but mentally. Zaerys was frustrating in every possible way, and the worst part? He was right about everything.  

Cale needed to stop thinking like a human warrior.  

He needed to embrace what it meant to be a phoenix.  

Easier said than done.  

He took a long drink of water, sitting on a floating rock while Zaerys remained standing nearby. The dragon wasn’t even winded, which was just unfair.  

"You push yourself too hard," Zaerys commented.  

Cale shot him a dry look. "That’s called training."  

Zaerys smirked but didn’t argue. Instead, he conjured a small flame between his fingers, lazily flickering gold.  

Cale’s gaze was drawn to it before he could stop himself.  

It wasn’t just any fire—it was his fire. His mana, pulled from the very air around them.  

Zaerys was holding his magic like it was the easiest thing in the world.  

Without thinking, Cale reached out.  

Zaerys didn’t move as Cale’s fingers brushed the flame, letting the heat rest against his palm. The warmth curled around his skin, not burning, not consuming.  

Just there.  

For a long moment, neither spoke.  

Then Cale realized what he was doing.  

He pulled his hand back too quickly, fingers tingling.  

Zaerys tilted his head, watching him with quiet amusement. "You’re getting comfortable."  

Cale scowled. "Shut up."  

Zaerys only chuckled, letting the flame flicker out.  

***

"Control."  

Zaerys’ voice was patient but firm.  

Cale gritted his teeth. "I am controlling it."  

Zaerys hummed, unconvinced. "Then why do you look like you’re about to explode?"  

Cale didn’t answer. Mostly because Zaerys wasn’t wrong.   

He was standing in the middle of an open training space, phoenix fire swirling violently around him. It licked at his clothes, curling up his arms, but it wasn’t fully under his command.  

Zaerys stood nearby, arms crossed, observing.  

"Try again," the dragon said.  

Cale exhaled, forcing himself to focus. He needed to will the flames into obedience, to shape them the way he wanted.  

Instead, they flared wildly.  

Zaerys sighed. "Your emotions are tied to your magic. The more frustrated you get, the worse your control becomes."  

Cale scowled. "Great. So what, I have to meditate now?"  

Zaerys smirked. "That would help."  

Cale muttered something under his breath.  

And then, just as he tried to pull the flames inward—  

The fire exploded.   

The force sent him flying, golden embers scattering through the air. He hit the ground hard, breath knocked out of his lungs.  

Zaerys was instantly there.  

"Cale."  

The way Zaerys said his name—sharp, edged with something close to concern—made Cale blink.  

Zaerys’ hands were on his shoulders, gripping tightly. He was crouched over him, golden eyes scanning him for injuries.  

Cale stared up at him, a little dazed.  

"I’m fine," he muttered.  

Zaerys didn’t move immediately. His hands stayed where they were, warm and steady.  

Cale became painfully aware of how close they were.  

Zaerys must have realized it too, because his fingers tensed slightly before he finally pulled back.  

"Be more careful," the dragon muttered.  

Cale sat up. "I am careful."  

Zaerys gave him a look. "You just blew yourself up."  

Cale sighed, rubbing his temple. "Okay, mostly careful."  

Zaerys shook his head, standing up. "Come on, little bird. Let’s try again."  

This time, Zaerys stayed closer.  

***

Elyndor’s sky wasn’t like the outside world’s.  

The stars here weren’t real—not in the way Cale remembered. They shifted, flickered, almost as if they were alive.  

Cale sat on the edge of a floating rock, watching them.  

Zaerys sat beside him.  

They didn’t usually sit together like this.  

But today was… different.  

"You’re not what I expected, little bird," Zaerys murmured suddenly.  

Cale glanced at him. "And what did you expect?"  

Zaerys didn’t answer right away. His gaze remained fixed on the sky, something unreadable in his expression.  

"Someone who wouldn’t make me want to keep them," he admitted.  

Cale’s breath caught.  

The words weren’t spoken lightly.  

Zaerys wasn’t the type to say things without meaning them.  

Cale turned his head, looking at him fully.  

Zaerys met his gaze.  

Something shifted.  

Neither of them moved, but the space between them suddenly felt too small.  

Cale stood up, intending to leave first. But before he could—  

Zaerys caught his wrist.  

He didn’t pull. He didn’t tighten his grip.  

He just… held him there.  

Cale turned slowly, his pulse betraying him.  

Zaerys was looking at him like he was memorizing every detail.  

"Stay," Zaerys murmured. "Just a little longer."  

Cale didn’t know why, but he listened.  

Zaerys stepped closer. Their mana interwove, neither resisting nor repelling.  

Cale exhaled. "You’re doing it again."  

Zaerys tilted his head. "Doing what?"  

"Looking at me like that."  

Zaerys smiled—soft, unguarded. "Then stop looking back."  

Cale didn’t.  

And when Zaerys leaned in—  

Neither of them hesitated.  

The kiss was slow, deliberate. Fire curled between them, magic humming in the air.  

And for the first time in a long, long time—  

Cale didn’t want to pull away.

***

It was basically afternoon in Elyndor when they both woke up. They were in Zaerys large bed.

Cale quietly hissed in pain as he could feel the soreness of his body. In the wave of emotions, they did that. On the night they became a fucking couple. Cale hid his face in Zaerys’s firm chest in embarrassment.

Zaerys, the bastard, was already awake.  

Cale could tell by the way his breathing remained even, perfectly measured—but his mana shifted just slightly, coiling around Cale in a way that felt distinctly amused.  

"Are you hiding?" Zaerys’ voice was warm with laughter, his hand coming up to rest against the small of Cale’s back.  

Cale groaned. "Shut up."  

Zaerys hummed, his fingers tracing lazy patterns against Cale’s skin. "I would, but you’re making it too easy."  

Cale felt his face burn hotter. He was not going to acknowledge the way his body still aches—not from battle, not from magic, but from the sheer intensity of last night.  

He had no excuse.  

No alcohol. No magical influence.  

Just the weight of Zaerys’ gaze, the heat of his hands, the way their magic had intertwined so naturally that resisting had felt impossible.  

He had wanted it.  

And he still did.  

That was the problem.  

Zaerys shifted, one arm curling around Cale’s waist with a languid possessiveness that made Cale glare up at him. "You’re still thinking too much," Zaerys murmured.  

"I always think," Cale muttered.  

Zaerys grinned. "Yes, but not last night."  

Cale smacked his chest.  

Zaerys laughed outright, clearly enjoying himself. "Adorable," he said, golden eyes gleaming.  

Cale scowled. "I’ll set you on fire."  

"Go ahead."  

Bastard.  

Cale tried to push away, but Zaerys caught his wrist easily, pulling him right back into his arms. His strength was effortless, natural—as if he had no intention of letting go.  

Cale’s pulse stuttered again.  

Damn it.  

"You’re thinking again," Zaerys whispered, lowering his head until his lips brushed against Cale’s temple. "Stop that."  

"Hard to, when you’re—" Cale cut himself off before he could say something ridiculous.  

Zaerys was patient, waiting, but Cale refused to finish the thought.  

Instead, he exhaled sharply and gave up. He let himself relax, just a little, into the warmth of Zaerys’ arms.  

Zaerys must have noticed, because he smiled against Cale’s skin, pressing a slow, deliberate kiss to his forehead.  

Cale sighed. "You’re insufferable."  

Zaerys chuckled. "And yet, here you are."  

Cale refused to answer that.  

***  

They eventually got out of bed—not because Cale wanted to, but because Elyndor’s sky had begun shifting in a way that signaled the passing of time.  

Training still awaited him.  

And despite everything, despite the ache in his body and the new, unspoken tension between them, Cale refused to slack off.  

Zaerys, of course, watched him with that same insufferable smirk.  

"Feeling sore, little bird?"  

Cale shot him a warning look. "We’re training. Don’t start."  

Zaerys grinned, clearly unbothered. "I’m just concerned. Last night was… intense, after all."  

Cale picked up a rock and threw it at his head.  

Zaerys caught it effortlessly, still grinning.  

"Alright, alright," the dragon relented, tossing the rock aside. "Let’s see if you can still keep up."  

Cale exhaled, rolling his shoulders, and let golden flames flicker to life around his hands.  

Zaerys was right.  

Last night something had changed. They belonged to each other now.

And now, there was no turning back.

Chapter Text

The final day in Elyndor arrived with a quiet sense of finality.  

Five years in this timeless realm—five years spent learning, growing, changing.  

For Cale, it had been five years of unrelenting training, of learning to control his phoenix powers, of finally understanding what it meant to be a being of fire and rebirth. But it had also been five years of something deeper, something unspoken that had rooted itself between him and Zaerys.  

A bond forged through time, through fire, through the quiet moments where words weren’t necessary.  

And now, it was time to leave.  

Cale stood on the edge of one of Elyndor’s floating islands, staring out at the ever-shifting sky. The stars flickered as if they knew—knew that today was different, knew that this was goodbye.  

"Lost in thought again?"  

Zaerys’ voice was warm, familiar. The next moment, his arms wrapped around Cale’s waist from behind, pulling him close.  

Cale didn’t resist.  

Zaerys had grown more affectionate over the years—not in loud, obvious ways, but in the quiet moments, in the way he reached for Cale when no one was watching, in the way he traced patterns on his skin as they lay together at night. He would still tease him from time to time, but Zaerys was affectionate, and Cale thrived in his affection.

Cale leaned back against him. "Just thinking."  

Zaerys hummed, pressing his chin against Cale’s shoulder. "Regretting leaving?"  

"No," Cale admitted. "I knew we couldn’t stay here forever."  

Elyndor wasn’t meant to be a home. It was a sanctuary, a place to train, a place untouched by time. But it became their home. His and Zaerys. But the real world was waiting. There was a war on the horizon, they needed to prepare for it.

Zaerys tightened his hold slightly. "It’ll be different when we go back."  

Cale turned his head slightly, catching a glimpse of Zaerys’ golden eyes. "I know."  

He didn’t just mean the world outside.  

He meant them.  

They had spent five years in a place where no one else existed—where it had been just the two of them, their magic, and their ever-growing understanding of one another.  

Cale had spent his past life running. Avoiding. Burying. Fighting.  

But here, with Zaerys, he had learned what it meant to stop running.  

Zaerys, who had lived for ten thousand years without ever truly loving. Both in this life and the last.

Zaerys, who had spent centuries alone, watching, never letting anyone close.  

Zaerys, who had let Cale in.  

Cale turned fully in his arms, their foreheads nearly touching. "We’ll figure it out."  

Zaerys exhaled a quiet laugh, something softer than usual. "You always say that."  

"Because it’s true."  

Zaerys searched his gaze for a long moment before nodding. "Then let’s go home."  

Cale smirked. "It’s not home if you’re not there."  

Zaerys froze.  

Cale hadn’t even meant to say it—it had just slipped out, too natural, too easy.  

But as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized they were true.  

Zaerys was home.  

Not a place. Not a title.  

A presence.  

Zaerys stared at him, something shifting in his expression. Then, without warning, he pulled Cale closer, capturing his lips in a slow, lingering kiss.  

It was different from their first kiss. Different from the stolen ones in the quiet moments between training, different from the teasing brushes of lips before sparring.  

This one was final. A promise.  

When they parted, Zaerys’ hand cradled the side of Cale’s face, thumb brushing over his cheek.  

"Then I’ll stay by your side," Zaerys murmured. "Always."  

Cale smirked, his fingers curling into the fabric of Zaerys’ robes. "Good. I’d be annoyed if you didn’t."  

Zaerys chuckled, and with one last glance at Elyndor’s sky, they stepped forward together.  

And the world shifted back into place.

***

When they both went back, they were standing in Cale’s bedroom in the Henituse estate. There were noises outside, Cale walked by the window and saw everyone packing.

Ah right. Today was the day Basen was supposed to leave for the celebration.

Strong arms wrapped around his waist, and a kiss on his nape.

“What’s going on?” Zaerys hummed, and peered at the window over his shoulder. “Ah, your younger brother is leaving today?”

Cale hummed in confirmation, leaning slightly into Zaerys’ embrace. It was strange—five years had passed for them, but for the rest of the world, it had only been five days. And yet, watching Basen oversee the packing of his belongings, it felt like a deja vu during his first life.

Zaerys kissed the area between his neck and shoulder, “Shall we say goodbye before we do our plans?”

Cale tilted his head slightly, allowing Zaerys' lips to linger a little longer before he exhaled through his nose. "You mean your plans."  

Zaerys chuckled, his arms tightening around Cale's waist. "Our plans," he corrected smoothly. "Don't act like you don’t enjoy my company."  

Cale rolled his eyes but didn’t deny it. Instead, he focused back on Basen, who was now speaking with Violan and Deruth. The family looked… normal. Steady. A part of him still couldn’t believe how much time had passed—how much he had changed.  

Zaerys nipped at his ear lightly, making Cale scowl. "Alright, alright. Let’s go before you start acting worse."  

Zaerys merely smirked, looking entirely too satisfied as he stepped back, allowing Cale to move towards the door.  

When they stepped into the hallway, they were immediately met with Hans who is also helping the others with Basen’s things. His father had looked at them in shock, probably because of their closeness? Who knows.

“What?” His father seemingly choked up.

Deruth Henituse stared at them, his mouth opening and closing as if trying to form words. His gaze flickered between Cale—who stood as casually as ever—and Zaerys, who was clearly standing much too close, his golden eyes filled with amusement.

Cale sighed. "What?"

Deruth swallowed, regaining his composure. "I—" He hesitated, then frowned. "You… You weren’t in your room last night."

Cale blinked. "And?"

Violan, who had approached from the other side of the hall, narrowed her eyes slightly. "And no one saw you anywhere in the estate for the past five days."

Ah.

Right.

No one knew about their trip to Elyndor.

Cale kept his expression neutral, though internally, he cursed himself. He had been so used to Elyndor’s isolation that he had momentarily forgotten about how things would look upon their return.

Zaerys, unbothered as always, chuckled. "We were… occupied."

Deruth choked. Violan blinked. Hans turned bright red.

Cale’s eye twitched. "Not like that."

Zaerys merely smirked, clearly enjoying the reaction.

To make matters worse, Zaerys leaned in and kissed his neck again.

Cale smacked Zaerys on the arm. Hard.

"Stop that," he muttered, though his face remained blank as ever.

Zaerys, completely unfazed, grinned against his skin. "Why? You seemed fine with it a moment ago."

Deruth made a strangled noise in the back of his throat.

Violan, ever composed, merely observed them with an unreadable expression. But Cale could tell—she was analyzing every little detail.

Hans, meanwhile, looked like he was about to combust on the spot.

"Young Master," Hans whispered, his voice tight with panic. "Should I—Should I prepare for a wedding?!"

Cale sighed. "No."

"But you're—" Hans made a vague motion between the two of them.

"Existing," Cale finished dryly.

Zaerys hummed in amusement, his arms still lazily wrapped around Cale’s waist. "I wouldn’t mind a wedding," he mused, resting his chin on Cale’s shoulder.

Cale elbowed him.

"Ow," Zaerys said, even though they both knew it didn’t hurt.

Violan cleared her throat. "Cale."

He turned to her, schooling his expression into something vaguely polite. "Yes?"

"You disappeared for five days without a word. Do you have an explanation?"

Technically, he did.

Would he give it?

