Snowy woke up slowly, his body heavy with fatigue and his mind clouded in confusion. The first thing he noticed was the sheer size of the room—far larger than anywhere he had ever stayed. Massive chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a soft glow around the space. Intricate patterns decorated the walls, and the air smelled faintly of lavender. As his eyes drifted to the enormous window on the far side of the room, sunlight filtered in gently through the drapes, bathing the room in a warm, golden light.
(Where the hell am I?) he thought, struggling to sit up.
His arms wobbled as he attempted to push himself off the bed, but pain shot through his left arm, and he fell back against the pillows. Wincing, he glanced at his arm and realized it was heavily bandaged. His legs weren't faring much better either—they felt too weak and sore for any movement right now. He groaned, sinking deeper into the soft sheets.
(Great. Can't even move properly.)
Just as he resigned himself to staying put, the door creaked open. Snowy's eyes darted to the entrance, where a familiar figure stood. Aurora, dressed in simple but elegant robes, stepped into the room, balancing a tray of medical supplies. She froze when she saw him awake, her eyes widening in surprise.
"You're awake?" she asked, her voice filled with disbelief. "The doctor said you'd be out for days… maybe even weeks."
Snowy grinned weakly. "Guess I'm full of surprises," he muttered.
Aurora approached him slowly, setting the tray down on the bedside table. She studied him for a moment, her brow furrowed as if she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing. "You really shouldn't be awake yet," she remarked, sitting beside him. "It's barely been 20 hours since you collapsed."
"Only 20 hours?" Snowy asked, raising an eyebrow. "Feels like I've been out for a month."
Aurora laughed softly as she began to check his bandages. "I'm not sure whether to be impressed or concerned."
As she worked, Snowy watched her closely, curiosity creeping into his thoughts. Her movements were precise, skilled even—like she had done this many times before. But something didn't sit right with him.
"Why are you treating me?" he finally asked. "Shouldn't a doctor be doing this?"
Aurora's hands paused for a moment, and she looked up at him, her expression shifting slightly. "My father… he doesn't allow outsiders into our home." She hesitated, then added, "You're an exception, though. After everything that happened, he insisted we bring you here."
"An exception, huh?" Snowy smirked. "Must've made quite an impression."
Aurora gave him a sidelong glance but didn't respond to his teasing. "Besides," she added quietly, "I thought you might prefer having someone familiar nearby."
Snowy nodded, though his body still ached from the fight. "Thanks, I guess. Though I'm still getting used to the idea that I'm here, wherever here is."
As Aurora wrapped fresh bandages around his arm, the door opened once again, and in walked another figure—Stella, Aurora's mother. Her elegant frame moved gracefully as she approached the bedside, and her eyes immediately landed on Snowy, who she hadn't expected to be awake. She raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Well, well, look who's up already," Stella said with a playful smile. "I was sure Aurora had prayed that you would wake up this morning, as she missed his presence."
Aurora flushed slightly, clearly embarrassed by her mother's teasing. "Mom, I… It's not like that!"
Stella waved her off with a laugh. "Relax, dear. I'm only teasing." Her attention turned back to Snowy, and her expression softened as she studied him. "How are you feeling, Snowy?"
Snowy was about to say something to her but shrugged it off as, he didn't remember.
with his good arm. "Like I've been through hell and back, but I'm still breathing, so that's something."
Stella nodded approvingly. "It's impressive, really. people wouldn't even be breathing after the battle like the one you had with Raven. To be honest, I wasn't sure if we'd see you awake at all."
Snowy's thoughts drifted back to the fight with Raven—the brutal exchange of blows, the sheer ferocity of his opponent. He had given everything he had, and yet… something nagged at him.
"Is he… is Raven dead?" Snowy asked quietly, unsure if he wanted to hear the answer.
Stella shook her head. "No, not dead. But close. He's in a condition that might make him wish he was, though."
Aurora glanced down at Snowy, her face tinged with concern, but Stella continued, her voice sharp. "Raven was dangerous. More than you might have realized. He didn't care who got hurt as long as it entertained him. That boy… he was reckless."
"He also mastered something he had no right to wield," Stella added, her voice hardening. "The Demonic Arts. How he got his hands on such power, I'll never know, but it made him a ticking time bomb."
Snowy's mind raced, recalling how Raven had unleashed that dark power. "The Demonic Arts…" he murmured. "I never expected that."
