Despite his size, Kairon managed to drag me back to the city, bringing me under the shade of a rge tree. As soon as I felt I was in a safe pce, the adrenaline began to fade, and with it, the pain—intensified by the friction against the debris and roots on the ground—started to grow, slowly but relentlessly.

  I worried that, in my vulnerable state, some wild animal might see me as easy prey. But, as motionless as I was, there was nothing I could do except rely on luck and my companion, who kept circling around me.

  I closed my eyes, hoping that, when I opened them again, the pain would be gone. Losing consciousness right now would be perfect... or better yet, waking up from this dream. I heard Kairon’s wings fpping as he flew away, but I didn’t bother opening my eyes to watch him. If he was leaving, it had to be because he considered the pce safe… or at least, that’s what I wanted to believe.

  *Grack-grack*

  The sound of flesh being torn apart, accompanied by a thick, nauseating scent of blood, pulled me out of my comfortable daze. Slowly, I turned my head in search of the source—and then I saw him. Kairon was devouring the body of an animal with ferocious intensity. His cws were buried deep into his prey, holding it firmly as he tore off chunks of meat and crushed bones between his jaws. A guttural growl of satisfaction rumbled in his throat with every piece of the corpse that disappeared into his mouth.

  As if sensing my gaze, Kairon lifted his head from his feast and looked at me. Fresh blood dripped from his maw, staining the ground beneath him. His scales, slick with red, gleamed under the dim night light, and his piercing eyes locked onto mine. The scene was both savage and mesmerizing, enough to send a chill down my spine. Witnessing a predator so close, feeding on the life of another being, was as nauseating as it was fascinating.

  —Don’t mind me, just keep eating… —I muttered weakly, making it clear that I had no intention of interfering between him and his meal. My body was still numb, and just forcing out those words had taken tremendous effort, but I hoped they would be enough to remind him that I was a companion… not part of the menu.

  Kairon gave me a perplexed look for a moment but then resumed his feast. As for me, I didn’t want the raw brutality of the scene before me to carve itself into my mind, so I slowly shifted my head to look up at the sky. And immediately, an awe-inspiring image captured all my attention.

  A jagged rift, shaped like a bolt of lightning, split the sky in two. It was like an insatiable void, consuming the light, pulling the stars into its depths. It felt as if the sky itself had been wounded, its light bleeding away into an unknown abyss. The farther one was from that luminous wound, the quieter and more oppressive the void became—a vast expanse stripped of stars, stripped of hope.

  It was the first time I had truly been able to witness a night in this ruined city, yet instead of being enchanted by the view, my mind was filled with doubts. Too many things had happened today that defied the rules I knew. After taking that hit, I lost consciousness for a moment—but instead of waking up on the comfort of my couch, I had come to lying on the ground, dirt and grass in my mouth. Sleeping was something I could never do here, no matter how hard I tried. And yet, this time, I had slept through the entire day… only to wake up in this very same pce.

  At this point, the only option left for me to wake up was to die. But after everything that had happened today, doubt began to wrap around my chest like roots clinging to the ground. I didn’t want to kill myself—I just wanted to wake up.

  A sigh, heavy with exhaustion and resignation, escaped from deep within my battered chest. I was bruised, dirty, wounded, and my mind was tangled in a web of uncertainty. But I knew I had to move forward, step by step, just as I always did when facing difficulties. I closed my eyes, hoping that the light of the next day would bring me some crity. And so, between the cries of the animals in the prairies and the sound of Kairon feeding, I fell into a deep sleep.

  ???

  The beautiful song of birds was drowned out by the terrible pain coursing through my body, accompanied by an overwhelming hunger and thirst. I tried to stand up, but all I managed was to shift my position from lying down to sitting up. I had to fend for myself, as nurse Kairon was nowhere to be seen.

  Fortunately, the tree I had been resting against bore edible fruit. With great effort, I managed to shake a branch until a ripe, juicy fruit fell to the ground. The sweetness of the liquid touching my taste buds was heavenly, but swallowing sent sharp pain through my broken ribs, turning every bite into agony.

  I let out a weary sigh when, after much difficulty, I finally finished my breakfast. The fruit could ease my hunger to some extent, but water was another issue. I didn’t dare drink the city’s water carelessly, so it was best to wait for Kairon and ask for his help.

  A moment ter, I heard the sound of wings approaching. I trusted that it was Kairon, but just in case, I moved cautiously, hiding behind the tree. My luck had never been great, so it was better to be careful than to end up with more broken ribs.

  —Grah-grah!

  —My friend, I’m so gd to see you —Every word that left my mouth was followed by an intense, irritating pain in my chest —I need to clean off all this filth. Could you help me?

  I felt sticky, and I feared that some of my wounds might get infected. Seeing that Kairon’s scales had regained their turquoise color, with no trace of st night’s mess, I assumed he must have some way to get rid of dirt.

  Kairon hovered over my head for a moment before descending. Then, he grabbed my shirt with his cws and lifted off again, managing to pull me to my feet.

  Ughk…

  —Grah? —Upon hearing my groan, nurse Kairon softened the force of his fpping.

