The inaugural day of "pre-training" had been a whirlwind of fresh experiences and acknowledge. I yearned for more time with Leo, yet remained grateful for the wisdom he had imparted. However, as the second day dawned, something peculiar caught my attention: I hadn't consumed any food or water for two days, yet I was devoid of hunger or thirst. This led me to a startling revelation—I was no longer a conventional living being, but something else entirely. Perhaps an entity, or a hybrid of sorts. An entity capable of bleeding, touching, visible to others, and capable of learning. It was all rather convenient, to say the least.

I was eager to share this revelation with Akira, but when I encountered her later in the morning, she was accompanied by a young dragon who seemed timid and frightened. We exchanged a few words, but he remained nameless. He was a thirteen-year-old dragon, devoid of an element—or so Akira informed me. He struggled to differentiate reality from his nightmares. She further explained that some dragons discover their elements later in life, but such cases were few and far between.

Leo was nowhere to be found that day. Instead, I was summoned to the castle that towered over the city. A guard guided me past the gates and into a structure that left me in awe. It wasn't a royal palace, but an office complex bustling with bureaucrats in meeting rooms. The guard led me to the loftiest and most distant chamber, where I encountered the most extraordinary dragon I had ever seen. She was pink. A vibrant, punchy pink that was almost painful to behold. Her name was Aura Aetherius, also known as the Ascended Guardian. She was the monarch of this kingdom and the sole dragon known to possess more than ‘simple’ elemental powers.

She greeted me warmly, saying, "So you're the Raphael that everyone has been talking about, aren't you?" Uncertain of who she referred to as 'everyone', I responded, "I suppose I am. I'm Raphael." She asked me, "Nice to meet you, Raphael. Do you have a surname as well?" I strained to recall my surname from my previous life, but it eluded me. Embarrassed, I admitted, "I don’t know. All I've got is my first name, I'm sorry." She reassured me, "No problem. We can select one for you. You'll need it. How about Raphael Lightbringer? Or Raphael Human?" I didn't care about those suggestions and found myself puzzled by her interest in my surname. Politely, I asked for a moment to ponder over it.

She agreed, offering, "Sure, or you can explore this book. It has a list of names you can choose from." The notion seemed ludicrous. A surname isn't something you pick out of a book! I delved deep into my memory for my old surname and finally recalled it: "I think I'll go with Raphael Martin. That was my previous surname." She considered this for a moment before responding, "Martin? That's an unusual surname. But given your unique situation, I suppose it's fitting. Can you spell it out for me?" And so I did: M-a-r-t-i-n.

She jotted it down on a piece of paper and signed it without so much as touching it. Then she placed it aside, and it disappeared as if into thin air. Startled, I exclaimed, "Where did it go?" She explained, "It's being processed. You'll receive your official documents soon. Everyone in our kingdom has an ID card. You're familiar with what an ID card is, right?" I confirmed her query, "Yes, of course. I had two in my previous world: one classified and one civilian. But they’re far gone."

She reassured me, "Well then, you'll have one again soon enough. Signed by the Queen herself." It was then that my heart skipped a beat. She was the queen. No one had informed me of the individual I was meeting today. Shocked, I blurted out, "Let me guess. You're the Queen?" She looked at me with amusement and materialized a crown and some golden jewelry around her head and neck.

With a proud smile, she confirmed, "That's right, I'm the Queen. Some also call me the Ascended Guardian, as that's what I am. Don’t let my appearance fool you. There’s no one older than me in this world.”

I was at a loss for words and confused.

I ventured cautiously, "You appear remarkably youthful for your age, then." She chuckled and replied, "Thank you for the compliment. You're 25 years old, by the way. Exactly one hundredth of my age."

Her revelation left me without words, particularly her uncanny ability to guess my age.

I responded incredulously, "You're 2500 years old? How is that possible? How old is this world?" She replied, "It’s possible because I’m a rare breed of dragon. Almost golden, but not quite. This world is ancient, my dear, but major changes have only happened recently. And according to the soothsayer who has been assigned to you, something more interesting is about to happen soon. I can’t wait to see it.”

I was left speechless. Attempting to lighten the mood, I quipped, “I’ll be ready for it.” She responded, “Oh, I’m sure you will. But don’t get too excited. You haven’t seen mass exterminations yet. They are terrible, but necessary.”

That chilling phrase echoed in my ears for the second time. I had witnessed war and death in my old world, but not on such a scale. I whispered, “No, I haven’t.” She retorted, “But you have died yourself, haven’t you? So, have I. More than once. We have something in common: we both got a second chance to live.” I conceded, “I suppose we do. It’s good to know I’m not alone.”

Our conversation didn't extend much longer. A knock at the door interrupted us, and a messenger handed us a letter. The Queen passed it to me and instructed me to open it. It was a stack of papers bearing my name, an inexplicable signature, and some basic information. There was a date of birth and a date of first appearance. The date of birth marked 25 years ago and the date of first appearance, two days prior today. Interestingly, there was no mention of a month, only a day and a year.

Curious, I asked, “Why is there no month here?” She explained, “We don’t use months here. Only days. There used to be a system based on moons and seasons, but it’s obsolete now.” Grateful for the clarification, I thanked her.

She wished me good luck and assured me that I could proceed with my mission of fate, whatever it was. She expressed her support and offered her assistance should I ever need it. I thanked her again and took my leave from her office.

The guard escorted me out of the castle and back into the city. Despite the day being young, I felt a sense of loss. I roamed aimlessly, hoping to find someone willing to engage in conversation, but to no avail. I felt insignificant and solitary. Like a specter.