A cold breeze whispered across the quiet meadow as the sun rose behind the jagged silhouette of Mount Yettry. It had been 15 years since the massacre at Truyki Village. The memories of that fiery night still haunted the earth, though grass had grown over the broken soil.
In the distance, a young man stood tall, his black cloak fluttering in the wind. His gaze was firm, and in his eyes burned a will shaped by tragedy and survival.
Hotaro Tsuyuki (18) — a name now known in several villages bordering the Ryou Kingdom. The only son of Tsuyuki Ahito and Minoa Ahito, survivors say he was found unconscious beside the ruins of his home that night, barely clinging to life.
Standing next to him was a girl with long white-bluish hair, eyes like glimmering frost — a presence both delicate and sharp.
Yukino Tsuyuki (15) — Hotaro's younger sister. Though not related by blood, she had been raised by the same people who rescued Hotaro. She possessed an incredible affinity for Ice and Snow Magic, her aura chilling yet graceful.
---
Yukino Tsuyuki:
"Nii-sama, you've been staring at that mountain again... Are you thinking about them?"
Hotaro Tsuyuki (softly):
"...I always do. That night carved everything into me."
Yukino Tsuyuki (with a small smile):
"Then let's become strong enough so no one will ever suffer the same way again. Let's become... legends."
Hotaro looked down at her, a faint smile forming.
Hotaro Tsuyuki:
"Yeah. It's time. The Academy Entrance Exam is in three days. Let's show them who the Tsuyuki siblings really are."
As they turned away, the wind stirred once more — carrying the lingering scent of ash and steel.
The full moon hung quietly in the night sky, casting silver light across the open meadow. The village was silent—everyone had returned home to rest. Everyone… except for two siblings.
Hotaro and Yukino stood in the middle of the field, wind brushing gently against their clothes.
Yukino Tsuyuki:
"Onii-chan… are we really leaving tonight?"
Hotaro Tsuyuki:
"Yeah. It's time."
Hotaro raised his left hand, showing the silver ring on his finger. It gleamed under the moonlight.
Hotaro Tsuyuki:
"Zero… come forth."
[Suddenly, the sky rippled as if reality itself had been torn. A glowing rift opened in the air. From it descended a majestic, four-winged dragon. Its silver-blue scales shimmered, and the air trembled as it flapped its wings.]
Yukino Tsuyuki:
"W-WHAT?! A… a dragon?!"
She stepped back in shock, eyes wide as she stared at the beast before her.
Yukino Tsuyuki:
"Hotaro‑nii! When did you get a DRAGON?!"
Hotaro chuckled softly and turned to her with a calm smile.
Hotaro Tsuyuki:
"I found him when I explored an Ancient Dungeon near the mountain."
Yukino Tsuyuki:
"The one near the cursed mountain? The one everyone in the village is scared of?"
Hotaro Tsuyuki:
"Yeah… that one. I didn't go in too deep, just wandered around a bit. But that's where I met Zero."
The dragon let out a low, rumbling growl—as if greeting Yukino for the first time. Surprisingly, it sounded gentle.
Yukino Tsuyuki:
"He's… amazing."
Hotaro Tsuyuki:
"He's been waiting for this day, just like us."
Hotaro climbed onto Zero's back, then reached his hand out to help Yukino up. She hesitated for a moment—perhaps still in awe—then grabbed his hand and climbed on behind him.
Yukino Tsuyuki:
"So this is really happening… We're leaving the village."
Hotaro Tsuyuki:
"It's time we see the world beyond these mountains."
Zero let out a soft roar, spreading his four wings wide. With a single powerful motion, he launched into the sky, wind bursting around them as they soared higher and higher.
[Below them, the quiet village grew smaller, the roofs glowing under the moonlight. The forest, the rivers, the mountains… all passed beneath them as they soared freely under the stars.]
Yukino Tsuyuki:
"It's… beautiful."
She held tightly onto Hotaro's back, her voice almost lost in the wind.
Yukino Tsuyuki:
"I never imagined the world could be this wide… this free."
Hotaro Tsuyuki:
"There's more waiting for us out there. Magic academies, kingdoms… people like us."
Yukino Tsuyuki:
"Do you think I'll be able to grow stronger?"
Hotaro Tsuyuki:
"I know you will. You're a Tsuyuki."
He glanced back with a confident smile.
[They continued flying through the night. Hours passed, and the sky slowly shifted from dark blue to a faint orange hue.]
[The sun was beginning to rise.]
Yukino Tsuyuki:
"Onii-chan… look."
She pointed toward the horizon. A silhouette of towering castle spires and city walls could be seen in the distance—bathed in the warm glow of dawn.
Hotaro Tsuyuki:
"That's it. The Royal Capital."
Yukino Tsuyuki:
"It looks… even grander than I imagined."
Hotaro Tsuyuki:
"Get ready. This is only the beginning."