Darkness surrounded him, his body soaked in a viscous, corrosive pain as if immersed in a pool of acid.
He wanted to stretch his legs, but found the space around him unbearably small, pitifully cramped.
He tried to open his eyes, but the darkness was like a flood, drowning everything in sight into blackness.
Where was this? What was he?
He didn’t know.
All he could hear was the faint, distant voice of a little girl.
“Master, what is this black egg?”
The voice was clear and gentle—that was the first sound he heard.
“Fafnir’s Dragon Egg. His mother dragon threw it outside. I saw it and took it, but, well, just toss it out.”
Another voice spoke arrogantly, casually.
“Huh? Toss it out? Why?”
“This egg is ‘bad.’ Blood Poison has invaded it, the inside is full of acidic venom now. It’s basically no different from being dead.”
The woman explained.
Although he didn’t understand the conversation, he could feel it—he was about to be abandoned again.
At that moment, the sweet, tender voice spoke once more, pleading, “Master, can I raise this egg?”
“You want it? If you want, I can get you one that’s already hatched. This one is almost dead and worthless.”
The arrogant voice said.
“This egg is fine. It will live! It definitely doesn’t want to be abandoned again.”
The tender voice persisted.
The other person hesitated for a moment but finally relented, “Fine, but today’s blood food will be doubled.”
“Okay!”
Suddenly, he felt himself being lifted up.
She smiled, gently and carefully stroking the eggshell.
Warmth radiated from the shell—that was the tender body heat of the young girl.
Although he couldn’t see her face, he could feel it—she seemed to be smiling?
Smiling at him, this discarded thing?
She leaned closer to the shell, softly whispering…
“My name is Bai. What’s your name?”
… She seemed to be asking him something, but he couldn’t speak.
The voice continued.
“Let me think… from now on, I’ll call you Xiao Hei.”
The girl’s voice left an indelible impression on him before he hatched.
She liked holding him, and he often felt her warmth, even her scent.
But he never expected to survive, knowing he was poisoned.
The days passed quickly, and the girl’s voice was always with him, even though he never answered.
“Hey, Xiao Hei, don’t you get hungry if you don’t eat?”
***
“Xiao Hei, Xiao Hei, how about we play ‘lift high high,’ just like Bai’s sister used to do with Bai?”
***
“Xiao Hei, are you cold? The Blood Clan Territory is so cold. Should Bai knit you a sweater?”
***
“Xiao Hei, can you really hear Bai? How about Bai sing you a song? Although my sister always said I’m tone-deaf, Bai’s pretty confident!”
***
One day? One month? One year?
He no longer remembered.
But he knew that the girl’s voice never left him.
And he found that his learning speed had accelerated—he could already understand what she was saying, even if he couldn’t reply. He knew…
Her name was Bai, and he was Xiao Hei.
Such a casual name… but he didn’t hate it.
The girl named Bai always seemed clumsy.
She even thought he might get hungry inside the egg and believed his body heat could keep him warm enough to hatch.
She even knitted him a sweater for that reason.
She also thought she sang beautifully.
He always wondered why Bai kept insisting on caring for him, even though he would die like the others—wasting all her efforts.
He didn’t understand. He didn’t understand Bai’s foolishness and determination.
He never thought the day of hatching would come, or that he would be able to respond to her, until one night, Bai came to him.
Her voice sounded sad.
“Hey, Xiao Hei, can Bai lean on you for a while?”
Bai asked quietly, her mood low.
He didn’t answer, but Bai smiled and said, “Hehe, thank you.”
She pressed close, the familiar scent returning.
Yet her body heat was colder than before.
Was she cold?
She seemed very sad.
Why?
“Today, Master scolded Bai again…”
After a moment of silence, she suddenly said.
“Master… does she not like Bai? Bai’s been trying so hard to please her, so why has Master become more and more indifferent to Bai… is it because Bai isn’t trying hard enough?”
Bai’s master was proud and arrogant—that was what he had known over these years.
The woman named Yarabella often ordered Bai to do all sorts of things, and Bai never complained.
Why serve that woman?
Wouldn’t it be better to just take Bai away?
He often wanted to say this.
He wanted to take Bai away from this misery, even though the wish was laughably naive.
Bai’s voice continued.
“Bai has been here for three years. When Bai first came, it felt so cold. But Bai believed that if she got used to it, she wouldn’t feel cold anymore.”
She seemed to hug him gently again, her cheek pressed lightly to the eggshell, continuing slowly.
“But three years have passed, and it’s gotten colder here. Bai feels so lonely. She wants someone to talk to, someone who can truly stay with her, just like Sister did.”
She seemed to smile, but he could smell it—Bai was very sad, lonely… and cold.
“Bai knows Xiao Hei can’t speak, maybe can’t even hear what Bai says. Bai also knows that her selfish actions over the years have caused trouble for Xiao Hei, but… Bai really likes Xiao Hei… because you’re the only one who listens to Bai. So… please, Xiao Hei, respond to Bai, even if it’s just a small movement. Please.”
A warm tear fell on the eggshell…
Was Bai crying?
Why?
Had he made her cry?
Her voice trembled with sorrow and endless loneliness, her sadness shaking his heart.
He never imagined there would be a day when he could choose to awaken, because he thought it impossible—a dying egg suddenly reviving was absurd…
But Bai was so sad… she needed to be held, just as she had held him in times of despair and loneliness, so he wouldn’t be abandoned.
He had to see Bai.
That conviction turned into an unnamed strength.
He stretched his limbs with all his might, spread his wings, even as the acidic venom corroded every inch of his skin.
He didn’t give up, because he didn’t want the child to cry anymore.
He had protected himself for too long.
Cracking sounds echoed from within the eggshell.
Splintering light spilled in from outside—one inch, two inches, three inches—until finally, he opened his eyes.
His black wing tips unfurled.
Xiao Hei lifted his head gently and pressed it against Bai’s forehead.
“Bai, this time, it’s my turn to protect you.”