Chapter 11

The scream certainly didn’t sound friendly. Cold sweat broke out on Hayden's skin as he subconsciously tightened his grip on the glass he was holding. With a sudden, sharp crack, the glass shattered, scattering shards across the floor. Tea, mingled with the metallic tang of blood, trickled down his arm.

The twins frowned, their eyes tracing the erratic dance of silver smoke in the air above.

Something wasn’t right.

When they rushed to the door, their irises narrowed in shock upon seeing Melvin’s arm draped over Miracle's shoulder—he was unconscious.

"What happened?" Hayden asked, keeping his scratched palm behind his back. The wound was closing.

What should she say? If she were to say the truth—that this human boy could see the barrier when he wasn't supposed to—he’d surely be chased out of the house. 

"Nothing serious. Just a mild heatstroke," she said simply and walked past them.

She didn't want to tell them what exactly happened yet, though it might be a mistake to keep them in the dark.

Lyn raised a brow. "Mild? The scream—"

"Now that we don't have to worry about the mortal overhearing us," Miracle cut in before Lyn had a chance to further her doubts, "let's continue, Hayden."

"Continue what?" She heard Lyn asking her brother as he helped Melvin to rest on the cushion.

Kingsley might not like him, but he didn't want to go against the values that his dad had raised them up with.

Hayden walked over to the couch and crouched beside it. Brushing Melvin's fringe away, he gently rubbed the boy’s temples.

"Head up first, children. I need to talk to Miracle." 

"Yes, Dad." The twins could only obey.

As soon as they left, there was a long silence. Miracle could sense Hayden was still hesitating to tell her everything. But time was running out. She was sent here for a reason, not as a burden.

Who did he talk to about her? Why wasn't he revealing anything to her? 

"Tell me, Hayden." She tugged at his sleeve. ”What's wrong with this cycle?

Her gaze was so determined that he gave in, at last. 

"Do you know why mortals stopped believing in dragons?" he asked. 

"Because of an incident."

"What incident?"

She shrugged. "No one is allowed to talk about it in Long Sheng Jie."

Hayden took a deep breath. "Fallen angels have always been the evil. But Mynheex was once the plant elves of Soulless Sonder."

"What? They were... the silver fronds?" She gasped, running a hand over her mouth. "Myn... Mynheex?"

"They were the doorkeepers of Long Sheng Jie. In those days, demons might have been demons, but they seemed to be on good terms with Long Sheng Jie. Or rather, they were all minding their own businesses. Nobody started wars. Everyone was living peacefully. But everything was torn apart because of betrayal," he continued, knitting his brows.

"Betrayal?"

He stroked Melvin's cheeks, his eyes expressing layers of concern for the unconscious boy.

"Long... long time ago, there was a fallen angel and a celestial dragon who had fallen in love with each other. They made me realize the beauty of love, that love could be so pure and simple." Hayden exhaled a sigh. "But their love wasn't blessed. His Majesty grew wrathful after learning that they were together, more so at the Sonders for allowing a fallen angel into Long Sheng Jie. The plant elves begged for forgiveness. However, nothing could be done. The fact that they had broken the rules was inexcusable. His Majesty tore away their skin of immortality and went to the extent of banning them from entering the realm. Ever since then, we no longer have any elves born from these little silver fronds.

"But why did the plant elves agree to help?"

"Greed kills a person, my dragon. Sonders... they had always desired to be number one."

“What about the lovers then? What… happened to them?" She held her breath, having a hunch that the latter part of the story was going to be even more devastating.

A wave of sadness glinted across Hayden's eyes, which were turning moist. ”I'll tell you about it next time. I need to go upstairs to check on the twins," he said, reaching for the stairs.

Feeling complicated,  Miracle slumped against the cushion behind her. For a few minutes, she sat alone in the living room, doing nothing but staring into the distance. The words Hayden had spoken moments ago echoed like a broken record in the back of her mind.

'Mynheex once belonged to Long Sheng Jie. Everything fell apart because of betrayal.'

Her heart throbbed with a mix of sadness and indignation. She had always hated the rules, hated how Long Shen handled things with no mercy nor compassion. For Sonders to give up on their pure souls and bow to the demons, it was hard to imagine the amount of torment they had gone through.

Shaking off the thoughts, she stood and made her way toward the backyard, her gaze fixed on the invisible barrier. She needed to clear her mind. But just as she was about to click the latch, she hesitated.

Melvin was in the house, and she was aware of it. Yet, there was this voice in her, assuring her that everything would be all right since it'd probably take some time for him to regain consciousness.

That she would have enough time to free the beast in her even if it was just for a short little while.

Giving in to the impulse, she stepped out through the sliding door.

Wild grasses coiled around her bare feet, sending a tingling sensation of earthy vitality coursing through her. Green rings rose from the soil, encircling her as she strode deeper into the backyard. Long whiskers sprouted at the corners of her mouth, and her legs elongated into the tail of a white dragon. The veil of mortality receded beneath her icy flesh, allowing the scales to reclaim their rightful place.

"I don't know the precise story yet," she uttered. "But I really want to put an end to this endless war." Miracle turned on the colors in her eyes. "Earth, I summon you."

As soon as she entered the hidden layer, her human guise was completely enveloped by the celestial animal.

With a resounding snarl, she leapt into the air, her paws raised high. Roots from the earth surged forth, twisting and curling around her form. The call of nature swam through her veins, empowering her every move. Gravel from the ground levitated, transforming into ruthless daggers as she hurled them towards the sea-blue clouds beyond the protective barrier.

As expected, they rebounded.

Descending to the pond not far away, the dragon slammed the water with her tail. The roots around her body expanded and erupted into luminous flakes, instantly desiccating the ground beneath her.

The sky crackled with countless streaks of lightning, each one striking the barrier as if reprimanding her for her actions. Startled by the sudden force, black pigeons scattered from their perches on tree branches and electric poles, their wings beating wildly against the air.

Dissolving back into her human form, Miracle let out a sigh. She yanked a mass of silver smoke circulating in the house and hurled it towards the backyard, restoring everything back to how it was. 

As she emerged from the invisible layer, a delicate white magnolia, its petals tinged with sunlight, beckoned to her from the ground. Her eyes welled up before she could realize it, stirred by memories of the white jade Xun had given her in days gone by. Picking up the broken petals, she hovered them in her hand with no hesitation, forgetting the fact that there was still a mortal in the house, and she was no longer in the camouflaged area.

"For you, Xun, and for the rest of our dragons, I promise to give my all." She closed her palm, and when she opened it again, the petals had fused back together. 

Right then, footsteps approaching from the back sent shivers down her spine. She dropped the flower instantly and prayed hard that it wouldn't be him.

"What are you talking about?"

But as soon as he spoke, her heart sank.

'Crap.'

Miracle faked a laugh. "Oh... You're awake? How are you feeling?"

"What did you say just now?" he repeated his question, ignoring hers. Confusion was clearly printed on his face as he pointed to the magnolia next to her feet. "And what did you do to that flower?”

Panic flooded her soul. Miracle pursed her lips, couldn't think of anything to say.

Melvin fixed his gaze on her. "Miracle... You're a dragon?"