When Miracle reached home, she took her bag off and stomped toward the deeper barrier within the house. She swiped her hand across the air, and the hidden aqueous layer twinkled into view. Stepping in, she erased hints of its existence with another swing of her arm.
Camouflaged.
Inhaling a deep, long breath, she let it out—the beast she had held captive for days.
Right then, a pure white dragon engulfed the shape of the "human" goddess, taking over the blacks in her eyes. Glimmering carp scales formed on her body, sending a soothing chill along her nerves. Emerging deer-like horns, fangs, and claws refined themselves as they felt strong traces of divinity from the silver fronds—the external protections—reacting to her original presence. Too thirsty to be embraced by the air, the animal roared and swirled up above as if the air were a part of her.
'Fire, be with me,' she muttered inwardly. It had been a while since she stepped away from her world.
Heat rose inside her body in an instant. When she jerked up her head, fire swords surged out from her maw, branching into hundreds. They slashed the barrier back-to-back.
Clearly, the barrier was tough. It rebounded the weapons, reducing them to ashes the moment they fell into the small pond covered by water lilies. Wriggling in the air, she floated a few fiery balls on her eagle claws while breathing out continuous blue flares into the sky.
'No matter what the price is, I'll end this cycle once and for all.' She slammed the flames across the air.
When she returned to her disguise and entered the living room through the sliding door, she saw Hayden on the couch.
"Miracle, do you have time?" he asked.
"Oh, yes. What's the matter, Mr. Hayden?" She wiped the beads of sweat on her forehead.
He flashed her a fatherly smile. "Let's go to the market."
"Now?"
"Yes. Come on."
"All right. Give me a second to change my clothes."
***
They strolled along the bike path. Hayden folded his arms across his chest, while Miracle gazed far beyond—into the sky at the other end. Its tone was darkening. Gray knobby clouds were blocking the rays from directly hitting the tar.
It was a gloomy evening.
"Let's see, what shall we have tonight?" Hayden approached the small crowd surrounding the cooler box.
"Raw meat," Miracle uttered under her breath.
Fortunately, Hayden didn't hear her. He was busy flipping the meats and checking their freshness using the public spatula.
She walked away, leaving him alone to fight for better pieces with the remaining customers. The groceries mortals had daily—vegetables, dried herbs, processed meats—weren't interesting to her until her feet came to an unexpected stop in front of a butcher stall. Intriguing thuds of the knife slamming onto the chopping board drifted to her ears. Miracle gulped her saliva, watching the blood dripping onto the floor as the fresh meat was cut into smaller chunks.
Her favorite food was right before her eyes.
"Yes? What do you want?" the butcher asked. His eyes met hers as he pricked the hook into the chopped slice, hanging it up for sale.
Shyly, she shook her head and left.
What was she supposed to say?
That the rawness of the meat was driving her crazy?
She was still frowning for not having the raw when shivers suddenly swam down her spine as if somebody had just dumped her a bucket of ice water.
"What was that?" she muttered to herself, dropping the ripe tomato in her hand.
After flashing a worried glance at Hayden, who was at the counter, she quickly ran into the dark, to the place her instincts were leading her to.
Hayden dug out a bill in his pocket at once and shoved it at the counter without looking for any change. The cashier was clueless, but he had no time to explain. He quickly dashed out and caught up with Miracle.
There was nothing unusual along the streets. Yet, the evil, anonymous energy was everywhere, distracting Miracle from being led to the right source. Time was ticking away, and her heart was leaping into her throat. The moment they passed by a deserted alley behind the tombstones, they had a hunch that it was going to be too late.
The victim looked like he was struggling to stand upright, while the beast was enjoying its meal.
"Fire! Come to me!" she shouted at the malevolent glare, drifting its attention away from the poor little boy.
Miracle ran and bashed the opponent before it had a chance to defend. She shot a strong beam of fire into the malicious body. Green slime splashed onto her face. Her attack wasn't working. She kneed the wicked creature onto the ground and continued shooting the flames into its chest. Within seconds, the body started to burn, but not the demonic soul in it. Right in front of her heterochromia eyes, she saw the evil spirit turn into a glaucous whiff and escape with the wind.