No.

Zaerys, sensing his silence, took it upon himself to answer. “We were somewhere secluded.”

Deruth opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, clearly struggling to process what had just been said. His gaze snapped to Cale, searching for some sort of clarification—perhaps some hope that this was all just a misunderstanding.  

Cale, of course, gave him none.  

Violan, ever composed, merely folded her arms, her sharp gaze analyzing every microexpression on their faces.  

"You were… secluded ?" she repeated slowly.  

Zaerys, looking far too pleased with himself, nodded. "Very."  

Hans let out a quiet oh no under his breath.  

Cale pinched the bridge of his nose, already feeling the headache forming. "Zaerys, stop talking ."  

"Why?" Zaerys murmured, lips curling into a smirk. "Am I saying something untrue?"  

Cale jabbed his elbow into Zaerys’ ribs again. This time, he put a bit more force into it.  

Zaerys exhaled a dramatic sigh, rubbing his side in mock pain. "So violent."  

Violan narrowed her eyes slightly, then spoke in a cool tone. "Where exactly did you go?"  

Cale considered lying. Truly, he did.  

But Violan was sharp. If he gave her even the *smallest* lie, she would pick it apart faster than he could blink.  

So instead, he opted for half-truths.  

"Training," Cale answered. "Somewhere far."  

"Far where?" Deruth demanded, his voice rising slightly. He looked torn between concern and disbelief. "Cale, you vanished. Without a single word! And now you suddenly reappear with—" He gestured helplessly at Zaerys. "— him clinging to you and telling me you were secluded somewhere together—!"  

Zaerys, ever unhelpful, gave a lazy smile. "We were bonding."  

Hans whimpered .  

Cale glared at Zaerys.  

Zaerys smiled wider.  

Violan inhaled deeply, then exhaled through her nose. "So, let me get this straight," she said, voice calm yet edged with something sharp. "You disappeared without warning, trained in a secret location, and now you've returned… with this new dynamic between you two."  

Zaerys smirked. "Correct."  

Deruth covered his face with both hands. "Oh my gods."  

Cale crossed his arms. "Father, please stop acting like this is a scandal."  

Deruth slowly lowered his hands, his expression a mixture of exasperation and something almost betrayed . "Cale. Son. I had one hope for you, if you weren’t going to be the heir."  

Cale stared at him. " What hope?"  

Deruth gave him a weary look. " Grandchildren ."  

There was silence.  

Then—  

Hans gasped . "Young Master! Are you telling us—"  

" No ," Cale interrupted, voice flat. "Absolutely not."  

Zaerys, ever the menace, tilted his head thoughtfully. "Well, technically—"  

Cale covered his mouth with his hand before he could finish that sentence.  

" Not another word ," Cale warned.  

Zaerys’ eyes twinkled mischievously above Cale’s hand, but he didn’t fight it.  

Violan, watching the entire scene unfold, finally sighed. "This is ridiculous."  

Deruth, however, still looked deeply troubled. He turned to Violan with wide, desperate eyes. "What am I supposed to do about this?"  

Violan gave him a long, unreadable look. Then, finally, she said, "Accept it."  

Deruth’s expression crumbled.  

Hans looked two seconds away from fainting .  

Zaerys, muffled behind Cale’s hand, was definitely laughing.  

And Cale, with all the patience of a saint, simply sighed. "If you're done having a crisis, I have other things to do today."  

Zaerys licked his palm.  

Cale shoved him away with great force.  

Hans let out a strangled noise.  

Deruth looked like he was reevaluating his entire life.  

And Violan? Violan simply shook her head and walked away, muttering something under her breath about idiots and why this family attracts chaos .

Chapter Text

Zaerys turned to Cale, “Remember when you denied the fact that we are giving your father grandchildren?”

Cale sighed as he fixed the two kittens in his arms. From what they, the phoenix and the dragon, could tell. They were from the Cat Tribe. Cale looked at the two children, “What are your names?”

The two kittens looked startled at that, then looked at each other, before the silver furred one answer. “I’m Ohn, and this is my younger brother; Hong.”

The red kitten meowed in response.

Zaerys let out a pleased hum, crouching beside Cale to get a better look at the two kittens. His golden eyes gleamed with amusement as he reached out, scratching behind Hong’s ears. The red-furred kitten practically melted under his touch, purring loudly.  

Cale narrowed his eyes. "You're enjoying this too much."  

Zaerys smirked. "I am a dragon, and they are adorable. Besides," he tilted his head slightly, giving Cale an infuriatingly smug look, " You were the one who picked them up. That makes this your problem."  

Ohn and Hong twitched their ears at that, their tails curling uncertainty.  

Cale sighed, shifting Ohn slightly in his arms. "Where are your parents?"  

Ohn and Hong hesitated. Their ears flattened against their heads, and Ohn's silver eyes turned wary.  

"...Gone," Ohn finally whispered.  

Cale stilled.  

Zaerys’ smirk faded instantly. His gaze sharpened, sensing the heavy weight behind that single word.  

Gone.  

That meant dead.  

Cale glanced at Zaerys, already knowing he was thinking the same thing.  

"...How long have you been alone?" Cale asked, his voice quieter now.  

Ohn and Hong exchanged another glance. It was Hong who answered this time, his red tail curling around Cale’s wrist.  

"More than a year," he admitted softly.  

Cale inhaled slowly.  

More than a year.  

They had been here in the slums of their territory for more than a year. 

And in this world, alone for more than a year as children—especially children from the Cat Tribe—was too long .  

Zaerys exhaled through his nose, his expression unreadable as he ruffled Hong’s fur. Then, his lips curled into something thoughtful.  

"Well, that settles it," Zaerys announced.  

Cale eyed him warily. "Settles what ?"  

Zaerys gave him a pointed look. "We're keeping them."  

Cale nearly dropped Ohn.  

"What?"  

Ohn and Hong perked up, their small bodies going completely still. Their silver and red eyes flickered with a cautious kind of hope, as if they wanted to believe it but didn’t dare.  

Zaerys, completely ignoring Cale’s disbelief, simply reached out and plucked Hong out of his arms. He cradled the tiny kitten against his chest with the ease of someone far too comfortable with adopting random creatures.  

"They have nowhere else to go," Zaerys said simply. "And they’re already attached to you."  

Cale opened his mouth. Closed it.  

Then sighed, because damn it , Zaerys was right.  

He glanced down at Ohn, who was now clinging to his sleeve with tiny claws, looking up at him with cautious but desperate eyes.  

Cale looked away.  

He already knew he’d lost this argument before it even began.  

"...Fine," he muttered. "But you’re the one explaining this to my father."  

Zaerys grinned. "Gladly."  

Cale narrowed his eyes. " Without implying they're our children."  

Zaerys’ grin widened. " No promises ."  

Cale groaned. Ohn and Hong, however, practically glowed with happiness. Hong’s purring grew louder, and Ohn hesitantly nuzzled into Cale’s sleeve.  

Zaerys chuckled. "See? They already love you."  

Cale muttered something under his breath about troublesome dragons and manipulative kittens . But he didn’t push Ohn away.  

Zaerys, still cradling Hong, pressed a kiss to Cale’s cheek before smoothly turning on his heel. "Come along, Cale! Let’s go introduce our new children to your father!"  

" Zaerys —"  

But it was too late. Zaerys had already started walking, Cale could see his lover’s mana flicking behind him in obvious amusement.  

Cale sighed. Then, with Ohn still tucked securely in his arms, he followed after him—fully prepared for the absolute disaster that was about to occur.

But Cale’s heart swoons as he looks at Zaerys carrying Hong with so much care.

***

It was a disaster.

Not really, but still?

It felt like a disaster.  

Count Deruth Henituse, a man Cale had once thought incapable of strong reactions, sat frozen in his chair, his teacup hovering inches from his lips. His expression flickered between bewilderment and… was that hope ? No. No, Cale refused to acknowledge that.  

"…Cale," Deruth began slowly, placing his teacup down with utmost care. "Would you like to explain why you and Zaerys are carrying two Cat Tribe children and calling them yours?"  

Cale groaned. "We're not calling them ours."  

Zaerys, the smug bastard, just smiled . "They’re ours."  

Cale shot him a look that promised retribution. Zaerys merely looked pleased with himself.  

Deruth's gaze flickered between them before settling on Ohn and Hong, who were curled up comfortably in Cale’s and Zaerys' arms. He cleared his throat, his face unreadable.  

Hong meowed, tilting his head. “Are you Grandpa?”  

A silence so thick it could have been cut with a sword filled the room.  

Cale choked.  

Zaerys, looking absolutely delighted , ruffled Hong’s fur. “Yes, that’s your Grandpa.”  

Deruth let out a noise somewhere between a cough and a strangled laugh. His hands trembled slightly as he placed them on his lap. His eyes though—Cale hated to admit it—softened.  

"You don’t have to call me that if you don’t want to," Deruth said kindly, though the corners of his lips twitched.  

Ohn and Hong exchanged glances, their tails flicking in silent communication before Ohn hesitantly muttered, “…Grandpa.”  

Zaerys beamed. "See, Cale? They’re perfect ."  

Cale, for the first time in his life, contemplated setting Zaerys on fire.  

But before he could respond, Deruth let out a very satisfied hum.  

"Cale," his father said, now looking far too happy, "I’m proud of you for expanding the family."  

Cale nearly died .  

Zaerys laughed.  

Hong purred.  

Ohn nuzzled into Cale’s sleeve.  

And Cale?  

Cale simply resigned himself to fate.

Chapter Text

“Couldn’t you guys just stay for a few more days?” Deruth asked his son. Violan and Lily behind him.

Cale coughed, “We wanted to travel, Father. But we’ll be back every once in a while.”

Violan sighed, “At the very least, go to the Capital to be with Basen for a bit.”

Cale internally sighed. He had planned to leave as soon as possible, preferably before his father started getting even more ideas about grandchildren, but Violan’s words made him pause.  

Basen was in the capital for the celebration. And if they stopped by for a bit, it would be a good chance to actually stop the bombing before it could seriously hurt Basen like the first timeline. Then on the way, Zaerys would tell him where the other Ancient Powers are.

Zaerys, ever perceptive, hummed beside him. “The capital, hmm? That’s not a bad idea.”  

Cale gave him a sidelong glance. “You just want to see how much you can mess with people, don’t you?”  

Zaerys smirked. “I have no idea what you mean.”  

Lies. Cale knew him too well. But before he could retort, Lily suddenly stepped forward, her eyes bright with excitement.  

“Then can I go with you?” she asked, looking between Cale and Violan.  

Violan blinked, then gave Cale a long, assessing look, as if to gauge his reaction.  

Cale thought about it. Taking Lily with them wasn’t necessarily a problem. But—  

“ No. ”  

Everyone turned to look at Deruth. His expression, previously warm and doting, had darkened in an instant.  

“Absolutely not,” he repeated, crossing his arms. “Lily, you just finished your recent training. You’re not leaving with your brother.”  

Lily pouted. “But—”  

“No.”  

Lily sulked, but Violan merely patted her head before turning back to Cale. “I assume you’re agreeing to go to the capital, then?”  

Cale sighed, giving in. “Only for a bit.”  

Zaerys grinned. “Excellent.”  

Cale didn’t trust that at all.  

Ohn and Hong, who had been quietly observing the conversation from their perch on Zaerys' shoulders, flicked their tails in sync. Hong tilted his head. “What’s in the capital?”  

Zaerys smirked. “A whole lot of fun .”

— We are stopping the bombing~!

Zaerys said in their telepathy link.

Cale muttered under his breath, “That’s exactly what I’m worried about.”  

— That was the plan in the first place

Cale could only sigh in the link.

Deruth, still clearly reluctant about letting them leave so soon, sighed heavily. “…At the very least, be careful.”  

Cale gave him a casual wave. “Of course.”  

Violan gave him a pointed look that clearly said, We both know that’s a lie. 

Zaerys just chuckled.  

And just like that, their next destination was set. But for now, they have a baby dragon to resurrect.

***

It was easy to teleport to where the baby dragon was killed by Choi Han, between his teleportation ability and Zaerys’s teleportation spells, it was that easy. Cale was in awe and horror at the scene. To think that this baby dragon went berserk for his freedom, only to end up gaining that freedom through death.

Cale clung to Zaerys to calm the Imperial Dragon down. It was very understandable, his lover’s anger, this was his kin. A dragon who was only four years old. It was absolutely heartbreaking.

Cale gave their two children to their father as he went to approach the corpse of the baby dragon. The soul is still here. Cale could resurrect him.

Kneeling beside the dragon, his hands had a golden-red flame as he gave the incantation, “ From embers to flame, from silence to song—rise once more, for life still belongs. ”

As Cale finished the incantation, the golden-red flames spread over the baby dragon’s lifeless form. The air around them thickened with power— his power. The flames flickered, dancing over the small corpse, but instead of burning, they seeped into the dragon’s body, wrapping it in warmth.

Zaerys stood behind him, his golden eyes narrowed as he carefully observed every movement of the ritual. Even Ohn and Hong, now perched on Zaerys’s shoulders, had gone completely still, their ears flicking as they watched with wide, unblinking eyes.

Cale could feel it.

The life that had once been lost… reaching out.

The soul of the baby dragon still lingered, bound to the remnants of its body. It was weak—so, so weak—but it was there.

And Cale would bring it back.

The Flame that has Dominion Over Life and Death burned beneath his skin, flowing into the golden-red flames, feeding them, strengthening them.

The corpse twitched.

A low, soft sound—barely a breath—escaped the tiny dragon’s maw.

Cale pressed forward, the power of the Phoenix within him thrumming as he wove life back into the dragon’s veins.

Then—

A single, shuddering inhale.

The baby dragon’s body jerked. Its small, frail chest rose as it took its first breath in death and came back to life.

The flames receded, revealing bright, glistening scales—black, but with a deep, almost imperceptible sheen of dark violet under the moonlight. The dragon’s tiny claws twitched, its wings giving a weak, uncertain flutter.

Then, slowly, its eyes cracked open.

Bright blue met Cale’s gaze—pure, shimmering, and filled with confusion and instinctive wariness.

The baby dragon let out a small, shaky breath, its body trembling from exhaustion. It was alive, but fragile.

Zaerys let out a slow breath. “You actually did it.”

Cale exhaled, only now realizing how tense his body had been. “Of course, I did.”

The baby dragon flinched at his voice, shrinking slightly, its tiny body pressing against the remnants of its former grave.

Ohn and Hong carefully climbed down from Zaerys’s shoulders, approaching the young dragon with cautious curiosity. Hong tilted his head, sniffing lightly before purring softly, a comforting sound.

The baby dragon blinked at them, its bright blue eyes flicking between them and Cale. It let out another small purr, hesitant but no longer afraid.

Cale carefully reached out a hand, stopping just before the dragon’s snout. “You’re safe now.”

The baby dragon hesitated before nudging its head against Cale’s palm, the warmth of life humming beneath its delicate black scales.

Zaerys chuckled, folding his arms. “Looks like we’ve got another child now.”

Cale groaned. “That is absolutely not what’s happening.”

The baby dragon let out another groan, pressing closer.

Zaerys smirked. “Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that.”

Chapter Text

Zaerys could only look at the scene in front of him with mock horror. His little bird, his lover, his Cale! Was being hogged by the children. What the hell.

