Chapter 3

-Watson Residence-

Hopping down the empyrean loop after peeking through several times, Miracle found herself in an unfamiliar land. As the loop vanished behind her, she took in her surroundings. The warm sensation of wild grasses, coupled with a wave of sea-scented air, greeted her. Her shoes were gone, and the layers of her silky garments had transformed into a set she had no connection with—a pink cotton T-shirt and a pair of black ripped jeans. She touched her head. Her silver chains were no longer on her too. 

'So this is the version of their world,' she muttered inwardly, recalling the lessons she had learned about humans.

"Good day." A deep voice snapped her to her senses. "Here, wear these." He placed the jelly flip-flop next to her bare feet.

"T-Thanks..." She lifted her eyes to the middle-aged man standing before her. "And you are?"

"Amenxious. I'm Hayden Watson, the TinXi who has been guarding here for decades," he said, giving her a slight gentlemanly bow.

As she watched Hayden move with practiced grace, her master's words echoed in her mind. The TinXi were legendary guardians of the mortal realm, renowned for their unmatched strength and agility. Whispers among her kind spoke of their unwavering loyalty in protecting dragons on their quests. In addition to their physical prowess, they excelled as spellcasters, effortlessly erasing the memories of mortals who had witnessed scenes they weren't meant to see.

"Amenxious. Nice to meet you too, Hayden. I'm Xue..." She trailed off for a moment, almost forgetting that she wasn't supposed to use her real name in this world. "Miracle. I'm Miracle."

She studied the man—fair skin, sharp nose, and rounded ears. Behind his hazel-brown eyes, she discerned hints of blue—the color of TinXi. Her gaze then drifted to his T-shirt, catching a glimpse of his tough body as it wasn't buttoned fully.

While Miracle was still sizing him up, a blue aquatic drop suddenly surfaced out of his dilating pupil. She froze. Her sight rippled for a second as another drop was extracted from the blueness behind her disguised left eye. When the blue spheroids merged together, they radiated a vibrant presence of vitality.

A sudden wave of dizziness hit her.

"H-Hayden?" She rested her hand on a bench next to the magnolia tree.

He didn't seem to notice. With a focused gaze, he drew the glowing spheroid from the air, squeezing it until it burst into twinkling fragments that spiraled upward, weaving an invisible elemental net over the house.

Right before her arm slipped off the crest rail, Hayden hurried over and caught her just in time. "Sorry, Miracle," he said. "We needed to do this to strengthen the barrier of this house. I should've warned you first."

She shook her head. "It's okay. Is it done?"

"Yes." He nodded. "Let's get in. It's cold out here."

When Miracle entered, she swept her gaze around. Blue opaque curtains were drawn, leaving only thin gaps between them for the slightest hint of light to pass through. Books, seemingly weathered by a century or more, adorned the racks beneath the double-stringer stairs. Familiar silver fronds at the corners infused the space with a divine ambiance that coursed through her body. Yet, her nose itched at the lingering breaths that belonged to the late dragons.

'I'll end this disaster, my friends. And shall bring back your names and dignities.'

"Have a seat, Miracle." Hayden gestured her toward the single seater couch. "I'll get you something to drink."

"Sure." She outstretched her legs.

Suddenly, the echo of loud footsteps behind the door sent a jolt through her nerves. Miracle’s eyes snapped to the entrance, her fists tightening, ready for whatever was coming.

"Dad! We are back!" A teen's voice.

'Dad?' Her tensed shoulders relaxed a little.

"Oh, you're back?" Hayden responded from the kitchen.

Ignoring her father's reply, the girl in school uniform froze in her tracks as soon as she stepped into the house.

"The... dragon?" She slacked her jaw. 

"Gosh, what's with the stop?" the taller boy behind her grumbled, drawing his face back from her voluminous maroon hair.

Both of them bore a striking resemblance. 

When he moved his eyes to Miracle, he looked as shocked as the earlier girl.

"Wow," he uttered under his breath after a long pause.

Putting down the tray of strawberry tea, Hayden waved at his children, telling them to come over. "Lyn, Kingsley. Come here." 

Lyn's breath caught in her throat as she clutched the staircase railing, her wide eyes darting between her father and Miracle. It wasn't until Hayden introduced them to the young dragon that they finally approached.

The twins set their bags aside and executed a proper bow. Bending on one knee, Lyn formed a circle by connecting her index fingers with her thumbs, seamlessly interlocking them. The remaining fingers were held outstretched.

"Amenxious. I'm Lyn Watson, a water striker with 600 years of cultivation," she said, lifting her hands to her forehead.

"Amenxious. And I'm Kingsley Watson." The brother followed suit. "A fire striker with 600 years of cultivation."

Gently pushing up their elbows, Miracle curled up the corners of her lips. "Just ignore all the protocols. Nobody's here to check on this."

"Exactly!" Kingsley cast Hayden a sidelong look. "But our dad doesn't seem to be getting it at all."

Their father tried to argue. "Well... It's all—"

"Respect," said the twins. 

Miracle chuckled softly. 

Hayden flashed an awkward smile before walking away with the empty teapot in his hand. The moment he did, Lyn hopped over and perched on the arm panel of the couch where Miracle was seated.

"You're really... the most beautiful dragon I've ever met," Lyn whispered. She was so close to Miracle that Miracle had to inch a little to keep her maroon hair from tickling her arms. "Actually, the first white dragon."

"Can you stop acting like a hungry beast?"

"White dragons are powerful in nature, Kingsley. How can you not be impressed?"

He rolled his eyes. "Just so you know, aside from creeping her out, you're nowhere looking like you're impressed." Kingsley took a sip of his tea.

Miracle smiled. "Well, I'll be counting on you guys in Stellaerio."

"Don't worry too much about it. Lyn and I will be by your side." He shot a look at his sister.

"Of course..." Something caught Lyn's attention. "Oh my... god."

"What is it now?" Kingsley arched his brow, looking irritated.

"Her... m-mark. It's amazing," Lyn said, her fingers trembling. 

As Kingsley followed her gaze, he drew in a sharp breath, shock washing away his annoyance. "I see... a truly white dragon," he murmured, the awe in his voice palpable as the reality settled in.

"I finally see some hope in ending this bloody war," Hayden mumbled as he came up from behind, leaving Miracle to wonder what he meant by that.