Melly knew she shouldn't ask. Not to someone who had just saved her and her brother from the blazing hell that had swallowed the entire city. But the voice of the colossal dragon still echoed faintly in her head. A voice calling out for its child.
Then her eyes fell on the small dragon resting on the man's shoulder. Its red scales shimmered like freshly forged embers, and its eyes… those eyes held a fury aimed directly at her brother.
That… was the child of the rampaging dragon, wasn't it?
And this man…
Did he steal it?
Melly couldn't hold the unease building in her chest. The words escaped before she could stop them.
"Thank you for saving us. But… why did you?"
Eldric slowly turned his head toward the girl, his expression unchanged, his eyes devoid of emotion. Then, he answered with a flat tone, like someone stating a simple fact.
"I just wanted you to owe me."
Melly blinked in confusion. She didn't understand. But Eldric wasn't done.
"So that if one day… your brother raises his sword against me, you'll stop him."
"If you're afraid my brother will seek revenge… then why save us?" Melly snapped. Her voice rose. "Why not let us die? Or kill us yourself?! Wouldn't that be easier for you?"
Eldric stared at her. For a moment, his eyes narrowed. Then he spoke—softly, yet with the same impassive tone.
"…So you're not just an ordinary little girl."
Melly held her breath. She didn't know if that was a compliment or a warning.
"I saved you," Eldric continued quietly, "because your brother's strike… I felt it could cut through something inside me..."
He lowered his head briefly, as if restraining something within. Then lifted it again.
"…My curse."
The word lingered in the air.
Melly bit her lip. Her thoughts returned to the destroyed city. To the people who died. To the flames and screams now erased by silence. To the massive dragon that fell from the sky like a god of ruin.
And the next question tore at her throat.
"So… was it you… who made the dragon go berserk and kill everyone…?"
Eldric held her gaze for a long time. The air between them felt frozen. The forest was deathly quiet.
Then, he answered. Flat. Without hesitation. Without emotion.
"Yes."
The word struck Melly like a blow. Her breath hitched, and her eyes began to blur with heat. Tears trembled at the edge of her lashes.
Everyone… died because of him?
Her fists clenched. She took a step forward, her whole body trembling with anger. Without thinking, she grabbed the front of Eldric's shirt with both hands.
"Why…?" Her voice cracked. "How could you be so cruel? Don't you… feel any guilt seeing all those people die?!"
Eldric didn't blink. His gaze didn't shift.
Then, he gave a one-word reply.
"Yes."
Cold. Brutal. Suffocating.
It hit Melly harder than she expected. Her head throbbed, her chest tightened. How could someone admit guilt… and still act like that?
Emotion surged inside her. And before she could stop herself—
Smack!
A sharp slap landed across Eldric's cheek.
The sound echoed between the trees.
Eldric didn't move to dodge. He could have. With his speed, with his power, he could've read even the flicker in Melly's eyes. But he didn't. He stood still and let it happen.
Melly stared at him, still shaking. Eldric slowly turned his face back toward her.
"Slapping someone who just saved your life… or someone who could kill you at any moment…" he said calmly, "…is not a wise decision, Little Girl. But I know you're smart enough to understand that."
Melly didn't care. Her eyes were still wet. Her emotions far from calm.
"Do you… not have a heart?"
For a moment, Eldric simply stared at her. Silent. Then… slowly, very slowly, the corners of his lips curled into a faint smile.
It wasn't warm.
Nor was it mocking.
It was… bitter.
"I don't have a heart, little girl," he said softly. "Because I already gave it to someone."
Melly didn't know how to respond. She was stunned. The answer made no sense. Yet something about it… didn't feel like a lie.
Eldric looked at her one last time.
"To still care like this… in a world this rotten," he murmured. "It means your brother has protected you well."
He turned away. "Be grateful to him."
And with that, without waiting for a reply, Eldric turned and walked off. His pace was casual, unhurried. But within a few steps, his figure blurred and vanished—swallowed by the air itself.
Melly stood there, frozen, staring at the spot where he disappeared.
In the shadowed forest, Eldric walked slowly, his hand brushing against the cheek that had just been slapped. His eyes narrowed slightly, thoughtful.
Why didn't I dodge?
And why… did that slap feel so familiar?
.
.
.
Melly bent down, lifting her brother onto her back with all the strength she could muster. Riven was heavy, but she didn't complain. Her steps dragged, knees trembling, but she kept walking through the thickening woods.
As the familiar foliage passed her by, Melly froze. This path… she remembered it. This was where she and Riven had been taken—abducted by those nobles back then. And at the end of that path stood the house where they had once been imprisoned.
Staggering forward, Melly made her way toward it. She hoped to find shelter, or at least a place to rest.
But when she arrived…
The house was gone.
Only bare earth and rotting wood remained, as if someone had deliberately erased its existence. Melly stood still, panting. Then she turned her head—and spotted another building nearby. A small storage shed, once connected to the house. Its roof sagged, its moss-covered walls looked ready to collapse—but it was still standing.
Without hesitation, Melly dragged herself toward it. The door creaked heavily as she pushed it open.
Inside, it was dark, cold, and smelled of damp earth. But it was safe. No danger. No one there.
She knelt down and gently laid Riven onto a pile of dry straw in the corner. She made sure his head rested comfortably, then sat beside him, hugging her knees, trying to calm her ragged breathing.
Riven's face was pale, but peaceful.
Melly stared at him in silence. She remembered when she first awakened her affinity—how her mana vanished all at once, and she collapsed as if her soul had drained away. Her brother was experiencing that now. But even before losing consciousness, Riven had wrapped his arms around her, shielding her from harm.
"…Thank you, Brother," she whispered.
She bowed her head and clasped his cold hand. Her eyelids felt heavy, but her mind kept racing.
What about Grandpa Aiden?
What about the rest of the family in the city?
Were they still alive? Or were they gone… with the ruins of Glimfell?
Melly wanted to go back and find out. But her heart knew—it would be foolish. That city wasn't just destroyed by a dragon. Before the fire, it was crawling with soldiers from the enemy kingdom. Even if the flames had faded, danger still lurked in every corner.
All she could do now… was pray.
Time passed. The red sun dipped lower, leaving only a fading glow that slipped in through the cracks in the shed's wooden walls.
Half-asleep, Melly suddenly heard something.
Footsteps.
Slow… approaching.
Her heart jumped. She opened her eyes wide, her body tensing, and her right hand searched the ground for anything she could use as a weapon.
The footsteps grew closer. Steady. Unhurried.
And they stopped… right outside the shed.