On the bed, in the room at the inn at Puzzle City, was Cale and the three children, taking a nap. The three children were all surrounding his little bird. There was no space for him to hug Cale!

Ohn was curled up on Cale’s stomach, her tiny paws kneading at the fabric of Cale’s shirt in her sleep. Hong had draped himself over Cale’s side, his tail wrapped possessively around his brother. And the baby black dragon—now named Raon Miru, after some coaxing from Cale and Zaerys—was nestled right against Cale’s neck, breathing softly.

Zaerys felt utterly betrayed.

He had suffered through witnessing a death and a resurrection. He had assisted in stabilizing the tiny hatchling’s mana core, because it was so unstable from his previous berserk and death. He had even tolerated the chaos of finding a safe place in Puzzle City so they could all rest properly.

And this was his reward? Being left to stand beside the bed like some forgotten extra while his Cale was swarmed by clingy children?

Unacceptable.

With a silent huff, Zaerys gracefully climbed onto the bed, carefully maneuvering around the pile of bodies. He nudged Hong slightly, receiving a sleepy grumble in response. Noir shifted but remained stubbornly latched onto Cale’s neck. Even Ohn twitched his ears but refused to move.

Zaerys narrowed his eyes.

Fine. If they were going to be like that, then so would he.

With practiced ease, he stretched himself out along Cale’s other side, draping an arm over his lover’s waist. Then, ever so smugly, he tucked his head against Cale’s shoulder, ensuring that at least part of his Cale was still within his embrace.

Perfect.

As he closed his eyes, content at last, Cale shifted slightly in his sleep. He mumbled something incoherent before settling again, his body unconsciously relaxing under Zaerys’ warmth.

Zaerys smirked to himself.

Victory was his.

For now.

***

Cale was satisfied the following day. 

Zaerys had shown him where to get the Vitality of the Heart and how to get it.

“Shall we test that ancient power if it works?” Cale ignored his perverted innuendo. Cale turned to the children, gave them a letter and said, “Don’t let anyone see you. Once you are done, there will be food waiting, okay?”

“Okay, Pretty Birdie!” Raon said.

“Okay, Cale-nya~” The Cat Tribe children said.

The children were tasked to deliver a letter that would give a new hope for Taylor Stan. Since Cale took the ancient power he had been searching for, it’s only right to give him a new one, even if he would never know it was him.

Zaerys watched with amusement as the children scampered off, their little figures disappearing into the bustling streets of Puzzle City. He turned to Cale, who was already moving toward the direction of the inn they were staying in.

But once they were alone, Zaerys pulled Cale close and whispered in his ears, “Shall we go test that regeneration ancient power of yours, hm?”

Cale blushed madly at the implication of his words, “But make it quick, I don’t want to traumatize the children.”

Zaerys chuckled, golden eyes glinting with mischief as he pulled Cale along. "Oh? Does that mean you're agreeing, little bird?"

Cale groaned, already regretting his choice of words. "No. I mean—ugh. Just—shut up and come on."

Zaerys smirked but didn't push further. Instead, he let Cale lead the way back to their inn, following at a leisurely pace. The streets of Puzzle City were lively, filled with merchants shouting their wares and travelers passing through, but the two of them weaved through the crowd effortlessly.

As soon as they reached their room, Cale wasted no time. He sat on the edge of the bed and rolled up his sleeve. "You wanted to test it, right? Do it already."

Zaerys raised an eyebrow. "No hesitation?"

Cale gave him a deadpan look. "It's better to get it over with before the kids come back."

Zaerys hummed in approval, putting soundproof runes around the room in a snap.

Zaerys leaned down to kiss Cale on the neck. “Sure do.”

***

By the time the children were back, the couple were done with their bedroom activities and already ready the foods as a reward for the kids.

Raon Miru sniffed the air as he flew into the room, his wings flapping excitedly. “Food! Food is here, pretty birdie!”  

Ohn and Hong darted in right behind him, their noses twitching at the scent of freshly prepared meat.  

Cale, who was seated calmly at the table, casually took a sip of his tea. “Eat first, then report.”  

The children immediately scrambled to their seats, piling their plates high as Zaerys leaned lazily against the wall, arms crossed with a smug smirk.  

Raon took a big bite of roasted meat and then waved his tiny paw. “The letter has been delivered, pretty birdie! We were very stealthy! No one saw us!”  

Ohn nodded enthusiastically, her tail flicking. “We made sure to leave it where it would be found right away, nya~”  

Hong, already on his second helping, swallowed and added, “Taylor Stan’s friend saw it. She looked really confused at first, but then she called for Taylor Stan. They’ll definitely read it.”  

Cale nodded, satisfied. “Good work.”  

Zaerys chuckled, sliding into a chair beside him. “And now, you’ve set everything in motion. What’s next?”  

Cale leaned back in his chair, a lazy smirk on his lips. “We rest. And then, we go to the capital.”  

Zaerys hummed, resting his chin on his hand as he gazed at his lover. “Devious. I love it.”  

Raon, mouth stuffed with food, tilted his head. “Pretty birdie, why is your face red?”  

Cale choked on his tea.  

Zaerys just grinned wider.

Cale coughed violently, hastily setting his cup down as he struggled to regain his composure. Zaerys, the absolute menace that he was, simply patted his back with mock concern, his golden eyes gleaming with unrestrained amusement.  

"I-I'm not red," Cale managed to wheeze out, looking anywhere but at the dragon beside him.  

Raon tilted his head in confusion. "But you are, pretty birdie! Your ears are very red!"  

Hong, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of grilled meat, glanced between them. "Did something happen while we were gone, Cale-nya?"  

Ohn, ever the observant one, narrowed her feline eyes. "Zaerys smells smug," she pointed out.  

Zaerys hummed, entirely unapologetic. "Do I?"  

Cale shot him a glare that promised suffering.  

Before the children could question them further, he quickly changed the subject. "Eat up. We’ll be leaving early tomorrow."  

Raon gasped. "Where are we going, pretty birdie?"  

"The capital," Cale replied simply, watching as the little dragon’s eyes lit up in excitement.  

"The capital! The big, shiny place with all the golden roofs?!" Raon flapped his wings enthusiastically. "Will we see a lot of fancy people?"  

Cale took another sip of his tea, now fully composed. "Unfortunately."  

Zaerys chuckled at the deadpan response, resting a hand on Cale’s shoulder. "We should probably prepare disguises for the little ones. It wouldn’t do for anyone to recognize a rare black dragon and two Cat Tribe children."  

Ohn and Hong perked up at the mention of disguises. "Are we getting cool outfits, nya?" Hong asked eagerly.  

Raon gasped dramatically. "Can I wear a cape?"  

Cale sighed, already feeling a headache coming on. "Fine. But nothing too flashy."  

Zaerys smirked. "Oh, I’ll handle that, little bird."  

Cale immediately regretted everything.  

***

The next morning, Cale had managed to spot Zaerys and their children from getting disguises. Because, as chaotic as they were, they had logic. Between two dragons and a phoenix, disguises were easy.

All it took was a few threads of illusion magic and some glamour runes, and suddenly Raon wasn’t a black dragon anymore, but a sleepy-looking human child with big blue eyes and messy dark curls. He still had his dramatic cape, though. Zaerys claimed it was “essential to morale.” Cale claimed it was “a neon flag screaming attention.”  

Hong and Ohn were disguised as red headed twins with cat ear-shaped hats—because of course Zaerys insisted they needed to “keep their brand.” The hats even twitched. Why? No one knew. Not even the “twins”.  

Zaerys, ever the dramatic ancient being he was, barely changed anything about himself. He glamoured his hair a shade lighter and added a pair of non-existent spectacles perched on the bridge of his nose. Apparently, that was enough to pass as “just a handsome traveling merchant.”  

Cale didn’t even bother with a disguise.  

When asked why, he simply replied, “No one important’s met me yet.”  

Zaerys tilted his head. “Except you’re glowing with natural phoenix energy, my love. The moment we step foot in the capital, every half-decent mage will know you're something.”  

Cale looked him dead in the eye and said, “That sounds like a you problem.”  

Zaerys laughed like a madman. The children stared in mild awe.  

***  

They arrived at the capital by midday, the sun high and brilliant above them as the gates came into view.  

Cale, dressed simply in traveler’s clothes, walked with an air of indifference that somehow made nobles and commoners alike part in the crowd for him. Raon, holding onto his hand, stared wide-eyed at the massive gates.  

“It’s so big, pretty birdie!”  

“Don’t shout,” Cale muttered under his breath.  

“But it’s shiny! Look! Look at all the sparkles!”  

Zaerys, walking beside them with a smug air, ruffled Raon’s curls. “Shiny and overcompensating. Typical humans.”  

Ohn and Hong were trying to look unimpressed. They failed spectacularly.  

“I want a snack,” Hong whispered.  

“We just got here,” Cale deadpanned.  

“But traveling makes me hungry, nya~”  

“You’re always hungry.”  

“Not true, Cale-nya!”  

Zaerys leaned closer. “They are growing children, you know.”  

“I know , Zaerys.”  

The guard at the gates gave them a curious look but said nothing as Zaerys handed over a forged merchant token and smiled charmingly. They were waved through with no questions asked.  

Cale resisted the urge to sigh in relief. He wasn’t ready to deal with nobles yet. Not until the situation with Taylor Stan settled and he retrieved his next ancient power in the Ubarr territory.

He had a plan. A long one. A complicated one. A dangerous one regarding the Plaza Terror Incident that he is about to stop with his family.

Zaerys knew it. And Zaerys was the only one who had the nerve to tamper with Cale's carefully laid steps.  

Which was why Cale wasn’t surprised when, as soon as they found lodging at an inn in the merchant district, Zaerys sat on the windowsill and said,  

“So. About your plan for the plaza incident that will happen in the future.”  

Cale froze mid-sip of his tea. “What about it?”  

Zaerys gave him a look. The one that said ‘Don’t try to lie to me, little bird. You’re cute, but not that cute. ’  

“I haven’t even gone out yet,” Cale said blandly.  

“But you will,” Zaerys said easily. “Soon. Probably by tonight. You and Raon would go around the plaza looking for the places where the mana bombs will be placed, and then we will wait until it is time, and enact our plan.”  

Cale said nothing.  

Zaerys smirked. “I do pay attention.”  

“…Then you know what I need from you.”  

Zaerys’s grin sharpened. “Oh, little bird. I was born to help you destroy the world.”  

Raon peeked his head in from the hallway, eyes wide. “Are we destroying the world now?”  

“No,” Cale said immediately.  

Zaerys, like a bastard, said, “ Not yet. ”  

Raon gasped with excitement.  

Ohn and Hong shouted in unison, “Are we getting snacks before or after the destruction, nya?”  

Cale set his tea down and buried his face in his hands.  

He was never going to catch a break.  

***  

Later that night, in the quiet glow of lamplight, Cale finally sat at the desk and wrote a letter. Not to his Eric-hyung. Not to Basen who was in the capital.

But to someone he hadn’t contacted since the day he left the estate.  

Count Deruth Henituse.  

He sealed the envelope, wax imprint clean and cold. Then, he placed a second, smaller one beside it—this one meant for the Hero of the North.  

Tomorrow, everything would begin.  

And this time, Cale wouldn't walk away without setting the stage his way.  

Zaerys, lying on the bed behind him with Raon curled on his chest, watched him with golden eyes half-lidded in thought.  

“Sleep, little bird,” he murmured. “You’ve got a kingdom to outmaneuver in a few days.”  

Cale didn’t respond.  

But he smiled faintly.  

Because he would.

Chapter Text

Cale was not surprised that his father had received the letter and taken immediate action. He had expected as much—Deruth Henituse was nothing if not persistent when it came to his family. But he had expected a letter in return, maybe a few inquiries about how things were going.

What he had not expected was for Basen to show up in a lavishly decorated carriage, pulling up to the inn’s entrance with a flourish.

The sound of horses’ hooves pounding the cobblestone street could be heard from the window, and Cale couldn’t help but groan under his breath. He looked over at Zaerys, who had been lounging in a chair, reading through an old tome.

Zaerys glanced up, his golden eyes glinting with curiosity as he saw the exasperation on Cale’s face. “What’s this? You’re not excited to see family?”

Cale narrowed his eyes. “It’s not the family I’m worried about.”

Zaerys raised an eyebrow. “Basen, yes?”

“Basen,” Cale repeated, sitting up straighter. “How did he even find us this quickly?”

Zaerys chuckled, unbothered. “A man on a mission. Your father probably figured you’d get into trouble and decided to send the cavalry.”

Cale sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. “I didn’t even send a detailed letter. Just that we made it here safely. Why does he have to drag Basen into everything?”

Zaerys gave him a knowing look. “Because Basen’s got a way of getting things done without raising too many eyebrows. Unlike you.”

“Ugh,” Cale groaned. “I don’t need this right now.”

Before Zaerys could respond, a knock on the door interrupted them.

"Master Cale, sir," came the muffled voice of the innkeeper, "there’s someone here to see you. A young man. He says he’s from the Henituse family."

Cale’s shoulders sagged. “Of course it’s Basen.”

With a resigned look, Cale stood up and walked to the door, opening it to reveal Basen standing in the hallway, looking every bit the young nobleman he was—a tall, well-dressed figure with a mischievous smile, clearly excited to see Cale.

“Hyung-nim!” Basen called out, his voice full of relief. “I’m so glad you’re safe! Father was getting antsy. You know how he is.”

Cale forced a small smile, though it was clear he wasn’t exactly thrilled to see his younger brother. “I’m fine, Basen. I’ve always been fine.”

Basen, grinning, stepped inside the room. “You know I had to come. Father insisted. He says there’s no way you’d want to stay in some dusty inn when you could be at the manor. Besides, it’s been a while since we’ve had some family time, right?”

Cale raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Basen had already made up his mind.

As Basen stepped further into the room, he took in the odd group around Cale. His gaze flicked to Zaerys, who was still seated in his chair, and then to the children who had been happily playing on the bed, still unaware of the newcomer’s arrival. Their disguises were impeccable, though Basen's sharp eyes noticed their unusual mannerisms.

“Quite the entourage you’ve got here, hyung-nim,” Basen commented, an amused grin tugging at the corner of his lips. “And I see your... friend is still tagging along.”

Cale’s expression remained neutral. “Zaerys is not just my friend .”

Basen’s grin widened as he caught the subtle undercurrent of possessiveness in Cale’s tone. “Yeah, yeah, I got it. You two are... special .”

Zaerys glanced up at Basen with an easygoing smile. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, Basen. How’s life treating you?”

Basen chuckled. “As good as it can be. Father’s still trying to control everything in the manor, you know how it is.” He then paused, his attention drifting to the children still playing with their toys.

Raon, noticing the stranger in the room, zipped up to hover in front of Basen’s face, his wings fluttering excitedly. "Who are you? Are you pretty birdie's little brother?"

Basen blinked, completely caught off guard. “Uh... what?”

Raon tilted his head, his dragon eyes wide with curiosity. “I’m Raon Miru! Pretty birdie’s baby dragon!” he announced proudly, puffing his chest out.

Zaerys couldn’t help but chuckle at the scene, his golden eyes glinting with amusement as he looked at Cale, who was trying (and failing) to suppress a grin.

