The day Aura Aetherius materialized seemingly from nowhere, she caused quite a stir. The sight of a pink dragon isn't something one easily overlooks. Many recognized her and flocked to her side, turning our kingdom into a hub of admirers and well-wishers. She had requested a private audience, so we escorted her to a secluded spot where we could converse without interruption.

As I prepared to introduce myself, she cut me off with a smile, “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Raphael.” My jaw dropped. It was fortunate that we had brought her to a place where our conversation was private. Freya attempted to correct her, stating, “I think you have the wrong dragon. He’s Nox. Not Raphael.” Before I could utter a word, Aura added, “Oh, what a pity. He was such a nice guy.”

“Wait, how did you know it was me?” I managed to say. Freya whispered to me, “Nox, what are you doing?” I whispered back, “She can see through me.” Aura nodded and said, “Yes, I can recognize you, so there’s no need to lie to me, ‘Raphael Martin’.”

Freya and I were both stunned. Aura continued, “So, it’s been a long time since we last met, hasn’t it?” I replied automatically, “Yes, your majesty.” She said, “Royalty to royalty, you can call me by my name, Raphael.” I complied, “Yes, Aura Aetherius.” She then asked, “How have you been doing all these years?” I said, “Divinely, I suppose.” I glanced at both Aura and Freya as I said that.

Aura then inquired about my new form, “And what about your new body? Do you miss being human?” I hesitated. I wasn’t sure if I should say yes or no, as I had almost forgotten how it felt. I finally replied, “I’ve adapted, I guess.”

 

Aura extended a gracious offer, “If you wish, I know how to restore you to your original form. All you have to do is ask.” I shook my head, “I’m good with who I am now. This transformation has given me a new life, a beautiful soulmate, and a family.” Freya smiled warmly at me, while Aura remained impassive, “So you have no desire to return to what you were before?” I answered truthfully, “Not really. I have a kingdom to manage and a family to love. I cherish this life. Thank you for your kindness.”

Aura turned her gaze to Freya and said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Freya. You are the legendary warrior queen of this kingdom, aren’t you?” Freya nodded modestly, “It’s an honor for me as well, Aura. You are the guardian of the most powerful and ancient kingdom ever seen; that’s remarkable.”

She added, “You are very fortunate, you know? This man, sorry, dragon, is full of surprises.” Freya squeezed my hand and said, “Oh, I know. He’s the best thing that ever happened to me.” I cleared my throat and interrupted their exchange, “Ok, enough with the pleasantries. What brings you here, Aura? What is your purpose?”

She answered casually, “Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to see how things were going here and catch up with some old friends.” I raised an eyebrow, “Is that so? You seem to have something else on your mind. What do you want from me?” She sighed and said, “Alright, fine. Let’s cut to the chase. I’m here to warn you that Akira is on her way to find you, and when she does, she will reveal so much that it will blow your mind.”

I frowned and said, “Oh, great. I’m looking forward to it.” Freya asked me curiously, “Who is Akira?” I reminded her, “She’s the soothsayer who told me about the prophecy and all that nonsense that never came true. If she finds me, she will recognize me too.”

Aura added ominously, “She will indeed. I should have realized sooner that she was using the visual connection ability to track you down. Your happy life is about to face some challenges. I’m afraid.” I shrugged and said, “She will understand my choice, and she can’t force me to do anything.” Aura said sharply, “She could force you but also persuade you. I know that deep down, you still have some interest in your main mission. What you’re doing now is just a diversion.”

I said firmly, “I’m not going to abandon my kingdom and my family for some prophecy, I assure you.” She said coldly, “You said the same thing about my city, but you ended up leaving it anyway, by accident.” Her words were true, and I felt a pang of guilt.

Freya, however, was defiant. “He has the right to make his own decisions, and he’s my husband now. You won’t take him away from me.” Aura, attempting to provoke her further, cruelly retorted, “Just like your previous one? Anything can happen in this world. Nothing is certain.”

