After the announcement, each day settled into a comfortable routine. My mother decided to take a step back from her royal duties for a while, choosing to personally attend to me rather than leaving it to the maids who usually handled such things. Every morning, she greeted me with the brightest smile, ready to prepare me for the day ahead.

After breakfast with her and my father, she would give me a tour of our vast home. With so many corridors, it would be easy to get lost, so I made sure to pay close attention to every detail as she explained each room. As we walked down the grand hallways, I noticed the moving paintings that lined the walls—each one a living memory, capturing brief moments of our history.

My mother explained the significance of each painting in exquisite detail. She spoke of the internal wars that nearly tore our people apart, how they gain their human form, and the formation of our kingdom, which opened trade routes with other nations. Portraits of past kings and queens also adorned the walls, and I learned that many of them were still alive.

That’s when I learned a curious fact: a dragon king only reigns for a millennium. A thousand years may seem long, but for dragons who live well over five thousand years and possibly longer, it is merely a blink of an eye. The reason behind this rule was tied to our history.

The First King, had many sons and daughters. When he was about to depart from this realm, he never named a successor. I had assumed the crown would naturally pass to his eldest, but he didn’t want it. Neither did the second-born, who longed to live a life of as a adventurer. As my mother continued the story, I began to wonder if anyone wanted the throne.

Without a clear heir, the kingdom was on the brink of collapse. Trade halted, funds dried up, and the kingdom’s economy crumbled. The people demanded leadership, but the king’s children were too busy fighting one another. In the midst of this chaos, the youngest of the royal siblings stepped forward. With calm determination, he took control, organizing the people, and even working alongside them from dawn until dusk. Thanks to his leadership, the kingdom slowly recovered, trade routes reopened, and the people returned to their livelihoods, all while his brothers and sisters continued their deadly squabbles trying to bride the other leaders that supported their father to take their side.

The citizens rallied behind him, shouting that he would make a wonderful king, one for the people. The leaders of the other faction agreed to this, ending the on going feud between siblings, they had no other option, with no support there was no chance of winning. During his coronation, he made a decree: he would only rule for a millennium, and after that, the next ruler would not be chosen by birthright but by the will of the people. Every future king would earn their place, just as he did.

“And so, my little one,” my mother said softly, “your father did not simply inherit his crown. He earned it, fighting and working beside the people of this kingdom. That is why he is known as the Ruler of Dragonkin.”

Pride swelled in my chest as I listened. My father wasn’t just any dragon—he was chosen by the people.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

I never got tired of the stories, and the moving paintings were quite satisfying to see. It felt like living in Hogwarts. After countless lessons on history, each told with the mesmerizing skill of my mother, we’d meet my father in the dining hall. He was always so excited to see us, constantly mentioning how seeing his "lovely girls" made the stress of his work fade away. I imagine a king’s duties are endless. Whenever I caught glimpses of his subjects frantically moving through the castle halls—papers flying everywhere—it was hard not to chuckle at the sight.

But the best part of the day? Food! And far better than the egg shells I had in my first moments. The servants would bring out platter after platter, but the one thing I could never warm up to? Vegetables. My mother insisted I eat them first before even touching the main course, so over time, I begrudgingly grew used to it. The vegetables were strange compared to Earth—yellow carrots, orange broccoli, mushrooms in shades of blue and purple. It weirded me out at first, but disobeying my mother? Not a chance.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

The real treat, was the main course, meat. It was tender, savory, and melted in my mouth as if it had been aged for years. Every bite felt like a reward for surviving the vegetables. No matter how often I ate it, I could never get enough. After dinner, it was bath time. My mother would ring a bell, and Thing 1 and Thing 2 would appear like ninjas, whisking me away to the bath and then putting me to bed. Before I drifted off to sleep, my mother and father would always come in, placing a kiss on my head and wishing that the goddess fill my dreams with wonder and joy.

