JONEABefore I could reach Aland, Daran had already jumped and charged at the shadow dragon still on Aland’s back. I was so shocked to see the terrifying sight. Daran almost hit Aland if the dragon hadn’t protected him.“Daran!” I shouted desperately.Daran turned so brutal. He opened his jaws wide, filled with sharp, large fangs, to tear Aland’s dragon apart.The dragon was torn apart by Daran’s sharp fangs. When I was about to approach, black blood splashed right on the tip of my shoe. It was the dragon’s blood. I thought it was just a magical creature and wouldn’t have any effect, like the shadow wolves that often attacked me. However, this dragon was bleeding black blood as dark as the night. It was like a living creature.Aland’s previously calm face suddenly turned cold and hard. Even so, he didn’t do anything.Was Aland enduring pain? Impossible! Was the dragon connected to him? My thoughts and feelings became very chaotic.“Even though I made it with great difficulty. The mate
JONEA“His actions this time may have been wrong, but I can understand the wrong actions he has taken,” Miller said calmly.“You haven’t answered my question at all, Miller. Tell me where I can meet Aland? I want to ask him directly what really happened? Where has he been all this time? When a dragon took him that day—”Miller turned and slapped my hand away. “Instead of wanting to know where you can meet him, didn’t you have the chance to accept his invitation to come along?”I felt like I was slapped when I heard Miller’s words. I couldn’t say anything. I was hesitant to even reach out to him. That was when Daran approached us.“It seems like you two know each other and are connected. Why did he choose you?”“That’s none of your business!” Miller replied firmly. Then Miller continued coldly, “The lycan king, have you ever met him before?”“You mean the dragon rider? Never,” Daran replied casually.“Don’t think I’ll just believe your words,” Miller shouted as he walked away. “Make su
ALANDWe both gasped and laughed together. Jonea reached out and stroked my face.“Can you put me down? I must be heavy,” she said shyly.“No, you’re so light now. You should pay more attention to your food,” I pretended to be angry as I put her down.“Aland… Aland… I feel like I’m never satisfied. I’m too happy. I’m afraid this happiness will bring me back to suffering.”“Psst…” I stopped her.Jonea’s eyes filled with tears. She tried to touch me again, but suddenly, her face turned pale. Her eyes were wide open. Did something happen?Jonea stepped back in fear until she fell to the ground.I looked back. A giant, pale white dragon with large horns on its head was approaching me. Its entire body was covered in moss. Could it be that it was the one who scared Jonea?The dragon pampered me by rubbing its horns on my back. I stroked it gently.“It’s okay, Jonea. This dragon is tame!” I reached out to Jonea. She took my hand and stood up. “Try touching him!” I asked.“Who is this girl yo
JONEAWe returned to the blue sapphire, precisely in the underground crossing tunnel. The place where Daran first saw me and asked me to go for a walk. And that night, I asked him to take me to the dragon hill.When we returned, the atmosphere in the blue sapphire was still night, and the lights were still illuminated in the underground crossing tunnel. Only this time, the three of us were together with Owen.Daran walked in front of me. I walked faster and pulled his hand to stop him.“What’s wrong Jonea?” Daran turned to me.“There’s something I want to talk to you about.”I glanced at Owen, who was still standing beside us. He pretended not to know, then said he would go home first. Now, only Daran and I were left.“What’s wrong?” Daran asked once again patiently. “Tell me.”“It feels like we’ve been gone for days, right? But why did we return to the blue sapphire at the same time as we left?”“The blue sapphire and the land of magical creatures are in different dimensions. Time pa
DARAN“What’s wrong with me? Why am I so restless? I haven’t even slept enough for the past few days, no, to be more precise, I haven’t slept at all.”I couldn’t keep locking myself in my room, and I had to find out the cause of my restlessness immediately. I went out and went to the kitchen to find something to do.“Ah… Ouch!” Jonea was seen groaning in pain while holding her stomach.I stood behind her. I didn’t know what had happened to Jonea; I had gotten closer without realizing it but didn’t dare touch her.“What’s wrong?”“I don’t know, my stomach suddenly hurts.”“Is it because you’re tired after I took you around and did so many things?” I felt guilty.Jonea turned and looked at me. Her face looked so pale. She bent down while holding her stomach.“Come on, I’ll take you to the hospital now.”“No! No need,” she said while continuing to hold her stomach. She even looked more robust than before. “Tell me, what date is it now?”“I’m sure it’s still the tenth. What’s wrong? Did y
JONEAHunter sent me a message.[You remember we have to meet tomorrow, right? The assignment must be submitted immediately. I'll wait at two in the afternoon in front of the campus.]I didn't reply to the message and lay back down. I couldn't think of anything because the pain in my stomach was getting stronger, even spreading to my back.I don't know how many hours I slept. When I woke up, it was already noon. And Hunter sent me another message to remind me that we had to meet this afternoon to finish the assignment.My mind was completely blank. For a while, I just lay in bed doing nothing.I shouldn't have to get involved with Hunter anymore. Because I've met Aland, and I know where he is right now. The problem is Aland will only be able to get out of the land of the dragons if he is being hunted by Luke Draken.Shouldn't I still return to my original goal? Aland also said that we wouldn't be able to be together before we recapture the blue Sapphire. And the only access to Luke Dr