This struck Freya like a blow. The grief of a lost past shone in her eyes, raw and unfiltered. I moved closer and wrapped my wings around her, trying to shield her from the pain and stop the tears that threatened to spill in front of Aura. I turned to Aura and pleaded, “Was this really necessary? Please.”

Aura’s voice was cold and hard. “You know better than to challenge me. You always have.” I shook my head. “We’re not challenging you. I would never do that. But please, don’t hurt her like this. She’s been through enough.”

Aura smirked and tried to twist the knife in me too. “Then you’re the one to blame for the disappearance of the ‘Guardians’. And Akira, who hasn’t shown up for a long time, but I know she’s still looking for you. Who knows if they’re dead or abandoned their roles because of your absence? We trusted you, but you failed your duty.”

Her words stung, but not as much as they used to. I felt a twinge of guilt, but it was overshadowed by a stronger feeling: happiness. I said, “How do you know that this wasn’t my new destiny? I have everything I ever wanted here. I married the love of my life and brought this kingdom to a new level of prosperity, improving the lives of our people and welcoming newcomers.”

Aura didn’t answer, and in the silence, I whispered to Freya, “Calm down, please. Everything is fine. I’m still here.” She sniffled and said with a quivering voice, “I’m fine, thank you.” But she wasn’t. She was drowning in sorrow. She took another deep breath and said, “If you have to go, I’ll go with you. I promise.” I looked at her in confusion. “What? I’m not going anywhere.”

Aura seized the opportunity to say, “See, you even have a companion for your mission.” I protested, “No, I didn’t agree to this. I’m not leaving.” Aura said, “Not now, but soon enough. You can’t escape your fate. You have to face it.” I felt a surge of shock and fear. Everything was changing so fast. That day, I didn’t leave or do anything else since I had no idea what this mission was supposed to be and because I didn’t want to give up my life. I was happy with my life. Truly happy.

Aura spent the day touring the city and the sister kingdoms. She met the water dragons in their new realm. That was her last stop for the day before she returned to the main kingdom. She spent the night in our domain, but the following day she resumed her quarrelsome attitude. However, we had no patience left for her provocations and so bid her farewell instead of hurling the insults that she deserved.

Aetherius had a cryptic way of speaking about the future. Whenever she mentioned something that was bound to happen, we could never tell how imminent it was. It could be a matter of hours or years, so I decided to prepare myself and seek out Vesper for a private conversation.

I approached him and said, “Hey, how are you doing?” He looked at me and said, “Good, why did you want to talk with me? Did I do something wrong with Zephyrion?” I shook my head and said, “No, you did nothing wrong. Listen, I have something to tell you, but you have to promise me not to share it with anyone, not even Freya, okay?”

He nodded and said, “Fine, I promise. What is it?” I took a deep breath and said, “I know that I’m not your biological father, and I didn’t act like one, and I’m sorry for that. But if something ever happens to me, could you promise me that you will take care of your mother and brother? With kindness?”

He gave me a sincere look and said, “You don’t even have to ask me. I would help them and my little stepbrother, no matter what. I promise.” His words warmed my heart, and I said, “Thank you. I really appreciate that.” He then asked me curiously, “By the way, dad, who was the special guest that stayed with you these days?”

I smiled and said, “That, my dear, was the queen of the greatest and most ancient kingdom of all time, where I was from, and really close to the Guardians. Her name is Aura Aetherius.” He exclaimed, “Wow, damnit! I should’ve talked to her.” I assured him, “You will get a chance to. I’m sure she’ll be back soon.”

Then we fell silent for a moment. I was waiting for him to say something else when I noticed a small detail and said, “Did you just call me dad?” He looked flustered and said, “Oh, sorry, I slipped. I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.” I replied softly, “No, don’t apologize. It’s fine. I don’t mind if you call me that. Thank you.”

He said shyly, “Ok, even if… oh shoot.” I replied gently, “Don’t worry, I know.” We parted ways after that, and I felt a sense of relief. I went back to my daily routine.