Blinking open my eyes, I was overwhelmed by a disorienting blanket of white. I wondered for a moment if I had been struck blind, or perhaps I was dead. Upon looking down, I saw my own body, unchanged, and relief washed over me. I was still alive, but the world around me was a dazzling, searing white, unlike anything I had ever seen. It was not smoke, nor fog, but pure, blinding light.

Feeling the solid ground beneath my feet, I reached down and touched it, sensing a rough texture akin to stones. Yet, I couldn't see it. A wave of fear washed over me, and I called out into the unknown. “Hey, is anyone there?” It felt clichéd, asking for help in a seemingly empty place. But then, a dragon materialized, a familiar face appearing from the blinding white. His color pattern was similar to mine, but his wings were different.

“Hi Raphael,” he greeted me. Recognizing his voice, I exclaimed, “Zeno? Is that really you?” He confirmed, “It’s me. Nice to see you.”

I asked him, “Where are we?” He replied, “Can’t you see it?” I couldn’t, but gradually my vision started adjusting. I could make out the road beneath me and buildings looming around me. I realized I was in a square, surrounded by Light Dragons, who looked at me with curiosity and confusion.

“Are we in a city?” I asked. He welcomed me, saying, “Welcome to the Bright City.”

Stunned, I asked him, “Wait, how did I get here?”

Zeno conjured up a dark ring with golden and white symbols at its edges. In the ring, I could see the arena and everyone who was still there. “There’s Fyrenthos, Akira, and Freya, and also you. I think you might have died,” he said.

I protested, “What? No, it can’t be. I was healing. I saw that. I was fine.”

He pointed out, “There’s a light sword and a Light Dragon wielding it. I can only guess, but by seeing you here, I think you might have been wounded by it.”

I argued, “That light dragon tried to kill me with it, but I remember surviving, not dying.”

“Did you get hit by it?” He asked.

I admitted, “It hit me while I turned myself into black smoke using the dark, shadow element, but still, it didn’t kill me.”

“Whatever happened, even while in that form, it hit you. There’s no way to survive that if you have even a trace of the dark element in you, which you do,” he explained.

I kept looking at the arena. I saw Freya getting furious at Fyrenthos and Akira. Fyrenthos kept apologizing, “We’re sorry. We didn’t mean to kill him, I swear,” but Akira made it worse by saying, “We just did you a favor. You won’t see him ever again. He is at judge of those above us now.”

I told Zeno, “If we don’t do something, someone else is going to die soon.”

“She isn’t wrong. You have already passed a judgment,” he replied and paused.

“What kind of judgment?” I asked.

“After you died, you were brought here, but since you haven’t fallen into the void yet, that means that you’re free from any crime that could condemn you,” he explained.

“So this is some kind of heaven?” I asked.

“Not really. This is just a step between eternal death and life. While you’re here, there’s still a way back to the real world,” he said.

 

“That sounds great. How can I get back there? I can’t leave Freya alone,“ I implored.

He smiled and said, “I had already intended to send you back. You have a bright future ahead of you, Raphael Nox. I’m glad you appreciate the body we share, but perhaps we could make some customisations.”

I wondered, “Is this your same body? Am I a clone then?”

“Only a replica of my physique, nothing more. You may have also resurrected a son who would bear my genetic mark, if we were to verify,” he clarified.

“Oh man, this sounds so wrong. Did I have the right to do this?” I exclaimed.

“If you didn’t, I wouldn’t have granted you the opportunity. You have a chance to live, and I will give you another one, as long as you desire,” he assured me.

I looked around and noticed that we were the only Shadow Dragons among the Light Dragons, like two dark dots on a white paper. “Why are there only Light Dragons here and a single dragon like me and you who are different from everyone else? Are you a Shadow Dragon?” I asked.

“An interesting question,” he replied. “Indeed, I am. Typically, only Light Dragons cross the first wall and settle here. We seem to be the exception.”

