Each passing day unfurled the prophecy, every change marking a fresh step in the grand design. I couldn't see it, yet I felt an intricate plan unfolding. Akira and Fyrenthos, since their arrival, never left the kingdom. They adopted it as their home, their mission. They served as emissaries for our realm and our ally Aura, journeying into the lands they termed as “Hidden Shadows”. They had an uncanny knack for finding and infiltrating those dark domains, using weapons from their previous conquests. This was how Akira learned to summon her light sword, a deadly weapon capable of slaying any creature with a dark element, including me. She wielded it to kill countless shadow dark dragons in her crusades.

In due time, they had a son, hatched around the same time as our own additions to the family: twin female dragons named Juno and Luna. These twins were identical, almost impossible to tell apart. However, as they grew older, their personalities emerged… mirroring each other: same preferences, same style, same bond. They were inseparable twins who held no particular affection for Akira and Fyrenthos’ son, Flynn, a half-blooded light fire dragon. Flynn, with his red-orange, yellow, and white scales, was the opposite of our twins, who were half-blooded shadow wind dragons. Juno and Luna bore dark scales like mine, with white patches on their chests and purple accents on their wings. The underside of their wings mirrored mine, resembling a starry night sky. They both bore a moon-shaped mark with a V on their bodies, a combination of mine and Freya’s markings.

Sadly, Akira and Fyrenthos' decision to have a son proved to be a mistake. Their quests commanded their attention, leaving little time for their hatchling. They asked us to help raise him, and we reluctantly agreed. We weren't babysitters, but we hoped our daughters might befriend him, making him feel welcome. However, the girls had other plans. Zephyrion tried to be a good brother to his sisters too, but they often dismissed or teased him. Despite this, he maturely shrugged off their behavior and did his best to cope.

We often relied on the caretakers living in our palace—the same ones who witnessed my growth following the dark crystal accident. They lived comfortably at our palace, waiting for our orders or requests, and served as tutors for the young ones. Juno, Luna, and Flynn learned to read and write at an early age, but they did not yet understand the elements. That was a lesson for later, either at the academy or by accident, which was more common than one might think.

Flynn frequently asked about his parents, wondering why they weren't with him like we were with our daughters. We crafted a story about Akira and Fyrenthos, portraying them as heroic dragons working for the greater good, hoping he would idolize them and perhaps follow their example.

Over time, Zephyrion befriended Kari and discovered a talent for creating health crystals. One day, he accidentally imbued a crystal with healing power. Kari was impressed and asked if Zephyrion could supply the health crystals instead of constantly requesting me to transform a room full of elementless crystals into elemental ones. We agreed, provided Zephyrion was willing and careful. We didn’t want him to experience the same accident I did long ago.

One day, we were on our way to see Solara with the our little dragons. We wanted to update her on their progress and remind her of the new shadow dragons in the kingdom that she should avoid attacking. As we walked, Flynn suddenly stopped and stared into space. He seemed entranced, oblivious to his surroundings. Juno and Luna teased him, but he didn’t react. Freya turned to me, asking, “What is going on?” I shrugged, replying, “I don’t know. He seems to be in another dimension or reality.” He appeared to be in another reality, one only he could perceive. He started talking to someone invisible and followed an unseen guide. We tried to stop him, but he passed through us like a ghost. We couldn’t call for Akira’s help as she was away from the kingdom at that moment, and fear for him started building up to us.

Until, I stepped in front of him and touched his head with my finger imbued with the light element, which glowed brightly. He paused and asked, “What? Who is touching my head?” He waited for a response, but none came. I asked, “Who are you talking to?” He acknowledged me, “It’s you, King Nox?” I nodded, “Yes, it’s me. What are you seeing?” He explained, “There is a very nice dragon just like you who wants to show me something.” I asked, “Do you know his name?” He replied, “He calls himself Zeno.” Recognizing the name, I said, “Oh, I know him. Can he hear me?” He relayed my question and then responded, “No, he can’t. Can you?” I shook my head, “No, I’m afraid I can’t. Could you ask him to bring you back to reality, please?” He passed on my request, then informed me, “Zeno said he’s happy to hear from you.” That wasn’t the response I had hoped for, so I reiterated, “Tell him that I’m glad too, but please bring you back to reality.” He passed on my message again, but then relayed another unexpected reply: “Zeno asks if you want to join us.”

