The rumor spread like wildfire.
Zack Blake—the infamous problem child of the Academy—had gotten into an accident during the Dragon Riding Festival, and, more shockingly, his Par had finally hatched.
However, what truly ignited the frenzy wasn't just the birth of his dragon… it was the fact that his newly-born Par was a girl. A horned, humanoid girl.
Her name? Ico.
The faculty meeting quickly devolved into heated debate. There were two main camps. One insisted Ico be confined to the dragon stable under strict disciplinary measures. The other argued she didn't belong in the dragon house at all—because, in their words, "she looks too much like a human girl."
In the end, no consensus was reached.
And so, a temporary solution was made.
They entrusted Ico to Zack's care—letting her stay with him in his personal dorm room, located at the far end of the third floor of Hades House.
"This is my room. Get in, already!" Zack barked, shoving the door open and giving Ico a light push on her back.
"Grrr… How dare a lowly dog give orders to her master," she growled, her golden eyes narrowing in a glare as she spun around.
"I don't remember becoming your dog!"
"Then you can just be my meat slave!"
Zack's brow twitched. "Do you even know what that means?"
With arms crossed and a smug smile on her face, Ico raised her chin. She always loved showing off the bizarre knowledge she'd absorbed from the Dragweiss.
"A meat slave is someone who offers their own flesh to their starving master… out of loyalty, of course."
"I am not on the menu!" Zack snapped, visibly flustered.
Still, he shoved her inside the room before anyone in the hallway could hear more of that conversation—and locked the door behind him with a click.
The hallway outside his room had grown crowded with nosy students, their ears shamelessly pressed to the walls. Hades House was a male dormitory, and anytime a beautiful girl—even a possibly-dangerous one like Ico—stepped inside, a riot always followed.
"Hmph. What a sorry-looking room." Ico gave it a quick glance, then walked forward. "I guess this will do for tonight… I'm going to sleep."
Zack, exhausted from being interrogated by the board, staff, and student council earlier, let out a weary sigh. His body still ached from the accident, and mentally, he was running on fumes.
"Hold on!" he yelped as Ico suddenly blocked his way to the bed.
"What now?!"
"As your superior, the bed belongs to me."
"You've got to be kidding! Where am I supposed to sleep then?!"
She huffed, raising an eyebrow in mock superiority. "The floor, obviously. Unless you prefer the hallway?"
"You're insane!"
"If you keep disobeying me, I'll crush you."
With a fiery glare, Ico peeled off the oversized shirt Zack had lent her. Slowly, the garment slipped away—revealing smooth, porcelain skin that seemed to glow in the moonlight. Her body was small, lithe, but perfectly formed: soft curves, long legs, pert breasts tipped with pink—
Zack spun away in panic, his heart thudding wildly.
"W-Why are you taking your clothes off?!"
"I already told you—a true dragon doesn't wear clothes to sleep. I need to be free during rest!"
And with that, she flopped into his bed, her bare skin caressing the sheets. Within seconds, she was asleep, a soft smile on her face—completely unbothered, almost innocent-looking, like a sleeping angel.
"Good grief…"
Zack slumped onto a futon he hurriedly laid out on the floor. Sleeping on the ground wasn't ideal, but with tomorrow being a holiday, at least he didn't have to worry about waking up early.
In just a few minutes, fatigue won, and he fell into deep slumber.
.˳·˖✶𓆩𓁺𓆪✶˖·˳.༄
Midnight.
Zack stirred, a strange warmth pressed against him under the covers.
"...Uwooo—!" he gasped, sitting upright in a panic. "Ico?! Wake up!"
When did she even get into his futon? Hadn't she been asleep in his bed?
He looked down—and froze.
Ico's bare body was curled against his, her soft skin glued to his side. Her legs tangled around his, her delicate breath brushing against his neck. And—oh god—her chest was firmly pressed against his ribs.
And then he remembered… she was still naked.
Though she wasn't quite as voluptuous as Alys—the girl from his dreams—this was real. Ico's warmth, her scent, the softness of her skin… none of it could be replicated in a fantasy.
His body tensed as a dangerous thought entered his mind.
"This looks... delicious," Ico murmured in her sleep, her lips brushing lightly against his skin.
Zack's blood froze.
What kind of dream was she having?! Before he could escape, he felt something sharp press into his chest.
"...Ghh—!"
She bit him.
Not hard enough to break the skin—but it was unmistakably a nibble. A common gesture between a Par and its Breeder. Zack had always envied his friends when their dragons showed affection like that.
But this nibble… was way too intense.
His body trembled as her soft lips gently chewed at his chest, sending pulses of pleasure and confusion through him.
"P-Please… stop…"
But he didn't push her away.
He didn't want to.
Being nibbled by Ico felt… good. Too good.
He swallowed. His breathing grew erratic. Her bites were beginning to linger, trailing a little lower each time, and—
Suddenly, she bit down hard.
"UUOOOOOO!!! I-It hurts! It really hurts!!"
Eyes wide in panic, Zack shoved her away, gasping for breath. Teeth marks marred his chest—angry and red, though not bleeding. Still, it would take days to fade.
Meanwhile, Ico had already curled back up beside him, fast asleep.
"Zzz… Zzz…"
He stared at her, both terrified and confused.
Was this what life was going to be like from now on?
Maybe the dragon house wasn't such a bad idea after all.