"What do you mean? Iseul is—"

"It is not an illness. It is a condition unique to dragons. I will not be able to leave his side for a while, so I am counting on you to take care of the children."

Even as he listened to the conversation between Raon and Joa, the pain tearing through his body made him groan and thrash uncontrollably.

"Ahh! A, ahh!"

What is this? What is this!? It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!

"Iseul? It is alright. Your body is trying to grow. It is painful, but endure it."

Alright? This? Endure something like this? Do not joke with me.

With a low growl like a beast, Iseul lunged at Raon, and the two of them fell and rolled across the floor.

He raised his arm and tried to strike, but Raon restrained him as if it had no effect and slammed him down.

Even that impact sent pain through him as if every bone in his body was being crushed, driving him nearly insane.

"Endure it!"

Because Raon had experienced that pain himself, he wore a strained expression as he held Iseul down.

However, Iseul who is consumed by pain could not notice it.

Instead, he only felt anger toward Raon for telling him to endure something like this, and in his frustration, he sank his sharp fangs into Raon’s arm.

"Damn it, of all times for Qiong Xing not to be here."

"...Qiong Xing?"

"That is right. Qiong Xing, your mate. You understand, do you not? Endure it for his sake. Please, just endure it."

The pain had not gone away.

It had not lessened, but the sanity he was on the verge of losing began to return.

"Qiong Xing, Qiong Xing, where are you? I am... I am his mate... mine..."

His gaze wandered as he searched, but the one he longed for was nowhere to be seen.

Qiong Xing had left just the day before, and it would still take time before he returned.

As Raon muttering that the timing was the worst, he reached out his hand, but when he grabbed his hand, he shook him off.

This was not the hand he was looking for.

No, no, no. Where? Where is my mate?

He cried out, threw things around the room, and lashed out, overwhelmed by the fear of Qiong Xing’s absence.

Even if he tried to go search for him, Raon stood in his way, preventing him from leaving.

Crushed by anxiety and desperation, he clung to the faint thread of reason left in him, telling himself that Qiong Xing would return.

"It will be alright. Qiong Xing will come back. He will come back, so endure it until then."

Raon’s voice sounded distant as he recalled the warmth of Qiong Xing’s hand and forced himself to endure.

They had promised.

They would go out together.

He would let him ride on his back again.

So... so...

He pulled his aching body close and endured.

He did not know how much time had passed, but at some point, he sensed it beyond the closed door.

He hurried toward it, and without even responding to the voice that called out, he grabbed an arm and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Qiong Xing, Qiong Xing, Qiong Xing, Qiong Xing!"

Clinging to the warmth he had been searching for, he held on with all his strength.

He was told it hurt and to let go, but he was too afraid to do so.

"I am not going anywhere. I will stay, so loosen your grip, alright? If you hold me like this, I cannot hug you back. I want to hold you too."

Reassured that he would not leave, he finally loosened his grip a little.

Warm hands wrapped around his back.

This was it.

This was what he had been seeking.

He endured, refusing to give in to the pain.

"I am here. I will stay right here with you. So... so do your best."

He would endure. He would endure, so please stay.

"You promised, did you not? You said you would let me ride on your back again. You said we would go out together. We promised to do our best together, remember?"

He had.

He had not forgotten.

"I am your mate. I will always stay by your side."

Yes.

His mate was Qiong Xing alone.

So please stay with him.

He could not put it into words, but within the arms that held him, he told himself it would be over soon.

"...Do you understand? Give me your magic too, Nura."

What flowed into him was the same magic of Qiong Xing he had felt earlier.

Wrapped in that warmth, he followed the instruction and let his own magic flow.

Their magic intertwined as if blending together.

It felt as though Qiong Xing was inside him, and the pain gradually began to fade.

Slowly, gently, the warm magic filled his entire body.

His strength left him, and his tear-swollen eyelids grew heavy and began to close.

"It is alright. I am here. I am right here... good night."

Certain that everything would be fine now, he let Qiong Xing’s voice guide him into a deep sleep.

...

"You can make the miso soup Mama likes that you talked about before."

"I will eat!"

Hearing those faint voices, his consciousness slowly began to surface.

"I also brought back some delicious meat and fish for Rui and Yue."

"Yay!"

The gentle voice and the cheerful replies filled him with a sense of happiness. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"And for Cari, I brought some rare goat’s milk, so let’s try making some tasty cheese."

"Let’s make it!"

It was a lively, joyful family conversation.

It felt as if time had returned to the past.

As if to confirm it, he slowly opened his still-heavy eyelids, and although they were not his parents, the sight of his beloved family came into view.

"Hm? You are awake? Good morning, Nura."

"Good morning."

"...Good morning."