She was extremely close--so close that Zaephiel stepped back in surprise, letting out a slight yelp.
"Ahh!"
"Who are you?" the woman asked, still squatting, pointing a finger at him.
Sylveraine, who had been talking to Aerisyl, was suddenly interrupted when she heard Zaephiel yell beside her. She quickly turned her head to see what had happened—
And saw a white-haired, red-eyed woman squatting beside Zaephiel. He had taken a step back, clearly startled. Sylveraine instantly understood what had occurred.
"Ohh Nyx, not you again with your stealthy appearances," she said, exasperated.
But the woman—Nyx—completely ignored Sylveraine. Instead, she continued questioning Zaephiel. "Who are you?" she asked again, her voice calm but curious.
Zaephiel, who had stepped back in surprise, quickly composed himself. "Hello, I am Zaephiel Draklara," he replied.
At the sound of his last name, everyone's eyes turned to look at him. Even Seralyne, whose attention had been focused on the crack, now glanced at him from the corner of her eye, her interest visibly piqued.
"Draklara?" Nyx tilted her head in confusion. She looked up at Sylveraine and asked, "When did you get a little brother?"
"Aunty and Uncle's old LOVE must have recently rekindled," a woman standing beside Seralyne said with a mischievous smile.
She had white hair and crystal-clear pale skin. Her long, loose hair flowed down her back. Her pink-colored eyes sparkled like gems, glinting with mischief. She wore a modern-style kimono, with a katana hanging at her waist.
"And their LOVE must be quite intense—having him this much grown up in just a month," she added teasingly. "After all, the last time I came to your home, there was no sign of him."
"Well, that's expected from dragons. They have strong vitality," Aerisyl chimed in with a gentle smile.
"Um-hm, um-hm," Nyx nodded, accepting the explanation while standing up.
"Ugh, stop it, all three of you," Sylveraine said, flustered and embarrassed. "Especially you, Yurashi," she added, directing her glare at the pink-eyed woman who had started the teasing.
"Ohh my, my... did I accidentally speak the truth?" Yurashi asked, holding her hand in front of her mouth to cover her feigned surprise.
"No, you didn't!" Sylveraine snapped. "And I'll introduce him to all of you after we're done dealing with that crack." She quickly changed the subject.
"Okay," Yurashi finally relented, turning her attention toward the direction of the crack.
Aerisyl also let the matter drop, and Seralyne turned her focus back to the crack as well. Nyx gave Zaephiel one last look before walking away with the others.
Zaephiel, who stood in the middle of all this, tilted his head in confusion. 'Isn't loving someone a good thing?' he thought to himself, not understanding why Sylveraine reacted the way she did.
Indeed, Zaephiel, who had never been exposed to such adult matters—thanks to his abusive parents who never gave him anything other than beatings—made him not understand what adult LOVE is.
...
"Anyway, let's go check the crack to see if it has grown bigger or if it's still the same," Sylveraine said.
"Okay," everyone agreed and got ready to move.
But before leaving, Sylveraine turned to Zaephiel. "Okay, Zaephiel, you're staying here. You can't go any further—it might be dangerous. Do you understand?" she said seriously.
"Okay, I understand, Big Sis," Zaephiel replied. He knew this was as far as he could go. No matter what he did, he wouldn't be allowed beyond this point, so he quietly accepted it.
"Good boy," she said with a smile, patting his head. Then she turned to the two guards and addressed them firmly. "You two—be extra careful and take care of him."
"Yes, President," both guards said in unison.
"Hmm also go find some binoculars and give them to Zaephiel so he can see the crack from here," she added before turning to leave.
"Thanks, Big Sis," Zaephiel said with a grateful smile.
After that, one guard left to find binoculars while the other remained at Zaephiel's side, keeping watch.
...
"Are you finally done talking? If so, let's go," Seralyne said impatiently, looking at Sylveraine with mild annoyance.
"Yes, yes, I'm finished. Let's go," Sylveraine replied quickly and began walking.
"Oh, what about your brother, Seralyne?" Yurashi asked, as if suddenly remembering him.
"Forget about that weak guy. Even if something happens, he's going to be useless," Seralyne said, also walking off.
"Okay," Yurashi said, quickly dropping the matter like it never mattered to her, and then started following behind them.
Nyx and Aerisyl were also with them, leaving everyone else behind.
It didn't take long for them to reach their destination. Upon arrival, the first one to speak was Sylveraine.
"So this is the crack that appeared," she said, looking at the anomaly: a crack floating in the middle of the street, 2 to 3 inches wide and 5 inches long, suspended in the air and frozen in ice.
"Yes, it is," Aerisyl confirmed and continued,
"Let me crack the ice for you," she said, lifting her slender hand into the air. In the next second, fractures began to form on the block of ice, slowly spreading in all directions before the entire mass shattered completely.
CRACK