Basen’s eyes widened slightly, his shock not entirely hidden. “Did you just say... baby dragon?”

“Yup!” Raon said, giving Basen a wide grin. “I can fly! I can eat snacks! And I’m very good at it!” 

Basen laughed out loud, a hearty sound that filled the room. “I didn’t expect that. A real dragon? Wow, it’s—it’s an honor.”

Cale couldn’t help but chuckle now, his earlier annoyance fading. “Raon’s always this... enthusiastic .”

Basen turned his attention back to Cale, his grin mischievous. “So, hyung-nim, what exactly have you gotten yourself into this time?”

Cale shrugged nonchalantly. “Just some business. Nothing you need to worry about.”

Basen’s smile softened as he looked at the children again, his curiosity piqued. “They’re cute. Are they your... adopted kids?”

Cale nodded. “Yeah. Ohn, Hong.”

Raon, who had been bouncing around excitedly, zipped over to Basen’s side, tugging at his sleeve. “So, Uncle Basen! Are you taking us to the manor now? Pretty birdie’s taking us home!” 

Basen laughed, patting the small dragon on the head. “Sure, sure. But only if you promise not to eat all the snacks on the way.”

“I won’t! I won’t!” Raon declared confidently, though his mischievous eyes said otherwise.

Cale couldn’t help but shake his head at the interaction. “We’re ready to go whenever you are.”

Basen nodded, giving Cale a quick, understanding look. “I’ll help get everything sorted. But you’ve got to promise me one thing, hyung-nim.”

“What’s that?”

“Try to relax a little, alright? You’re always so serious. Just enjoy the ride to the manor.” Basen’s tone was lighthearted, teasing, but there was a hint of warmth there, as if he genuinely wanted Cale to stop shouldering the world alone.

Cale paused, considering the request. “I’ll try.”

Basen gave him a knowing grin. “That’s all I’m asking for.”

As the group began to gather their things, Basen helped organize the trip, making sure they were ready to leave. Cale, despite his usual reluctance, couldn’t help but feel a small sense of ease in this moment. For once, it seemed like everything was just… simple. No chaos, no immediate danger, just a ride to the Henituse Manor and a lighthearted conversation.

And maybe, just maybe, that was exactly what he needed.

***

The Henituse Manor in the capital was as grand as always, its high stone walls and perfectly manicured grounds reflecting the wealth and power of the family that called it home. Today, however, there was a strange, lighthearted air about the place. It wasn’t the usual hustle of preparing for a formal event or dealing with the complicated politics of the Henituse family. No, today the manor felt almost... normal. 

And that was something Cale didn’t quite expect when he agreed to come here, at least not after everything that had happened in the past few days. But Basen, always eager to please his father, had insisted, and now here they were—Cale, Zaerys, and the children—stepping into the manor, though none of them were exactly dressed for the occasion.

Ohn, still in her disguise, tugged at Cale’s sleeve, her red hair falling in soft waves around her face. “Papa~! Are we really staying here?” she asked with an excitement that was unmistakable in her voice.

Cale glanced down at her, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Yes, Ohn. We’ll stay here for a little while,” he said, his voice gentle. “But we can’t stay forever. We have other places to be.”

The little girl bounced on her feet. “Okay, but I want all the snacks first!” she declared, making everyone in the room smile.

Basen, who was already a few steps ahead, looked back over his shoulder with a grin. “Don’t worry, Ohn. We’ve got plenty of snacks in the kitchen. You’ll never run out.”

Zaerys, who had been following quietly behind Cale, couldn’t help but smile at the children’s energy. His golden eyes glinted with amusement as he looked at Basen. “I see you’re as eager as ever to please your guests,” he remarked lightly.

Basen laughed, throwing an arm over his shoulder. “Someone has to make sure the little ones are happy, right? Besides, Father made it clear that we’re to keep the peace while Cale’s here.” His eyes softened when they landed on the children. “Though I must admit, I’ve never seen you this cheerful, hyung-nim,” he teased, gesturing to the group.

Cale sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn’t ask for this either, you know.”

Basen just shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad to see you’re alright. Father was starting to get worried.”

Cale glanced at Zaerys, who was now quietly standing beside the children, watching their interactions with a faint smile. “Worried? He didn’t need to send you to fetch us,” Cale muttered.

“Well,” Basen began, his tone slightly more serious but still light, “I think Father just wants to see his family. And to make sure you haven’t gotten yourself into more trouble, you know?” He gave Cale a sideways glance, making his intentions clear. “That’s why I’m here.”

“I’m not some child who needs babysitting,” Cale muttered under his breath, but the edge in his voice was gone, replaced by a resigned acceptance.

Zaerys, hearing the conversation, chuckled softly. “Seems like someone is used to taking care of things,” he teased, making Basen flash him a grin.

“Don’t start with me, Zaerys,” Cale said with a roll of his eyes. “Just... let’s get this over with.”

As the group continued walking through the manor, Ohn tugged at Cale’s sleeve again. “Papa, when are we going to see all the cool things here?” Her voice held an innocent wonder that only a child could muster. She was more than ready to explore.

Cale looked down at her, his expression softening. “Soon. We’ll take a look around after dinner, alright?”

Ohn nodded enthusiastically. “Yay! I can’t wait!”

Hong, who had been standing quietly by Cale’s side, seemed lost in thought as he observed the grandeur of the manor around them. His eyes, though still full of mystery, were calm, and for a moment, he looked like a boy who was finally seeing something different than the usual. He glanced up at Cale. “Papa, are we really... staying here?”

Cale nodded, giving him a small smile. “Just for a little while. We’ll be moving again soon.”

Hong seemed satisfied with the answer, but his gaze lingered on the surroundings. Zaerys, sensing the boy’s quiet curiosity, bent down to his level. “If you ever want to explore, I’ll show you the gardens,” Zaerys offered, his voice warm and inviting.

Hong’s eyes met his for a moment, and the boy gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. “Okay, Dad.”

Zaerys smiled, a soft, approving smile that was more than just polite—it was genuine.

“Dad!” Raon’s loud, excitable voice interrupted the moment as he zipped in between everyone, standing in front of Zaerys and tugging at the end of his cloak. “Dragon Dad, are we gonna eat yet? I’m starving!”

Zaerys blinked, then smiled at the little dragon. “We will, Raon. I’m sure your stomach can handle a little patience.”

Raon puffed out his chest, his wings fluttering excitedly. “I can wait! I just hope they have snacks! ”

Basen laughed at Raon’s antics, clearly enjoying the chaos that had followed him back to the manor. “It’s always the dragon with the insatiable appetite,” he said with a grin. “I’m sure there’s more than enough food to go around.”

The group made their way to the dining hall, and as they settled into their places, the atmosphere was light and warm. The servants had quickly set out an extravagant spread, and despite the heavy tensions Cale usually carried, there was a rare sense of ease in the air.

Basen, ever the energetic host, was the first to start serving food to the children. “You guys are going to love this. I made sure to get your favorites, Ohn,” he said, placing a plate of fruit and sweets in front of her.

Ohn beamed, immediately reaching for the sweets. “Thank you, Uncle Basen!” she exclaimed, her voice a sweet melody that made everyone smile.

Raon, not to be outdone, declared loudly, “I want snacks! Give me all the best ones, Dragon Dad!”

Zaerys smirked as he served the little dragon some food. “You never change, do you?”

Raon grinned widely. “That’s because I’m perfect , Dragon Dad!”

Basen looked at Cale, still sitting back and watching the scene with a mixture of exhaustion and amusement. “I swear, you’ve got the whole package, hyung-nim. Three adorable kids, and Zaerys as the ‘perfect’ dad. Who knew you’d be the one to end up with all this?”

Cale shot him a sidelong glance. “Let’s just focus on the meal, alright? No need for commentary.”

Basen chuckled, but he respected the unspoken request. He sat down beside Cale, and the conversation turned to lighter matters. For once, the atmosphere wasn’t charged with worry, schemes, or tension. It was simply a family, in all its unusual and complicated forms, enjoying a meal together.

And for Cale, that was more than enough for now.

Chapter Text

Zaerys looked at the group in front of him with a frown on his face, he was showing emotions compared to his lover who was looking at the group, completely devoid of emotions. The dragon was quick to wrap his arms around the phoenix’s waist from behind.

Cale had been so open about what happened in his life before regression, Cale had told him about the emotions he felt and never let out in that life because he was shielding himself with his trash reputation.

He told him about how he had wished that Ron had never left, Ron was like his remaining parent since his father basically left him in the past with his late mother and moved forward without taking Cale with him. Ron was a constant in his life, and Choi Han just appeared and took that constant.

It shook Cale’s life structure. His core.

And Zaerys believes that until now, that was the main reason why Cale still hates them. Personally, Zaerys would probably just kill them on the spot. But this is Cale’s problem to fix.

He took a glance at Choi Han, the young man was glaring at his lover. Zaerys sighed. Zaerys covered Cale’s eyes that were just glaring back at Choi Han and pulled him close.

The imperial dragon used his magic to make Cale fall asleep, he looked at the group. The Molan duo are looking at him with suspicion, Rosalyn had her eyes widened at his casual display of magic, Choi Han was still glaring at his sleeping lover.

“I will leave Basen with instructions on how to handle whatever the hell is your situation.” Zaerys’s voice was stern, as he glared at Choi Han, not realizing that his golden eyes were slitted causing Rosalyn’s eyes to widen even more. “Stop glaring at Cale, you punk, unless you want to punted to the next continent over.”

He carried Cale in his arms and left.

***

Zaerys’s footsteps were silent, his aura simmering with restrained fury as he carried Cale through the quiet corridors of the Henituse Estate they’d taken refuge in upon Deruth’s urging. His arms tightened just a bit around Cale, who remained asleep against his chest, face peaceful in a way Zaerys rarely got to see.

He murmured softly, almost reverently, “You should never have had to face them alone.”

Cale, the man who bore so much in silence, who had tried to fight for his kingdom with bloodstained hands in his last life and still carried every wound in this one—Zaerys would not let them tear him down again. Not after all the healing they had fought so hard for. Not after everything they had built together, in the quiet moments between training and memories.

He reached the private wing of the estate—the one Cale had claimed not for its grandeur, but for the way the sunlight filtered in like a living thing whenever he stayed at the capital. Gently, Zaerys placed him on the bed and brushed his fingers over Cale’s cheek. The spell would wear off soon, and when it did, Cale would be furious. But for now, he needed rest, away from the weight of a past that refused to die.

Zaerys stood there for a moment, his golden gaze flickering like firelight. Then he turned, letting his magic unfurl like a veil around the room, protective wards woven with ancient dragon script. No one would reach Cale without his permission.

***

He decided to keep Cale sleeping, he has to fix whatever problems that annoying bugs called humans first.

“Good work,” He told Basen who had followed his instructions down to the last details. He watched with keen eyes as he watched Rosalyn and Choi Han fight Lock who was in his berserk form. Zaerys doubled the barriers that Raon had placed.

He sneered.

They were weak.

No wonder they lost against that idiot copycat.

“Children,” He called for the attention of his and Cale's children. “Watch them closely.”

“The Wolf Tribe, Tiger Tribe, Bear Tribe, and the Whale Tribe, these four tribes lose their rationality the most during the first berserk transformation. That is why we call these four tribes the Beast People closest to monsters.”

He was glad that his children are listening well.

“If you feel like you are going to go berserk or suddenly feel yourself heating up or hurting, immediately come to me.” He told him, “Me or your Papa, understand?”

“Okay~”

Raon knows the consequences of a dragon going berserk. He went through it once, and Zaerys was sure that he would not go through it again.

“Dragon Dad.” He looked at the baby dragon, “You’re gonna teach me more magic, right?”

“Correct.”

“Good.”

“On, Hong.”

Zaerys called the kitten siblings over. There was a reason he had the two of them come with him. “Watch that Wolf Tribe kid’s movements.”

He wanted On and Hong to pay close attention to the werewolf Lock. Lock was relentlessly charging toward Choi Han and Rosalyn. There was no retreating for Lock. That was the Wolf Tribe’s style. Zaerys spoke as if he was whispering to the kittens. “That is the instinctual movements of a Beast person. The fact that they can move based on instinct, unlike humans, is one of the beauty and gloriousness of the Beast Tribes.”

“Even if you entered this state or not, you still have to apply my words in the future.” He smiled at them, “You don’t need to be strong. But your papa and I are aware of the ugliness of this world, and we wished for all three of you to be aware of it, and be able to defend yourself from it.”

The children looked at each other then to him, “Okay, dad!”

“Good.”

***

After that boring fight, he let Basen take care of it again. So when he returned to his and Cale's bedroom; he was surprised to see him awake, sitting by the bed and looking out the window.

Zaerys sat beside him without a word. And Cale just leaned sideways to him without a word as well.

“I would like to ignore them.” Cale said quietly.

“And that is a valid reaction.” He says. “His action hurts you. As much as you had a hand in it, no one stopped you when you were a child. It's everyone's fault, okay?”

“Am I cursed?” Zaerys was quick to carry his little fire bird in his arms with that question.

“You are not cursed.” Zaerys kissed the corner of Cale's lips.

“I'm unlovable.”

“I love you.” Zaerys told him without any hesitation. “The children love you. Your family loves you. Ignore those people who do not deserve your love, okay?”

Cale pulled him into a kiss.

Zaerys reciprocated, hoping to convey his feelings to comfort his lover.

I love you.

I will burn and destroy this entire dimension for you.

Chapter Text

“You stay here.” Zaerys frowned at his lover’s insistence on being in the same room with the people who had left him—and the person who had hurt him.

“I have to be there,” Cale insisted once again.

Zaerys’s eyes narrowed, golden irises gleaming with the hint of a slit. “You don’t owe them anything.”

“I’m not doing it for them.” Cale’s voice was flat, but steady. “I need to do this for me.”

Zaerys hated that. Hated that Cale still felt like he needed to confront the past when it should be the other way around— they should be the ones kneeling, begging for forgiveness, not the other way around.

The phoenix stood, brushing off invisible dust from his coat, the sharp angle of his jaw defiant in the sunlight that filtered into the room. His eyes were no longer blank or guarded. They were burning.

And that scared Zaerys more than anything.

Because Cale only ever burned when he was ready to get hurt again.

“Cale—”

“I know what I’m doing.” He cut in softly. “I have you. I have our children. I’m not going back to the mindset where I believed I was worthless. Not again. I was given a chance to do a do-over with this regression, I’m going to move forward without any regrets.”

Zaerys stared at him, then stepped forward until their foreheads touched. His hand came up to cradle Cale’s cheek with aching gentleness.

“If they try anything,” he whispered, voice low and dangerous, “I will erase them from existence.”

Cale didn’t argue.

Instead, he leaned into the touch, then nodded once again.

***

The so-called unwanted guests looked at the eldest son of the Henituse Family calmly drinking tea as he sat beside a very tall and large black haired man with golden eyes and tan skin. The man was glaring at them.

Zaerys Noctirion looked like he was one breath away from burning the entire room to ash.

Cale, on the other hand, looked… unbothered. Serene, even. Not the kind of serenity that came from peace, but the kind born from exhaustion, from battles already fought and won. From finally being too tired to bleed.

