“My name is Ignis.”
That sentence was not a sound in the physical sense, but a clear thought that echoed directly in Villanelle’s mind, carrying exhaustion and a hint of indescribable complexity.
She froze, staring at the incredibly weak Black Dragon Hatchling before her in disbelief. The world-destroying image from moments ago overlapped with the small, familiar figure in front of her, leaving her mind completely blank.
“You… can speak?”
Her lips trembled for a moment before Villanelle managed to squeeze out a sentence, her voice dry and raspy.
“Not exactly,” Ignis’s mental message came again, slightly stronger than before but still carrying the weakness of overextended Mana and mental energy. “It is… thought communication, and it only just awakened. Also…
The collar seems to have broken.”
Ignis felt a sense of unease.
He had displayed a destructive power that he himself could not fully control, completely tearing away his “harmless hatchling” facade. On top of that, the collar was ruined. How would Villanelle… view this version of him that was now a stranger?
Would she be afraid, or distant? Would she treat him as an even more dangerous monster that needed to be monitored?
Villanelle followed Ignis’s gaze toward the Suppression Collar that had bound him not long ago. It was now nothing more than a pile of patterned scrap metal.
Then, she did something Ignis had not expected.
“That doesn’t matter.”
Villanelle carefully pulled him into her embrace, warming his slightly cold body with her own body heat. Her voice was gentle, piercing through the biting cold wind.
There was no fear or scrutiny in her ice-blue eyes, only tenderness.
“Whether you’re an Abyssal Creature in disguise, a Black Dragon, or something else… it doesn’t matter,” she said word by word, as if stating an indisputable fact. “As long as you’re still alive and well, that’s enough.”
Everything else — the Academy’s monitoring, the Holy Light Church’s potential suspicions, and the secrets behind that terrifying power — was pushed to the back of her mind.
He was her family.
Ignis suddenly felt a sharp pang of emotion surge in his chest, and for a moment, his vision blurred.
‘Can dragons cry, too?’
He took a deep breath, temporarily suppressed the turbulent emotions within him, and tried to make the voice transmitted via mental energy sound as calm as usual.
“Now… now isn’t the time for this. The danger hasn’t been completely resolved. There is still other… malice in the forest. They will likely be drawn here soon…”
“I understand.” Villanelle gave Ignis a tighter squeeze before gently setting him down. She stood up and walked toward the still-unconscious Emily, her eyes regained their composure.
She checked Emily and confirmed there was no major harm. Then, with great effort, she hoisted the girl onto her back and retrieved their Magic Staffs.
“Can you still walk?” Villanelle asked Ignis worriedly.
“I can.” The latter nodded, then pointed in a direction through the thicket. “Go that way… the ‘malice’ is thinner in that direction.”
“Alright,” Villanelle answered without hesitation.
She felt a pang of guilt. It was Ignis who had eliminated the pursuing White-robed Men, and now she had to rely on him to lead the way.
A dark thought quietly crawled out from the depths of her heart.
‘Should I leave Emily here? She’s just a burden, after all…’
But as soon as the thought appeared, Villanelle suppressed it, feeling a wave of shame.
Emily had fallen unconscious while trying to protect her. How could she just abandon her now?
Casting aside these messy thoughts, Villanelle focused her attention on the path ahead.
Ignis struggled to keep up with her, his steps staggering. Villanelle deliberately slowed her pace to ensure he could follow.
The two humans and the dragon trekked through the dim forest with difficulty. Following Ignis’s intermittent guidance, they slowly moved toward the area where the malice was faint.
Silence enveloped them, leaving only the *crunching* sound of footsteps on snow and withered branches, along with the heavy breathing of the two people and the dragon. The cold wind blew through the gaps in the trees, stealing their warmth but also carrying away the smoke from the brief battle.
They weren’t sure how much time had passed; perhaps half an hour, perhaps longer. Their perception of time had become blurred.
Villanelle felt the lightweight Emily becoming heavier and heavier on her back, while the wounds on her body and every cell in her being seemed to scream in protest.
Ignis’s condition was also worsening. He began to sway as he walked, much like the day he had first hatched.
“A little further… the malice is almost gone there,” Ignis stopped to catch his breath, his thoughts transmitting in fragments.
Following his instructions, Villanelle carried the girl through a small thicket covered in icicles. Behind it was a hollow partially surrounded by several massive boulders, hidden by sparse vegetation.
Though it was only a shallow cave, it could at least block the wind. Those unknown White-robed Men would likely find it difficult to locate this place for the time being.
Villanelle carefully lowered Emily into the inner part of the shallow cave, leaning her against the rock wall. She took off her own cloak to cover her, then checked her breathing and pulse once more.
It was still stable.
Only then did Villanelle slump down, breathing heavily. Ignis leaned against her side, collapsing onto a patch of dried grass and withered branches.
“Ignis…” she whispered the name.
“I’m here,” the Black Dragon Hatchling responded immediately.
“I read in a book once that all of the Dragon Race have their own names from birth. These names are branded into the depths of their souls and stay with them for their entire lives.”
Villanelle drifted into her memories, speaking slowly in a soft tone.
“However, most dragons never get the chance to speak their true names in their entire lives… They are fitted with restraints, kept busy all day with heavy tasks given by humans, and then slaughtered when they grow old to be disassembled into various alchemy materials…”
Ignis listened to her story in silence.
“So, I think I’m very lucky. Thank you for earlier,” Villanelle sighed softly. “Thank you for protecting me at all costs… and Emily, too.”
“There’s no need for thanks. The situation was urgent, and I… I didn’t expect that power to burst out so suddenly either.” Ignis paused, thinking of the shattered Suppression Collar. “That collar…”
“The Academy will likely find out soon. Magic items like that… usually have sensors,” Villanelle said, her brow furrowing slightly. “It’s a bit troublesome… but I should be able to bluff my way through. I’ll just say it was destroyed during the attack.
How are you feeling now? That power from before…”
“Not great,” Ignis answered honestly, still feeling a lingering fear. “I don’t have the confidence to wield that power right now, but fortunately, it didn’t spiral out of control. Is Emily alright?”
“She was probably just knocked out by the shockwave; she needs rest.” Villanelle looked back at her companion. “What about you? Is there anything I need to do for you?”
“No… just rest.” Ignis shook his head. “I need some time to suppress that power.”
Soon, he closed his eyes, his breathing gradually becoming steady.
Villanelle sat in the cold, rocky hollow. It seemed to be around noon, as the sunlight in the forest grew slightly brighter.
Cold, faint fear, pain, and the unresolved crisis — all of it wrapped around her, lingering.
But this time, Villanelle did not feel the bone-deep loneliness she had felt at the banquet yesterday.
She knew his name.
He was right by her side, able to communicate clearly, and they had just survived a life-and-death crisis together.
This single thought was like a spark, giving her a small but continuous flame of strength and courage.