Chapter 2) Maybe My Chance…
Lucien stumbled through the forest. His steps were heavy, directionless. There was nothing left, no home, no family, no future. Only the fire in his chest.
"I'll kill that damned dragon. I swear it."
The words looped in his head, louder with every step. His fists clenched, nails cutting into his palms. Rage was the only thing keeping him upright.
But the deeper he walked, the heavier his body became. His legs trembled. His breaths grew shallow.
"I'll… kill it… I have to…"
The forest blurred around him. His knees buckled, and he crashed onto the ground. Dirt filled his mouth, but he didn't move. His vision darkened, his thoughts fading.
"…I'll kill it…"
And then everything went black.
Darkness. Silence.
Then…
"Hey! Are you okay? What happened to you?"
A voice. Soft, worried. A girl's voice.
Lucien barely heard it. His body wouldn't move, his mouth wouldn't answer.
The girl leaned closer, frowning.
"Who is this guy…? Why does he look like this? What happened to him?"
He stayed silent, eyes half-closed, the weight of everything crushing him.
Minutes passed. She stayed there, sitting beside him, watching, waiting.
Finally, Lucien stirred. His body ached, but he forced himself up. His eyes lifted, and met her face for the first time.
Lucien's eyes narrowed. For a second, he thought it was a trick, an illusion. His hand shot forward, ready to strike.
But the girl flinched back instantly. His swing missed completely, and his body collapsed face-first into the dirt again.
She blinked, staring down at him. "Is he insane? What's wrong with him?"
She stepped closer, kneeling down.
"Hey… what's with you? Can you even hear me?"
Lucien said nothing. His chest heaved, but no words came.
She frowned.
"Where are you even from?"
Slowly, he lifted his head. His eyes locked onto hers, and for the first time since the fire, there was something, something faint. Hope.
She tilted her head, annoyed and confused.
"Are you crazy? What kind of normal person lies half-dead in the middle of the forest like this?"
Lucien didn't look away. This time, he truly saw her.
---
Lucien finally spoke, his voice rough.
"My… my whole village was destroyed. By a dragon."
The girl froze, staring at him.
"A dragon? Don't joke with me. Dragons don't exist."
Lucien let out a bitter laugh.
"Yeah. That's what I thought too. But my brother… before he died, he told me what it was."
His throat tightened. For a second, tears threatened to fall. He quickly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, forcing himself straight.
"That's all you need to know. Now what do you even want from me?"
She looked at him, her expression soft, almost pained.
"I don't want anything. I just… don't like seeing someone like this."
For the first time, her voice carried real warmth. She reached into her bag, pulled out a flask and some bread, and held them out to him.
"Here. Eat something. Drink."
Lucien finally gave in, chewing the bread slowly. After a moment, he glanced at her.
"Sorry… for acting like that. And… thanks for the food. But let me ask, where did you even come from?"
The girl smiled faintly.
"I was just traveling, gathering some materials for… well, for a project of mine. I came from the Academy."
Lucien tilted his head.
"Academy? What kind of Academy?"
"It's the place where they train us," she said. "Those who are bound to beasts."
Lucien's eyes sharpened.
"Beasts… I've heard of them, but I've never seen one. Do you… have a beast?"
She shook her head.
"Not yet. None of us have. This year, we'll finally receive them."
Lucien leaned back against the tree, his eyes thoughtful.
"Interesting."
In Lucien's head, a thought began to take shape.
"What if I use the Academy… as a way to grow stronger? If I'm lucky… maybe…
His chest tightened.
With that power… I could finally avenge them. I could kill that damn dragon."
"Hey," the girl interrupted, tilting her head at him. "What are you thinking about?"
Lucien snapped his gaze up, startled.
"No, nothing," he muttered quickly.
But the thought wouldn't leave him. It pulsed in his mind, louder than before.
"What if…?"
He froze. Shook his head sharply.
"No. No, that's…"
The girl suddenly asked, "Do you… have somewhere to go now?"
Lucien shot her a sharp, almost offended look. "You already know my village was destroyed. Why ask something like that?"
Her eyes widened. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just thought maybe you had relatives… or someone else."
Lucien's voice turned flat. "No. I don't. They're all dead."
She froze, guilt flashing in her expression. "I… I'm sorry for bringing it up."
Lucien's gaze dropped to the ground. "It doesn't matter. It was only a few hours ago, or maybe more. I don't even know how much time has passed."
Her voice trembled. "Wait… it happened that recently?"
"Yes," Lucien muttered. "Not even a day has passed, I think."
The girl stared at him in disbelief. "But… how is that possible? A dragon should've made the skies shake. The ground tremble. There should've been screams…"
"I don't care!" Lucien snapped, his voice cracking. "There was no sound when I was in that forest. Nothing! And because of that… my whole village is gone."
Silence stretched between them. She finally lowered her eyes, her voice soft. "If you truly have nowhere to go… then come with me."
Lucien's mind stirred. "With her? … Maybe this is my chance…"
Slowly, a thin smirk pulled at his lips. "Yes… that would be good."