“I suppose I was fortunate then. Anyway, why don’t you want to return to the world? I could offer you a place in the kingdom, maybe repay the debt I owe you for giving me a way back?” I proposed.

Zeno declined, “I appreciate your offer, but I have to refuse. I’m needed here, but maybe one day I’ll come for a visit. Besides, I might adopt your appearance to avoid being slain by Solara.”

 

“Do you know her? Also, wasn’t I the one borrowing your appearance?” I asked, perplexed.

He chuckled and said, “Oh yes, I know her. Well, not personally, but don’t worry about it.”

I thanked him again and said, “Well then. Shall we proceed to send me back?”

He gestured towards a shimmering portal. “Proceed. That’s the gateway. It will take you back where you wish.”

“Just like that?” I asked.

“If you know where to go, sure. What are you waiting for?” he replied.

"Oh, nothing. I was just amazed by the city. Is there any way to come back here without a dreadful event like death?” I asked.

“Once you master the secrets of the Light element, you’ll find the way back here,” he said.

Intrigued, I asked, “May I know what that secret is?”

He shook his head and said, “Sorry, but that’s something you have to discover yourself. Anyway, I’m sure you’ll learn it. Good luck.”

Approaching the portal, I said, “It doesn’t matter. I will. Thank you again for everything, Zeno.”

As I stepped through the portal, he called out, "Oh, and one last thing. I gave you a little gift.” But his words were lost as I crossed over.

As I emerged from the portal, I felt a jolt of reality hit me. I was back in the arena, bathed in a radiant light that made me look like a celestial being. Freya spotted me and cried out, “Nox?!” She halted the raging typhoon that had trapped Fyrenthos and Akira in its vortex.

 

I quipped, “Back from the afterlife, just for you.” Akira hurled a curse at me: “Cut it off already, you fucking lucky bastard!” Fyrenthos silenced her with a stern warning: “Maybe it’s time for you to actually shut up. You’re going to get both of us killed like this.”

Freya soared into the air and zoomed towards me with incredible speed. She caught me in mid-air and exclaimed, “I thought I lost you!” I reassured her, “I’d never leave you. You can’t lose me, my dear sweetie queen.” She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me with all her might. Tears streamed down her face as she buried her head next to my neck. I hugged her back, feeling a surge of emotion.

Akira snorted to Fyrenthos, “Why didn’t you do the same when I died too?” She replied, “You killed yourself on a suicide mission. It was different. And you didn’t come back like that; he looks holy compared to you.” He had no comeback.

We touched down amidst a throng of dragons, their curiosity piqued by the light that had enveloped me and the typhoon that Freya had summoned. Solara, too, was flying towards us from a distance. Some guards held the onlookers at bay, affording us some space as we savored our reunion. Akira, with a teasing shout, suggested, “Why don’t you two kiss while you’re at it?” Fyrenthos retorted, “Enough, Akira. I swear, I’ll cut your tongue out, and not just that.” We chose to ignore them, neither did we kiss.

Solara landed in the center of the arena, her arrival scattering the bystanders. Fearful for our safety, she yelled, “Back away from the Queen and the King!” We didn’t respond. The world around us felt distant and irrelevant. We were lost in each other, unable to let go.

“Are you okay? Wait, Nox, is that you?” Solara asked, breaking our silence.

 

“It’s me, Solara. Why?” I responded.

“Your wings look different,” she noted. I attempted to glance at them, but Freya’s head blocked my view.

Freya, releasing me, spread my wings and gasped, “No way, they look like the night sky.” I unfurled my other wing to get a better look.

“Wow, I didn’t notice. How do they look to you?” I asked her.

“They’re beautiful. Like everything else,” she replied. Indeed, my appearance had undergone some changes. My markings now glowed, my wings were translucent and studded with stars, and weren’t feathery wings anymore, but true membrane wings of a dragon, my body had a new luster, and my horns had grown significantly larger — a change I didn’t particularly appreciate. They were already inconvenient enough.

