The castle was silent, the only sound being the distant howl of the wind outside.

I lay in my bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. It wasn’t because I wasn’t tired—I was. My body ached, my eyelids were heavy, yet my mind refused to rest.

Whose body is this?

The thought had been haunting me for days, creeping in during every moment of silence. I wasn’t born as Aeris. I was someone else before all of this. So why was I here? Why was I reincarnated into this body? And… what would happen to me in the end?

Would I disappear when the real Aeris returned? Was I even real?

I turned to my side, frustration bubbling in my chest. No matter how much I tried to ignore it, the questions kept clawing at me.

And then, as if the universe wanted to make things worse, thirst decided to add itself to my list of problems.

I sighed, sitting up. My throat was dry, and ignoring it wasn’t going to help. Pushing the thoughts aside, I wrapped a shawl around myself and reached for the glass of water on my bedside table.

Empty.

Just my luck.

With a grumble, I slipped out of bed, walking toward the water pitcher near the window. The room was dim, only illuminated by the pale glow of the moon. I poured myself a drink, taking slow sips, when suddenly—

Footsteps.

I froze.

The sound was distant, almost too quiet to notice, but I had heard it. A slow, deliberate step in the otherwise silent castle.

My grip tightened around the glass.

Maybe it was a passing guard. Maybe it was just my imagination. But… why did it feel wrong?

The unease in my chest grew stronger. Setting the glass down, I walked toward the door and slowly turned the handle.

Nothing.

The hallway was empty.

I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. “I need to stop overthinking,” I muttered to myself, closing the door again.

But the moment I turned back toward my bed, a shiver ran down my spine.

I could feel it.

Someone was watching me.

The air in the room felt heavier. My heartbeat quickened as my gaze slowly traveled to my chamber’s balcony.

And then… I saw him.

A figure stood outside the glass doors, bathed in the moonlight. He was tall, his features sharp and eerie, but what sent pure terror coursing through my veins was the grin on his face.

Wide. Unnatural. Hungry.

But the worst part?

He had one horn.

A clawed hand slowly traced the glass, fingers dragging as if he were touching me through it. His lips moved in a silent whisper, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying.

My body refused to move. My breath caught in my throat.

Then his grin widened.

That was it.

I bolted.

Without a second thought, I ran out of my chamber, my feet barely making a sound against the cold marble floors. I didn’t care where I was going—there was only one place I knew I would be safe.

Zephirion.

I didn’t even knock. I slammed open the doors to his chamber, practically throwing myself inside.

“Zephirion—” My voice came out breathless and panicked.

The Black Dragon King stirred, his crimson eyes blinking open, groggy from sleep. He was shirtless, his long black hair draping over his bare shoulders as he sat up, clearly not expecting a midnight visitor.

“What—” His voice was rough, laced with sleep, but the moment he saw my pale face, his expression sharpened.

I stood there, breathless, clutching the fabric of my nightgown tightly in my fists. My entire body trembled.

Then, before I even realized what I was doing—I moved.

I ran straight to his bed, switching with Goh, and hugged him tightly.

My arms wrapped around him like a lifeline, my fingers clutching onto his back. My face pressed against his chest, and I shook. Tremors wracked my entire body as I buried myself in his warmth, desperate to feel safe.

I didn’t care about pride. I didn’t care that it was him.

I just knew I was terrified.

Zephirion tensed, caught off guard. His body went still for a second, as if he wasn’t sure how to react. Then, slowly, his arms came up and wrapped around me. His hand rested on the back of my head, pressing me into his warmth.

His voice was calm, steady, and lower than usual.

“What happened?”

I couldn’t speak. My breath came in short gasps, my heart pounding so loudly I could barely hear anything else.

He exhaled, his grip on me tightening. “Aeris.”

I swallowed, my voice barely a whisper.

“There’s… someone,” I rasped out. “On my balcony.”

The air around us shifted. The room, which had been warm a moment ago, suddenly felt like the calm before a storm.

Zephirion’s expression darkened, his glowing red eyes turning deadly.

He moved.

Effortlessly, he scooped me up in his arms in bridal style, as if I weighed nothing, and began walking toward the door. I was still clutching onto him, my fingers digging into his skin, so I couldn’t exactly protest.

A few minutes later, he kicked open another pair of doors.

“Wake up.”

The entire castle might have heard his voice.

There was a loud thud, followed by a groan.

“Why are you like this…” Caelum grumbled, rubbing his temples.

“Five more minutes…” Valerion mumbled, rolling over on his bed like a lazy cat.

Zephirion didn’t have time for this.

“There was an intruder,” he said sharply.

Both of them snapped awake.

“…What?” Caelum’s tired expression vanished.

“Wait—where?” Valerion sat up, now looking more alert.

Zephirion, still holding me, simply turned and strode toward my chamber.

When we arrived, the balcony doors were closed. Nothing seemed out of place. The eerie presence from before was completely gone.

“…There’s no one here,” Caelum said, frowning.

Not a single trace of him.

I stood there, shaking. Was I hallucinating?

"No… I saw him. I know I did."

"Describe him," Caelum's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.Their expressions tense.

Swallowing hard, I told them everything—his silver hair, his one black horn, and that creepy, sickening smile.

The moment I finished, silence fell over the room.

Zephirion stiffened. Valerion’s usual playful expression disappeared. Caelum looked like he had seen a ghost.

I frowned. "H-Hey… why are you all looking like that?"

No answer.

Then, I saw it.

Fear.

For the first time, Zephirion—the cold, untouchable Dragon King—looked shaken.

His hands curled into fists, his red eyes darkening. And then, in a voice so low it was almost a whisper, he muttered:

"This can’t be… He was supposed to be dead."

My stomach dropped.

"W-What do you mean?" I demanded. "Who is he?"

Silence.

None of them spoke.

Not Zephirion.

Not Caelum.

Not Valerion.

But one thing was clear—this wasn’t just any ordinary threat.

Whoever that man was, he was someone from Zephirion’s past.

Someone who shouldn’t even be alive.

Then why…

Why were all three dragons so terrified?

And more importantly…

How did Zephirion know him?

Who was he?

And what did he want… with me?

To be continued