Freya and my daughters overheard this. I looked at them, unsure whether or not to accept the invitation. I consulted them, “Maybe I should check this out. Is that okay?” Freya nodded, “Just do it. I’ll take care of them while you bring him back.” I thanked her and reassured Juno and Luna, “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be right back.” They wished me good luck and let me go. I turned back to Flynn and asked him, “Please ask Zeno how I can reach him.” He did so and then told me, “Use the light element on both of us.” So I did. We both transformed into glowing white smoke, and in an instant, we were there: in another place, in the Bright City where Zeno awaited us. I greeted him: “Hi Zeno, it’s been a while.” He smiled and responded, “Hi Nox. Sorry for disrupting your day a bit. It’s nice to see you.” I waved it off, “It’s fine. But next time, you could warn me first. Maybe.” He apologized and explained, “It’s not easy to contact you when you’re busy. Forgive me.“

Our conversation about Flynn had been extensive. Zeno, with his unique gift I had overlooked upon my first arrival, led us deeper into the city. The chaotic events at the time of my arrival justified my lack of initial observation. As we ventured further, we reached an enormous shining light crystal perched on a golden stand, guarded by stern soldiers. When questioned about our identities, Zeno spoke for us.

“This is Raphael Nox, the king of the kingdom of the Whispering Wind, and a key figure in the grand prophecy. Accompanying him is young dragon Flynn, the offspring of the Light dragon Akira and the pure fire element Fyrenthos.” The guards acknowledged us with respect, welcoming us to the core of the Bright City, and gestured for us to approach the Crystal, or 'the light core' as they referred to it sometimes.

Zeno explained, “This artifact enables communication with the eternal afterlife and beyond, plus much more. Touch it, and you can converse with those departed from this world.” Flynn’s eyes widened in wonder as he exclaimed, “No way, that's incredible! Can I try it?” Zeno's smile was encouraging as he said, “Sure, go ahead.”

Watching him move towards the crystal filled me with a twinge of apprehension. The crystal shone like a star, and I feared it might harm me due to my non-pure light dragon nature. The pain of the light sword that had pierced me was still a vivid memory. Yet, Flynn placed his hand on the crystal and began to glow. His cheerful greeting echoed through the silence, “Hi, I’m Flynn. Nice to meet you.” We couldn't hear the voice on the other side, but Flynn seemed engaged in an nice conversation.

After a polite farewell, Flynn withdrew his hand from the crystal. When I asked about his conversation, he shrugged, saying, “I don’t know, but they were very nice.”

Zeno then turned to me and said, “It’s your turn now, Raphael. Give it a try.” I hesitated, asking nervously, “Is it safe?” Zeno reassured me, “Of course it is, unless you’re some kind of dark lord, which you're not, right?” I shook my head and said uncertainly, “I don’t think so. I hope not.” Encouraged by Zeno, I gathered my courage and touched the crystal with my hand, and in an instant, I saw a vision of a realm beyond reality, teeming with all kinds of creatures, not just dragons.

I moved silently among the strangers, feeling like an outsider. None acknowledged me or showed any sign of recognition. I was just a lost soul among the crowd. Until, my eyes caught a glimpse of a dragon resembling Freya, and I approached her cautiously. “Hi, I’m Nox. Who are you?” I asked politely.

She turned to face me, saying, “I’m a queen, or I was, of a beautiful kingdom.” Her voice was regal and calm, yet tinged with sadness.

Noticing her sleek and graceful form, I asked, “Are you a wind dragon?”

“I was a wind dragon. What are you instead?” She countered, scanning me with curiosity.

“I believe I’m a multi-elemental-shape creature, not only a dragon.” I answered, feeling a bit awkward.

Raising an eyebrow, she asked, “Oh, and who are you apart from a dragon?”

“A human, I guess,” I said hesitantly.

She sighed, “Oh, a human. I remember them. Little creatures.”

Surprised that she knew about humans, I asked eagerly, “How? I never saw one. I thought I was the only one.”

“They don’t exist anymore. I’m afraid we made them go extinct for good,” she said solemnly.

