Three weeks had passed since the incident.
Snowy had been taken in by the Hound Clan, who offered him a place to stay and care. Since then, Snowy rarely left his room. On the rare occasions when he did, it was either to train, eat or to use the bathroom in silence. His presence felt like a ghost wandering through the halls—there, but distant, as though his spirit had been left behind in the fire that took his parents.
Snowy hadn't attended his parents' funeral. Some say he was too traumatized by their deaths, while others whispered that he didn't care at all, which seemed heartless since parents were supposed to be the anchors of a child's life. But the truth was far more complicated: Snowy didn't have the courage to face it. In all his past lives, he had always died first; it was never his parents. But this time, the script had been flipped. For once, they had gone before him, leaving him behind to grapple with an unfamiliar kind of pain.
On the day of the fire, Snowy had cradled his parents' lifeless bodies as one firefighter who came in before, tried to console the grieving boy. Even he were baffled, watching Snowy sit there in utter silence. His face showed nothing, but his eyes were pools of anguish, filled with unspoken grief, regret, sadness, and a burning anger that simmered beneath the surface.
"Boy...I know it must be hard time for you right now but you have to understand, staying here does not good and dearing the dead back wouldn't happen so let's move on and over-..."
The firefighter's words were cut off by a low rumble from the ground beneath them. Suddenly, two small horns broke through the earth, followed by a tiny, trembling figure—Ignis, our little Pyrothraxis dragon, who had somehow survived the chaos. Ignis was a she and somehow she was in her human form...she, stood up on shaky legs, her eyes locking onto Snowy's as if searching for comfort. But before she could come closer in her human form, Ignis sneezed, transforming back into her smaller, adorable dragon form. The cold air made her shiver, and she curled up into a ball, rolling toward Snowy in a playful attempt to cheer him up.
Snowy's expression remained blank, even as memories of his parents flashed relentlessly through his mind. Ignis, sensing Snowy's pain but unable to fully understand, tried her best. She nestled closer, but Snowy's parents' bodies were still in the way. Ignis began sniffing and licking at them, desperate to wake them, but there was no waking the dead. Snowy finally placed a hand on Ignis's head, his touch gentle, yet heavy with the weight of his loss.
Three weeks forward.
Snowy sat in his room, meditating in silence. His posture was more refined than before, the result of relentless training as he tried to drown out his grief but... Today was September 19, snowy's birthday. A day that once held meaning now passed like any other. Snowy's thoughts were not on celebrating but on the impending dangers that loomed: the Shadow Dragon, his sister's disappearance, and a future that seemed more uncertain than ever.
Footsteps echoed hurriedly outside his room, breaking the stillness. Snowy didn't notice, lost in his meditation. Today, an important figure from the Luminae Clan, the descendants of starlight, had come to visit. Known for their healing abilities and guiding lost souls, the Luminae Clan held a reputation that ran deeper than most realized. Not just healers, they were also formidable warriors, wielding starlight as a weapon when needed. The clan leader's daughter, Aurora Luminae, had arrived to extend her aid to the financially struggling Hound Clan, a gesture that had the entire household on high alert.
The entire clan had gathered at the entrance, including councilors, advisors, and the clan leader himself. They bowed respectfully as Aurora entered, her presence commanding and majestic, the moonlight casting a serene glow around her, their mere presence intimidating enough to make the most hardened warriors uneasy. Snowy, however, was oblivious, stepping out of his room only because he needed to use the bathroom, unaware of the commotion outside.
A councilor quickly intercepted him. "Mr. Snowy, please stay inside. We have a very special guest today, and it's not appropriate for you to be seen like this."
Snowy glanced at his plain clothes and shrugged. "They really think highly of themselves, huh?"
The councilors exchanged uneasy glances. "Mr. Snowy, surely you've heard of who's visiting us?"
Before Snowy could reply, a booming voice broke through the tense atmosphere. "Who is this peasant?"
Snowy's eyes narrowed as he turned to face the speaker, a tall man dressed in the fine armor of the Luminae Clan, looking down on both Snowy and the councilors with disdain. "Do I need to repeat myself?"
Before the councilors could respond, Snowy stepped forward, standing defiantly. "No need. If you're looking for training, it's over. Now, leave."
The man sneered. "You have no idea who you're speaking to—"
He stopped abruptly as Snowy pressed a dagger to his throat, the blade gleaming dangerously close to piercing his skin. "Do I need to repeat myself?," Snowy said coldly.
The man chuckled, barely flinching. "You're waving a butter knife at the wrong person, boy. I'm an elite from Luminae clan rank 34, and the lady behind me is Aurora Luminae, the daughter of our clan leader."
Snowy turned slightly, ready to face Aurora, but his dagger shattered instantly. "(She is Fast.)" Snowy thought as he eyed her, now fully alert. Aurora, dressed in flowing robes of white and gold, exuded an aura of authority and grace that belied her youthful appearance.
"Leave weakling before this becomes more than it needs to be," Aurora said, her voice calm yet edged with warning.
Snowy smirked, and without hesitation, placed another dagger at her throat.
"(Didn't thought I'll come to violence.)"
He moved like lightning, almost faster than her guards could react. One guard lunged forward, his hand inches from Snowy's throat, but Snowy was quicker, reversing the move and grabbing the man's throat instead. "Slow," Snowy said, mocking the guard's earlier attempt.
The Hound Clan leader rushed forward, his face pale with fear. "Snowy, please, stop this. We don't want trouble with the Luminae Clan. If their leader finds out you threatened his daughter, it could mean disaster for all of us."
Snowy sighed, finally releasing his hold on both Aurora and her guard. "So, she's from the Luminae Clan? (I think that guy mentioned it before...i am careless i guess) Great. Just what I needed." Snowy said with a sigh.
The leader nodded nervously.
Snowy rubbed his forehead, glancing down at the guard who was now gasping for breath. "(More problems I didn't need right now.)" he thought.
He turned away, waving dismissively. "I'm going to train so please Clean my room—it's a mess."
The councilors quickly nodded, as Snowy walked away, focused on clearing his mind through rigorous training.
Aurora watched him go, stunned by his speed and boldness. "(How is he so fast? I didn't even see him move.)" She lowered her hood, revealing striking eyes that held both curiosity and fascination. "Who are you, really?"
Snowy paused, glancing back briefly before continuing on his way, his silence serving as the only answer he would give.
The Hound Clan leader tried to explain Snowy's situation, detailing his recent losses and why he acted the way he did. But Aurora seemed lost in thought, her mind fixated on the enigmatic boy who had just defied her with such audacity. Snowy had made an impression—one that would not be easily forgotten.