Basen stood quietly by the door, a sentinel more than a sibling. His face was carefully blank, but his shoulders were tense. He hadn't looked at any of them since they arrived. He hadn't spoken a word, either.

Cale set his cup down with a soft clink . “You wanted to talk,” he said. “Start talking.”

Rosalyn glanced at the black haired man, and looked at Cale, “Young Master Cale, we apologize for being so forward and just coming here without any of your input.”

Cale frowned, so did Basen as Rosalyn continued to speak.

“But.. Sir Ron immediately thought of the Henituse Estate to ask for help with our predicament with Lock going berserk for the first time…”

Cale’s frown deepened at the word ‘ immediately ’.

Zaerys’s hand twitched against his knee. He didn’t miss the way Cale’s posture stiffened. Not visibly—no, Cale was too well-trained for that—but Zaerys knew every inch of this man. He knew when something twisted too deep for words.

“Is that so,” Cale murmured. “So the same man who left while I was unconscious; beaten almost half to death by your other companion without any thought. Like I was a mere afterthought like what my own father had been doing when I was young. I wonder where he got that audacity.”

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Beacrox lowered his gaze, jaw tight. Ron avoided Cale’s gaze.

Rosalyn pressed on, choosing her words carefully. “I… I am unaware of what happened.. But Lock needed help, he.. That child went berserk for the first time when he saw his siblings getting abducted.”

Cale and Zaerys didn’t speak a word as Basen gasped at that information. The couple was aware, with Zaerys’s clear record of the novel and relaying that information to Cale. But they did frown, according to the novel it was an assassination of the Blue Wolf Tribe. But kidnapping of children?

That particular problem is gonna give the couple a headache.

But..

Cale took a glance at the two former constants in his life, both this one and the last; the Molan father and son duo, then looked away. He looked at Zaerys and he stood up, “As soon as the child is better and could travel, leave.”

Silence reigned once more. But this time, it was laced with finality.

Cale didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t shout or accuse. He simply issued a decree—and it felt heavier than any scream.

Rosalyn’s lips parted in protest, but Basen’s sharp voice cut in before she could utter a word.

“You heard him.”

It was the first thing he’d said since they arrived, and it rang through the room with chilling authority. The same tone their father once used in court whenever he was active, but sharper, colder. With none of the warmth that once defined their family’s unity.

Beacrox finally looked up. “Young Master Cale…”

But Cale didn’t even turn to face him. “Don’t.”

Zaerys stood, his imposing form rising beside Cale like a silent wall of fury barely contained. His expression remained unreadable, but a low thrum of heat began to stir in the air again.

“I asked you to leave him alone once,” Zaerys said, voice deceptively calm. “You didn’t listen. This time, I’m not asking.”

Ron closed his eyes. Regret wasn’t enough to undo the past. He knew that.

There was something fragile that had been broken between him and his former charge.

And Ron thinks that it would take a long time before his old hands could mend it.

***

“You okay?” Zaerys asked his lover as Cale continued to cuddle into his chest. After that scene, they both didn’t leave the bedroom. The children were understanding when Zaerys had explained that their Papa was sad, and so he would take care of him so he wouldn’t be sad anymore.

“I don’t know.” Cale’s words were muffled because his face was still on Zaerys’s firm yet soft chest.

Zaerys didn’t respond right away. He simply ran his fingers through Cale’s hair, letting the silence stretch between them like a blanket—warm, steady, patient. He’d learned that sometimes Cale needed space not filled by words, but presence. A constant he could hold onto when everything else felt like it might unravel.

Maybe, this is how the so-called trash of the count’s family endured that loneliness he had to bear as he carried that reputation. Constants ground Cale, he lost two; but Zaerys and the three children immediately replaced that.

“You don’t have to be sure,” Zaerys murmured eventually, “You just have to let yourself feel it.”

“I hate that it still hurts.” Cale’s voice was raw, barely a whisper. “After everything, even after regressing… they shouldn’t matter anymore. But it still hurts.”

“They mattered once,” Zaerys said, pressing a kiss to Cale’s temple. “That’s why it hurts. You’re allowed to grieve what they were. What you thought they were.”

Cale inhaled sharply, then let the breath out slow, shaky.

“I didn’t want them back,” he said. “I just… wanted them to regret it. To know what they lost. Is that petty?”

Zaerys chuckled, soft and fond. “Maybe. But you’re allowed to be petty. Especially when you’re within your rights.”

That earned a quiet snort from Cale, muffled against skin. “You’re terrible at comforting people.”

“I’m fantastic at it,” Zaerys replied without shame. “I just don’t lie.”

Another long beat of silence passed before Cale shifted slightly, just enough to glance up at him. “Do you really think they regret it?”

Zaerys met his gaze head-on. “Ron does. Beacrox too. Rosalyn… I think she regrets not knowing. She doesn’t understand what she walked into. Choi Han, I can’t speak for that bastard, but he was filled with despair; but he never should have let out his grief by doing what he did to you. But none of them deserve a second chance. Not until they earn it. And I won’t let them hurt you again while they figure that out.”

Cale didn’t answer, but he leaned back into Zaerys’s embrace and let his hand rest over Zaerys’s heart.

It was steady. Always steady.

Just like him.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

Zaerys held him tighter, wings forming gently behind his back as if instinctively wrapping Cale in warmth and protection. “Always.”

Chapter Text

Cale was being blocked by Zaerys.

He just finished meeting with Eric-hyung, Gilbert, and Amiru. And now, his lover is keeping him in their shared bedroom.

“But the kids!” He tried to reason with his dragon lover.

“Are playing with Basen outside.” He said. “We are staying indoors. Or maybe we could go back to Elyndor.”

Cale knows why he was doing this. It was the guests in the estate. Dragons really are territorial, especially the Imperial Dragons.

Zaerys didn’t budge from where he stood, arms crossed, wings faintly visible behind him in a shimmer of power. His golden eyes were fixed firmly on Cale, unwavering, as if daring him to argue further.

Cale scowled, crossing his own arms stubbornly. “You’re being unreasonable.”

Zaerys tilted his head, a slow, lazy motion that didn’t hide the gleam of warning in his gaze. “I’m protecting what’s mine.”

Cale flushed—part annoyance, part something warmer he didn’t want to examine too closely right now. “I’m not some treasure to be hoarded, Zaerys.”

“You’re more valuable than any treasure I’ve ever owned or seen,” Zaerys said without hesitation. “That’s why I’m keeping you safe.”

Cale opened his mouth to argue—and closed it again with a groan when Zaerys smoothly crossed the distance between them and all but trapped him against the wall. Not with force, but with sheer presence. His hands planted themselves firmly on either side of Cale’s head, caging him in.

Zaerys’s voice lowered to a rumble. “There are strangers in the estate. Strangers who have hurt you before. Even if you’re willing to give them a second chance, I’m not.”

Cale scowled harder. “They’re not going to do anything.”

Zaerys’s lips quirked into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “They don’t need to. Their presence alone is enough to taint your peace. I will not allow that.”

Cale sagged slightly against the wall, rubbing his temples. “Zaerys, I’m not going to break.”

“I know you won’t,” Zaerys said softly, reaching out to gently brush a strand of hair from Cale’s forehead. “But I don’t want you to have to be strong right now. I want you to rest.”

The sincerity in those words hit harder than any ironclad logic Cale could’ve thrown back.

Because really, when was the last time someone told him he didn’t have to be strong?

When was the last time someone insisted he deserved peace, not because he earned it through bleeding and fighting, but simply because he existed?

Cale’s shoulders slumped in defeat.

Zaerys, sensing the surrender, immediately scooped him up—ignoring Cale’s startled squawk—and deposited him onto the bed.

“We’re taking a nap,” Zaerys declared.

“I am not a child—!”

But Zaerys was already lying beside him, dragging Cale into his arms and tucking his wings protectively around them both like a living cocoon.

“Sleep,” he ordered.

Cale glared up at him, half tempted to resist purely on principle.

But the warmth, the steady heartbeat under his ear, the sheer safety of it all…

Cale yawned before he could stop himself.

“Traitorous body,” he muttered.

Zaerys only chuckled and tightened his hold, pressing a kiss to Cale’s hairline.

And despite himself, despite the lingering tension in the estate, despite the ghosts of the past still roaming the hallways—Cale allowed himself to relax.

Allowed himself to rest.

Because here, wrapped in Zaerys’s arms, no past betrayal could touch him.

Not anymore.

***

Cale ignored the stares he was getting by everyone else as they dined together for dinner. He could feel the disbelief in the stares he was getting from Basen, Rosalyn, Choi Han, and the Molans. But the children, the children were a different matter.

“Papa, what’s that on your neck?” Hong asked, pointing at a hickey. Ohn was looking at both of them with disappointment and amusement.

Cale almost choked on his drink, while Zaerys let out a smug “Hehe.” beside him.

“A large bug bit me.” Cale said, giving his lover a side glance. They took a nap.. For a few minutes before Zaerys decided it was better to ravage him than sleep.

Hong’s eyes widened in horror. “A bug that big?! Papa, are you okay?! Should I burn it?!”  

“Hong.” Ohn placed a paw on her brother’s head, sighing heavily. “You can’t burn a bug that’s already dead.”  

Cale, cheeks burning, set his glass down carefully. “It’s fine. I’m fine. It’s...handled.”  

Basen looked like he was fighting between laughing and shielding the younger children’s innocence. Choi Han, on the other hand, looked disturbed by the conversation, while Rosalyn calmly took a sip of her wine like she had seen everything already and this didn’t surprise her one bit.  

Ron and Beacrox were suspiciously silent. Beacrox’s grip on the knife he was holding was just a bit too tight.  

Zaerys, the main culprit, didn’t even try to hide his satisfaction. His arm casually draped around Cale’s chair, tail flicking lazily behind him in a smug rhythm.  

“You seem flushed, beloved. Are you feeling unwell?” he said in a voice so fake-concerned that Cale wanted to kick him under the table.  

He did.  

Zaerys caught his foot with his own and pinned it , all without even blinking.  

Cale seethed silently. Meanwhile, Raon was hopping excitedly in his seat.  

— Human! Human! Let me investigate the wound! I will heal it with my magic!”  

Cale quickly waved him off. [No need, Raon. It’s already healing.] 

“But Human! It looks bad!” Raon’s voice was filled with genuine worry, and Cale’s heart squeezed painfully.  

Before he could figure out how to deflect again, Zaerys leaned down and murmured into Raon’s ear, loud enough for the rest of the table to hear, “It’s a... special kind of bug, little one. Only I can handle it when it bites your papa.”  

Cale slammed his forehead onto the table.  

Rosalyn finally gave up holding her laughter back and chuckled behind her glass.  

Basen politely looked away, pretending to focus very intently on his food.  

Choi Han still looked like he was disturbed by everything right now.  

Ron smiled kindly—the kind of smile that promised a terrifying, ominous future for someone.  

And Beacrox’s knife finally snapped cleanly in two.  

(But then again, these two has no right to feel that way. Not until Cale could trust them again.)

“Oh no.” Ohn said flatly, as Hong now looked at Zaerys with awe.  

“You fought a bug monster?!”  

Zaerys puffed his chest out proudly. “Naturally.”  

Hong’s eyes sparkled. “I want to be like you when I grow up!!”  

Cale groaned again into the table, wondering how his life had come to this.  

Zaerys only tightened his arm around Cale’s shoulders, nuzzling against him like a very smug dragon.  

“I hate you,” Cale mumbled into the wood.  

“No, you don’t,” Zaerys hummed.  

And the worst part?  

Cale really didn’t.  

He just hated how easy it was for Zaerys to turn even his dignity into nothing more than another stolen treasure to keep tucked against his chest.  

And judging by the pleased rumbling purr Zaerys was making, he knew it, too.  

Chapter Text

The group had finally left, Basen had moved them to a different place, and inn. So, they have to let Basen in with the plan.

“You devilish bastard!” Cale screeched in Zaerys’s ear. “We are not sending my brother there!”

“I will give him some magic tools to protect himself and your human friends.” Zaerys said.

Cale was practically vibrating with outrage, pacing back and forth in their room while Zaerys lounged lazily on the bed, utterly unaffected by the storm he had unleashed.

"You can’t just decide that, Zaerys!" Cale snapped, flinging his hands into the air. "Basen is fifteen! I can’t just let him go through that pain again!”

In his first life, it was Basen that was attending the celebration. Basen got hurt from the bombing. This is why they were using this font of traveling around the world with the children, Cale wanted to keep his brother safe in this lifetime.

Zaerys’s eyes narrowed slightly, the lazy curl of his body on the bed tightening like a serpent uncoiling. “And how many people will die if someone doesn’t go, Cale?”

“That doesn’t mean it has to be Basen !” Cale shot back, spinning on his heel. His voice cracked under the weight of memory. “You don’t know what it was like—seeing him bleeding, unconscious, crushed under rubble while I was too far away to help!”

“I do know,” Zaerys said quietly, the words slicing through the rising fury like cold steel. “I saw it in your memory. Every time you flinch when Basen walks too far from your line of sight. Every time you tighten your grip on Raon or Hong or Ohn. I know you’re afraid, Cale.”

Cale’s steps faltered.

“But fear doesn’t mean we lock our loved ones in a cage.” Zaerys stood slowly, his form unfolding with unnatural grace as he approached, golden eyes burning with the weight of centuries. “Basen is not the same boy he was in your first life. He’s grown. We’re going to protect your brother.”

Cale clenched his fists. His voice dropped to a whisper. “What if I lose him again?”

Zaerys reached out and placed a hand over Cale’s chest, just above his heart. “Then we prepare. We shield. We guard. And we trust. I will mark him myself, give him tools that bend space and time if I must. He will not die. Not under my watch. And not on yours.”

Cale looked up into those golden eyes, the weight of lifetimes pressing on his shoulders.

“…You swear?”

Zaerys didn’t hesitate. “On my name as Zaerys Noctirion. On my fire. On Elyndor. He will live.”

There was silence.

And then Cale sagged forward, resting his forehead against Zaerys’s shoulder. “…I still hate this.”

Zaerys held him close. “I know.”

They stood there, a pair forged by pain and defiance, drawing strength from one another in the silence that followed.

***

The following days, even the children noticed how tense their papa is. Basen is confused, but he likes the fact that his brother who was once so aloof, was showering him with affection.

So sudden, but he likes it.

“Basen.” His hyung’s lover, Zaerys, approached. “Here.”

It was a small silver bracelet.

Basen blinked, looking down at the delicate piece of jewelry resting in Zaerys’s outstretched hand. It was simple, almost plain, save for the thin line of faintly glowing runes etched along the inner side of the silver band.

“What is it?” Basen asked, reaching out hesitantly.

Zaerys clasped the bracelet around his wrist with a click that sounded almost... final. The metal was cool against his skin, but a moment later, a pleasant warmth seeped into his bones.

“Your life insurance,” Zaerys said with a half-smile, sharp and bright. “This bracelet is layered with three protections. First, it will alert me the moment you are in mortal danger. Second, it will create a shield capable of withstanding a direct blast from a ninth-circle mage. Third...” Zaerys leaned closer, his voice lowering to a conspiratorial whisper, “it will teleport you directly back to me if you are about to die.”

Basen’s mouth parted in surprise. “That’s... a lot.”

Zaerys tilted his head, smirking. “You are Cale’s little brother. That makes you mine to protect, too.”

