- "Kyrion, my son... Some great news has just arrived!" said my mother as she flew excitedly into my suspended room.
- "...Hmm?... Mom?... What is it?" I said, still groggy because I was sleeping.
- "Kyrion, look... That letter we sent to Aeternal has finally been answered... look, look!" said my mother, excited, smiling, as she showed me the letter.
- "...Zzzz..." I snored, as I had fallen back to sleep.
- "...Argh... KYRIOOONNN!!!" my mother yelled, now irritated.
- "...Aaaauuuugghh... W-what?" I screamed, startled, almost having a heart attack in each of my 10 hearts.
- "...Sigh... Seriously, if you keep this up, I fear for your future... Have you thought about it? You, at 20,000 years old, still living with me and your father? What a shame it would be for us, and especially for you!" she said, sighing.
- "...Your father already has too many worries with the work of stabilizing the singularity in the black holes, and you still want to make him worry more?" she continued.
- "...N-no, mom... Of course not," I replied, now standing with my head down, fighting sleep.
- "I hope not, because if you keep it up, you won't even be able to find a good female... Imagine? Me, not having grandkids? I WANT TO HAVE GRANDKIDS, DO YOU HEAR ME?" she said, now angry again.
- "...Argh... O-ok, mom, understood."
- "Sigh... Ok, but that's not the important thing now. You've always been like this since you came out of the egg... In fact, your father and I had to break the shell because you wouldn't get out of there on your own... The only hatchling that needed help from its parents to get out of the egg," she said, handing me a sheet with the primordial seal.
- "...Haha..." I laughed, embarrassed.
- "W-what is this?" I asked, taking the sheet.
- "...This is something your father and I have been waiting for so many millennia," she said, excited.
- "...A-primordial seal? I-is this from... Aeternal?" I asked, surprised.
- "YES!! Isn't this amazing, son? You're going to the best and biggest school in the universe! I'm so proud you got accepted," she said, hugging me.
- "...Ha..ha..." I laughed, desperate knowing I'd have to attend classes again.
- "M-mom, b-but I think it's still too early... C-can't I think a bit before deciding whether to go or not?" I asked, visibly tired.
- "...DECIDE? IF YOU'RE GOING TO AETERNAL?..." she said, falling silent immediately after.
- "... HAHA...Of course... Of course, you can decide, dear, but remember you don't have much time..." she said, giving a threatening look.
- "...Uh... O-ok, I'll give my answer by dinner tonight... Ok?" I asked, scared of her response.
- "...Ok, I expect your answer by then, my son... But think carefully about what you'll say," she said, surrounded by an eerie aura.
My name is Kyrion, and I am a Void Dragon. We are one of the several species of divine beings in existence and occupy the last layer of the highest dimensions. We are responsible for taking care of beings from lower dimensions and granting them powers in exchange for their benevolence and prayers, as this strengthens us. My life, so far, has not been very special, as I am not like the others of my kind. When I was born, my worried parents had to break my egg shell because I wouldn't come out of it at all, even though the elder leader of our people, Aertharion, said I should have come out long before. In the end, they found out that I didn't come out because I was sleeping the whole time.
In my childhood, during my first 7,000 years, whenever my mother took me to the star forest — which I call the star cluster — to play and have fun with others of my kind the same age, I would do the same: climb one of those huge trees, find the most comfortable branch, lie down and sleep there, while my mother chatted with the other mothers. When she noticed I was sleeping, she would get angry and blow huge radioactive blasts at me... They were unforgettable scoldings. Today, I understand she was afraid I wouldn't be able to fit in and end up frustrated. However, it never mattered to me, as sleeping was the best thing for me.
When I turned 14,000 years old, my mother, tired of seeing me like this, had the idea of enrolling me in Aeternal school, the most renowned in the whole universe. This school, created over 10,000,000 years ago, is highly prestigious for being founded by the five great leaders of the major existing races, with the goal of promoting peaceful coexistence among all divine species and ending wars and prejudices. But to me, it doesn't matter what it is or represents; the only thing I want is to sleep in peace and enjoy a good night's sleep.
