Chapter 42: Before the Storm

A month passed since Yuki had joined the Draven family, and in that short time, the mansion had grown noticeably livelier. Even though the little dragon was strictly forbidden from wandering outside Neo’s room, its presence alone seemed to fill the entire estate with a quiet, cheerful energy that hadn’t been there before.

Nora’s parents had returned home not long after the incident with the assassins, though Nora herself had firmly insisted on staying behind a while longer. Liam and Elara had looked a little disappointed at the thought of leaving without her, but after seeing how much brighter she seemed lately, they hadn’t put up much of a fight.

"She deserves a little happiness of her own, Write to us often, alright?" Elara had said softly before leaving, gently squeezing her daughter’s hand.

Nora had simply nodded, though the moment the carriage disappeared down the snowy road, she’d turned right back around and headed straight for Neo’s room, where Yuki was already waiting eagerly by the door, tail wagging excitedly the moment it heard her familiar footsteps.

With Nora staying behind, the days settled into a comfortable, happy rhythm.

Mornings usually started with Neo dragging himself out of bed for training, Cassian pushing him through increasingly difficult drills while Sylvia oversaw his mana control exercises in the afternoon. Nora often sat nearby during these sessions, sometimes offering quiet suggestions, other times simply watching with Yuki curled up contentedly in her lap.

Afternoons were reserved for the three of them, spent mostly in Neo’s room or the private garden tucked away behind the east wing, far from prying eyes. Yuki had grown noticeably over the month, though it was still small enough to fit comfortably in either of their arms. Its wings had grown stronger as well, allowing it short, clumsy bursts of flight that usually ended with it crashing headfirst into the nearest pillow.

One particular afternoon, Neo sat cross-legged on the floor, watching in amusement as Yuki attempted, for the fourth time that day, to snatch a piece of dried fish from Nora’s hand without actually flying properly.

"You’re supposed to fly to it, not just flop toward it," Neo said, laughing as Yuki tumbled sideways mid-attempt, landing in a undignified heap of scales and wings.

Nora, unbothered as always, simply reached down and scratched the top of its head.

"It tries hard. That’s enough."

Yuki chirped happily in agreement, immediately abandoning its dignity to nuzzle affectionately against her hand instead.

Neo shook his head, smiling as he leaned back against the edge of his bed. Ever since Nora had started staying with them, something about the mansion felt different, warmer somehow, in a way he hadn’t quite expected.

His own training continued to progress steadily as well. Just two weeks earlier, during one particularly intense sparring session with Cassian, he’d felt the familiar pressure building at the edge of his core once again. This time, he hadn’t even needed to force it. The moment the bottleneck cracked, mana had exploded outward violently, shattering half the training hall’s wooden fencing and sending both Cassian and several nearby knights diving for cover.

’Seriously, why does every single one of my breakthroughs have to end in some kind of explosion?’ he’d thought afterward, staring blankly at the wreckage while his father laughed uncontrollably nearby, clearly more impressed than concerned.

His status window now proudly displayed his new Expert rank.

-----

[STATUS WINDOW]

>Name: Neo Draven

>Titles: Final Hope

>Talent: Paragon

>Race: Half-Human

>Core: 4th Circle

>Rank: Expert (I)

>Bloodline: Unawakened

>Affinity: Starlight, Gravity, Ice

[ATTRIBUTES]

[STR: 253/1000] [AGI: 261/1000]

[DEF: 247/1000] [STA: 255/1000]

[INT: 353/1000]

[HP: 750/750] [MP: 4200/4200]

[TECHNIQUES]

>Basic Cultivation Scripture

>Draven Dragon Art

>Celestia Cultivation Scripture

>Nine Heavens Dragon Ascension Scripture [LOCKED]

[SKILLS & ABILITIES]

>Mana Suppression

>Basic Sword Forms

>Basic Frost Manipulation

-----

Even Sylvia had gone quiet for a long moment after seeing it, simply staring at him with an expression somewhere between pride and quiet disbelief.

Life, for the most part, felt peaceful.

That evening, the family gathered together for dinner as usual, the long table filled with warm dishes and quiet, comfortable conversation. Sylvia recounted a particularly amusing story about a noble who had tried, and spectacularly failed, to bribe his way into an audience with Cassian earlier that day. Nora sat quietly beside Neo, occasionally sneaking small pieces of meat off her plate to feed Yuki, who had somehow managed to sneak under the table without anyone noticing until now.

"Nora, is that dragon under the table again?" Sylvia said while gesturing, catching sight of a small tail poking out from beneath the tablecloth,

Nora simply blinked innocently, offering no response, while Neo quickly cleared his throat and changed the subject.

The evening carried on pleasantly, laughter and easy conversation filling the dining hall, the warm glow of the chandeliers casting soft light across the table.

*CREAK—!*

Then, the doors to the dining hall burst open.

A servant stumbled inside, gasping heavily for air, his face pale as fallen snow. He staggered forward, nearly tripping over his own feet, one hand pressed tightly against his chest.

The entire table fell silent instantly.

Cassian rose halfway from his seat. "What’s wrong?"

The servant opened his mouth, struggling to catch his breath long enough to speak. Sylvia’s expression shifted quickly from confusion to alarm, while Nora, sensing the sudden tension in the room, glanced up sharply, her eyes darting between the servant and her own empty seat where her parents usually would have been sitting.

"Speak," Cassian said firmly, his voice sharp with growing urgency.

The servant finally managed to force the words out, his voice trembling badly.

"Lord Liam and Lady Elara, they were caught in a landslide. On the road to the capital, on their way to the royal palace."

"Landslide...?" Cassian repeated quietly.

The servant nodded hurriedly.

"Yes, my lord. The road was buried under snow and rocks. The royal guards accompanying them managed to escape, but the carriage... The carriage was swept away."

Sylvia’s face immediately lost its color.

"Where are they?"

"We don’t know yet, Lady Sylvia. A search party has already been sent, but the weather is making it difficult to reach the area."

Cassian’s expression hardened.

"How long ago?"

"Less than an hour, my lord."

Cassian immediately pushed his chair back.

"Prepare the fastest horses. I’m going there myself."

"I’ll come with you."