From the side, Cale, who had been pretending not to eavesdrop, let out a strangled noise that sounded suspiciously like a suppressed squawk.

Basen laughed, the sound light and bright, dispelling some of the heavy tension that had hung over the group for days. “Thank you, Zaerys-hyung.”

Zaerys ruffled Basen’s hair in response, much to Basen’s quiet indignation.

“Don't lose that bracelet," Zaerys said, straightening. His tone was serious now, his golden eyes glinting. "No matter what happens, trust it."

Basen nodded solemnly. “I will.”

***

Later that night, Basen could only stare in awe at the giant dome of golden mana that surrounded him and those around him. He had been around Zaerys-hyung to know how his mana feels despite not being a mage.

Did… Did his hyung-nim and Zaerys-hyung know that this would happen?

“Basen!” He turned to where the voice was coming from, it was his hyung-nim.

Cale was sprinting toward him, eyes wild, his usually composed face twisted with panic. Without thinking, Basen ran too, feet pounding against the cobblestones, throwing himself toward his brother as the golden dome rippled and flexed under a sudden impact.

A deafening boom shook the air — the explosion had triggered.  

But the golden shield held.  

Cale reached him first, grabbing Basen by the shoulders and quickly running his hands over him, checking for injuries. His touch was rough, frantic, the barely-restrained terror in his gaze making Basen’s chest ache.  

“I’m fine, hyung-nim!” Basen gasped, trying to catch his breath. “The bracelet—it worked! It worked!”  

Cale exhaled sharply, a shudder running through him as he pulled Basen into a crushing hug, so tight it nearly knocked the air out of him.  

“You scared the life out of me,” Cale muttered, voice hoarse.  

Basen, still held tightly, awkwardly patted his back. “I didn’t do anything! I just stood here and—”  

Another explosion shook the ground, this one closer, louder, but the golden dome only shimmered again, unbothered. Inside the barrier, the world was strangely silent, the chaos muffled like distant thunder.  

Zaerys appeared beside them in a flicker of flame, his expression calm but deadly serious. His golden eyes swept over the scene, noting the injured beyond the shield, the panicked crowd, and the crumbling walls. Well, its not like the Imperial Dragon cares about the humans beyond his little fire bird’s humans.  

“You’re both safe,” he confirmed, his voice low and steady. “Good.”  

Cale finally pulled back, though he kept one hand firmly on Basen’s shoulder, as if anchoring himself. “The bomber bastard is gone.”

Sure enough, Redika was already gone. Zaerys snickered. “Don’t worry I prepared a welcoming surprise for him.”

Basen tilted his head at his hyung-nim and Zaerys-hyung. There were people approaching.

“Cale!” It was Eric Wheelsman, the noble looking at the redhead in worry, “Why are you here!”

“I heard the explosion and worried about Basen.” Cale said with full honesty, and asked him and the two others, Gilbert Chetter and Amiru Ubarr. “But are you alright?”

“We were lucky enough to be near Young Master Basen.” Amiru said, “We tried getting him out but..”

Right, the blocked entrance because of how everyone is rushing to get out. Zaerys looked at Taylor Stan, he managed to get his ability to walk again. At least that part went according to plan.

“Excuse me.” They turned around and saw Alberu Crossman, with him were their unwanted guests from days ago; the Molans, Rosalyn, Lock, and Choi Han. Zaerys was quick to be behind Cale and Basen, as if protecting them. He stared down on them, in terms of height, Zaerys towers over all of them.

“Your Highness.” It was only Cale and Zaerys that didn’t bow to him. They were beings higher than humans, why should they pay respect to him?

— He’s not human.

Raon said to their link, he is invisible. Zaerys used his mana to make a companion for Ohn and Hong, as well as fighters for Redika’s group that got away using a teleportation scroll.

— He’s a quarter dark elf, hatchling.

Zaerys answered.

— I see! Dragon Dad is smart!

Cale had a small smile on his face at the interaction of his lover and youngest child. And the couple could already tell what was going to happen. Alberu Crossman was someone who would be using people for the sake of the good of the kingdom, and he has a glib tongue. They also know that he does not know about Zaerys, he was probably more curious about the golden shield. But Basen was told to not say anything about it aside from trusted people.

Meaning closest friends and family only.

Alberu’s eyes swept across the group, lingering briefly on the golden dome that still shimmered faintly around them before focusing on Zaerys. The Crown Prince didn’t speak immediately, but his gaze sharpened, measuring the tall, otherworldly figure standing protectively at Cale’s back. His instincts screamed not human — and not just any non-human. This one radiated power, command, and a threat he couldn’t quantify. But his elven instinct was telling him to bow, to worship this man in front of him.

“I came as soon as I heard about the explosion that was near this section,” Alberu finally said, his voice carefully neutral. “I was told Basen Henituse was at the center of it.”

“He was,” Cale answered coolly, still standing close to his brother. “But thanks to Zaerys, he’s unharmed.”

Alberu’s gaze slid toward Zaerys again, assessing. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

Zaerys’s expression was unreadable. “We haven’t. And I’d like to keep it that way.”

Choi Han’s eyes narrowed slightly at the edge in the dragon’s tone, while Rosalyn subtly stepped closer to the Crown Prince. Lock, ever the quiet one, simply watched with furrowed brows, already sensing that Zaerys was nothing like anyone they’d encountered before. But they couldn’t do anything, it was evident to Choi Han and Rosalyn, who had met Zaerys during their short stay in the Henituse Estate in the capital.

This man doesn’t like anyone that wasn’t Cale Henituse or anyone that isn’t connected to Cale Henituse.

Alberu, to his credit, didn’t rise to the challenge. He raised a brow. “I see. Then allow me to thank you, on behalf of the crown, for keeping our citizens safe.”

Zaerys gave a faint, sardonic smile. “Keep your gratitude. I don’t protect those people. It was intended to protect Basen.”

“…For Young Master Cale?”

Golden eyes flickered, sharp and calm. “Exactly.”

The atmosphere tensed, something electric threading through the air. Cale stepped forward slightly, intentionally drawing attention away. “We’ll handle Basen’s recovery from here. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t press him for information.”

Alberu’s lips twitched. “Of course. Still, there are many who will ask how the explosion was contained so quickly. That dome wasn’t created by any magician in this kingdom.”

“I’ll let you figure that out,” Cale said, tone light but firm. “Maybe call it divine intervention.”

Rosalyn snorted softly behind her hand.

The Crown Prince tilted his head. “Very well. But we’ll speak again soon, won’t we?”

“That depends on whether you’re bringing cake,” Cale said dryly, before guiding Basen away with a hand to his back. “Let’s go. We’re done here.”

Zaerys followed without a word, shadowing them with the quiet patience of a predator watching over his den.

***

That night, the house was quiet.

Basen had been checked over, tucked into bed with both Raon and Hong sleeping nearby, Ohn curled at his feet protectively. The bracelet still glowed faintly on his wrist, and though Basen had drifted off into sleep, his fingers kept brushing against it as though confirming it was still there.

Cale stood at the window, arms crossed, eyes distant.

“He was brave today,” Zaerys said softly, approaching from behind. “He didn’t freeze. He didn’t panic.”

“He shouldn’t have had to be brave,” Cale whispered, the guilt in his voice almost tangible. “He’s still a kid.”

Zaerys wrapped his arms around Cale from behind, resting his chin lightly on his shoulder. “They all are. But this world doesn’t give children the luxury of peace, not the ones we love.”

Cale leaned back into him. “I know.”

There was a pause.

“…You scared me too,” Zaerys murmured, his voice low. “The way you ran. The way you screamed. I felt it across the link. Your panic.”

Cale shut his eyes. “I thought I was going to lose him again. I—” His breath caught. “I can’t go through that again, Zaerys.”

“You won’t,” Zaerys said, firm and certain. “Not while I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere.”

They stood together in the quiet, the moonlight casting soft shadows across the floor. Outside, the kingdom was still shaken, nobles whispering about the explosion, about the shield, about the unknown force that had saved them all.

But here, in this little corner of the world, there was safety. There was warmth.

There was family.

Chapter Text

Zaerys is about to end this world.

He would place the entire Northeastern territory into a separate dimension then kill everyone in this world.

He was just glad that he had teleported Basen and his envoy back to Henituse County. He and Cale thought that they would finally be alone for a while before going to the Ubarr territory for Cale to get the third ancient powers. All of the sudden, they have unwanted and uninvited guests.

The crown prince and the newly named heroes.

Cale placed a grounding hand above Zaerys. The redhead knows how territorial his dragon is. The dragon is fully aware of what happened in his past life. There was just too much bad history, even if it happened before regression.

Zaerys’s flames rippled invisibly through the air, a low thrum of power vibrating in the room like a growling beast. His golden eyes were sharp slits of fury, focused entirely on the Crown Prince standing in their temporary residence’s sitting room—calm, composed, and utterly infuriating.

“I didn’t invite you,” Cale said flatly, standing half a step in front of Zaerys.

Alberu gave a small, easy smile, the very picture of royal diplomacy. “And yet here I am. You’ll find that emergencies often demand bypassing etiquette, Young Master Cale.”

Zaerys moved—just a twitch—but the mana in the room responded like a living creature, coiling tighter, hissing against the walls. Even Choi Han’s stance subtly shifted, his sword hand lowering slightly in silent preparation.

Cale’s palm pressed firmer against Zaerys’s chest. “Breathe.”

“I don’t need to breathe to kill a man,” Zaerys muttered coldly, not breaking eye contact with the prince.

“I’m aware,” Cale sighed, glancing back at him with half-lidded eyes. “But do me a favor and don’t commit regicide today. We just cleaned this place.”

Zaerys made a sound that might’ve been a snort or a growl—it was hard to tell with dragons. But he didn’t incinerate anyone, which Cale counted as progress.

“What do you want, Your Highness?” Cale asked, turning back to Alberu, his tone not rude, but far from welcoming.

Alberu’s expression grew serious, dropping the veneer of courtly charm. “We need to talk. In private.”

Zaerys immediately stepped forward. “Whatever you have to say to Cale, you say in front of me.”

Rosalyn stepped forward, raising a placating hand. “Zaerys-nim, I understand your concern, but—”

“You understand nothing.” Zaerys didn’t raise his voice, but the sheer pressure behind his words made even Lock flinch. “You saw the golden shield. You came asking for information, no, not asking; demanding for information. So you should know that the only reason you are still standing is because Cale tolerates you.”

Rosalyn wisely took a step back.

Cale sighed again. “Zaerys.”

Zaerys doesn’t give a damn if they aren’t the same people before Cale’s regression. They step one foot out of line, Zaerys is killing them all.

“Zaerys,” Cale repeated, quieter this time. His voice didn’t plead—but it grounded. Tethered.

The dragon’s fury did not lessen, but it was momentarily redirected. He glanced down at the redhead before him—his anchor, his reason—and let the silence speak of the leash he wore only because of this man.

Cale didn’t need to say more. He never did.

Zaerys exhaled through his nose, the flames in the room dimming, retreating like the tide, but still roaring just beneath the surface. “Fine. But the moment they try anything—”

“I’ll be the one to kill them,” Cale finished flatly. “Now shut up and sit down. You’re intimidating the furniture.”

The faintest twitch of Zaerys’s lips. A ghost of a smirk. He didn’t sit, but he did fold his arms and move behind Cale like a silent sentinel once more.

Alberu let out a slow breath, clearly weighing how far he could push this volatile balance. “I suppose I should skip the formalities, then.”

“Please do,” Cale said. “We’re already out of tea.”

Raon, still invisible, grumbled mentally.  

— That’s because you drank it all while ignoring your stomach and then pretended you didn’t need to eat!

Cale ignored him. For now.

Alberu spoke. “We did come to ask about the golden shield with young master Basen, but seeing as you are the only people here; I thought that I would be able to ask you.”

“I made it.” Zaerys scoffed. “Because I don’t trust any of you to protect Cale’s brother.”

The implication was there.

As long as they’re connected to Cale Henituse, this man wouldn’t show hostility.

Alberu didn’t flinch at the implication—he was used to dancing on the edge of blades—but even he took a moment longer before replying.

“…I see,” he said finally. “Then I suppose I should thank you, Zaerys-nim.”

Zaerys raised a brow, unimpressed. “You suppose? I don’t need your thanks.”

“But if we may ask for how—”

“No.”

“No?” Alberu frowned, he didn’t even finish his question. “You didn’t even know what I was about to ask.”

“You were about to ask me if I could teach it to someone else, and my answer is no.” Then, Zaerys sneered. “I mean, I could; but I just don’t think I want to teach it to others.”

‘I don’t want to teach it to people like you.’

Alberu’s jaw tightened for the briefest moment. Not enough to be noticed by most—but Zaerys noticed. Of course he did.

Cale, ever the moderator in a room of ticking time bombs, exhaled through his nose and leaned back against the edge of the table. “You’re wasting your breath, Your Highness. Zaerys doesn’t share his toys. Especially not the ones meant to protect people he actually cares about.”

Zaerys didn’t deny it.

Alberu’s eyes flicked from dragon to redhead. “Then what will you share, Cale Henituse?” His voice was quieter now. Sharper.

“Nothing.” Cale gave them a cold smile. A smile both Molan father and son are unfamiliar with. “We have nothing to do with your group. We are nothing but people from the corner of the northeastern region, and it will stay that way.”

“Are you threatening to have the entire region cut off from the kingdom?” Alberu looked at him.

Cale smiled, and leaned to Zaerys, “Whatever I tell my parents, they would do. And if I asked them, given proper reasons; they would. And do you really think His Majesty would be able to do anything?”

And that was the fact.

The Henituses might be neutral, but Zed Crossman was a close friend of his later mother, and his father. Meaning, the king himself would let it happen, and no one would be able to fight back.

Zaerys gave them a predatory smile, “You can see yourself out.”

***

“So we hate them?” Ohn entered the room, holding her younger brother’s, Hong, hand.

“Definitely!” Raon huffed. “How dare they try to intimidate Papa birdie and Dragon Dad!? Those humans are stupid!”

Cale tilted his head from where he was slouched in the armchair, gaze lazily shifting toward the cat tribe siblings. “We don’t hate them,” he said slowly, emphasizing the word. “We just… don’t like them in our house.”

Zaerys snorted from his post by the window. “Speak for yourself.”

Raon flared his wings indignantly. “ I hate them. I will write it in the history books of the great and mighty Raon Miru! 'Chapter 29: The Stupid Crown Prince and His Even Stupider Posse.’”

Hong gasped. “That’s a lot of chapters…”

Ohn tugged gently at her brother’s sleeve, eyes sharp despite her small frame. “We don’t trust them, Hong. That’s enough.”

Cale gave her a soft look. “Smart kid.”

Zaerys moved behind the redhead, placing a casual hand on the back of Cale’s chair. “They’ll try something again. You saw how the ‘heroes’ kept staring at you.”

“I noticed,” Cale murmured, absently running a hand through his hair. “Rosalyn’s magic signatures were probing the barrier spells. Choi Han was measuring how fast he could move in the room. And the others were mentally mapping escape routes.”

“Idiots,” Zaerys said, the word heavy with disdain. “They’re not in their world anymore. This one bites back.”

Cale hummed. “They’re being cautious. I don’t blame them.”

