The transition from reality to the dream is not as simple as merely closing and opening one’s eyes.

  When young Mae succumbed to sleep, he was transported to a place both familiar and unknown. Beneath his feet, a valley shrouded in darkness stretched endlessly toward the horizon, while above him, the starry sky was replaced by a canvas of enormous gray waves.

  Blind, unaware, and stripped of his will, he wandered aimlessly, driven only by the desire not to be trapped there forever and by his trust in the waves in the sky, which swayed in rhythm with his slow steps, guiding him forward.

  As he advanced, the grays of the sky transformed into vibrant colors. But just when the landscape seemed to come to life, everything faded into a dull flash, and Mae’s consciousness awakened—surrounded by ruins, untamed vegetation, and the towering wall that obstructed my view. A place that, over time, I had learned to love.

  The scenery before me, along with the fresh scent of nature filling my lungs, seemed to welcome me. A smile formed on my face as a serene calm and a flicker of gratitude overtook my mind, dispelling the lingering melancholy clinging to Mae’s sleeping body on an orthopedic mattress.

  My thoughts drifted to the past, to those days when I returned home after playing with my friends, knowing that my mother would be waiting with a warm smile and a steaming plate of food. As those memories swirled in my head, my feet moved on their own, guiding me toward the castle. It was time to free my scaly friend from his oval prison.

  Since the day I found him, the first thing I do upon arriving is help Kairon hatch. That way, I get to spend more time with him—and, in doing so, ensure I am not alone.

  The last living being of a species deemed extinct… That’s how I felt when my mother died. It was as if my pack had abandoned me in a world full of predators. I completely lost the ability to form new family bonds—until Kairon appeared.

  I tried many times to be part of something. I longed for it deeply, but all my attempts ended in failure. However, every time I see Kairon break through his shell, his small eyes brimming with fierceness, curiosity, and innocence, that emotion I thought was lost returns to me. Something about his presence dissolves the solitude that had taken root inside me. It’s as if, at last, the chance to heal and believe in family bonds again was waiting for me.

  That is precisely why I am in no rush to escape this lucid dream. Even if it isn’t real, something about this place gives me hope—that maybe, just maybe, I can be normal like everyone else… and I’m holding onto that.

  My eyes settled on four towers, each at least twenty meters tall, standing guard over the central structure with an air reminiscent of the Vaux-le-Vicomte palace. Atop the dome of the main building rose a fifth tower—the tallest of them all. Inside, though time and nature had erased much of its ornamentation, traces of its former grandeur still remained.

  I entered the place, ignoring any distractions, and headed straight for the vault, where my roommate awaited me.

  I climbed the small hill with the ease that comes from experience and, after clearing the nest, placed my hand on the egg’s scales. They sliced through my skin and flesh as if they were butter. Blood welled up immediately, and with a quick motion, I flicked my arm to spread the liquid across the shell.

  After waking him so many times, I had come to the conclusion that while my blood was the catalyst for his hatching, it did not require an excessive amount like it had the first time. In fact, just a few well-distributed drops across the shell were enough to do the job.

  At first, I believed that by waking the young lizard with my blood, a bond would form between us—something that would influence his emotions and prevent him from seeing me as a threat. That belief was the reason I died multiple times attempting to approach him recklessly. Now I understand that there is no "dream contract" preventing him from attacking me. My blood is nothing more than a simple alarm clock.

  In fact, it’s worse than that—I’m basically throwing cold water on him to wake him up. He might take it as a joke or he might wake up with the urge to kill whoever dared to interrupt his rest so abruptly. It all depends on his mood.

  Once the awakening process begins, a mysterious force paralyzes me, rendering me unable to move a single muscle. All I can do is wait until my ears catch the tinkling sound of scales shedding from the shell. That sound is my signal—it means I can move again… and that it’s time to step back if I don’t want to end up as minced meat.

  —Grah?

  Even while hidden behind the gold and gemstones, I could feel the newborn’s gaze settle upon me. I had discovered that the best way to avoid a sudden attack was to provoke his curiosity. If I remained hidden, he would assume I was a predator lying in wait. But if I revealed myself, I would pique his interest. So I slowly stepped out of my hiding spot, ensuring he could see me fully. Keeping my arms relaxed at my sides, I raised my face until our eyes met.

  The newly hatched creature possessed a presence difficult to describe. Just by being there, motionless, his deep navy-blue eyes, rimmed with amber irises, pierced through me with an intensity that made the stillness of the ruins feel even heavier. The faint echo of his tiny claws scraping against the rocks reverberated through the cave, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine.

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  His gaze, full of curiosity, gleamed with a mischievous glint and a wild spark. Predator and prey—our roles had been defined the moment he hatched.

  The lizard stood tall and proud, his turquoise scales flecked with golden specks that seemed to capture and reflect every sliver of light, as if tiny fragments of the sun had been embedded in his skin. The crests and horns adorning his head were not yet sharp or intimidating; rather, they gave him an air of childlike royalty, like a natural crown still in the process of forming. His wings, small in proportion to his body, unfurled instinctively, revealing a translucent amber membrane that quivered slightly with each movement.

