Chapter 8: Love is madness
"Look, brother! It's cracking!" Lyra said, her voice trembling with excitement.
Crack. Crack.
Thin fractures spread across the surface of the egg.
Naoki sighed in relief. For a moment, he had thought Lyra was in danger but thankfully, she was just excited about the egg.
While practicing his breathing technique the previous day, Naoki had left the egg outside rather than storing it in his Mark 'the Heavenly Authority'.
He realized he had passed out during his training, leaving the egg behind.
"Lyra, don't play with that," Naoki said gently. "It's a precious gift."
"Gift? Is it a gift for Lady Cierra?" she asked curiously.
"No," he replied, walking toward her. "It was a gift given to me… and I don't even know who Cierra is."
As Naoki took the egg into his hands, it suddenly began to absorb his mana.
"Ehh…?"
Dark green energy surged from his body into the egg. The absorption was fast, too fast.
Naoki gritted his teeth, struggling to hold on as the energy drained from him. Seeing this, Lyra's eyes welled up with tears. Crying, she clung to his waist.
Then, Naoki remembered his brother's words:
"That ancient companion will absorb the black hole you are destined to encounter before your transmigration. Once you arrive in the new world, you must inject that energy to awaken him."
At the time, Naoki hadn't fully understood what his brother meant.
But now it was clear.
The egg was meant to absorb the black hole's energy along with Naoki and awaken when that energy is injected in this world.
He clenched his teeth tightly.
Suddenly, the mana absorption stopped. The egg slipped from Naoki's hands and fell heavily onto the floor.
Naoki stumbled back and sank down, sitting against the wall, breathing hard.
Pant… pant…
"Brother, are you alright?" Lyra's voice trembled with worry as she hurried to his side.
"I'm… fine," Naoki gasped, trying to steady himself.
Crack.
A sharp sound echoed through the room.
"Brother, it's cracking!" Lyra whispered, eyes wide with awe.
As the shell cracked open further a thick dark energy began to seep out swirling and pulsing with a familiar intensity It was the same eerie black green energy that Naoki had felt coursing through his own body.
From the shattered shell emerged a creature both terrifying and majestic .
Naoki and Lyra's eyes widened in shock at the sight before them.
It was a black dragon.
The baby black dragon was small and dark with big round eyes that gleamed with curiosity. Its tiny fangs peeked from a slightly open mouth, and sharp claws tapped lightly on the floor. Wing-like structures sprouted from its head, giving it an almost demon-like appearance. At times its fierce expression hinted at the power it held within, yet moments later it looked utterly adorable, sniffing the air with innocent curiosity like a child discovering the world.
Naoki's eyes narrowed, his body tense with caution. This was no ordinary creature. This companion had awakened with the power of the black hole energy.
Lyra gasped clutching him tighter The air grew heavy with a powerful presence as if the arrival of this dark dragon signaled the dawn of a new and dangerous chapter
As Naoki and Lyra stared at the creature with mixed emotions, the baby black dragon slowly approached Naoki and let out a soft sound.
"Kyuu."
Naoki was taken aback.
Though the voice was gentle, he somehow understood its meaning.
Surprisingly, the dragon was calling him "Mama."
'What is this dragon saying? Does it see me as its parent because I injected it with my mana?'
"Kyuu"
"Hi… hi there, little guy. I'm Aether, and this little girl is my sister," Naoki said awkwardly.
"Kyuu," the baby dragon jumped onto his lap, gazing up at him with big curious eyes.
'Why do I have this sudden urge to pet it?' Naoki's hands twitched, wanting to cuddle the tiny creature.
Unable to resist, he gently stroked the adorable creature. The scales were surprisingly soft. I guess young animals, whether humans or monsters were all squishy and soft. It started purring, closing its eyes.
"Adorable," Naoki whispered with a smile.
The little dragon rolled onto its back, exposing its belly. Naoki rubbed it carefully. the skin felt like very soft leather, smooth and warm under his fingers. He studied its tiny claws and noticed they resembled paws more than claws. The only hard parts were its sharp horns.
"Aren't you a cutie pie?" Naoki said, grinning as he continued petting the newborn.
Lost in the dragon's cuteness, Naoki suddenly heard a scream.
"Aaaaaah!" Lyra's eyes sparkled like stars as she rushed over.
"I want to pet it! I want to pet it! Brother, please let me!" she cried excitedly.
Naoki was speechless as Lyra reached out eagerly and gently began to pet the little dragon.
Her small hands moving carefully over the baby dragon's scales. She treated the fragile creature like a delicate toy, petting it softly and with great care.
"KYU!!"
Despite her gentle touch, the dragon's large eyes flickered with uncertainty. Suddenly, it gave a small, nervous whimper and swiftly scrambled away, darting behind Naoki as if seeking shelter.
The little dragon pressed itself close to his legs, peeking out cautiously, clearly comforted by his presence but wary of the unfamiliar affection from Lyra.
The little baby dragon suddenly leapt into Naoki's shadow and passed right through it, as if slipping into another world hidden within the darkness. It was like the shadow became its own secret domain, a safe place where it could disappear from Lyra.
"Brother, it jumped into the shadow," Lyra said, her voice tinged with sadness as she watched it disappear.
-Kyuu
The soft voice echoed directly in Naoki's mind, just like his older brother Haruto's had back on Earth.
"So this creature can hide into shadows and communicate through sound transmission. That's impressive."
Naoki's excitement grew. He wanted to learn more about this mysterious baby dragon.
Just then, a knock came at the door.
Knock knock.
"May I come in, young master?" came the head butler's voice.
"Yes, come in," Naoki replied, curious about the visit. The butler was not easy to deal with. Earlier, Naoki had made excuses about losing his memories to avoid questions.
The door opened and the old man with a white beard entered, bowing respectfully.
"Young master, you must prepare. Lady Cierra Von Ophelia will be arriving soon."
"Lady Cierra?" Naoki asked, puzzled.
"Yes, your fiancé Lady Cierra von Ophelia"
"Fian... fiancé...whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat" Naoki shouted, his voice bursting with shock.
.
.
.
.
.
To be continued....