Okay, maybe he liked the part where Riley would once again be with him all day. But he certainly didn’t like the fact that everyone else had eyes that just refused to look at anything other than his mate.
That had to be the fifth ti the golden dragon lord snarled under his breath.
Were all these people so free that they could spend that much ti staring at his twig?
Did they not value their eyesight anymore?
Granted, Kael might have been taking his irritation out on the wrong people, since the vacationers clearly had enough ti to enjoy the scenery, and Riley just so happened to blend in a little too well with it.
Like a fixture ant to add beautification points, Riley enjoyed the last day of their vacation lounging around after returning to the waterpark to a group of angry, albeit rounder, children.
Yes, that was going to be their last day. One they almost didn’t get to have if not for his parents insisting that they leave tomorrow so they could at least get a proper day’s rest.
Actually, who was Riley kidding? It just so happened to be the weekend, and work would start on Monday anyway.
Moreover, he wouldn’t really have been able to decline when everyone had looked at him with trembling eyes.
The children, in particular, had looked like they were about to burst into tears the mont Riley gave them a very summarized version of what had happened and what he discovered after receiving his inheritance.
He had no plans of telling them everything or exposing them to the sa pain, but he also knew it wouldn’t be good to leave them unprotected just because they lacked information.
If they had even a vague idea of the kind of danger they were about to face, it would be much easier for them to take things seriously.
Well, all that serious talk had been earlier, and at that ti, they’d been focused on the discoveries that the children didn’t get their turn to express their grievances.
But now that they had managed to buy one more vacation day, they were definitely willing to start their long-awaited tirade.
"AUNTIE!"
"BROTHER!"
Two figures launched themselves at him without hesitation.
"?!"
Riley barely had ti to brace before Liam and Orien collided with him, clinging like they hadn’t seen him in decades. One latched onto his arm while the other wrapped around his waist, both of them talking over each other so quickly that their words practically tripped.
"You left us!"
"You should’ve brought us with you!"
"We didn’t even know where you went!"
"Do you know how long that was?!"
Riley blinked, caught between surprise and the sheer force of their enthusiasm.
anwhile, Kael’s eyes narrowed.
Ah, competitors.
Always the noisy ones.
His hand reached out almost imdiately, clearly intending to pry them off one by one.
"Kael," Riley said quickly, glancing at him. "It’s okay. Let them be."
The golden dragon lord froze.
Aghast.
Well, it may be okay with his twig, but it wasn’t okay with him.
He looked at the two children clinging to his mate, then back at Riley himself, as if waiting for him to take it back.
He didn’t.
Instead, the sly black dragon simply reached up and lightly rubbed Kael’s cheek.
It was a small coaxing gesture that should’ve done nothing but provoke the already miffed dragon.
But it actually worked.
Kael clicked his tongue softly before turning away, his displeasure clear as he made his way back to his lounge chair like a particularly annoyed giant cat.
He sat down with far more force than necessary.
Sulking.
anwhile, one golden dragonling and his partner-in-cri had already resud their word vomit.
"You really should’ve taken us with you!"
"Yeah! We could’ve helped!"
Riley paused.
He absolutely could not have taken them.
Not when they had done things that children should never, ever witness.
So instead, he went with the safest answer.
"We didn’t go anywhere fun," he said simply. "If we dragged everyone along, you would’ve missed the rest of the sumr festival, you know?"
Orien froze.
His eyes widened like saucers. Had he been in dragon form, Riley could already imagine how petrified he would’ve looked, considering the child’s current expression.
"Missed... the festival?"
The horror was instant.
Clear.
Definitely physical.
For a second, he looked like he might actually cry.
Because he had been enjoying the festivities. A lot. He liked how entire walkways had so many stalls that he learned weren’t present in any other season.
From food to really unusual gas, there were so many things to see and play with that they definitely wouldn’t have been able to fit everything in just a few days.
The thought of missing it entirely was enough to make his entire expression crumble.
But then, as if rembering himself, Orien straightened slightly.
"Well... it would’ve been fine," he said, trying very hard to sound mature. "I an... maybe."