For a long time, this lifestyle of mine made other dragons of my kind doubt my abilities and even try to intimidate me. However, they never got anywhere, as, by always being asleep and not paying attention to them, they eventually gave up, convinced I was just a "poor wretch." Moreover, I always avoided problems and headaches, such as fights — whether due to intrigues, females, or anything else — and even subjects taught in school. Due to my mother's insistence, I did the bare minimum to pass the first years of school in our kingdom.
But now, after finally finishing that great headache, would I have to go through it all again? Just thinking about it made me feel extremely tired. Even so, my parents were hopeful, as, along with some other dragons of my race and age, I was chosen to study at Aeternal. I had no other choice but to go. After all, if not by my own will, I knew my parents would catch me off guard, sleeping, and take me to school, without a chance to return before starting my studies. Thus, I decided it would be better to accept.
- "...Arghh… this is going to be... a huge headache..." I said, after finally deciding that I would have to go, for better or worse.
...A few hours later, at dinner...
- "...Sigh... Mom, Dad, I've decided that I will go to Aeternal and will do my best to make you proud," I announced during dinner.
- "Oho... look at that... it seems someone has finally understood the chance they were given..." said my father, with a satisfied smile.
- "Yes, I am very happy that you made the right choice, son," said my mother, with a satisfied smile.
- "Ha... ha... W-well, that said, thanks for the meal... I'll go back to my room now, so... see you later."
- "Son, wait..." said my father.
- "...Yes?" I asked, slowly turning back.
- "When are you going to Aeternal? After all, you need to get ready, right?" he asked.
- "Hmm... not necessarily. Clothes and materials are provided by them," I replied, my eyes almost closing from so much sleepiness.
- "I see. And when are you leaving?" he continued.
- "Hmm... I think the letter said day 225 of the new calendar..." I murmured, struggling against sleep right there.
- "Well, I'm going now, and if you have any questions, just call me and I'll answer," I said, already standing, my eyes practically closed.
- "Kyrion, WAIT!" My mother exclaimed, now with a worried voice.
- "...Ugh... Y-yes?" I responded, turning slowly, already dreading what would come next.
- "S-son... did you say day 225 of the new calendar?" my father asked, now with a pale face.
- "T-that's right, dad. Why?" I asked, even more scared.
My parents exchanged glances, and extremely angry, they yelled in unison:
- "TODAY IS DAY 225 OF THE CALEEEENDAAAAR!"
- "W-what? Are you sure?" I asked, incredulous.
- "...Kyrion..." said my father, lowering his head, disappointed.
- "YOU EMPTY-HEADED! GO UP TO YOUR ROOM AND GET READY! THERE'S STILL TIME TO REACH THE TRANSPORT PORTAL, BUT IF YOU DON'T MAKE IT, BE SURE YOU WON'T HAVE A MINUTE OF SLEEP WHILE YOU'RE HERE!" My mother yelled, visibly irritated.
- "N-NO SLEEP? AGH... O-OK, BE RIGHT BACK!" I said, flying desperately to my room.
Meanwhile, my parents talked:
- "Sigh... this is going to be a looong journey," said my father, laughing quietly.
- "VAELTHAR, what are you laughing about? This is serious!" My mother retorted, still irritated and visibly annoyed.
- "Sylvaris, you don't need to be so irritated. Maybe this is a great opportunity for him to start being more responsible," replied my father, calmly, while savoring a wine from the fruits of the void trees.
"SHOULDN'T I BE IRRITATED, VAELTHAR? HOW CAN I NOT? If he misses such a chance, which only comes once every many generations, he will become a joke! I don't want that for him... Sigh... Honestly, I didn't expect him to be chosen, considering Aertharion knows well how Kyrion is... I wonder why he chose him..."
- "Haha, don't worry, dear. Aertharion has his reasons. If he chose our son to represent our race, it's because he knows he has the potential to become something great. Trust," said my father, calmly.
"...Sigh... I think you're right," she replied, sighing again.
...Sounds of wings flapping...
- "...Huff... huff... I'm here... I'm... ready..." I said, still out of breath from having hurried so much.
- "Ok, then let's go to the portal room. The letter says Aertharion and the other approved ones will be waiting there," said my mother.