CHAPTER 26: CHAPTER 26 - SELENE HAZELFOG.

A while later.

Selene sat straighter now, wings folding tight against her back. Her attempt at composure was admirable, but the faint tremor in her hands betrayed her.

She now knew who Kael was—the dragon she had warned Lyra about.

Lyra, Rue, and Rina had told her everything.

Even Alenia and Evethra had joined them some time later.

After knowing everything, she was left awed, but nervousness also tightened her chest.

She tried to keep her face serene, but every time Kael’s golden gaze lingered on her, her stomach fluttered as though she stood on the edge of a cliff.

With all she heard about him, she knew he wasn’t someone who would harm any of them, but her instincts told her otherwise.

Selene couldn’t calm her nerves, especially when she thought about how she had behaved when she saw him before.

’Why did you do it, Selene? Why did you grab his cheeks?’

Honestly, she knew why she did.

Kael was simply too handsome to stop herself. Now, her unintended actions were becoming the source of her worry.

Kael, on the other hand, leaned lazily against the wall of the hut, Rue perched on one knee, and Rina nestled quietly on the other. His eyes—sharp, curious, and amused—never left Selene.

"So," he said smoothly, his voice as calm as a flowing stream, "you used that little ability of yours on me before, didn’t you?"

Selene’s breath hitched, and, for a heartbeat, she almost denied it. But his gaze pinned her in place, and the truth slipped out before she could stop herself. "Y-Yes."

"Mm." Kael tilted his head, brows lifting with interest. "When?"

Her mind raced. Then, carefully, she answered, "Four days ago."

Kael’s smile curved lazily. "Ah. That explains it. I did wonder who was staring at me from above. I thought it was only a bird... but no. That was you."

Recalling how he had been feeling that gaze for a while and even shooting down some birds in suspicion, he couldn’t help but chuckle—a low, warm, and oddly amused laugh.

Selene stiffened further. "I—I meant no offense—"

"Oh, relax," Kael drawled, waving a hand dismissively. "If I wanted to eat you, I’d hardly be sitting here."

Rue’s tail flicked as she burst into giggles. "Big brother, don’t say it like that! You’ll scare her more!"

Rina peeked up shyly from his arm, her quiet voice drifting like a whisper. "...But he isn’t lying."

Selene, who heard Rina’s words, flinched, and Kael, who saw that, chuckled, making a mock scary expression as he leaned toward Rina.

"How about I eat you first, then?"

Rina merely shifted on his lap, leaning closer with a smile, making Kael shake his head as he turned back to Selene.

She still seemed like she was sorry for what she had done, so he changed the topic.

"You know, that ability of yours is pretty strong, as it worked even on me."

His words did as intended and made Selene look up at him, although still nervous. "Where did you get it from?"

Those words made Selene’s expression pause. She wasn’t looking at him with apprehension but shock. "H-How do you...?"

Everyone else also tilted their heads, confused, especially Lyra, Rue, and Rina.

Those three had known her for years, but they had never seen her this shocked. It looked as if Kael had said something Selena hadn’t expected anyone to know about.

Kael, however, leaned back, his expression lazy.

"Let’s say I have... ways," he replied, his eyes gleaming as if he were looking into her and not at her.

________________________________________

Name: Selene Hazelfog.

Race: Aquilari (Beastkin – Bird).

Bloodline: Elder Dragon {Partially unlocked} {Inherited}.

Stats:

- Strength: F-

- Defense: F-

- Agility: F-

- Mana: S

Skills:

- Fractus (Passive Abnormality—Due to a major abnormality in the user’s stats, their body will remain broken.)

- Tempomancy (Active {Inherited} {Locked}—An ability that lets the user bend time to their will, but is too powerful for the current user to use.)

- Sky Hunter (Active {Disabled due to Fractus})—An ability that grants the user a stat boost based on how calm they are and how many prey they need to hunt.

- Temporal Intuition (Active {Derived from Tempomancy}—An instinctively created ability that helps the user to secure the safest future path.)

________________________________________

She was the third person he had seen with a bloodline, and although Evethra’s bloodline, an ancient vampire, seemed better than Selene’s, Kael felt like that wasn’t the case, especially when this was the first clue he had found about another dragon other than himself.

After all, it was said that there were no dragons left in this world, and Kael wanted to know if it was true.

His curiosity about other dragons’ existence made him curious about the inherited ability and bloodline, as he could tell that they would give him some clues.

He focused back on Selene, who was still shocked, and asked, "So? Where did you get it from?"

There was silence for a while as Selene merely stared at him for a minute.

The others didn’t say anything either, giving her time, as they could tell that it was related to her past, and no one in this forest had a good past.