A pause.
"...But you could’ve sent a ssage."
Liam nodded quickly.
"Yeah! A ssage!"
Both of them raised their wrists at the sa ti, showing off their smartwatches as if presenting undeniable proof.
See?
Technology.
Riley stared at them for a second.
Then reached out and pinched both of them lightly.
"You two, would you even rember to check it when I heard you’d been very busy cleaning out all the booths?"
"I’m afraid of looking at the final resort bill! Would we have to live on the streets after?"
"Ha? Ha?!" Riley started pinching and tickling the children, who simply kept on wiggling.
They yelped, but it quickly turned into laughter.
And just like that, the tension that had been quietly lingering faded into sothing much lighter.
Riley smiled, feeling that familiar warmth settle in his chest.
Maybe it really was better to enjoy the ti they had.
So he stood up, brushing himself off slightly before looking down at them.
"Okay," he said, his tone brightening, "what do you say to going on all the slides again today?"
"!!!"
__
Now, while a group of magical beings enjoyed their last day at the water park, one being who had otherwise been human for so many years was starting to discover that he might be anything but that.
"Sir! Mr. rcer!"
The sharp voice echoed down the hallway as a woman in pristine office attire stood before a closed door, one hand gripping the handle while the other knocked repeatedly, far less composed than her appearance suggested.
"Sir! Please answer!"
From inside, there had been a sound.
A sharp cry.
Then sothing heavier.
A groan that didn’t sound like anything she had ever heard from him before.
Her grip tightened as she tried the handle again, but the door remained locked.
Behind her, hurried footsteps approached, and a housekeeper rushed forward, fumbling slightly as she held out a set of keys.
"Here—!"
The secretary didn’t hesitate, snatching the keys, her movents quick and urgent despite the way her tailored sleeves and heels clearly belonged in a boardroom rather than outside a locked bedroom.
She was just about to insert the key—
Thud.
The sound ca from inside.
It was heavy and practically caused the closed door to vibrate.
And then—
"Ms. Lee... don’t open the door."
The voice was strained.
Breathless.
Nothing like the composed tone they were all used to.
Instead, it sounded like it had been dragged out through pain.
"Go and clear this week’s schedule," he continued, each word asured as though speaking itself took effort. "I need to rest."
The people outside the door froze, exchanging uneasy glances.
"Sir," Ms. Lee started, her voice tight with concern, "I’ll call for a physi—"
"No—!"
The interruption was sharp, definitely louder than usual and completely unlike him.
The hallway went silent.
Even the housekeeper flinched.
A beat passed before his voice ca again, lower this ti, but no less firm.
"Just do as I say. I’ll tell you to call for a physician when it’s needed."
"But, Sir—"
"Ms. Lee."
That was enough.
Her lips pressed together before she straightened, the hesitation still clear but no longer voiced.
"...I understand, Sir. Please get well soon."
There was no response, only silence as both the worried secretary and housekeeper could only look at each other before turning away.
anwhile, inside the unnaturally large room he had long insisted on, Simon rcer could no longer answer even if he wanted to.
He had already used what little strength he had left just to hold the door shut. In fact, he montarily thought he wouldn’t make it in ti.
Or worse, he’d end up crawling to the wrong place while feeling so delirious.
But why even block the door with all his might?
Because he was likely coming down with sothing.
At least, that was what he tried to tell himself.
Now, while calling a doctor or heading to the ergency room would have been the logical thing to do, how exactly was he supposed to explain what was happening to him?
Simon slowly turned his head toward the mirror set against the far wall, the heavy blackout curtains casting the entire room into a dim, suffocating darkness.
His reflection stared back at him.
And while he still had the sa crimson hair, sharp features, and all ten fingers, he was more than certain that there was sothing wrong with him.
He let out a strained groan as another wave of pain tore through his back, his body tensing as sothing shifted beneath his skin.
Sothing that shouldn’t have been there.
Because from behind him—
From his own body—
A massive, red appendage extended outward, raw and unfamiliar, the shape unmistakable even in the low light.
A wing.
And it was growing.
Was he possessed or sothing?
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