“Really? Are you sure we’re talking about the same creatures?” I asked, hoping she was mistaken.

"They were intelligent beings that could stand on two feet, use tools, and were quite technologically advanced. They were also quite aggressive. Not all of them, but a significant portion was,” she explained.

“Ok, I think we are talking about the same creatures. I’m sorry to hear that. So, were you some kind of slayers of humans?” I asked, feeling a pang of guilt.

“Personally, no, but my soldiers were. We were often attacked by humans, but we fought them back and eventually won the battle for supremacy in this world,” she said proudly.

I changed the subject, “Do you by any chance, have a daughter?”

“My lovely little daughter. Her name was Freya. I think she’s still somewhere out there, maybe,” she said wistfully.

“Oh, I know her. She’s the queen of the kingdom of the Whispering Wind now, and I’m the king. She’s my wife. I hope you’re okay with that,” I said happily.

She looked at me with astonishment, then broke into a warm smile, “I’m glad to hear that. I hope you’re happy together.”

“We are, really. And guess what? You’re technically a grandma now,” I said cheerfully.

She laughed, “That sounds nice. I hope things are good for you. Now I have to go. Goodbye, Nox.”

Before I could respond, she vanished. I was stunned by her abrupt exit and felt a surge of emotion. Had I said something wrong? I was left wondering, but Zeno's question brought me back, “So, how was it?”

“Awesome and awful at the same time,” I replied honestly.

He frowned, “Sigh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, really. Thank you anyway,” I said gratefully.

“Ok, we’re done here. If you want to get back, reach again for the portal, just like last time. You should remember the way,” Zeno advised.

I thanked him, “Yeah, I do. Thank you, and if you get to show us something again, please warn me next time. I don’t want to see a young dragon like Flynn wandering around, getting lost, and going through buildings. Right, Flynn?”

He said sheepishly, “What? I don’t understand.”

"You were both here and in the real world, going through buildings and us like a ghost,” I said sternly.

“Oh wow, cool!” Flynn said excitedly.

“It’s not really cool. It’s wrong. Come on, it doesn’t matter; let’s get back home,” I said firmly.

"Ok Nox. Thank you, Zeno. See you soon,” Flynn said cheerfully.

Zeno gave us a simple, somewhat sad wave with one of his wing, and we returned to the square and entered the portal back to the city. The bright light drew many eyes, but such events were becoming more commonplace over time.

As soon as we returned, Freya greeted us with a relieved expression. “Great, you’re back, finally.” She sounded impatient.

“Did something happen while we were away?” I inquired, sensing her anxiety.

She shook her head. “Nothing. Everything is fine. Anyway, Juno just learned how to transform into a shadow and back into his original form.” She gestured towards Juno, who was grinning proudly.

I smiled at her. “Oh, but that’s good news. How was it?” I asked.

She exclaimed, “It’s so cool!” and demonstrated her new skill by turning herself into a shadow and jumping on me. I laughed and hugged her. “Glad to see you happy about it. If you want, I could teach you some tricks with it.”

Luna was there too, watching us with envy in her eyes. She wanted to learn the same thing as her sister, but she hadn’t mastered it yet. I tried to reassure her. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. You’ll learn it too, sooner or later. You can still take notes while I teach your sister,” I suggested.

She muttered, “Fine, lucky Juno,” and rolled her eyes.

I felt a pang of guilt for not being more fully aware of my family. I was still distracted by the events that had transpired earlier. Meeting the Light Crystal of the Bright City was nice and all, but it didn’t reveal much. I didn’t tell Freya about the dragon I had encountered there. I didn’t want to dwell on it. Her mother was terrified of me. I could see it in her eyes, her body language, and how she avoided meeting my gaze. I wondered if maybe I looked different somehow, and what exactly was frightening her so much. I couldn’t come up with an answer, so I tried to forget about it.

But there was something else that bothered me more. What was that thing about “humans used to exist in this world”? Did they really exist? I couldn’t find any evidence of them. The books didn’t mention them, and there weren’t any remnants of their civilizations, or at least none that I recognized as such. I felt a strong urge to research this mystery. I wanted to understand what happened to humankind and why it had to be eliminated.