Even Lyra, Rue, and Rina knew nothing about Selene’s past.

No, it would be better to say none of them knew anything about each other’s past.

Rue and Rina were newborns when Lyra found them, so it was only obvious that they wouldn’t remember anything.

But Lyra and Selene were different. They intentionally avoided that topic as they tried to live in the present while thinking about the future.

Nothing good comes from looking into the dark future that has made their lives miserable.

For a while, as she kept quiet, Selene’s hands clenched on her lap, feathers along her wings trembling as Kael’s gaze bore into her.

He had asked a simple question—Where did you get it from?—but to her, the answer was anything but simple.

Her lips parted, and after a long silence, she spoke, her voice low, uncertain.

"...When I was a child, I wandered too far into the forest, chasing a butterfly. It was storming that day. I remember... the flash of lightning. It struck me directly. I thought I would die."

Rue gasped loudly. "Lightning!? Did it hurt?"

"Rue." Lyra gave her a sharp look, but even she leaned forward slightly, listening.

Selene’s gaze turned unfocused and distant. "Before I lost consciousness, I heard a voice. It wasn’t loud, but it burned itself into my memory... ’You are now my inheritor. I hope you will use my ability for a good cause.’"

The hut fell into silence.

"...When I woke," Selene continued, "everything had changed. I couldn’t use my powers anymore. My tribe called me broken, useless. I, who was once among their most promising... became trash overnight. They abandoned me."

Her wings drooped, trembling faintly. "...So I left. Came here. Lived quietly. Away from all that."

For a long moment, no one spoke.

Then Kael chuckled. Softly at first, then with a warmth that filled the hut.

Selene blinked, startled. "Why are you laughing?"

"I’m laughing because it’s silly to be sad about a good thing." Kael’s golden eyes gleamed with amusement.

Selene tilted her head, confusion clear on her face. "A... good thing? How could you say that? I lost everything."

Kael leaned lazily back against the wall, a smile tugging at his lips, smooth and disarming. "You lost a family that couldn’t love you unless you were strong. But thanks to that, you came here. Met Lyra. Rue. Rina. A family that loves you despite your weakness. Isn’t that far better?"

Selene’s eyes widened, her lips parting, but no words came.

Kael’s voice softened like velvet, yet carried weight. "And because of them, you met me. If that lightning hadn’t struck, you’d still be shackled to people who saw you as nothing but potential power. So tell me... was it really a tragedy?"

The room held its breath at those words before Lyra’s eyes softened. Rue’s tail wagged furiously, and she chirped, "See, big sis? If you hadn’t come here, you’d never get to play with us!"

Rina nodded, her quiet voice chiming in. "...We like you. A lot."

Selene, who finally realized it all, pressed her hands to her mouth, tears shimmering in her eyes.

For the first time in years, her chest felt light. "...You’re right."

Kael’s smile curved deeper, satisfied. He let the moment linger, then tilted his head. "Besides, you should know... It’s not that your body was broken. Not really."

Selene froze. "... What do you mean?"

Kael leaned forward, his golden gaze sharpening with quiet intensity. "You didn’t grow weak. You grew too strong. That lightning... that voice... gave you power your body couldn’t yet handle. So it locked itself away. You’re not broken, Selene. Just waiting."

The words struck her like a second bolt of lightning.

She shot to her feet, her wings flaring. "Y-You mean... It’s true!? I’m not—I wasn’t—all this time...?"

Kael chuckled, eyes narrowing with teasing amusement.

He leaned in, close enough that their breaths nearly touched, his voice low and velvet-smooth. "I don’t lie about things like this."

Selene’s breath hitched, face flushed crimson. She staggered back onto her knees, overwhelmed.

Alenia’s lips curved faintly, though her calm voice carried approval. "That means she isn’t weak."

Evethra’s crimson eyes gleamed, her tone reverent. "As expected of Master. To see through her with a glance."

Rue bounced excitedly on Kael’s knee. "Big sis Selene isn’t trash at all! She’s just super strong in secret!"

Rina tugged softly on Selene’s sleeve, whispering, "...I told you. You’re not weak."

Selene’s tears finally spilled, but her smile broke through them. Her wings trembled, but this time not with fear—with release.

Kael stretched lazily, as if nothing profound had happened, golden eyes half-lidded in elegant amusement. "There now. No more gloomy faces. You’re among family here. I don’t want this happy reunion to be filled with tears."

Selene let out a shaky laugh. For once, the weight on her heart didn’t feel unbearable.

Kael’s smile, radiant yet lazy, lingered as he looked around the room. He had lifted her as easily as he lifted everyone.

As he looked at Selene now, he could tell that she wasn’t scared anymore.