“I do,” Zaerys replied. “If they came here thinking they could drag you into their mess, they’re not being cautious. They’re being suicidal.”

That silenced the room.

Raon, for once, didn’t speak.

Because deep down, they all knew—Zaerys wasn’t bluffing.

“Papa Birdie.” Hong’s small voice piped up, holding his sister’s hand tighter. “Are they going to try to take you away again?”

The room stilled.

Cale’s smile faded.

Zaerys’s expression darkened, golden eyes glowing faintly beneath the skin.

“No one’s taking him,” Zaerys said, voice low and absolute. “Ever.”

“I won’t let them,” Ohn said fiercely, stepping closer to Cale, pressing her free hand against his leg like a little guard dog.

Raon flapped his wings and jumped up onto the armrest, eyes wide with resolve. “If anyone tries, I’ll destroy the entire continent! I’m big and strong and full of mana! Pew pew!”

Cale couldn’t help it—he reached up and ruffled Raon’s head, even as he smiled tiredly. “No mass destruction, Raon.”

“…Just a little explosion?”

“No.”

Zaerys crouched beside the chair, resting his head lazily against Cale’s knee. “You’re not going anywhere. Not without me.”

Cale looked down at the Imperial Dragon who had once ruled over dimensions and flames—and now curled himself around a chair like an overgrown cat.

“I’m not leaving,” he said simply.

And for now, that was enough.

But they all knew.

Well, it was time to forget about them for a while, they should be readying themselves to go the the Ubarr territory.

“Beach trip! Beach trip!” Hong and Raon cheered.

“Do we have enough sunscreen?” Ohn asked as she helped packing.

“Definitely.” Zaerys nodded, “If not, I’ll conjure more.”

“Are we packing food or are we buying it there?” Cale looked at the pouch money, “Because once we ran out—”

“I have many golds and jewels, no need to ask my father-in-law for that.” Zaerys kissed him on the cheek. “And we definitely have to buy fresher food from there, I say.”

Yeah, they might be going there for the ancient power. But they might as well enjoy the ocean, right?”

Chapter Text

“Beach trip! Beach trip!” Even Ohn was excited for this trip. Their children had never been on a beach. Sure, Ohn and Hong must have crossed the ocean from the Eastern Continent to Western Continent, but Cale was sure they never got to enjoy it because they were too worried for their lives to even care for beautiful scenery.

“Do we even have sunscreen?” His lover, Zaerys, was spouting about things that existed in his previous world. Sunscreen doesn’t even exist in this world. “Nevermind, I’ll make some for the kids and you.”

[ Is it even necessary? ] Cale asked in French. He is really fluent with the languages from Earth now. It was hard, because it was different from the language of Roan, but it was better for them to know a language only they could speak. Discounting Choi Han, he was born Korean.

[ Yes. Their skin might get burnt, I don’t like it if they got sunburn. ] Zaerys answered in German. [ Magic exists, sure, but it’s better for domestic things like this, you know? To avoid too much dependency on magic. ]

Welp, that was coming from an Imperial Dragon.

“If you say so.” Cale looked amused as he switched back to his mother tongue.

Zaerys huffed, golden eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief. “Don’t act like you’re not excited,” he teased, switching to Korean. [ I saw you pack extra snacks just for the trip. ]

Cale scoffed, unbothered. “I’m not excited. I just don’t want to deal with Raon whining about food every two minutes.”

Raon, perched on Cale’s shoulder, pouted. “I don’t whine! I just make sure that my food stores are properly stocked. The great and mighty Raon Miru always plans ahead!”

Ohn nodded solemnly. “Raon’s right. A prepared dragon is a happy dragon.”

Zaerys chuckled, ruffling Raon’s head. “You’re right, little one. You should always be prepared. We’ll be out all day, after all.”

Hong’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. “Will there be fish? Can I catch some?”

“We’ll see,” Cale replied noncommittally. “If Zaerys doesn’t scare them all away with his imperial presence .”

Zaerys feigned a look of wounded pride. “I’ll have you know that fish flock to me. I’m practically a god of the sea.”

Ohn tilted her head. “But you’re a dragon.”

Zaerys didn’t miss a beat. “Multitalented.”

Raon grinned, bouncing in excitement. “Can I fly over the water? I want to see the waves from above!”

“Stay close,” Cale warned. “If you fall, I’m not fishing you out.”

Zaerys snorted. “You would absolutely dive in after him.”

Cale huffed and looked away, refusing to acknowledge the truth in that statement.

Zaerys took the opportunity to slip his arms around Cale from behind, nuzzling his face into the crook of Cale’s neck. “You’re too soft on them,” he whispered, switching to English. [ But I like that about you.]

Cale rolled his eyes. [ You’re just as bad,]  he shot back in Russian, feeling the warmth of Zaerys’s breath against his skin.

Ohn and Hong gave each other a look—one that clearly said they were used to their parents’ antics. Raon, meanwhile, was too busy imagining himself as a heroic dragon soaring over the waves to pay them any mind.

“Are we going to build sandcastles?” Hong asked, tugging on Cale’s sleeve. “Can we make a giant one?”

Cale hummed thoughtfully. “If Raon doesn’t knock it over.”

“I would never!” Raon gasped, affronted. “I will make it taller and grander with my magic!”

Zaerys smirked. “Let’s see how well your magic holds against a little tidal wave.”

Raon’s eyes widened. “I will make a magic barrier! The great Raon Miru does not yield to water!”

Cale smirked at the challenge gleaming in Zaerys’s eyes. “You better not start a war with our son, Zaerys.”

“Who says I’m starting it? I’m just… encouraging creativity.”

Ohn raised a hand like she was in a classroom. “Can we gather seashells?”

Zaerys nodded with a grin. “Of course. We’ll find the prettiest ones and make necklaces.”

Cale couldn’t help but smile as Zaerys seamlessly switched from being a menacing dragon to an overindulgent parent. It was ridiculous. It was also oddly comforting.

Raon suddenly perked up. “Papa Birdie! You should wear a hat! Your hair is too bright! The sun will think it’s fire and try to compete!”

Cale raised a brow. “The sun would lose.”

Zaerys laughed heartily. “Absolutely. But still, Raon’s right. You should wear a hat. Don’t want you getting a sunburn either.”

Cale sighed. “You’re all paranoid.”

Zaerys kissed the side of his head, whispering low enough for only Cale to hear, “Only because I care.”

Cale muttered something about overprotective dragons and troublemaking children, but he didn’t pull away.

As they prepared to leave, Cale glanced at his family—Raon practically vibrating with excitement, Ohn and Hong holding hands as they discussed their sandcastle plans, and Zaerys making a mental list of beach necessities.

And despite himself, Cale couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, a beach trip wasn’t the worst idea.

***

The small family of five are enjoying their time as a family at the beach. Getting the Sound of the Wind for Cale is easy and quick, but they did leave the whirlpools there for their future plans.

The sun was shining brightly, the waves crashing rhythmically against the shore as Cale and his family set up their spot on the sandy beach.

Zaerys summoned a few comfortable lounge chairs with a flick of his hand, creating a shaded area with a sun-blocking canopy woven from shimmering golden magic.

Raon, meanwhile, was already digging a hole in the sand, declaring it would be the foundation for the “Greatest Sand Fortress of the Mighty Raon Miru!” Ohn was helping by gathering smooth stones to outline the structure, while Hong was busy scouting for seashells along the shoreline.

Cale stretched lazily in one of the lounge chairs, his straw hat tilted to shade his face. Zaerys glanced at him with a smirk.

[ Comfortable? ] he teased in French.

[ If you’re going to fuss over me, at least make it worth it, ] Cale shot back in English, looking perfectly content.

Zaerys leaned down, brushing a kiss against Cale’s forehead. [ I always make it worth it. ]

Raon’s triumphant shout interrupted them. “Papa Birdie! Look! I made the foundation!”

Cale glanced over to see a massive pit surrounded by a meticulously placed wall of sand, stones, and shells. Ohn was carefully smoothing out the sides while Hong held a particularly large shell like a trophy.

“That’s impressive,” Cale praised, raising a hand in acknowledgment.

Raon puffed out his chest. “Of course! The great Raon Miru doesn’t do things halfway!”

Ohn tilted her head. “We still need a tower.”

Hong nodded, setting the large shell on top of the sand wall. “This will be the main tower!”

Zaerys chuckled, conjuring small, floating water orbs to help shape the sand. “A fortress needs a moat, doesn’t it?”

Raon’s eyes sparkled. “Yes! A moat to keep out enemies!”

Zaerys flicked his fingers, and the water orbs carved a shallow trench around the structure, filling it with seawater.

Cale watched the scene with a soft smile. “You’re indulging them again,” he muttered.

Zaerys gave him a look. [ It’s called parenting, my little fire bird. ]

[ It’s called spoiling them, ] Cale countered, his tone fond.

Just then, Raon suddenly turned and bounded over to Cale. “Papa Birdie! You have to help with the watchtower! It’s your job as the commander!”

Cale glanced at Zaerys, who gave him a helpless shrug. “Looks like you’ve been recruited.”

Sighing dramatically, Cale stood and brushed off the sand from his pants. “Alright, what do you need me to do?”

Raon pointed to the half-formed tower of sand. “Make it taller! It needs to be the tallest!”

Cale bent down and placed his hands on the sand, using Earth Magic to harden the base without making it too obvious. Then, with careful precision, he started building upward, forming a spiraling tower that looked surprisingly sturdy.

Hong and Ohn watched in awe. “It’s so tall!”

Raon’s eyes sparkled with pride. “As expected of Papa Birdie!”

Zaerys glanced at the newly formed tower, his expression half amused, half impressed. “Are you sure you didn’t overdo it?”

Cale raised a brow. “It’s just a tower.”

Zaerys shook his head. [ You and your perfectionism. ]

Before Cale could retort, Raon declared, “Now it needs flags! To show it’s ours!”

Zaerys snapped his fingers, and golden banners appeared at the top of the tower, fluttering despite the lack of wind.

Raon grinned. “Perfect! Our fortress is complete!”

Cale dusted off his hands. “Now, don’t knock it over.”

Raon scoffed. “I would never destroy the Great Sand Fortress!”

Ohn nodded in agreement. “We’ll protect it.”

Hong, holding his seashell trophy, added, “No one can beat us!”

Zaerys hummed contentedly, watching their children’s enthusiasm. “We’ll have to take a family picture with it later.”

Cale shot him a skeptical look. “You just want evidence that you outdid yourself.”

Zaerys grinned. “Maybe.”

The rest of the day passed in a blissful blur of playing in the waves, gathering more seashells, and testing Raon’s sandcastle resilience against carefully controlled waves sent by Zaerys.

As the sun began to set, casting a warm golden glow over the beach, Cale found himself sprawled back on the lounge chair, Raon curled up in his lap, Ohn and Hong fast asleep on a towel next to them.

Zaerys sat beside him, leaning back comfortably.

[ Did you have fun? ] he asked softly in German.

Cale glanced at his sleeping children, a small, rare smile appearing on his lips. [ More than I expected. ]

Zaerys reached out, intertwining his fingers with Cale’s. [ We’ll make more memories like this. ]

Cale didn’t reply, but the way his hand tightened around Zaerys’s spoke volumes.

The waves lapped at the shore, the sandcastle stood tall, and for a moment, all was peaceful.

***

“Cale!” The couple turned around and saw Amiru Ubarr running towards them.

“Oh, Amiru.” Cale greeted her. Zaerys narrowed his eyes, while he would tolerate people associated with his firebird, but the Northeastern trio were on thin line.

“I saw you and your small family, so I ran over to greet you guys.” Zaerys nodded in approval. She didn’t ignore the people around Cale and openly called them Cale’s family. Good.

The Ubarr territory can live for another day.

Amiru smiled warmly at the sleeping children, her eyes softening at the sight. “It’s nice to see you all enjoying yourselves. I didn’t know you’d be visiting the beach today.”

Cale shrugged nonchalantly. “It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. The kids wanted to see the ocean.”

Zaerys hummed in agreement, though his gaze remained subtly assessing. He didn’t dislike Amiru, but his protective instincts remained heightened when it came to his family.

Amiru chuckled, glancing at the towering sand fortress. “I can see they’ve been busy. That’s quite the masterpiece.”

Raon stirred in Cale’s lap, one eye cracking open. “Of course! The Great Sand Fortress of Raon Miru is unmatched! Papa Birdie and Papa Dragon helped too!”

Ohn, waking up from the commotion, rubbed her eyes and nodded. “We built it together.”

Amiru couldn’t help but laugh at Raon’s enthusiasm. “I’m sure it’s the best fortress on the entire beach.”

Zaerys’s lips curled in a faint smile. “Naturally. We don’t settle for mediocrity.”

Cale gave him a sideways glance. “You’re starting to sound like Raon.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Hong woke up as well, yawning and stretching before blinking sleepily at Amiru. “Hello.”

Amiru greeted him back warmly, then addressed Cale again. “We’re having a small gathering at the Ubarr estate this evening. If you’d like, you and your family are welcome to join. It’s mostly just some light food and stories around a fire.”

Cale hesitated, glancing at Zaerys. The dragon gave a slight nod, clearly unconcerned.

“It might be nice,” Zaerys commented. “The children could hear some tales from the locals.”

Raon’s ears perked up. “Stories? I like stories!”

Ohn and Hong looked equally intrigued, and Cale sighed in defeat. “Alright. We’ll come by for a bit.”

Amiru smiled brightly. “Great! I’ll see you later then.” She waved before jogging back toward the Ubarr estate.

Once she was out of earshot, Zaerys leaned closer to Cale. “You know, you’re surprisingly social when it involves the kids.”

Cale scoffed. “I’m just making sure they’re not bored.”

Raon, now fully awake and sitting up, looked between his parents. “Will there be food?”

“Of course,” Zaerys replied with a grin. “You’ll be well-fed.”

Hong glanced at the sand fortress, a hint of worry in his expression. “Will it be okay if we leave it here?”

Zaerys flicked his wrist, and a soft golden barrier appeared around the fortress. “There. It’ll be protected until we come back.”

Raon looked impressed. “Papa Dragon is amazing!”

Zaerys smirked and ruffled Raon’s hair. “Only the best for my hatchlings.”

Cale rolled his eyes but couldn’t help the small smile tugging at his lips. “Let’s pack up. I don’t want to hear whining about being late.”

Zaerys leaned closer, pressing a quick kiss to Cale’s temple. “You’re the only one who worries about punctuality.”

“Someone has to.”

As they gathered their belongings, Raon chattered excitedly about the stories he wanted to hear, while Ohn and Hong discussed what food they might get to try. Zaerys lifted the sleeping mats and conjured a small floating basket for their supplies.

Before leaving, Cale took one last glance at the fortress, the flags still fluttering proudly, and couldn’t help the fondness that warmed his chest.

Zaerys caught his gaze and smiled knowingly. “More memories, right?”

Cale huffed. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s go.”

The family made their way up the path toward the Ubarr estate, the sound of waves gently crashing behind them, and the sun dipping low on the horizon.

Cale couldn’t deny it. Today had been a good day.

Chapter Text

What happened in the capital had been on Ron’s mind ever since.

He had seen his share of monsters, men and beasts alike, in the long stretch of his life. Yet the one who stood beside Young Master Cale in that moment—quiet, unyielding, with a presence that bent the air itself—was not someone Ron could place.