HUNTERI was nervous as if this was the first time I met Jonea. I even arrived at the place we agreed to meet an hour early. I kept checking the watch on my wrist."Hi!" Jonea greeted.I turned around. She really came."Hi," I replied. "How are you? You didn't reply to my messages. I thought you—"I was at a loss for words as Jonea stared at me expressionlessly. Wait, I felt something was different. Today, she seemed…"Oh, aren't we going to the museum and art gallery today? I've checked the exhibition schedule, and I've also booked tickets for us. But how about we have lunch first?"Jonea answered expressionlessly. "I was thinking of a restaurant. How about we go there?""Oh, okay."I paused momentarily, contemplating Jonea's attitude and speaking, which were completely different from usual. It was as if she were a different person. She didn't look cheerful; she even tended to be too serious. Is she still upset with me?We went to the restaurant Jonea mentioned. I was a bit surprised
JONEA“Why are you so surprised? Whose face did you see this time?”Daran really took off his mask, but it wasn’t his face that I saw this time, but Aland’s. Did Daran reapply his mind mirror magic? This really bothered me. He always cheats!“Why are you silent?” Daran muttered with emphasis. “Don’t you want to touch this face? Isn’t this the face that you’ve always missed, Jonea?”I gasped in surprise. How did Daran know? Did he realise whose face I was seeing right now?Daran deliberately brought his face closer to mine. As if he wanted to challenge me to touch, caress, maybe even kiss him? Of course, I wanted to do that if he was Aland. But I knew he was Daran, who used Aland's face with his magic power.“Is this the figure you’ve always wanted to find, Jonea? Because of him, are you willing to sell yourself to me?”My eyes opened wide. I know I did the contract I agreed to with Daran a few months ago with full awareness. I have also sworn loyalty and will give my whole body and li
JONEAI sat on the edge of the bed, still feeling the warmth of Daran’s chest that had been my resting place moments ago. Now, I’d put a small distance between us. My heart was full of questions, but I didn’t know where to start.“So all this time, you thought I was afraid of you?” I asked, breaking the silence.Daran turned toward me, his dark eyes filled with doubt. “Isn’t that true?” he replied. “For humans and other creatures—especially werewolves—my kind is terrifying. That’s why they’re always trying to kill or get rid of lycans like me.”I shook my head softly, my heart heavy from his words. There was sadness he didn’t show, but I could feel it. His dark eyes carried a loneliness that made me hesitate to touch him, even though I wanted to.“No,” I said firmly, though my voice wavered slightly. “You’re not scary at all.”Daran raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Oh? Is that so?”I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself. “Actually, you’re… too handsome. It makes it hard to
JONEAI couldn’t answer Aland’s question. My lips felt sealed, every word I wanted to say stuck in my throat. Something heavy weighed on my chest, making it hard to breathe.The room was suffocatingly quiet, the only sound being Aland’s ragged breaths, full of emotion. I couldn’t stay in there a second longer.Quickly, I got up from the bed, grabbing a blanket to cover myself, and stepped out of the treehouse. The cold night air bit at my skin, but I didn’t care.Ahead of me, a small, crystal-clear pond caught my eye. The moonlight shimmered on its surface, creating an almost calming scene. Kneeling by the edge, I cupped some water in my hands and splashed it on my face.That’s when something strange happened.The calm breeze around me suddenly turned wild, swirling fiercely. My hair whipped around my face, and I had to close my eyes against the sudden burst of dust. The soft rustle of leaves grew into a deafening roar, like a storm appearing out of nowhere.“What is this...?” I whisp
JONEAWhen the reindeer sleigh stopped, I froze, staring at the giant tree in front of me. It towered so high the top was barely visible, and its trunk was so wide it looked like it could hold an entire village inside. The tree felt alive, glowing faintly from the cracks in its bark, radiating a magical aura that was both calming and mesmerizing.But the most shocking part wasn’t the tree—it was the scene around it. Dragons of all sizes roamed the area. Some floated gracefully in the air, while others moved on the ground, their massive forms exuding a kind of elegance I never thought possible.As soon as we stepped off the sleigh, every dragon there froze for a moment, then bowed deeply in respect. Their gazes were fixed on Aland, reverent, as if they worshipped him.“Dragon King!” one of the dragons roared, its deep voice echoing in the air.I froze. “Dragon King?” I whispered, staring at Aland in confusion.He gave me a small smile and extended his hand, inviting me into the magnifi
