With Keiran gone, the castle was finally at peace. The weight of tension that had loomed for so long was lifted, replaced by a sense of relief and celebration. For the first time in what felt like forever, laughter echoed through the grand halls. The battle had ended, wounds had begun to heal, and life was returning to normal-or at least, as normal as it could be with Aeris around.

Zephirion, the Black Dragon and ruler of the castle, believed that he could finally rest. But he was terribly mistaken.

Because while Aeris had abandoned her escape plan, she had also revived her mission to make Zephirion's life a living hell. And this time, she had allies.

---

The Aftermath of the Battle

The grand hall was unusually lively. Servants bustled about, preparing celebratory feasts, and knights drank and cheered for their victory. It had been a long time since the castle had seen joy like this.

Aeris sat comfortably in one of the lavish chairs, stretching her legs out with a satisfied sigh. The scent of roasted meat, spiced wine, and fresh bread filled the air. She watched as Valerian, the Red Dragon, and Caelum, the White Dragon, engaged in playful banter with some of the knights. Zephirion, however, sat at the head of the table, silent, watching everything unfold.

The Black Dragon seemed exhausted, though he would never admit it. His crimson eyes held a strange softness-a vulnerability that most would miss. But Aeris saw it.

And that's when the idea hit her.

She turned to Valerian and Caelum with a sweet smile.

"You know," she mused, her voice dripping with mischief, "since you both went through so much trouble helping me, why don't you stay here for a while? Enjoy the castle."

Valerian raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Are you asking us to stay, or are you planning something?"

Caelum smirked, already sensing where this was going.

Zephirion, who had been quietly sipping his wine, immediately stiffened.

He placed his goblet down slowly, crimson eyes narrowing. "...You're up to something," he stated flatly.

Aeris gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her chest. "Me? Up to something? Zephy, how could you?"

Caelum choked on his drink at the nickname, while Valerian openly laughed.

Zephirion looked like he had just been stabbed in the gut. "Do not call me that."

Aeris ignored him completely. "I was just thinking... it's been a while since we all had some fun. Now that everything is settled, it would be a shame if the castle went back to being all gloomy and serious, right?"

She turned to Valerian and Caelum with an innocent smile. "And since you both enjoy tormenting Zephirion as much as I do, why don't you stay here for a while?"

Valerian smirked. "Oh, I like the sound of that."

Caelum nodded thoughtfully. "It would be interesting to see how long he lasts before he explodes."

Zephirion felt a headache forming.

"Don't you all have kingdoms to rule?" he asked dryly.

"Nah," Valerian said lazily, throwing an arm around Zephirion's shoulder. "They can wait."

Zephirion clenched his jaw, mentally calculating how much of his sanity he could hold onto before snapping.

Aeris leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands as she smirked up at him.

"I'll be in your care, Zephy~"

Zephirion's eye twitched dangerously.

Valerian laughed harder.

Caelum took a sip of his tea and smiled knowingly.

And just like that, peace was gone.

The real battle-the battle of **endless teasing, pranks, and torment-had begun.

---

The Days of Chaos Begin

The next morning, Zephirion woke up to disaster.

As soon as he stepped out of his chamber, a bucket of ice-cold water dumped over his head.

Dripping wet, his golden eyes burned with fury as he turned to see Aeris peeking from behind a pillar, trying (and failing) to stifle her laughter.

"Oops," she said innocently. "That wasn't meant for you."

Zephirion ran a hand through his wet hair, exhaling sharply. "Aeris."

"Yes?"

He stalked toward her, and she immediately bolted.

She barely made it down the hall before Zephirion appeared in front of her in a blur, blocking her path. She skidded to a stop, eyes wide, but before she could react, he grabbed her waist and hoisted her over his shoulder.

"Put me down, you overgrown lizard!" she yelled, pounding at his back.

Zephirion smirked. "You want down?"

With that, he walked over to the nearest balcony.

Aeris froze.

"Zephirion," she said carefully, "you wouldn't dare."

Zephirion tilted his head. "Wouldn't I?"

Aeris shrieked as he pretended to drop her, clinging to him like her life depended on it.

"Okay, okay! I won't do it again!" she said quickly.

Zephirion smirked, setting her down-but not before ruffling her hair as revenge.

Aeris glared at him. "I take back everything nice I said about you."

"I didn't hear you say anything nice to begin with," Zephirion replied smoothly.

From a distance, Valerian and Caelum watched with amusement.

Valerian crossed his arms. "That was a weak prank. We need to step it up."

Caelum nodded. "Agreed."

The next morning, Zephirion's bed was filled with dozens of baby dragons, all climbing over him, licking his face, and nibbling at his hair.

And the chaos only escalated from there.