Chapter 2: The Dragon Named Hart
The man holding me smiled down, his eyes Crinkling with warmth. "His name will be Valdos Hart."
He passed me to the woman lying on the bed. She was covered in sweat, exhausted, but her face was glowing with pure happiness. My mother.
She held me close, her touch softer than any treasure I had ever hoarded.
"Valdos," she whispered, kissing my forehead. "Good boy. Stop crying now… tell Father to bring us some milk."
I stopped crying immediately. Not because I was told to, but because I was happy.
I did it, I thought, staring at my tiny, useless hands. I am a human now.
But I had no idea that my problems were just starting.
Five Years Later
I found out the truth when I was five.
I was playing tag with my father in the garden. I got too excited, tripped, and slammed my hand into a massive boulder.
CRACK.
The boulder didn't just crack—it shattered into dust.
I froze. Fear, cold and sharp, pierced my chest. I looked at my father, waiting for him to scream, to call me a monster, to run away like everyone else did 500 years ago.
But he didn't run.
He knelt down, checked my hand for scratches, and pulled me into a tight hug.
"I knew you were special, Val," he whispered into my ear. "But you have to promise me… hide this strength. If you hide it, no one can take you away from us."
Three years later, I accidentally sneezed fire and burned my mother's hand.
I thought she would hate me. Instead, she bandaged it up and kissed my cheek. "Just be careful next time, my little dragon."
They accepted me. The Monster.
And for 15 years, life was perfect in this village outside Silvercross City—the city named after the woman who killed me.
The Arrival
I was 15 now. Free. Happy.
"Hey Val! New neighbors!" my friend Tom shouted, pointing down the road. "A carriage just pulled up!"
We ran to help them unload. It was a merchant family moving into the old cottage.
"Let me get the door," I said, reaching for the carriage handle.
I pulled it open.
And then, the world stopped.
Inside sat a girl. She had eyes like polished emeralds and hair like spun sunlight. She looked up at me, slightly confused.
Thump.
My heart, which had survived battles with gods, skipped a beat.
It was happening again. My mind went blank. My mouth hung open. I was paralyzed.
"Val? Move!" Tom shoved me aside to help the family, dragging me away.
But I just stood there, frozen in the dirt, completely lovestruck.
Oh no, I thought. Not again.