A few hours had passed since I fell asleep, my body completely worn out from the day's madness. It felt like I had just closed my eyes when a noise jolted me awake. I groaned, rubbing my eyes and pulling the blanket tighter around me.
My mind was still foggy, half convinced I was dreaming, but the sound of soft footsteps grew louder.
Suddenly, I felt myself jerked off the bed and onto the cold, hard floor. The shock woke me up instantly. I opened my eyes to find Valeria standing over me, grinning from ear to ear like she was having the time of her life.
"Rise and shine!" she chirped, entirely too cheerful for this ungodly hour. "It's time for training."
I squinted up at her, completely confused. Training? Now? I glanced toward the window, where the darkness outside confirmed what I feared. It was still night.
"Valeria," I croaked, my voice thick with sleep, "what time is it?"
She walked over to the window, yanking open the heavy curtains, allowing the dim light of the moon to filter into the room. Outside, everything was still bathed in shadows, not a single hint of daylight.
"It's 2 AM," she said casually, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
I gaped at her, my jaw practically hitting the floor. "Two in the morning?!"
She looked back at me with a grin. "Of course! Best time for training. The air's fresh, the world's quiet… and it's much harder to run away when you're half-asleep."
I stared at her, incredulous. Was this woman insane? Who trained at 2 AM?
"But it's still night!" I protested, pointing helplessly at the window. "Normal people don't wake up in the middle of the night to train!"
Valeria's grin only widened as she strolled over to me, picking up a towel from a nearby chair. "Who said anything about being normal?" She threw the towel at me. "Come on, sleepyhead. We've got a busy morning ahead."
Before I could protest further, she reached down, grabbing me under the arms like I weighed nothing, and slung me over her shoulder.
"Wait, what are you doing?!" I squawked, flailing a bit as she carried me across the room like a sack of potatoes.
"You're too slow," she said with a chuckle, her wings suddenly unfurling from her back with a dramatic flair. "Might as well save time."
I barely had time to comprehend what was happening before Valeria opened the window and leaped into the night sky, carrying me with her.
The cold air slapped my face as we soared upward, my stomach dropping as the ground vanished beneath us. I clutched onto Valeria, squeezing my eyes shut as her wings beat rhythmically, propelling us higher and higher.
Despite my initial panic, there was something strangely exhilarating about the flight. The wind rushed through my hair, and the stars above seemed to twinkle brighter in the night sky. The world below was nothing but an expanse of dark forests and rolling hills, illuminated only by the faint moonlight.
After what felt like a lifetime, we began to descend toward a shimmering lake. The water reflected the stars and moon like a giant mirror, and the surrounding trees cast long, eerie shadows over the surface. It was beautiful in a haunting kind of way.
"Here we are," Valeria said cheerfully, landing gracefully by the water's edge. She didn't give me much time to admire the view, though, because before I could say a word, she tossed me,yes, tossed me straight into the lake.
The icy water hit me like a wall. I gasped, my body reacting instantly to the cold. It was so sharp and frigid that it felt like it was piercing my skin, my muscles tensing as I splashed around, trying to get my bearings. I barely managed to keep my head above water as the cold seeped into my bones.
"W-what the hell!" I sputtered, glaring at Valeria from the water's surface. "Are you trying to kill me?!"
Valeria leaned casually against a tree, completely unbothered by my distress. "Relax," she said with a smirk. "It's a magic lake. You'll feel better soon."
I was about to shoot back a retort when something strange happened. The coldness of the water began to fade, replaced by a warmth that seemed to spread through my body.
It was unlike anything I'd ever felt before, a comforting heat that filled every corner of my being. And then… everything went black.
When I opened my eyes again, I was no longer in the lake. I was standing in an a familiar void, surrounded by swirling shadows and flickers of red light. My heart pounded in my chest as I realized where I was or rather, who I was with.
There, not far from me, was the dragon. The same black-and-red beast I had seen when I first used magic.
It loomed over me, its massive form coiled and watching me with those same fierce, glowing eyes. The air around it crackled with energy, and I could feel the sheer power radiating off of it.
The dragon huffed, its gaze narrowing as it looked me over. "The heck," it rumbled in a deep, gravelly voice. "How did you get here?"
I blinked, still trying to wrap my head around everything. "I… Valeria threw me into a lake?"
The dragon snorted, its breath sending ripples of heat through the air. "Figures. That woman's as insane as ever."
I couldn't help but laugh nervously. "Yeah, tell me about it."
The dragon's eyes bore into mine, clearly unimpressed. "You're a pest, you know that? First time, I thought you were a fluke. Now you're just annoying."
I raised an eyebrow, feeling oddly defensive. "Hey, I didn't ask to end up here. Blame Valeria, not me."
The dragon's expression shifted slightly at the mention of her name. For a split second, it almost looked… embarrassed?
"Valeria, huh?" it muttered, glancing away. "Well, good luck with that wicked woman. You'll need it."
I was about to ask what that was supposed to mean when Valeria's voice suddenly cut through the air like a sharp breeze.
"Shut up, Carlos."
I whipped around to see Valeria standing behind me, her arms crossed, her wings half-spread. She looked as amused as ever, but there was a glint of warning in her eyes.
The dragon Carlos, apparently glared at her, though there was a begrudging respect in his gaze. "Always a pleasure, Valeria," he grumbled before disappearing into the shadows.
Valeria turned to me, a smirk tugging at her lips. "He's a grumpy one, isn't he?"
I stared at her, still trying to process everything that had just happened. "That's an understatement."