Stella's eyes glimmered with interest. "What I find more fascinating, though, is that you were able to mimick it—without any formal training. You learned to fight back with his own technique by simply observing him. That's not something many people can do, forget many, i only know you who can do the mimicking."
Snowy blinked, surprised by the compliment. "I… just did what I had to do."
Stella smiled knowingly. "Modesty is admirable, but don't sell yourself short. What you did was extraordinary."
Before Snowy could respond, Stella's expression darkened. "There's something else you should know. During your battle, someone was watching from a distance. Someone… strange."
Snowy frowned, sitting up slightly. "Watching?"
"Yes," Stella confirmed. "I couldn't get close enough to see his face, but he was wearing something over his face. When I tried to investigate, the area where he stood was… off. It was dark, like the shadows had swallowed the ground."
The words hit Snowy like a punch to the gut. (Like the shadows…) His mind flashed back to the day his home burned—the inky darkness that had covered everything, the Shadow Dragon's presence. His hands clenched into fists, anger simmering just beneath the surface.
Before his emotions could take over, Stella's voice broke through his thoughts. "But that's a conversation for another time. Right now, you need to eat. You must be starving."
Snowy opened his mouth to protest, but before he could get a word in, Aurora had already grabbed his arm and started pulling him toward the door. "Come on, let's get you to the dining room."
Snowy found himself being led down a massive hallway, lined with towering windows and high arches. As they passed by, he glanced out the windows and saw a courtyard full of people training—men and women, all honing their skills with a precision and intensity that reminded him of the Hound Clan. But this… this was on a much larger scale. His thoughts began to drift, imagining the kind of power and influence the Luminae family must wield, when suddenly—
Flick!
Snowy winced as Stella flicked his forehead. "Focus, Snowy. We're almost there."
They entered a grand dining room, complete with a long table laden with trays of food. Snowy's stomach growled at the sight, and for the first time since waking up, he realized just how hungry he was.
Both Stella and Aurora sat down.
As Snowy was about to ask one more question about whether he was truly in the Luminae clan, both Aurora and Stella stood up. Someone entered the room from the door: it was Aurora's father, Alaric Luminae. The sheer presence of Alaric radiated power, and his name was known throughout the continent. Snowy thought his eyes were blessed for being in the same room as such a renowned figure, but he kept his composure. He stood up out of respect as Alaric approached.
Alaric, towering and exuding authority, reached out his hand to greet Snowy. Snowy cautiously extended his own hand, but the moment they shook, he felt an overwhelming force, as if his hand was about to be crushed. Alaric tightened his grip just enough to make Snowy wince but stopped short of breaking anything.
"Good for someone like you," Alaric muttered, his tone flat as he withdrew his hand, walking past with an expression of seriousness.
Snowy clenched his hand, suppressing the pain, and sat down again as Alaric took his place at the head of the table. Alaric first spoke with Stella, his tone one of absolute superiority, as he asked about Raven. Snowy gulped audibly at the mention of Raven, but Stella calmly explained what had transpired. Alaric then turned his attention to Snowy, glaring sharply before shifting his focus to Aurora.
"What were you thinking?" Alaric asked, irritation creeping into his voice. "You should have gone with me. You had no business staying behind."
Aurora visibly tensed. "Father, I—"
"No excuses!" Alaric interrupted sharply, his voice brimming with disapproval. "You put yourself at risk, disobeying me for some foolish notion. What has gotten into you, Aurora?"
Snowy couldn't remain silent. In a playful yet respectful manner, he interjected, "Well, sir, I guess stubbornness runs in the family?"
Alaric shot him a cold look. "Did I say you could talk?"
Snowy shut his mouth, biting back any further comments, but as Alaric continued to berate Aurora with harsher words, Snowy couldn't help himself. He intervened again. "Maybe she didn't like Raven?"
Alaric's face twisted into anger, his voice booming as he barked, "Shut up! I'm speaking to my daughter about important matters here."
Snowy's patience wore thin. Watching Alaric belittle his own daughter was too much. Before he could stop himself, he spoke again, but before he could say anything more, Alaric was already behind him, placing a hand on Snowy's shoulder. His grip was firm, too tight for comfort.
"You are a little punk," Alaric hissed, his grip tightening even more, nearly crushing Snowy's shoulder. "People like you—those who don't know their place—are the ones I despise the most."
Snowy gritted his teeth, the pain intensifying, but he didn't back down. Instead, he reached up, gripping Alaric's hand with his own. Slowly but steadily, he began to lift Alaric's hand away, forcing it off his shoulder as he used the remaining strength of what has left to match the strength he was forcing on snowy.