JONEAI froze, staring at the giant figure before me, my eyes wide in disbelief. The blue dragon stood tall and proud, exuding power but not menace. Its shimmering scales gleamed under the moonlight, reminding me of the Dragon’s Tear pendant Aland gave me. Unfortunately, the pendant had lost its radiant blue hue and turned dark.“Who… are you?” I stammered, my voice trembling, a mix of awe and fear.“I am the Mountain Dragon,” it replied, its deep voice rumbling like an earthquake. “I’ve come for you, Jonea. Come with me, and I’ll explain everything.”Before I could respond, Owen had already stepped in front of me, his body tense. His claws glinted sharply in the moonlight. “You’re not laying a finger on her!” he growled, his tone threatening.The dragon snorted, irritated but unfazed. “Hey, little lycan, stay out of this. I’m not going to hurt her. I just need her for something important. I’ll bring her back when it’s done.”“No way!” Owen snapped, his voice rising in anger. “You thi
DARANThat night felt cold, even though the wind barely stirred. I stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking the dark forest below, trying to calm my restless mind. The usual soothing sounds of nature now felt foreign, as if they were hiding something.Eve emerged from the shadows, her steps quiet and measured. She always had that presence—soft yet unpredictable. She stopped a few feet from me, studying my face as if looking for answers I wasn’t even aware I was hiding.“You okay?” she finally asked, breaking the silence.I nodded, even though peace was the farthest thing from my heart.Eve sighed, clearly unconvinced. “Daran, I know this is weighing on you. But you can’t keep going like this.”I turned my gaze toward the forest, avoiding her piercing eyes. But she didn’t back down.“I think all this is happening because you’ve lived too long,” she said softly, her tone gentler. “When you’ve been through so much, it gets hard to tell what’s real and what’s just shadows of your fears.”
JONEALate nights in the art gallery always felt weird, like another world was alive among the shadows of the paintings and sculptures around me. But still, I chose to be here. The dim lights reflecting softly on the canvas before me offered a sliver of peace.I was still working on a drawing assignment for class. A few other students were scattered around, busy with their own projects, but the place was growing quiet. Even though I was tired, this was better than dwelling on the strange events from last night—and the mysterious guest who, for some reason, felt oddly familiar.Daran and Owen refused to talk about it. I tried pressing them, but they clammed up, even changing the subject to avoid my questions. Frustrated, I gave up and decided to bury myself in my work at the gallery, hoping it would drown out the unease that kept creeping back.But as I lifted my brush to the canvas, my mind couldn’t stop replaying that night: the words of the man in the dark cloak, the tension radiati
JONEAThe silence in the house that night was suffocating, yet strangely boring at the same time. After watching some random TV show—so dull I couldn’t even remember its name—I gave up and turned it off. Sitting alone in the living room like this made time crawl unbearably slow.Daran still hadn’t come back since leaving without a word. Not unusual for him, but it still ticked me off. At least Owen was around, though he’d been locked in his room for hours, buried in his gaming console. I sighed, long and loud.I tried lying down in bed, hoping sleep would finally take over, but all I felt was restless. This weird feeling, like something was lurking nearby, kept gnawing at me.Dragging myself up lazily, I decided to make some warm milk in the kitchen. Maybe that would help kill this boredom.As I stepped out of my room, though, the air around me suddenly shifted. A gust of wind swept through, even though all the doors and windows were tightly shut. I froze, confused.And that’s when, o
EVANGELISTAThe wind atop this building was fierce, biting my skin like a thousand sharp needles. Yet, I stood firm. In front of me, a handsome man stood tall, his back straight. His silhouette appeared calm, but there was something unsettling in the way he gazed at the city lights below.“I didn’t think you’d find me,” he said, not bothering to turn. His voice was low and heavy, each word carrying an enigmatic echo.I glanced at his shadow on the concrete. In a flash, it shifted—from human form into that of a massive dragon. His body remained human, but his shadow told a different story.I wasn’t reckless. Cautiously, I stepped to his side, my hand ready to reach for my weapon at any moment.“Long time no see, Lycan,” the man greeted, glancing at me. A faint smile touched his lips—not warm, but laced with something darker.“Don’t underestimate me,” I replied coolly. “I came here as a warlord.”The man chuckled, the sound mocking. “Then act like one. Do your duty on the battlefield, i
DARANOn the way back home, my mind kept returning to what Jonea had told me earlier. When she mentioned meeting a strange man in the paint shop, I immediately got a bad feeling. There was something she said that struck a chord: the black mark on the man's forehead."Jonea," I broke the silence. "Can you describe the man you saw at the paint shop?"Jonea looked at me for a moment, probably noticing how serious I was. She paused, as if she was piecing her memory back together.“I don’t know, Daran. It all happened so fast,” she muttered. “He... was right behind me when I accidentally bumped into him. And when I looked at him, I was shocked. I don’t know how to explain it... but he had this strange kind of handsomeness, something out of the ordinary. It was like there was something eternal and timeless in his face. But the most disturbing thing was the black mark on his forehead. It was so dark, different from the ones I’ve seen before.”I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, but