What the hell did that even mean? I looked up at Varen, wondering if he understood it.
Varen had already hardened his face into something cold, staring into empty space. When I tried to ask him something, he tugged on the hand he was holding and pulled me into his arms.
In the blink of an eye, I was pressed against Margon’s chest, but when I squeezed my eyes shut, Varen’s familiar scent rolled over me like calm.
"Don’t worry, Ceryl. No matter what happens, I’ll protect you."
The instant he said it, my mind turned hazy. The air around us squeezed in, as if the world had become a vacuum. A sickening sensation followed, like the ground had become the sky and the ceiling had become the underground.
I had no idea what was happening, but one thing was certain. The arms locked around me would never let go.
Gravity crushed down so hard I could barely twitch a finger. I wrapped my arms around Varen’s waist with everything I had.
And then we were swallowed—dragged into a depth of darkness too deep to even measure.
***
It was the first time in my life I had ever experienced anything like it. It felt as if every cell in my body had been compressed, then slowly refilled with air and expanded again.
My consciousness, which had gone out like a light, powered back on at a crawl. Sensation returned to my body little by little.
"Ceryl, wake up. Ceryl!"
Hearing came back first, of course. A familiar voice was calling my name.
Taste came next. A sweet flavor filled my mouth, and warm saliva soaked my bone-dry throat.
As strength trickled back into me, I forced my heavy eyelids open. Vision returned last. The world was dim, but a bright spill of golden hair flashed into view.
I knew it was Varen from that mesmerizing color alone. The last thread of tension snapped completely the moment I realized he was beside me.
My body felt so exhausted I wanted to just sag and fall back asleep.
"W-wait! Why—why—why! Why did you turn back?!"
I shot upright, eyes wide. The sudden motion made my head spin, but I didn’t have the luxury of caring.
Soldiers searching for Varen would still be roaming the city. I didn’t know when Morpha’s magic had been undone, but the only thing I could focus on was that Varen had returned to his original form—long golden hair and all.
Before I even realized it, I pulled his head against my chest and scanned the surroundings. Only after I felt I had secured some kind of safety did I start trying to understand what had happened.
"...Where are we?"
The space we were in was unfamiliar. Inside a tent wrapped in worn cloth, a few wooden crates were stacked haphazardly. And we were sitting on bare dirt.
Once I got that far, the last scene before I blacked out surfaced again. Noance’s terrifying face as he attacked me without warning, and Morpha’s voice screaming like his clothes were about to burst apart.
And then—
"It’s relocation magic. They moved the whole building."
Varen, who had been quietly tucked against my chest, lifted his head and spoke. I just blinked at him with a blank, stupid look.
Moved the whole building. What did that even mean?
His words did not click at all. Maybe my brain still had a long way to go before it came fully back online.
Even in my daze, my hand moved out of habit, stroking the back of his head. Varen let out a soft laugh and sat up.
"Those humans who call themselves Rebels are impressive. Even among dragons, few can use magic like that."
"...Huh?"
"I was wondering how they planned to move our kin, and I like that their operation is bold. When Morpha gets here, I’ll negotiate so they can become allies."
I straightened and faced him. I had heard his words, but I still wasn’t sure I had understood what they actually meant. It felt like taking a listening exam in some third-world language.
Pressing a hand to my throbbing forehead, I painstakingly replayed the situation step by step.
"So... the Rebels moved the whole building? With magic?"
"Yes."
"...Is there a dragon among them?"
"No. They’re all human. Like I said, even for dragons, magic on this scale isn’t easy."
I couldn’t believe humans had used relocation magic powerful enough to move an entire building. I tried to recall whether there was a high-level mage among the Rebels, but my head only spun harder.
Instead of digging through the original story, I exhaled deeply and buried my face in both hands.
Either way, it was confirmed: the Rebels were going to be an overwhelming force. Tonight’s objective had been achieved.
But separate from that, the situation Varen and I were in right now was not pleasant at all.
"Then where are we?"
"A forest."
"What forest."
"That, I don’t know."
Unlike me, Varen answered in a voice completely free of worry.
When I lifted my face and shot him a glare, his handsome face broke into a bright smile. He looked so absurdly cheerful that my brow furrowed on its own.
