There she was again—the woman with flowing violet hair and radiant golden eyes—barefoot at the edge of the serene lake. Her white robes fluttered gently in the breeze, the fabric dancing like whispers in the wind. Her gaze t Luca’s—not with judgnt, but with quiet understanding, as though she saw through every storm in his heart and accepted them all.
Luca approached silently and sat by the shore, the soft grass damp beneath his palms. The woman joined him, gracefully folding her legs as she settled beside him.
"Sorry," Luca began, his voice low, "it seems like I only seek you out when I’m troubled."
She smiled, a soft curve of her lips illuminated by the golden hue of the dreamscape. "Well, wasn’t that the point of our first eting?" she said lightly. "Besides... I have good news for you today."
Luca blinked in surprise. "Good news?"
She nodded, her eyes twinkling. "Rember I told you I’d try to look into that na—Raymond? From my books?"
Luca sat up straighter, his interest piqued. "Yes! Did you find sothing?"
"I did." Her smile deepened. "Raymond was one of the heroes who participated in sealing the Devil Emperor."
Luca’s eyes widened. Another one... That’s the fourth hero I’ve identified in just three days. Raymond, Elder Thrain’s ancestor, his own bloodline, and the ancestor of the Empress...
His brows furrowed. Should I ask her to look into the Valentine bloodline too? It’s probably the only way.
"Actually," he said aloud, "there’s sothing I wanted to talk about too."
The woman tilted her head. "Speak."
I wasn’t planning to say it out loud... but now I think I have to. He drew in a breath. "I recently found out that I’m descended from one of the heroes as well."
Her eyes widened in surprise. "What’s your full na?"
"...Luca Valentine."
Recognition flared in her gaze, followed by astonishnt. "Valentine..." she whispered.
Luca said with expectation in his eyes " Do you know sothing about it?"
She fell silent for a mont before adding, "I feel like I’ve read that na before. I’ll look into it more carefully."
Luca gave a small nod. He was about to thank her when she beat him to the next question.
"So... what’s troubling you?"
He exhaled, tension slipping from his shoulders. "It’s not just this news. It’s everything. The things I believed in... the world I thought I understood... it’s all collapsing. Even the one thing I was most confident in—it feels like it’s crumbling."
To his surprise, the woman laughed.
"You really are an idiot."
"Huh?" Luca flushed.
"You keep clinging to the past. To mories, to ’what should be.’ But the world doesn’t follow so fixed script. Even the smallest cause can ripple into a future you could never predict. You should stop worrying so much about what was, and instead place your confidence in what is—in yourself. That way, no matter how the future twists and turns, you can stand tall."
Her words pierced through the fog clouding his mind. And just like that, clarity returned. That’s right... I’ve been thinking too much—treating this world like it’s just a ga with a fixed route. But this isn’t the sa anymore. I need to focus on my own strength and stop obsessing over what’s changed.
The woman smiled gently, seeing the shift in his expression. "Looks like you’ve found your answer."
"...I did," Luca said, his voice lighter now. "Thank you."
Then a thought struck him. "Wait... I’ve t you several tis now, but I never asked—what’s your na?"
She smirked playfully. "Nope. I’m not telling you."
"What? Why not?" he asked with a laugh.
She wiggled a finger at him. "Didn’t I tell you? Even a small cause can create a big effect. Who knows what might happen if you learn my na?"
He groaned. "You’re serious?"
She giggled. "Let it be your motivation to co find again."
And together, they laughed—genuinely, freely—two souls montarily at peace beside a dreamlike lake that seed untouched by ti.
***
As the soft hum of running water faded, Luca stepped out of the bathroom, steam following him like mist curling around a mountain peak. He towel-dried his hair, threw on a loose black shirt and trousers, and finally let out a long, tired sigh as he collapsed onto his bed.
The mont he did, he raised a hand lazily and summoned her.
With a gentle flash of light, the baby dragon appeared, plopping right onto the bed with a soft "thump." Her soft golden hair was slightly tousled, and her big ruby eyes blinked at him sleepily before she let out a chirpy—
"Papa!"
Luca chuckled, rolling onto his side. "You never get tired of that, do you?" he said, reaching out to ruffle her head. She gave a pleased coo, then wobbled closer on all fours, trying to climb onto his chest with her tiny hands. "Papa, papa!" she repeated, patting his face with a gummy smile.
He sighed again, but this ti it was soft and amused. "Listen, little one," he said, shifting to sit up, "from tomorrow, I’ll have to attend lectures in the academy. So you’ll have to stay in the beast space for a while, okay?"
The smile dropped.
She crossed her tiny arms, puffed her cheeks, and let out an indignant little "Hmph." Her tail twitched as she dramatically turned her back to him on the bed.
"Don’t be like that," Luca said with a wry smile. "It’s just for a few hours. I’ll play with you every weekend. Promise."
He reached forward and gently poked her puffed cheek.
She gave a reluctant glance over her shoulder, eyes gleaming with suspicion. But after a mont of internal debate, she gave the smallest nod, though her pout remained intact.
"Still sulking?" Luca grinned and tackled her gently with tickling fingers. "Co on, smile for papa!"
She squealed with laughter, her pout crumbling instantly. "Nohoho papa!" she giggled, kicking her little legs as she wriggled on the bed. Her happy squeals and Luca’s soft laughter echoed off the dorm walls like a hidden world tucked away from everything else.
Eventually, the room quieted. The baby dragon curled up on Luca’s chest, her breathing light and steady. Luca, lying back against the pillows, gently stroked her soft hair.
And just like that...The day faded.
The stress dulled.
And sleep took them both.
The sun had barely peeked over the horizon, its light filtering softly through the foggy trees surrounding the academy, when Luca was already on the training grounds. His hair was damp with sweat, his breath steady but firm as he jogged across the field. The cool morning air kissed his face as he weaved between the stone columns.
"She should still be asleep," he thought with a small smile, referring to the baby dragon. "So I left Kunpeng to watch over her for a while."
He ca to a stop near the edge of the field, letting out a quiet exhale as he sat cross-legged on the stone platform. Closing his eyes, he placed his hand over his chest, sensing the flow of aura coursing through his veins like a river of golden light.
It was vast—more than most students his age could ever dream of. But he knew better than anyone else: having a lot of aura was not the sa as being powerful. Not yet.
"I need to compress it... to form my first aura seed," he muttered internally. "But I’ll need peace. A single distraction and the backlash could rupture my core... or worse."
His brows furrowed. Now wasn’t the ti. He slowly opened his eyes, letting go of the thought with a sigh. The wind blew past him, as if nudging him to move.
By the ti he returned to his dorm, the academy was beginning to stir with life. He slipped into the bathroom, took a quick shower, and changed into his academy uniform—a sleek dark coat trimd in silver and blue.
With a gentle flick of his wrist, he summoned the baby dragon and kunpeng back.
"We’re heading to class," Luca said with a warm chuckle, tying the last knot on his collar. "Let’s get going."
He reached class A and sat down in his usual seat, Eric appeared beside him as he sat down with a smirk.
Luca thought of sothing as he said "Hey you also traveled with us to the capital right , why didn’t I see you at the ball?"
As Eric smirk dissolved.
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