Miracle hurled her hand at it. Silver smoke immediately branched out from her wrist and surged toward the green puff. She had it for a moment. However, it was too fierce. It spun aggressively a few times before breaking free from her trap.
Very fast.
"Ugh! Damn it!" She threw her punches into the brick wall. "DAMN IT!"
Hayden approached the victim lying dead on the cold surface. Miracle stood there in silence, feeling a sense of defeat she had never felt before. A pang of guilt streaked through her when she saw the vicious wound across his chest. His flesh was torn open. The sight of the dislocated bones at his ribcage gripped her heart.
Crouching, she outstretched her trembling hand to the boy. "What are we going to do about this, Mr. Hayden?" She struggled to choke back tears. "I-Is he going to be all right?"
"Miracle..." He sighed. "Let's find a place—"
Suddenly, the slow yet familiar rhythm rang in his ears. "Wait." Hayden moved his eyes to the red organ inside the wound. To his surprise, it was beating. "Miracle! Do something! He still has his heart with him!"
"W-What?"
"Fast!" he urged when she wasn't inching to save the boy from becoming the fourth victim.
Jerking out from her state of shock, she hissed to the air, "Be with me."
A warm breeze kissed past her, tingling the fine hairs behind her neck. Miracle pressed a small portion of the air onto the boy's forehead.
Hints of white glow escaped through the gaps in between her bloody fingers. "Oh, air. Please be kind to this boy and save his heart," she whispered.
The sea was furious. Howling gales induced attacks of the waves, challenging the level of the land. Fallen leaves were strewn about at a hurried pace. Bins placed at each junction of the streets toppled over and scattered the trashes along the roads, further worsening the existing mess. The choice Hayden and Miracle were about to make seemed to have angered nature. When the twins saw a stranger at their doorstep, their expressions darkened, especially when they caught sight of the brutal condition of his chest. No explanation was needed. It was clear that the person had been attacked by Mynheex. What worried them was not the attack but the fact that he was still alive. On top of that, bringing a mortal into their house wasn't a smart choice. True, their house was indeed a place to stay. But at the same time, it was a hideout for dragons to complete their missions in this world. A place meant to be kept away from humans. Standing with legs apart, Kingsley folded his arms across his
Echoes of the school bell and the morning announcements drifted to their ears. The Watsons exchanged glances, knowing that reaching Stellaerio in another twenty seconds was impossible. Well, mortals definitely wouldn't make it on time. But none of them were. Two TinXi. One dragon. Good enough. Inhaling a deep breath and lifting their legs as high as ninety degrees, they dashed toward that direction. The security guard gave the rusty gate one last pull before heading back to the guardhouse to enjoy his freshly brewed mocha latte. His hand was still on the lock when the Watsons leaped over the barrier, landing on the opposite ground. The slack-jawed guard was slapped with a sudden gust of wind. It blew away his black cap, revealing the messy strands on his half-bald head. When he turned around to check the time, he saw the minute hand move to 7:30 AM only a few seconds later. They were right on time. "Huh... That was very... very close." Kingsley wiped the sweat dangling down
They killed him. They killed his buddy! Kingsley crouched by his bed, his fingers trembling as he slid open the wooden memory box he treasured. Looking at the photos, nostalgia streaked through him when he saw the particular piece. His stream leaked. It was the first surprise birthday party Peter held for him. The memory said it all—whipped cream smeared everywhere, chocolate cake smashed flat on the table, and Peter standing behind Kingsley, holding another lump of cream in his hand. Lyn was at the side, joining their friend for another cream attack on her brother. Everybody was happy. Nobody was leaving. "I'm sorry, Kingsley." Miracle broke the silence after staying in his room for fifteen minutes. He ignored her apology. "You know what he said here?" Running his fingers across the picture, he traced the features of his dead friend with deep affection. "He said 'Oh, come on, Kingsley! Birthday cakes are never meant to be eaten. They're meant to be ruined for greater happiness
