CHAPTER 25: CHAPTER 25 - “ARE YOU REAL?”

The dragon’s deep chuckle vibrated through the air, shaking the treetops. With deliberate slowness, Kael began lowering them all down.

Two hundred demi-humans, children and elders alike, drifted gently as though they weighed nothing at all, their awe-struck silence broken only by the occasional gasp.

At last, even the bear touched down, his huge paws sinking into the earth with a heavy thud.

As his paws touched the ground, the bear couldn’t help but wonder. ’Just why did I have to go through all that?’

His mind drifted back to around an hour ago, as the past hour had been nothing but a blur.

............

The sun was high when Kael stopped floating.

His golden eyes flicked back at the weary caravan trailing behind him.

More than two hundred demihumans—wolfkin, catkin, lizardkin, and more—dragged their feet through the dirt road.

Some leaned against makeshift crutches, while others carried children in tired arms.

Their breath came heavy, their ears drooping, and their tails limp.

They had all been walking—or more like jogging—for more than an hour, and doing that in a forest wasn’t an easy feat, as they even had to sometimes run at full speed to catch up to Kael, who was floating effortlessly.

But he wasn’t the only one floating.

Rue and Rina were in his arms.

The twins were nestled against his chest, their fluffy tails brushing against his coat.

Rue was practically buzzing with restless energy, while Rina clutched at his shirt silently, her eyes half-closed.

Lyra, Alenia, and Evethra were also there, hovering with effortless grace, his unseen magic holding them aloft.

Lyra’s long ears twitched as she glanced at her sisters with pride. Alenia’s calm gaze swept over the crowd, reading their exhaustion without complaint.

Evethra, as always, stood in perfect poise, hands folded neatly in front of her as though levitation were her natural state.

Kael, however, sighed.

"They look like a theater troupe that’s forgotten the script."

Rue’s ears perked.

"That means they’re lost!" She declared with absolute certainty.

"No," Kael said, lips curving into a lazy smile. "It means they’re tired. And I suppose... I’ve tested their limits enough."

Rina tilted her head.

"...Tested?" She whispered.

Kael ruffled her pink hair. "Yes, little moon. Walking is an honest measure of will. If I carried them from the start, I wouldn’t know who among them had stubborn hearts."

His golden eyes flicked across the crowd. "Now I do."

"Big brother Kael is sooo wise," Rue announced, her tail flicking like a banner. "But also suuuper lazy."

Kael chuckled, an elegant sound. "Both can be true."

From behind them came the enormous earth bear, its claws digging into the dirt. Its stone-crusted back rose higher than most wagons. It huffed, staring at Kael with amber eyes.

He really didn’t want to follow Kael, as he had never bowed his head to anyone, but Kael was too strong.

The dragon, on the other hand, had completely ignored it.

Instead, he snapped his fingers.

Magic rippled outward like a drumbeat, making the air itself shiver.

Then, his body glowed, shadows stretching as golden cracks of light crawled across his skin.

Then, he changed.

Black scales erupted like storm-forged armor. Golden horns spiraled into the sky. Wings unfurled with a sound like thunder tearing the clouds.

In the space of a heartbeat, Kael was no longer a man but a dragon—fifty meters tall at the shoulder, his golden eyes glowing with divine amusement.

The ground trembled beneath him.

The demihumans froze. A few collapsed to their knees, trembling. The younger ones clung to their mothers, their eyes wide.

Even the proudest wolfkin warrior forgot how to breathe.

They had all expected Kael to be a demihuman or a beast, as they had seen him sprout wings on his back, but now, as they stared at his massive form, no one spoke.

Not a squeak. Not a whisper. Just silence before the colossus that dwarfed mountains.

Kael’s vast head lowered, golden gaze sweeping over the crowd like a judge over trembling defendants. Then, his mouth curved into what could only be called a draconic smile.

"Well then," his voice rumbled, both inside their heads and across the air like rolling thunder. "Would you like a ride?"

The demihumans stared up at him. Mouths opened. No sound came. A silence so complete it could only mean awe—or absolute terror.

Kael tilted his head, mischief dancing even in his monstrous eyes.

"...I’ll take that as a yes."

