"Keep your chin up and move forward, no matter the circumstances," Ariel declared firmly, her emerald eyes gleaming with determination. It was her go-to quote whenever things looked grim.
Meanwhile, I was stuck in a less-than-inspirational moment. "You girls… calm down!" I panicked, waving my arms to defuse the tension. "I've got gifts for each of you, so don't think I'm favoring anyone. I love you all equally!"
It wasn't working.
You're probably wondering how this mess started. Well, long story short, it was a regular day. Nothing out of the ordinary—until I pulled out a gift. The girls had been telling me how much they loved me, and I thought it'd be a nice gesture. Unfortunately, they all assumed there was only one present.
It spiraled from there.
"We're sorry, Velvet," they muttered in unison, their heads hanging low like scolded children.
I let out a sigh, offering a reassuring smile. "No, you're fine. It's easy to misunderstand sometimes, so I get it. I forgive you."
Their faces flushed with embarrassment, but the mood quickly lightened as I handed out their gifts. Soon, I was swarmed by hugs and kisses. And no, you don't need to know what happened after that. Moving on!
After all the commotion, we got back to our usual grind: tackling tough quests, slaying monsters, and pushing ourselves to exhaustion both physically and mentally.
"Finally, I can rest," I yawned loudly, collapsing onto my bed. It felt like the longest day ever.
Or so I thought.
I found myself in an empty void. At first, I couldn't speak, my voice seemingly trapped in my throat. Slowly, the world began to take shape around me.
"Ah, there we go. I can talk again," I muttered, coughing a little as I stood up.
It wasn't long before I noticed something unusual. A statue stood before me, eerily out of place in the otherwise empty expanse.
"What's this statue doing here?" I asked aloud, taking a cautious step toward it.
"Can you hear me?"
The deep voice startled me, reverberating from the statue itself.
"Y-Yeah, I can!" I replied, wide-eyed. "Are you the being from my dreams?"
"No! I'm a dragon!"
"Ah, my bad." I bent down, curiously lifting the stone figure. Note to self: statues are apparently touchy.
"Put me down, you fool!" it barked, its voice thick with irritation.
Startled, I set it back down. Smoke swirled around the statue, transforming into droplets of water that cascaded to the ground. When the haze cleared, a majestic dragon stood before me.
Its black scales gleamed like polished obsidian, catching subtle hints of deep orange and midnight blue in the light. Its eyes exuded a calm yet ancient aura, as though it had seen countless ages pass.
"Your flattery is appreciated," the dragon purred, shrinking in size until it stood eye-level with me. "But enough about me. I came to learn more about you."
"Me? Why me specifically? Are you someone I should know?" I asked, suspicion creeping into my voice.
"Well, aren't you a curious one?" the dragon replied, her tone dripping with playful sarcasm. "Since I've come to you personally, I might as well reveal my identity."
With a flourish, she transformed into a tall, elegant woman. Her features bore a striking resemblance to Poru's.
"Wait… Poru? Her mother? Are you for real?" I stammered, my mind racing to catch up.
"Isn't that a bit crazy, audience?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Who are you talking to?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion as she tilted her head.
"Er, never mind," I coughed awkwardly. Her towering frame loomed over me as she shifted uncomfortably, clearly unused to the situation.
"But I didn't think you'd figure it out so quickly," she admitted, a trace of surprise crossing her face.
"Honestly, I didn't expect it either. But I guess this means you're here to check on how your daughter's husband is treating her, huh?" I teased, raising an eyebrow.
She gave me a sharp look, but I couldn't help grinning.
Well, audience, brace yourselves! If my witty banter doesn't win me points with Mom over here, I might end up in the doghouse—or worse, stuck listening to Poru's childhood stories. 'And then, one time, we went to the park…' Kill me now.