He had no idea who that black-haired man was with his former young master.

Ron’s knives had twitched in his sleeves at the sight, but not out of hostility. Rather, it was instinct, the kind that came when one met something utterly unfamiliar, dangerous in its unknown.

He was not there when he was still serving the Henituse. Did he appear after he left?

Ron’s smile never wavered, the same gentle one he had worn for decades. But beneath it, calculations spun. If Young Master Cale allowed this stranger to stand beside him, then it meant trust. Deep trust.

That alone unsettled Ron. Because for all the years he’d shadowed his master, Cale Henituse had never allowed anyone to stand that close.

Cale Henituse was a child that pushes people away because he was afraid of letting them in.

Ron’s gaze lowered briefly, catching the faint tremor in his hand before he hid it with ease. He had seen, in that black-haired man’s eyes, something ancient. Something that looked back at him the way predators did when sizing prey.

“…How troublesome,” Ron murmured under his breath, lips curved as though amused.

He would watch. He would wait. And if the time ever came when that man turned his gaze against the young master—

Ron’s grip on his blade tightened in silent promise.

That in those tired, hidden eyes of Cale Henituse, Ron had seen not trust but hurt. And for the first time in decades, Ron Molan did not know how to mend it.

***

Amiru looked at Cale and Zaerys with warmth in her eyes.

It had been years since she had a proper conversation with Cale—the last one was before he started acting like Trash. Back then, he had been a boy who smiled politely at every noble gathering, who spoke with careful words but sharp wit. He wasn’t her closest friend, but she had admired him. He had always seemed… dependable.

And now, sitting across from him, that same feeling returned.

“Cale,” she said softly, the name catching on her tongue.

The redhead looked at her, Sunlit Orange eyes calm and unreadable, but his hand never once left the black-haired man’s arm. She had never known that his eye color could change. She noticed the subtle way Zaerys tilted his head, as if constantly aware of every shift in the room. Protective, sharp, like a beast guarding its territory.

Amiru’s smile grew faint. “It’s good to see you again like this.”

Cale gave a small hum in acknowledgment. He didn’t smile—he rarely did—but the fact that he didn’t brush her off with his usual cold tone was enough.

“Happiness suits you.”

Cale turned to her, surprise flickering in his gaze. But before he could speak, she smiled brightly at him, as if reassuring him that she meant it.

Together, they looked back at where his and Zaerys’s children—Ohn, Hong, and Raon—were playing in the sand. Their laughter rang out across the shore, the sun catching in their hair. It painted a picture so far removed from the rumors she had heard about the infamous Cale Henituse that Amiru found herself quietly wondering if this was what he had been protecting all along.

“Thank you.”

Yeah, as long as their Cale is happy.

***

“You showed her?”

Cale quickly knew what his lover was talking about.

When Cale had completely become attuned with his Phoenix side, his eyes had always changed color depending on his emotions since then. And the only people that had seen it were the Henituse Family and the children. And now it seems those people included that Northeastern trio that Cale was still friends with.

“I didn’t mean to,” Cale said flatly, settling onto the couch with a sigh. “It just… happened.”

Zaerys arched a brow, golden eyes narrowing with that blend of suspicion and protectiveness Cale had grown used to. “Hn. You’re getting careless.”

Cale shot him a look. “It’s Amiru. Not some palace spy.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Zaerys leaned in, brushing his knuckles against the corner of Cale’s jaw, grounding and firm. “If the wrong people found out about you being non-human, a phoenix at that, they would be gunning for you.”

For a moment, Cale stayed silent, staring at the flickering fire in the hearth. He hated it, hated that part of himself that betrayed his control. He had spent years burying every emotion under indifference, and now his own body worked against him.

“…But she looked happy,” Cale admitted at last, his voice barely above a whisper. “Happy to see me like this.”

Zaerys’s hand stilled, then shifted to rest fully against Cale’s cheek. His voice softened, though the steel never left it. “Of course she was. Because it means you’re not just surviving anymore. You’re living. But that doesn’t mean I won’t guard what’s mine.”

Cale huffed, half-annoyed, half-amused. “Possessive dragon.”

Zaerys smirked. “You love it.”

“…Annoyingly, yes.”

From the hallway, Raon’s voice carried in, bright and triumphant. “Papa! I made the tallest sandcastle ever! Even the sea cannot destroy it!”

Cale groaned, already imagining Zaerys teaching Raon about tidal waves later, while Zaerys only chuckled, leaning in to press a kiss against Cale’s temple.

“You’re safe,” Zaerys murmured, low enough for only him to hear. “That’s all that matters.”

And for once, Cale didn’t argue.

***

Once the couple had put their children to sleep, Cale lingered by the bedside for a moment longer than usual. His sunset-gold eyes softened, lingering on each of the three small faces, as though imprinting their peace into his heart. The warmth in his gaze was not fleeting — it was steady, like the calm glow of a hearth that would never waver no matter the storms outside.

Zaerys stepped closer, his tall frame radiating both protection and possessiveness. He slipped his arms around Cale’s waist from behind, resting his chin lightly on his shoulder. His lips brushed the sensitive skin just beneath Cale’s ear, lingering there in quiet reverence before he murmured, “Shall we take a walk in the sky, my love?”

Cale turned his head slightly, brows lifting in that faint, amused way of his, though his eyes betrayed nothing but fondness. “In the middle of the night?” he asked, his voice quiet so as not to wake the children.

Zaerys’s answering smile curved against his skin, sharp and fond all at once. “The stars are awake, and so are we.”

Cale allowed himself a small sigh, not of protest, but of acceptance. “Fine,” he murmured. His hand brushed across Zaerys’s arm — a wordless agreement.

Zaerys was quick to reveal his dragon wings. They unfurled with effortless majesty, stretching wide, and the room was immediately bathed in otherworldly radiance. His wings were ethereal, almost translucent, woven of starlight and golden flame. Each beat seemed to scatter shimmering motes of light, like falling embers that refused to burn. Even after all these years, years spent in Elyndor but days in this world, the sight of them stole Cale’s breath. He would never say it aloud, but he always found himself caught between awe and disbelief that such a being had chosen him.

Zaerys looked down at him with that same intensity — as though Cale was the miracle. His voice, low and reverent, brushed against his ear again. “You are mine, and I will carry you above the heavens themselves if you’ll let me.”

Cale huffed softly, the corners of his lips tugging upwards in that rare, almost reluctant smile. “Always so dramatic.” But his hand tightened briefly against Zaerys’s arm, betraying the truth his words didn’t voice: that he found safety in that embrace, in that devotion, in those wings that shielded him from the world.

Zaerys laughed under his breath, the sound deep and resonant, before letting Cale bring out his own phoenix wings.

A soft rush of heat filled the room, not scorching but warm and alive, as crimson-gold feathers unfurled from Cale’s back. His phoenix wings shimmered like molten fire caught mid-flight, every plume outlined in light that flickered between ember-red and sunlit gold. When they stretched to their full span, they filled the chamber with a glow that rivaled Zaerys’s celestial brilliance.

For a moment, the two stood together — dragon and phoenix — their wings brushing as if greeting one another, starlight and flame blending in luminous harmony.

Zaerys’s gaze softened, his hand brushing along the curve of Cale’s wing, reverent. “Perfect,” he whispered. “You’re perfect.”

Cale gave him a flat look, though the faint flush dusting his ears betrayed him. “…Stop.”

Zaerys only grinned, unrepentant.

With one last glance at the slumbering children, they stepped onto the balcony. The night air greeted them, cool and crisp, carrying the scent of salt from the distant sea. And then, with a powerful sweep of wings — dragon and phoenix rose into the heavens.

The world below fell away in silence. Cities and forests shrank to pinpricks of shadow, until only the vast, endless sky stretched around them. Above, the stars blazed brilliantly, scattered like diamonds across velvet. The moonlight caught on their wings, starlight dancing with flame, until they looked less like mortals and more like twin constellations come alive.

For a time, neither spoke. Cale leaned into Zaerys’s warmth as they cut through the night, the wind rushing past, the world small and far below. It was quiet. Safe.

Finally, Cale murmured, almost to himself, “It feels… different here. Freer.”

Zaerys tilted his head toward him, golden eyes gleaming with something dangerously tender. “That’s because you’re flying beside me. You were born for the sky, my phoenix.”

Cale rolled his eyes, though the faintest curve tugged at his lips. “If I recall, I was born for the ground. The sky came later.”

Zaerys chuckled, low and smooth. “Then perhaps the ground was only keeping you for me.”

“…You really don’t know when to stop, do you?” Cale muttered, though the words lacked bite. He shifted slightly, his shoulder brushing against Zaerys’s chest as he leaned in closer. “Still… it isn’t bad. Flying like this.”

Zaerys’s grin widened, triumphant and warm. “Not bad? That’s the highest praise I’ve ever heard from you.”

“Don’t push it,” Cale said flatly, though his phoenix wings flared a little brighter, betraying the truth he would never put into words.

Below them, the sea stretched endlessly, its dark surface rippling with silver under the moonlight. The waves surged and fell like a heartbeat, their steady rhythm echoing the quiet thrum of wings above.

Zaerys lowered his voice, close enough that his words brushed against the shell of Cale’s ear. “You enjoy this more than you admit.”

Cale exhaled slowly, eyes fixed on the horizon where sea and sky seemed to merge. His answer was quiet, almost lost to the wind. “…Maybe I do.”

Zaerys’s hold on him tightened ever so slightly, wings slowing to a steady, gliding pace as though savoring every heartbeat of the moment.

And though the world would call him cold, here, high above everything else, Cale allowed himself the luxury of leaning closer, letting his fire burn brighter beside Zaerys’s light.

Tonight, the heavens were theirs.

***

The night air clung cool against their skin as they rose higher, the ocean spreading endlessly beneath them. From this height, the waves gleamed silver where the moonlight kissed them, and the horizon blurred into the sky until it was impossible to tell where sea ended and heavens began.

Cale’s phoenix wings moved in steady rhythm, each beat scattering trails of gold-red sparks into the night. When one of Zaerys’s sweeping strokes brushed against them, flame and starlight danced together, twisting and blending as though they had always belonged side by side.

Zaerys glanced at him, his grin sharp in the moonlight. “You’re beautiful like this.”

Cale snorted, eyes fixed firmly ahead. “You’ve already said that once tonight.”

“Then I’ll say it a thousand more until you believe me.” Zaerys’s voice was warm, a low rumble against the wind.

Cale gave him a sidelong look, unimpressed. “That sounds exhausting. Even for you.”

Zaerys laughed, the sound carrying easily through the air, rich and unrestrained. He leaned closer, his breath brushing against Cale’s cheek as he said, softer this time, “It’s never exhausting to love you.”

The phoenix’s wings faltered for the briefest moment before steadying again. A faint flush colored Cale’s ears, barely visible in the starlight. “You’re insufferable,” he muttered.

“And yet,” Zaerys drawled, golden eyes glittering as he angled their flight lower, letting the salty wind from the ocean rise around them, “you’re still here beside me.”

Cale exhaled, part sigh, part laugh. “I admit…” His voice was quiet, almost reluctant, carried away by the night. “…I like it. This.”

Zaerys slowed, hovering effortlessly in the sky, giving him space to finish. His gaze softened, as steady as the moon above. “Flying?”

Cale turned his head, the faintest smile tugging at his lips. “Flying. With you.”

For a moment, Zaerys’s chest tightened, and he leaned in to press a kiss to Cale’s temple, reverent and unhurried. “Then we’ll do this as often as you like. The stars, the ocean, the world — they’re all yours.”

“Overdramatic again,” Cale said, though he leaned closer, his warmth brushing against Zaerys’s chest. His fire flared brighter, mingling with the dragon’s light until they blazed together against the night.

Below, the waves roared, eternal and restless. Above, the stars burned brighter, as though bearing witness.

And in the space between sea and sky, wrapped in flame and starlight, the two of them drifted — not dragon, not phoenix — but simply Cale and Zaerys, held in each other’s gravity.

Chapter Text

The sea at Ubarr was restless.

Waves struck the cliffs with the force of a titan’s hand, white foam spraying into the air before being dragged back into the endless blue. The scent of salt clung to the breeze, sharp and clean, filling every breath with the wild tang of the ocean.

Zaerys stood upon the rocky outcrop, the ocean wind tugging at his long black hair like it wanted to claim him too. His golden eyes followed the surface of the water where ripples spread in concentric rings. Cale had already disappeared beneath.

The dragon’s hands were folded behind his back, posture composed, but the quiet thrum of magic around him betrayed his watchfulness. A translucent barrier shimmered faintly over the sea, cloaking the area in his power. No creature, mundane or otherwise, would disturb this place until Cale emerged again.

And yet, for all his composure, Zaerys could not help the ache that gnawed at his chest.

Cale had insisted on going alone.

“The Sound of the Wind won’t accept me if I’m coddled,” he had said with that stubborn glint in his molten-lava orange eyes. “You only need to wait.”

Zaerys had wanted to argue, to follow him into the depths and tear apart any spirit or force that dared to harm him. But he had seen the determination in his lover’s face, the pride that would not allow him to lean entirely on another’s power.

So, Zaerys had relented.

Now, all he could do was wait.

The sea roared below, black waves rolling as if a storm brewed beneath the surface. Lightning flickered faintly in the clouds far away on the horizon, a mirror of the turbulent energy he could sense beneath the waves. The Sound of the Wind was not passive—it was restless, wild, a power that demanded freedom above all.

Zaerys closed his eyes briefly, feeling for the faint tether of Cale’s presence. Yes. It was still there. Faint, muted by the crushing depths of the sea, but steady.

A memory surfaced unbidden: the first time Cale had felt his aura, unflinching despite the overwhelming pressure of an Imperial Dragon’s presence during training. The boy had staggered, sweat beading on his brow, but his back had remained straight, his eyes unyielding. The same fire was there now, burning quietly but fiercely in the deep.

Zaerys exhaled slowly. “Do not keep me waiting too long, my love.”

The ocean stirred violently in answer, waves rising higher against the rocks.

Zaerys knew what trial awaited him beneath. He had explained it carefully, though not without reluctance. To gain the Sound of the Wind , Cale would need to descend into the dark belly of the sea, find the boulder that pinned the spinning top—the seal of the power—and destroy it. The current would resist, the ocean would fight him, but that was the only way.

His lover would be fine.

Zaerys had made sure of it.

When he was still Kim Rok Soo, before he became dragon and phoenix’s counterpart, he was known for training rookies, teaching them to overcome their weaknesses and claw past their limits. He had been harsh, sometimes merciless, but always with the intent to keep them alive. He had watched weaklings grow strong, cowards stand their ground, and ordinary humans face monsters with steel in their spines.

That same patience, that same unrelenting standard—he had given it all to Cale.

Zaerys’s golden eyes narrowed at the horizon, sharp as a blade. “So prove me right, Cale. Show the ocean who you are.”

Because Cale had not regressed for nothing. He had endured Elyndor, suffered, struggled, and grown—not merely to survive, but to become strong enough to end Arm. To protect those children sleeping peacefully in Ubarr, to shield their fragile peace from ever being shattered again.

***

Zaerys’s golden eyes snapped open when the water broke.