–The Next Morning–

The day was still young, the sun barely risen over this part of Zhrea.

The sky was gray with chilly winds that made Dean shiver even under his thick black jacket.

He stood in the courtyard. His bags fully packed overnight. And he was very much eager to return to Franseint academy with one goal in mind.

To get stronger.

Most of the household were still asleep. After the long night of drinking, eating and dancing.

All of them except Ying, Yuki, Brianna and Liam.

Each of them hugged and saw him off. But Yuki followed him all the way to the gates.

While Ying watched from the doorway silently with arms crossed over his chest and a proud smile on his face.

Dean stood beside Yuki at the gates.He reached into his coat and pulled out the hairpin that Yuki had sneaked into his clothes as a gift yesterday.

It was their mother’s favorite hairpin.

"Here," Dean said, holding out the hairpin.

Yuki looked at it and then at him with a confused expression. "What?"

"This is yours," Dean said. "It’s the one thing you have from Mother."

Yuki shook her head. "You should keep it. You’re the heir—"

"And you’re the one thing I have from her," Dean interrupted.

Yuki went still. Her expression was completely unreadable but it was far from cold.

Dean pressed the hairpin into her hand. "Keep this."

He paused and looked directly into her eyes. "I already have you, sister."

Yuki quickly looked down, staring at the hairpin for a long moment as she raised her head with warm streams of tears coming down her cheeks.

She took a single step forward and hugged him. Holding him so tight, it felt like she would lose him if she let go.

Dean hugged her back. His head on her shoulder and a warmth building in his chest.

The smile on Ying’s face widened as he watched from the doorway.

Dean pulled away slowly, much to Yuki’s not so subtle protests.

He flung the new bag over his shoulders and It felt lighter than before. Even with all the new gifts inside.

Elite-tier 5 wasn’t just for show, he felt the difference even now and knew that it would only get better.

"I’ll be back," Dean said as he patted Yuki’s right shoulder

Yuki smiled, trying her best to clean her tears.

"You better.." She said as she flicked his forehead softly. "Now go and make us proud."

Dean yawned slightly. Yuki’s eyes twitched. "Okay... go before I kill you."

---

Dean walked under the gray clouds toward the transit zone.

The middle district was quiet. Early mornings like this meant most people were still sleeping off hangovers or exhaustion.

Everyone needed those precious few more minutes of sleep before the week’s bustle begins again.

He was barely out of the block where the compound was when he heard it.

The air whistled, causing him to turn as the sound began even more sharper. Something was flapping, probably wings.

’Wings?’ Dean thought with an eyebrow raised and immediately looked up.

A black carriage descended from the sky. It would have been hard to discern under the poor visibility if it wasn’t for the four white creatures that pulled it.

’Are those wyverns?’ Dean’s mouth was open in shock.

The carriage got closer and he confirmed it. It was been pulled by baby wyverns with glowing gold eyes.

Dean’s hand squeezed on the handle of his bag as he began calculating his next move.

The compound was still within range but if this was some kind of danger, was running back home even a smart choice?

Deciding to just steel his nerves for now, the carriage descended and when he got a closer look at how expensive it looked.

He thought out loud. "Olsen?"

The door of the carriage suddenly opened even as Dean stepped back just in case.

Yeah, it wasn’t Olsen. Instead, Leona Saint sat inside. She wore a dark red slitted gown. Her white hair was loose and flowing, brushing her upper back.

She looked at Dean, raising an eyebrow. "You planning to walk the whole way?"

Dean blinked. "What?"

"Get in," Leona said. "I’m going to Franseint too."

Dean hesitated. But it wasn’t for the reason one would think. This wasn’t for his safety. It was for hers.

"I don’t bite," Leona added with a mild smile arching on her lips. "Much."

Dean smirked and walked forward before climbing in, his back held like paperweight behind him.

***

The carriage’s interior design was cozy. Befitting such an expensive looking exterior.

Having wyverns ride you was as expensive as it came right?

Dean sank into he plush seats. With his fingers tracing the dark wood trim.

He moved closer to Leona, choosing to sit down beside her. And from where he sat, he noticed there was no driver.

The Wyverns were moving Automated or maybe... he turned to look at Leona. ’Mayeb she was controlling them.’

The woman sat with her legs crossed with her face buried in a small book.

She read the leather bound book with enthusiasm.

But Dean’s enthusiasm was somewhere else. It was something he almost had no control over.

How could he help himself from looking at her pale long legs through the slit of her gown. And just barely visible underneath was her red lingerie.

"Stop staring," Leona said without looking up. "It’s not gentlemanly."

She switched legs. And the slit shifted but so did Dean’s eyes. He couldn’t help it. This woman was his crush.

His gaze moved up from her legs to her lips.

But then she closed the book and looked at him. Her red eyes flowing like an ocean of blood.

"Yeah, I’m beautiful," Leona said flatly. "Anything else?"

Dean leaned back slightly as a smirk curled on to his lips.

"Calling yourself only beautiful should be a crime in Zhrea," he said with a low and calm tone.

Leona blinked. Her expression was shifting slowly.

"But since I’m not the WSA," Dean continued, "I’ll give you a pass for underselling yourself."

Suddenly her cheeks flushed for half a second as she looked away. "You’re bolder than I expected."

"Confident," Dean said. He shifted closer to her slowly, like he owned the space.

Leona studied him for a long moment. "Are you by any chance, taking Flux Zone Exploration this year."

"I am."

"You should’ve waited until second or third year." Leona’s tone shifted to serious mode.

"First-years fail my class more than any other."

"I don’t plan to fail," Dean shrugged.

"No one does."

"I’m your only student this year, so I’m going to Pass."

Leona was amused as she smiled. "We’ll see."

The carriage flew forward. The baby wyverns were now pulled it across the air.

As Dean still faced Leona but from the corner of his eye, he caught a glow in the air like a heat haze.

’That shouldn’t be possible.’ he thought.

Then the city’s protective barrier. The one he’d saw around the wall during the battle at Wall Gray suddenly pulsed like an alarm.

It was barely a second or two later when a crack formed in the air. Before it expanded into a large tear.

Dean’s chest tightened. "Leona—"

"I see it," she said.

The flux tear widened as the carriage came to an abrupt halt.

The wings of the Wyverns were still flapping even as Leona kicked the door open.

She held the door and flipped onto the top of the carriage.

Dean wasn’t far behind her.