Varen tilted his head, genuinely puzzled.
"Ceryl, why are you so worried?"
"Why wouldn’t I be? We got dragged somewhere by magic and we don’t even know where we are. You’re not worried?"
"No. I’m not worried."
I opened my mouth, ready to lecture him—then clamped it shut. Varen only doubled down, continuing in a pleasant, almost lighthearted voice.
"It doesn’t matter where we are. What matters is that you’re safe, and you’re with me."
"..."
"You’re right in front of me, so I have nothing to worry about."
In other words, Varen’s only worry in the world was me.
He somehow managed to make me laugh.
Shaking my head in disbelief, I looked at him. At my laughter, Varen smiled too. He drifted closer with a quiet confidence, then lightly pressed his lips to mine.
In the stillness, a short, firm smacking sound rang out.
I closed my eyes for a moment when our lips met, then opened them again. Even after the kiss, Varen stayed right in front of me. There was no confusion or worry in his blue eyes—only affection, overflowing.
"...You’re such a cute little bastard."
Maybe my mind still wasn’t fully back, because my thoughts slipped straight out of my mouth.
To me, it was a term of endearment.
But Varen didn’t like it. He frowned hard.
"Ceryl, don’t treat me like a pup. After a dragon’s first rut passes—"
"I know you’re an adult. I know better than anyone, you idiot."
I pinched Varen’s cheek and shook it lightly. The eyes looking back at me sank into something deeper.
As if he truly thought the situation was fine, Varen tilted his head and leaned in again. It was obvious what he was aiming for—one of those slow, heavy kisses.
With his breath closing in, I hesitated for a heartbeat. Should I accept it or not? Everything was quiet, so maybe it was fine to let myself get distracted for a moment.
The answer was already decided. I let my eyes drift shut.
But just as Varen’s lips were about to touch mine—
"Hiyung!!!"
"Hh—!"
Something the size of a handspan lizard popped out against my chest, shattering the silence. Rami’s sudden appearance snapped me wide awake.
I immediately pulled [N O V E L I G H T] away from Varen and scooted back. And before a dragon could start snapping at a tiny reptile, I lifted Rami onto my palm.
Rami swished her long tail and rubbed her tiny head against my cheek.
"Hiyung, hiyuuung. Hiyung!"
"There, there. My baby. You were scared when Dad disappeared all of a sudden, huh? I’m fine, so don’t worry."
"Hiyuuung, hiyuuung."
"I told you to stay with Kallen. My baby, it’s dangerous—why did you come here, hmm?"
Varen’s face stiffened in real time as he watched my tender reunion with Rami.
I absentmindedly checked his expression and stroked the top of Rami’s head with my index finger.
"Ahem. Stop glaring and translate. What’s Rami saying?"
Varen made it very clear with his whole body that he was displeased about having his kiss interrupted. Sitting on the ground with his arms crossed, he turned his head sharply away.
Even so, he still answered my question faithfully.
"She says Morpha will be here soon."
"Really? How does he know where we are?"
"Morpha can sense me no matter where I am. Before we left Belzena, he drank my blood."
"..."
This time, all the humor drained from my face. Varen’s words dragged a vivid memory up from just a few weeks ago.
When I stayed silent, Varen glanced over. Then he even lifted his eyebrows like he was asking what my problem was.
His shameless reaction made it impossible to control my expression. I rolled my tongue inside my mouth and tilted my head with deliberate attitude.
"Oh. Morpha drank your blood?"
"Yes."
"...Morpha drank your blood?"
Just one letter. The particles had shifted, but the nuance was completely different.
Of course, Varen—who had never once eaten a hint of social awareness—had no chance of catching it.
"Yes. Why are you asking the same thing twice?"
I didn’t have lava in my stomach, but I still had to force myself to swallow the heat that surged up.
If I opened my mouth, I was going to spit something vicious at Varen. So I bit down hard instead, letting the words fire off in my head like a barrage.
That bastard... why is he so confident? He knows exactly what happens when someone drinks his blood, and he still let Morpha do it? Why? How? When did he even have the time? Until we left Belzena, he was stuck to me every chance he got.