"Wait—waitwaitwait!" The earth bear’s roar broke the silence. It swiped its paw furiously. "I refuse to be hauled like a sack of potatoes!"

Kael ignored him again.

With a flick of golden energy, the demihumans lifted from the ground as though gravity itself had forgotten them. Children squealed. Adults flailed. Tails puffed. Ears flattened. The entire caravan floated helplessly into the air, as though the dragon had plucked them up like toys.

"Lord Kael!" Alenia’s voice carried a sharp warning, though her lips twitched at the corners. "They’re panicking."

Kael raised a brow at her way of addressing him, but he didn’t point it out and smirked.

"They’ll adjust," he replied smoothly, his voice like velvet thunder.

The earth bear roared again. "Put me down this instant! I am an apex predator! I walk on my own—!"

Rue clapped gleefully from Kael’s back, her tail sticking straight up. "Hehehe! The bear looks like a toy right now!"

The bear’s roar turned into a sputtering growl. "I AM NOT A TOY!"

Rina tugged on Kael’s scales shyly. "...Maybe... a weighty one."

Kael’s chuckle rumbled like an earthquake, shaking the forest.

Then—with a single beat of his vast wings—the world blurred.

Trees below turned into streaks of green. Rivers flashed like silver ribbons. The wind roared past, tearing cries of awe and terror from the levitating caravan.

Children laughed. Adults screamed. The bear swore loudly enough to shake heaven itself.

............

Recalling that experience, the bear’s ears flicked as he grumbled, glaring not at Kael but at the crowd of demi-humans nearby.

"It’s all because of them," he muttered darkly.

Dozens of demi-humans stiffened under his beady-eyed glare. But before his complaint could gather steam, a golden gaze pinned him.

Kael’s eyes, vast and unblinking, swept across him like a tide.

The bear froze, his fur bristling.

His hindquarters hit the dirt with a reluctant plop, and he slouched down, shivering, suddenly finding the ground far more interesting than arguments.

"...I didn’t mean what I said," he mumbled.

Kael let the silence linger just long enough for the bear’s ears to twitch nervously—then, with a ripple of magic, his colossal form shrank.

The air shimmered, scales collapsing inward, wings folding until they dissolved into nothing.

In the space of a heartbeat, the great dragon was gone, replaced by a tall, elegantly built man.

His golden eyes still gleamed, but now his hair, black with a faint luster, spilled neatly to his shoulders. His movements carried the same effortless poise—every step graceful and every glance purposeful.

Beside him, as though conjured by the change, stood Lyra, Alenia, and Evethra.

Lyra’s posture was instinctively straight, ears twitching as she tried not to show how deeply she admired the man standing beside her.

Alenia, calm as always, folded her arms across her chest, her eyes steady, but her lips curved in the faintest smile.

Evethra bowed her head in reverence, murmuring, "As expected of Master..."

In Kael’s arms, Rue and Rina appeared nestled perfectly, like they belonged there.

Rue, eyes still sparkling, whispered excitedly, "That was so fun, big brother. We have to do it again sometime."

Rina buried her face against his shoulder, her small voice muffled but audible. "...Scary. But... fun."

Kael’s lips curved with practiced ease, a charming smile that disarmed and reassured in equal measure. He leaned slightly, just enough to catch Rue’s eye.

"Another ride? Perhaps. But only if you promise not to laugh too hard when Mr. Bear spins again."

Rue burst into giggles while the bear grumbled from the sidelines, glaring at his own paws.

Then Kael’s smile softened as his gaze shifted.

Not toward the crowd. Not toward the bear. But toward the figure that was lying at the edge of the clearing, who had fainted from shock.

Selene.

Her gray hair spilled like mist across the grass, her wings limp against her fragile frame.

Kael’s voice lowered, smooth but carrying a thread of concern.

"... Let’s see what we can do about her."

............

A while later.

The faint rustle of leaves filled the hut. Shafts of sunlight spilled through the woven walls, dust motes drifting like tiny fireflies in the air.

Selene stirred. Her wings twitched weakly against the grass mattress, and her lashes fluttered before she slowly opened her eyes.