This continued for four years. In that time, I noticed something odd: I wasn’t growing much. Despite missing out on sleep to absorb mana after the mother and father kiss me goodnight. I hadn’t seen the same changes as before. Maybe tonight, I will just go to sleep.

As I lay there, I debated

Let’s actually sleep this time.

I closed my eyes and drifted off.

But when I opened them again, I found myself standing on water once more.

"Was I back, without even trying?"

It was different this time. There was no moon, no stars, just an endless, dark blue sky. As I turned around, I noticed something a circular mirror floating in the distance, glowing faintly.

"This is new"

I cautiously approached it, trying to get a better look. The surface reflected the moon, the stars, and... me?

There I was, standing there in shock. I glanced down and saw that I had hand, legs, and feet as I touched my face to make sure its was real.—I was human again. It was me, dark eyes and black hair, dressed in the same clothes I wore that day at the café. Panic surged through my body, and I began to step back, unsure of what was happening. Just as I was about to turn and run, I felt something—a warmth, that I grown familiar too.

I turned slowly, and there she was. Silvia.

She approached me, her hands cupping my cheeks gently. I looked into her eyes, and without thinking, placed my hand over hers.

“I missed you, Luna,” she said softly.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and as they started to fall, Silvia wiped them away.

“I was scared,” I admitted. “Seeing myself again all of a sudden—I thought... I thought…”

“You died again,” Silvia finished for me, her voice calm.

“No, not at all. This mirror connects to you.”

I glanced around and noticed the stars and moon had reappeared in the sky. The mirror, however, was now dark, like a void.

“I’m sorry, Luna. I wanted to see you. Where you were before was just a place between your dreams.”

“So... like REM sleep before deep sleep?”

She smiled and nodded. “Exactly.”

Silvia removed her hand from my cheek and took my hand instead. With a wave, a plush sofa appeared beside us.

“Come,” she said, sitting down and tapping the cushion next to her.

I hesitated for a moment before sitting. As I did, she moved closer, causing my face to flush with heat. I turned away, trying to hide my face.

“Oh, no you don’t. We’re way past that point,” she teased. “Remember, you stole a kiss from me.”

My eyes widened, my face turning even redder.

“Is it getting hot in here?” I joked, trying to fan myself.

Silvia reached over and gently turned my face back toward her.

“There,” she said, grinning. “I get to see that pretty face turn red.”

“Fine, you win,” I said, laughing. “I accept defeat. Do what you must for payback.”

She raised her hand, and I braced myself, closing my eyes in preparation for a slap from a goddess.

Bonk.

I felt a light tap on my forehead. When I opened my eyes, she was smiling back at me, laughing softly.

“Aww, my little Luna. Were you really afraid?”

“Of course! You’re a goddess, and I’m just a simple mortal. A slap from you could put me in a coma!” I joked, which made her laugh even harder. I couldn’t help but laugh along with her.

"So, how are you able to connect with me?" I asked, curiosity piqued.

"Well, you've acquired enough mana to maintain this realm," Silvia replied.

"You mean like REM?" I asked, trying to wrap my head around it.

"Yes and no. Entering REM sleep is just part of the normal process of falling asleep. But staying here, in this realm, that takes mana."

"That makes sense. But how did you know I could maintain it?"

She glanced off into the distance, tapping her index finger together.

"Have you been trying to communicate with me this whole time?" as I lean over and trying to stare her in the eyes.

"Maayyybe..." she said, her cheeks turning red as she tried her best to avoid eye contact.

I couldn't help but laugh.

"I missed you too, Silvia."

As soon as the words left my mouth, an overwhelming drowsiness washed over me. My body felt heavy, and my eyelids drooped as if I could pass out any second.

"I think our time is up," she said softly, catching my nodding head and gently placing it on her lap.

"What's... happening?", my voice barely a whisper.

"Your mana dipped below what's required to maintain this realm. But don't worry, I'm sure we'll see each other again."

As I started to drift off, I felt something soft and warm press against my cheek.

"Good night, Luna... my fated one."