Zenith blinked several times, his groggy mind struggling to process what was happening. One second, he was being lectured about his reckless glowing antics, and now, a tall, stunning woman with an aura of mysterious authority had waltzed in like she owned the place.
"Wait, what?" Zenith asked, his voice cracking slightly. He pointed weakly at her, then looked to Erya and Saphira. "Who... who's this? Did I miss a memo?"
"She's not with us," Saphira said flatly, her hand already on her blade. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously at the woman. "And I don't trust people who show up out of nowhere claiming they know stuff."
The woman's serene smile didn't falter as she turned her gaze to Saphira. "If you wish to survive, you might want to reconsider that attitude. I'm the only one who can help him." She nodded toward Zenith, her green eyes gleaming like she knew all his secrets.
"Help me?" Zenith repeated, his voice climbing an octave. "Lady, I don't even know who you are! For all I know, you could be working with that dragon!"
The woman placed a hand over her chest, feigning offense. "Working with a dragon? Please. I have standards."
"Zenith," Erya whispered urgently, tugging on his sleeve, "maybe don't antagonize the mysterious glowing lady? Just a thought."
Zenith waved her off, still too baffled to stop himself. "No, seriously. Who even are you? Do you just wander around, showing up after dragon fights and making cryptic comments? Is that, like, your job?"
The woman sighed dramatically, like she'd been through this a thousand times before. "My name is Mimi," she said with a slight bow, her dark hair cascading elegantly over her shoulder. "I'm here because your little... display of power didn't exactly go unnoticed."
Saphira snorted. "Yeah, you're telling me. Half the countryside probably saw that light show."
Mimi ignored her, stepping closer to Zenith. "You've awakened something ancient, something powerful. But if you don't learn to control it, it will destroy you—and everyone around you."
Zenith leaned back, raising his hands defensively. "Okay, slow down. Ancient, powerful, destroying everyone... Can I get a user manual for this? Or at least a FAQ?"
"Unfortunately," Mimi said, her tone dry, "there's no manual for being the Chosen One."
"Chosen One? Oh, come on!" Zenith groaned, throwing his hands in the air. "Why does it always have to be the Chosen One? Can't I just be the slightly above average guy who gets to stay alive and not glow like a human light bulb?"
Mimi raised an eyebrow. "Do you want my help or not?"
Before Zenith could respond, Saphira interrupted, her arms crossed. "And what exactly does your help look like? Because if it's anything like your entrance, I'm not impressed."
Mimi shot her a withering look. "My help means teaching him how to wield his power before it consumes him. Or before the dragon comes back with friends. Take your pick."
Zenith's face paled. "Friends? Dragons have friends? I thought they were more... lone-wolf types. Like, you know, big, scaly introverts."
"Some are," Mimi said with a shrug. "But this one? It's part of a brood. And they're not going to take kindly to you blasting their sibling into oblivion."
Erya's eyes widened. "So what do we do?"
Mimi extended a hand toward Zenith, her expression softening. "We leave. Now. I'll take you somewhere safe, and we'll start your training. The sooner you understand your power, the better."
Zenith stared at her hand like it was a venomous snake. "Training? Oh, great. Let me guess, it's going to involve lots of pain, yelling, and cryptic wisdom like, 'The power is inside.
Saphira's phone buzzed, and after a brief glance at the screen, her expression turned serious. She sighed softly and turned to Zenith, her voice laced with regret. "I have to go for now," she said, her eyes meeting his. "Something's come up, but don't worry—I'll catch up with you later." With a reassuring smile, she stepped away, disappearing into the crowd as Zenith watched her leave, a mixture of curiosity and anticipation lingering in his mind.