"What kind of father talks like this to his own daughter?" Snowy growled, his anger bubbling up. The man Snowy had thought his sister admired was turning out to be a total jerk.
Before Snowy could say more, he felt a sudden shift in the air. Alaric released his grip and started to laugh. "That's my boy! I knew you were the right person! Haha!" Alaric's demeanor changed completely, from hostile to jovial in an instant. "I just wanted to see how you'd react when I talked like that to my daughter. And guess what? You passed—with flying colors."
Snowy blinked in disbelief, unsure how to process what just happened.
(Right person?..)Snowy thought, his mind zoning out.
Aurora's expression softened, and Stella exchanged a wink with Alaric, as if they had planned the entire thing. It was some strange, unspoken agreement between them. Aurora smiled brightly and gave Snowy a thumbs up, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
Snowy, however, still felt disoriented, staring blankly at Aurora's gesture, unsure of what the thumbs up meant. He looked between Aurora and Stella, seeking answers, but all he found were grins.
Alaric, still in good spirits, clapped Snowy on the back—though a bit too hard—and exclaimed, "See, I knew you had it in you! It's been a long time since someone stood up to me like that." He beamed at Snowy, though his grip remained strong enough to make Snowy's shoulders ache.
As they moved on from the tense moment, Alaric began discussing Snowy's victory over Raven. Alaric spoke about the Demonic Arts, one of the Seven Great Arts, that had long been thought to be mythical. He marveled at how Snowy had seemingly learned one of them through mere imitation—a feat previously thought impossible.
But before the conversation could delve further into the intricacies of the Demonic Arts, Stella gently pulled Alaric back, saying, "Let Snowy eat and rest. He needs to recover quickly."
Alaric laughed heartily. "A tough guy like you feels pain after all? Good to know! I thought you were some kind of machine, fighting and learning all at once!"
Aurora stepped in to guide her father away, clearly amused by the entire exchange. Stella smiled warmly at Snowy. "Eat whatever you like on the table, and then go rest. You've earned it."
Snowy, still zoning out, finally nodded, snapping back to reality. Stella gave him one last smile before leaving the room with the others.
Alone at the table, Snowy stared at the lavish breakfast laid out before him. He sighed, allowing himself to relax after the bizarre encounter. If Alaric had been serious, he could've snapped me like a twig, Snowy thought, trying to shake off the tension. Clearly, Alaric had been putting himself to snowy's level, but it still left a strange feeling in Snowy's chest.
He shrugged off the remaining unease and started eating. The food was excellent, and after a few minutes, his mind finally cleared. Once he finished, Snowy returned to his room, the exhaustion from everything finally catching up to him.
Just as he lay down, a notification buzzed on his phone. It was Emily.
"Snowy! How are you doing? Where are you? Is Aurora being too clingy?" Emily asked, her voice filled with playful curiosity. "Oh, and Ignis is crying like crazy because you're not here. It's loud—like, really loud. Can you do a face-time or whatever it's called?"
Snowy chuckled softly as he called her back. Emily looked relieved as soon as she saw him. "Thank goodness, Aurora's not clinging to you right now, right?"
"No," Snowy replied with a smile.
The conversation shifted as Emily updated him on what had happened after the battle. "Raven's still alive," she said, her voice low. "He's in the their clan's hospital center. but… he's barely holding on. His body is paralyzed, mana flow cut off, and—oh yeah—98 broken bones. You really didn't pull your punches." Emily's tone turned sarcastic. "Those Necroshade people aren't too happy that their 'precious prince' got beat up so bad."
She pointed her camera at Ignis, who was still sniffling, clearly upset. Snowy smiled at the sight. "Hey, Ignis," he said softly. "How are you doing?"
Ignis who straight pointed at her mouth, making small gestures.
"She's hungry," Snowy said, chuckling. "Give her some fish, she'll calm down."
Emily nodded. "Right, fish. Got it." As they said their goodbyes, Emily smirked. "Oh, and has Aurora stuck by you like some precious diamond like getting close to you?"
Snowy hesitated, nodding up and down, then side to side.
"Wait… what?" Emily looked confused. "Yes and no?"
Snowy grinned mischievously. "Yes… and no."
Emily bit her lower lip, clearly annoyed but also amused. She composed herself quickly. "Alright, fine. Get some rest. I'll see you soon."
After ending the call, Snowy lay back on the bed, his thoughts swirling. What in the world is going on? he wondered as sleep slowly claimed him.