For a moment, she stared at the ceiling of branches, blank and dazed. Her lips parted, her voice little more than a whisper.

"...What... happened?"

Her head was throbbing as she tried to recall what had happened.

"You fainted—that’s what happened."

The voice came from her side—soft, even a little wry. Selene’s head whipped around.

Then, she froze.

Lyra sat there, legs tucked neatly beneath her, ears rising with gentle attentiveness.

Her silver-white hair caught the light, and her eyes—those clear, rabbit-like red eyes—watched her with quiet warmth.

Selene bolted upright with a sharp gasp, her wings spreading wide before curling tight again.

Her eyes went wide, shimmering with disbelief.

"...Lyra? No. No, it can’t—" She pressed her trembling hands to her mouth, voice breaking. "Am I... Am I dreaming? Are you... Are you real? You’re alive?"

Lyra blinked, a flicker of surprise crossing her otherwise composed features. Then, she gave a faint nod, a smile tugging gently at her lips. "Yes, I’m alive. Very much so."

Selene’s eyes welled up, her words tumbling over each other. "But—I thought—no, I knew—I saw— You... You’re really here?"

Before Lyra could answer again, a bright, mischievous voice cut through the tension.

"Heehee! Big sis Selene sounds like she just saw a ghost!"

Selene startled, her gaze snapping toward the source.

There sat Rue, her fluffy tail swishing back and forth like an excited banner. Her grin stretched from ear to ear, her golden eyes sparkling with delight.

Beside her, Rina sat quietly, her hands folded primly in her lap, watching Selene with her usual soft, shy curiosity.

But what caught Selene’s breath wasn’t them.

It was where—or more like, who—they sat.

The twins were nestled comfortably on Kael’s lap, one tucked to his left, one to his right, as if that were the most natural place in the world.

His long, black hair caught the light, each strand smooth as silk, framing a face that looked as though it had been carved with divine precision. His golden eyes gleamed with a lazy amusement, his expression at once serene and alive.

Selene’s heart hammered in her chest. Her wings trembled against her back. Almost without realizing, she leaned closer, drawn like a moth to fire.

Her hand lifted—hesitant, trembling—and brushed against his cheek.

Warm. Firm. Real.

Her voice, barely a whisper, carried her disbelief.

"Are you real...? Or just my imagination?"

The twins tilted their heads at the same time, mirrored confusion painting their fox-like features.

"Big brother Kael," Rue whispered loudly, "is big sis Selene trying to squish your face?"

"...Strange," Rina murmured, blinking owlishly.

Lyra’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "Selene! What on earth are you—!"

But Kael himself merely squinted, golden eyes narrowing in amused confusion.

For once in his life, someone had grabbed his face without hesitation. His lips curved into that lazy, elegant half-smile that disarmed without effort.

"This is... a first," he muttered smoothly, his voice like warm velvet. "I think usually, people are supposed to ask for a handshake before attempting to rearrange someone’s face."

Rue burst into giggles, rolling on his lap while Rina hid a soft smile behind her sleeve.

Selene, however, didn’t seem to hear them. Her fingers lingered against his jaw as she tilted her head, wings trembling faintly. "You’re too good to be real... Faces like this don’t exist outside dreams."

Kael’s smile deepened. He leaned forward slightly, golden eyes catching the light like molten metal.

"Ah, so my crime is being excessively handsome? A difficult accusation... but I’ll endure it."

Lyra buried her face in her hands, groaning into her palms.

The twins giggled louder, their tails flicking wildly.

Kael, on the other hand—ever the embodiment of calm mischief—rested his chin lazily in Selene’s still-cupped hands, as though indulging her disbelief. "If you must test my reality, do be gentle. I rather like this face the way it is."

Selene’s breath caught again, her cheeks flushing hot.

Because of the series of events that had happened in the span of a minute, she had completely forgotten that she had seen a dragon before she fainted.

Kael’s eyes, however, lingered on her, not with mockery, but with a glimmer of interest that betrayed his lazy drawl.

He let the silence stretch, comfortable and measured. Then, his eyes gleamed as he squinted at her.

The next second, as if he had seen something, he murmured under his breath with a faint, elegant chuckle—

"...This is going to take some time."