  Despite the tension of the moment, I knew he wouldn’t strike first. He was simply waiting for me to make a mistake, for one careless movement that would let him pounce on me like a famished lion.

  Slowly, I began to back away from the cave without breaking eye contact. It was the only method I had discovered that made his curiosity outweigh his desire to bite me.

  —Krrr.

  My movements didn’t go unnoticed, and in an instant, the tension spiked. But I still had my ace in the hole. Before he had time to react, I swiftly pulled out a fruit I had picked on my way to the castle and tossed it into the air, redirecting his attention toward it.

  —Eat up, my friend, it’s your favorite poisonous fruit.

  He had just hatched, and I knew he was starving. To his eyes, I was nothing more than an annoying, walking breakfast—and I couldn’t blame him. Just like him, I also turn into a beast when my stomach is empty. The purpose of the fruit, besides distracting him, was to stoke his hunger.

  As the young lizard sniffed at the fruit, I picked up my pace, managing to escape the vault unharmed. Even though I could no longer see him, I didn’t stop backing away. I had to get out of the castle before Kairon left the vault; I needed him to fill his belly with the fruit and forget about me—at least for a while.

  Once he stuffed himself with those poisonous fruits—which, oddly enough, didn’t affect him the way they would me—his curiosity would take over, pushing me off his list of potential prey and setting the perfect stage for deepening our bond.

  In short, I was in danger of dying until he considered me part of his pack. I wouldn’t take this kind of risk if this weren’t a dream. Luckily, it "was"—otherwise, I’d already be dead and reincarnated as a roasted chicken.

  I put enough distance between myself and the castle, searching for a place to lie down and steady my nerves. I couldn’t sleep, but I wanted to close my eyes and bask in the peace. I had done everything I could; now, all I could do was wait.

  As I hummed the lyrics of a song whose name I couldn’t remember, I heard the rustling of tree leaves. Given that there was no wind here, it could only mean one thing—the young Kairon was approaching. I no longer feared for my life, but I knew we weren’t quite close enough to be called friends yet. One more step remained. So, I clenched my teeth and tensed my muscles, bracing myself for what was to come.

  In the silence of nature, I could hear his footsteps circling around me. After a moment, as if deciding I was too weak to be a threat, he simply lay down a short distance away, letting his full belly rest.

  I opened my eyes when his breathing became steady, thinking that, for once, this might be one of those rare occasions where I wouldn’t have to endure pain before being accepted.

  *Swish—Crack!*

  A sharp pain shot up from my leg, spreading through my entire body, followed by the sound of a whip cutting through the air.

  —Uhhg Damn it! Was that really necessary?

  Breaking my leg with a single whip of his tail would’ve been easy for him. But he didn’t. Even though the pain was so intense that standing was nearly impossible, it was also a sign—I had been accepted as part of his group. The purpose of the strike wasn’t to injure me, but to establish the hierarchy.

  —Couldn’t you be a little gentler? Unlike you, I don’t have scales to protect me, you know?

  *Swish—Crack!*

  Like an annoyed parent punishing a child for talking back, another strike landed on my leg, making me wish I could wake up from this dream… but I knew that wasn’t going to happen.

  —Grahh!

  —You little…! Don’t push it. Don’t make me angry. You better stop now while I still care that you’re an infant.

  I forced myself to stand despite the weakness in my legs, trying to look intimidating. I had no chance of winning; all I could do was take the hits. However, if I gave up without resistance, he wouldn’t see me as part of the group—he’d see me as something closer to a servant. I had already been through that. I had to show him that, even though I was weaker, I wouldn’t tolerate abuse.

  —Grahh! —but Kairon wasn’t one to back down easily.

  In the end, I had to endure six strikes before my protest was acknowledged. When our little argument was finally settled and his leadership was firmly established, he flapped his tiny wings, lifting off the ground and landing on my shoulders—completely unconcerned that my legs were still trembling from the pain.

  —Don’t get too cocky, scaly friend. You’re such a brave leader, yet you don’t even have a name.

  Naming him was part of my strategy to form a stronger bond, something I had learned back when I was treated as a slave. At that time, giving him the name "Kairon" had shifted my status in our duo from a mere servant to a companion. But since I was already starting as a companion this time, I had the chance to use the "name card" to earn his consideration and become a close friend.

  Perched on my shoulders, I felt his claws tense, a clear sign of his disappointment. It made me wonder how he even understood what a name was, but since we couldn’t communicate, asking was impossible.

  —Kairon… That will be your name. What do you think?

  I seized the opportunity and offered him the name I had called him by in so many dreams, thus sealing our friendship—while thinking it would be great if the "Mae" in the real world could form close relationships this easily.

  —Grah?

  —Of course, it’s a great name. Unique. Worthy of a being as powerful as you. Believe me, coming from someone who has seen more powerful creatures than you can imagine.

  —Grah-grah! —Pleased with my answer, he climbed up to my head, proud, while urging me to walk.

  I had tried to get Kairon to leave the city, but he refused to do so unless I went with him, which wasn’t an option. So, we could only repeat the same routine: walking, eating fruit, and resting. However, thanks to his presence, the strolls were much livelier, and my laughter, mixed with his growls, filled the silent ruins, bringing back a sliver of the life they had lost.