Lifting his head, Hayden stared into the realm laid above the thick layers of grayish clouds. His sorrowful hazel-brown eyes poured out layers of bitterness nobody understood. 2019. It had been eighteen years ever since they parted ways. Back in Ring of Deity, he remembered how it ached his heart, watching his pal imploring Felynx to let him go... "I… I can't do this anymore, Felynx. I-I can't do this anymore..." Yisroel knelt and fixed his dejected gaze on the ground. Felynx's silk robe brushed past his trembling arm. "Get up, Yisroel," he commanded, turning away. "You know you can't escape from this. His Majesty wouldn't allow it." "O-One… one by one sent to me." He gulped the sour lump down his throat. "One by one vanished also because of me." There was a hint of despise in his voice as he glanced over at the iced cuboids hung deep in the wall. He hated himself for failing to bring them back alive. "Everybody wants a happy ending…" Felynx stared into the deserted fountain ou
"Gosh, Miracle! I really don't have an answer to that!" Lyn exclaimed, squeezing out too much anti-acne cream on her palm. "How can you not know? You've been here longer than I do!" Miracle shot up from the turquoise queen-sized bed and threw a pillow in her direction. "Being here early doesn't mean I know everything!" She twisted her body and dodged the hit. "It's clear that Mynheex has gotten so much stronger than before. We could hardly trace them out even if they were to disguise themselves among the humans," she said, tossing it back. "That's why I'm asking if they have any marks!" "Trust me." Lyn stomped toward Miracle and snatched her pillow. "We don't know any more than you do. This is the first time somebody actually asked me this question. We all know how dangerous it is to catch a glimpse at their marks even if they have one." When the room fell into silence, she continued, "Miracle, Mynheex ate too many humans. They conceal their breath of immortality so well that it's
That scream didn't sound friendly. Startled, Hayden cracked the glass he was holding. Tea mixed with blood coursed down his tensed arm. The twins frowned, watching the silver smoke around the ceiling tangling into a confused mass. When they rushed to the door, their jaws almost dropped to the floor upon seeing the unconscious Melvin. His arm was draped over Miracle's shoulder. "What happened?" Hayden asked, keeping his scratched palm behind his back. The wound was closing. What should she say? If she were to say the truth—that this human boy could see the barrier when he wasn't supposed to—he was surely getting chased out of the house. "Nothing serious. Just a mild heatstroke," she said simply. She didn't want to tell them what exactly happened yet, though it might be a mistake keeping them in the dark. Lyn raised a brow. "Mild? The scream—" "Now that we don't have to worry about the mortal overhearing us," Miracle cut in before she had a chance to further her doubts, "let's c
Cold sweat rolled down the bridge of her nose to her shivering chin and pattered to the fallen Magnolia. The drip was so clear in her ears that she could barely hear anything else. Melvin hit the bull's eye. Her heart was leaping into her throat. Hundreds of excuses ran through her mind. She needed something to cover up desperately. Anything at all. Miracle poked her nails into her palm to pull herself together. "W-What? Melvin, what are you talking about?" Her voice cracked as she stammered to finish her sentence. He remained quiet. His ebony eyes were darting around wildly. "Dragons in this generation? Melvin, are you serious?" she said, increasing his doubts about dragons' existence while taking a step closer to the door. Though she had always wanted mortals to acknowledge the presence of dragons, now was certainly not the time. Moreover, when their doubts were literally everywhere. Melvin outstretched his leg and flashed in front of her. He didn't sound convinced. "But
Standing in front of Stellaerio, Miracle stared at the peculiar building with complicated feelings. The stained white crescent hung on the main block resembled the loss of hope in starting afresh. Caws of crows flying past the swaying trees further gloomed the surroundings. Rather than a school, it looked more like a place of life and death. When Miracle reached the second-floor corridor, she headed to the punch card rack and heaved a sigh of relief. It was a Saturday, and Maddie was in the school. While she was still feeling good that her trip to Stellaerio on the weekend didn't go down the drain, a piece of paper flew in her direction and landed next to her feet. A shiver ran down her spine the moment she flipped it over. Her throat constricted, and a twinge of guilt gripped her heart as the words read aloud in her mind. It was the same announcement from that day. 'Xiao Xun, they were the ones you died protecting…' Right then, pictures of the deceased started to merge into