  —I’m fine, keep going.

  It would have been great if he could just carry me through the air, though that was probably too much to ask. After all, I was a grown man… while Kairon was barely three days old.

  Slowly, as if we were both learning to walk, we made our way toward our destination. I was curious to see where Kairon was taking me, but it turned out to be the water channel. Which, in hindsight, made perfect sense… I don’t know what I was expecting.

  The cool breeze brushing against my skin made the effort worthwhile. It was a slow and difficult process that required Kairon’s cleverness and the use of some broad leaves from the trees, but in the end, I managed to clean myself. Ideally, I would have just submerged myself in the water, but I was in no condition to climb or swim—and I hadn’t survived the attack of some unknown creature just to end up drowning.

  —Hey, do you think I can drink this water?

  If it weren’t for my fear of the unknown, I would have taken a sip directly during my "shower." My throat was dry, as if I hadn’t drunk water all day… which, essentially, I hadn’t. Kairon was a native of this pce, but more than that, I trusted his judgment, so I preferred to ask before taking the risk.

  —Grahh —he responded, shaking his head in clear denial.

  —No? Then where do you drink from? Or are you going to tell me you don’t need water?

  —Grahh! Grahh!

  —And what’s that supposed to mean? You could at least communicate in a nguage I can understand!

  Normally, I put effort into reading his body nguage and associating it with the sounds he made to understand him, but this time, thirsty and frustrated by his refusal, I wasn’t in the best mood.

  Kairon flicked his tail as if he was about to whip me with it and let out a growl—Kraaagh! Kraaagh!—to express his exasperation. Then, he opened his jaws, revealing his sharp teeth. I knew he wasn’t threatening me but rather trying to point something out.

  —Okay, okay, see? You can communicate clearly when you try! —Though I didn’t fully grasp his intention, I mimicked him, opening my mouth wide. And before I could react, I felt the pure delight of fresh water. Like rain after a long drought, the refreshing liquid flooded my throat.

  I closed my eyes to savor the drink, which kept flowing like an endless stream. Only when my thirst was fully quenched did I finally ask the question I should have asked from the start.

  —Where did that water come from?

  —Grah? —Kairon tilted his head, as if he didn’t understand the question. Then, with a movement of his cws, a stream of water suddenly burst forth, crashing onto the ground with a shhshhhshh sound.

  Throughout my life, I had been surprised by many things. Several of them had happened just yesterday. But if I had to make a list of the most shocking events, this would undoubtedly take the number one spot.

  —Expin —I demanded the moment the water stopped flowing.

  Kairon, as if oblivious to my confusion, repeated the motion with his cw. As he gazed at me indifferently, water once again poured out of nowhere, as if there were an invisible faucet I simply couldn’t see.

  —I don’t get it —I muttered, moving my hand through the air in an attempt to imitate his gesture. Nothing happened. I didn’t even disturb the airflow. Normally, I would have brushed the matter aside, convincing myself that this was just a simple dream. But now… I wasn’t so sure anymore.

  That was the beginning of the abnormal events in my new life, and little by little, I got used to the unpredictable becoming the norm.

  Distracted and with Kairon’s help, we headed toward the castle. I had never seen it rain here, but with all the strange things happening, a downpour wouldn’t be surprising either. I didn’t want to get wet. Catching a cold in my current state could be a serious problem.

  Once inside the castle, Kairon gathered several fruits and left them for me to eat. It was a touching gesture. Without him, my situation would have been much worse. Maybe I would have found a way to manage, but it definitely would have taken me much more effort.

  —Thanks, buddy. I don’t know what I’d do without you.

  —Grrruu —he responded, with a sound that was somewhere between a growl and a purr.

  After handing me the fruits, he vanished into thin air.

  He didn’t return until dusk, when he came back dragging the body of an animal that looked like a pony… but with a horn. I couldn’t make out its full appearance, as most of its body was in shreds. Kairon was definitely not a subtle hunter.

  —Hey, are you okay? —Even though I didn’t see any wounds on him, I was worried he might have gotten hurt. The creature, despite being about the size of a goat, was muscur and looked strong. Kairon, on the other hand, was only three days old.

  Kairon shook his head and, with a swift motion, tore off one of the creature’s legs. It was astonishing to see how his teeth sliced through flesh and bone as if they were butter.

  —Grah? —He let out an inquisitive sound while offering me a piece of his catch. It was a kind gesture, and it was also good to know I’d be able to eat meat in the future. But for now, I had to refuse.

  I shook my head to make my answer clear.

  —No, thanks, but I can’t eat anything solid yet.

  Upon hearing my words, the young and hungry dragon proceeded to devour his prey with enthusiasm, repying the same brutal scene I had witnessed the night before. Watching him in the middle of his feast, I could only say:

  —Eat a lot so you can grow big and strong.

  After that, I turned my attention back to my fruits.

  For the next few days, I focused on my recovery. I’m no professional doctor, but I had some idea of the basic care I needed to follow. Of course, that was under the assumption that, despite coughing up blood occasionally, I didn’t have any serious internal damage.