We assured everyone there was nothing to worry about and that all was fine. Upon hearing our reassurances, the crowd dispersed. Solara lingered, curious about the recent events. As Fyrenthos and Akira kept a safe distance, bickering yet not departing, we enjoyed our reunion.

Wishing to clear the air between us, I persuaded Freya to spare Akira any punishment for her actions. I bore no resentment towards her. Approaching her, I said, “Akira, can we talk?”

“What? No, thanks,” she snapped.

Fyrenthos intervened. “Akira…”

With a sigh, she relented. “Okay, fine. What is it?”

I asked her, “Why do you despise me so much? I was aware I was your pawn. I remember everything, yet you blame me for something beyond my control. How can I earn your forgiveness? Maybe by thanking you for teaching me about the lethal nature of a light sword?”

She scoffed, “Since when did you become so wise, King Raphael Nox?”

“You’re deflecting. Please, could you be a little more mature? You wouldn’t want to be outsmarted by your pawn, would you?” I countered.

She paused, a flicker of doubt in her eyes. She admitted, “You ruined my life. Everything changed because of you, from the day you arrived to the day you left.”

“And how is that my fault? I didn’t choose to come here and disrupt everything. I didn’t see the vision that you shared with everyone but me. You made all the decisions on your own, and for that, I thank you,” I responded.

“You’re welcome then. You also did something for me,” she said, glancing at Fyrenthos. Despite his evident upset with her, he took a deep breath and said with remarkable patience, “We’ve grown a lot since then. We’ve learned to trust each other, and now we’re unstoppable.”

Freya proposed, “We’ll see about that. If you’re up for it, after you get some rest, we could have a duel tomorrow. But with one new rule: no light swords or anything lethal. We don’t want anyone to die.”

I chuckled, “Oh, and thanks to you, I also got to see the Light city. It’s real, you know? They actually call it the Bright City.”

“Are you kidding me? I only had visions of it. I didn’t even know if it did really exists,” she retorted.

“I assure you, I saw it with my own eyes. It’s real. And again, thank you for giving me a chance to visit it,” I confirmed.

Her incredulous look turned into one of sorrow. She apologized, “You’re welcome then. I’m sorry for sending you there against your own will. Ehehe…” She then threw herself into Fyrenthos’s chest, whispering, “What’s wrong with me?!”

He comforted her, “Oh, little miss, nothing is wrong with you. You just have to not let your emotions get the best of you . I’m here. Let it all out.”

As she sobbed uncontrollably, we decided it was time to return to the palace and leave all that mishap behind.

We offered Fyrenthos and Akira a guest room in the palace for the night, but not before inviting them to join us for dinner. Our sons, Zephyrion and Vesper, also joined us at the table, where we shared a lively conversation. It had been a while since we'd used the royal table with some guests, large enough to accommodate more than fifty dragons and wyverns. With only six of us occupying it, I couldn't help but ponder about the history of this kingdom. The past must’ve been quite different.

After dinner, we suggested they join us for a flight outside, a custom of ours. However, they politely declined, claiming exhaustion. We realized then that we, too, were weary and that it was kind of late. We had lingered at the table longer than usual, engaging our guests and introducing them to our sons, who peppered them with questions about their identities and origins. Bidding them goodnight, we retired to our rooms.

As I anticipated a good night’s sleep, Freya had other plans. She began recounting how distraught she had been when she thought she had lost me and the horrible things she had planned to do to our guests if I hadn’t returned in time. Her words were so sadistic that I shivered with fear. Then, switching to a sweet tone, she cuddled up to me in bed and whispered, “All this makes me wonder: should we expand our family?”

Puzzled by her question, I replied, “I don’t think we can adopt our guests as family members. They likely have their own plans.” She gave me a menacing glare, then moved closer, too close. “I wasn’t talking about them. I was talking about us, our bloodline.” Then, it dawned on me what she meant. Oh no, what had I gotten myself into!