Chapter 50: Home Beneath the Moonlight
The night remained peaceful.
Far above the world, countless stars shone across the endless heavens like scattered diamonds upon a sea of darkness. Their pale light illuminated the land below, blending with the soft glow of the moon that hung high in the sky.
A gentle breeze drifted through the village.
The celebration had finally come to an end.
Hours earlier, laughter had echoed through every street, Music had filled the air, Villagers had danced, shared stories, and celebrated the return of peace.
Now, silence had reclaimed the night.
Most of the villagers had already returned home.
Only a handful of lanterns remained lit, their warm glow flickering softly in the darkness. The distant sounds of conversation had faded, leaving behind only the whisper of the wind and the occasional rustle of leaves.
The world felt calm.
Peaceful.
Safe.
Beneath the moonlight, Vlox and Astraith sat together in comfortable silence.
The dragon rested her head against his shoulder.
Neither of them spoke.
There was no need.
After everything they had endured throughout the centuries, words often felt unnecessary.
They simply enjoyed the moment.
A peaceful moment.
The kind of moment Astraith had fought countless battles to protect.
For so long, her lives had been defined by conflict.
Wars.
Monsters.
Ancient entities.
World-ending disasters.
There had always been another threat waiting beyond the horizon.
Another responsibility.
Another burden.
Yet tonight, for once, there was nothing demanding their attention.
No enemy.
No crisis.
No catastrophe.
Just peace.
And each other’s company.
Eventually, Astraith yawned.
A very large yawn.
The kind of yawn that completely destroyed any attempt at appearing awake.
Vlox glanced down at her.
"Tired?"
The dragon immediately shook her head.
"No."
Her answer came far too quickly.
Vlox raised an eyebrow.
Before he could say anything else, Astraith yawned again.
This one was somehow even larger than the first.
"You are literally falling asleep."
"I am perfectly awake."
The moment the words left her mouth, her eyes slowly drifted shut.
Three seconds passed.
Then four.
Then five.
Suddenly her eyes snapped open again.
As if nothing had happened.
Vlox stared at her.
Astraith stared back.
The silence lasted only a moment.
Then Vlox laughed.
The dragon immediately pouted.
"I was thinking."
"You were sleeping."
"I was thinking about sleeping."
"That’s still sleeping."
Astraith lightly punched his arm.
The attack accomplished absolutely nothing.
The difference in strength between them was so absurd that the gesture carried less force than a falling leaf.
Still, she crossed her arms triumphantly as though she had accomplished something.
Vlox simply shook his head.
The dragon truly was impossible.
Not that he minded.
Especially not when she looked this happy.
A short while later, the two finally left the village.
The moon hung high above the world, bathing the landscape in silver light.
Forests stretched endlessly across the horizon.
Mountains rose in the distance.
Rivers sparkled beneath the night sky like streams of liquid crystal.
Everything felt calm.
Everything felt beautiful.
Astraith walked beside Vlox, holding his hand.
Occasionally she swung their joined hands back and forth with the enthusiasm of someone experiencing happiness for the very first time.
In a way, perhaps she was.
The war was over.
Black Mountain had been restored.
The castle had been rebuilt.
Their home had returned.
Every day since then had felt almost unreal.
Like a dream neither of them wanted to wake from.
Vlox glanced toward Astraith.
The dragon was smiling.
Not her usual smug smile.
Not her playful grin.
A genuine smile.
One filled with warmth.
Contentment.
Peace.
Seeing it brought a faint smile to his own face.
Then suddenly-
Astraith stopped.
Vlox immediately noticed.
The dragon was staring into the distance.
Her golden eyes had widened slightly.
Following her gaze, Vlox looked toward the valley below.
A vast field stretched across the landscape.
Thousands upon thousands of flowers covered the earth.
Each one emitted a faint glow.
Blue.
Silver.
Gold.
White.
The entire valley shimmered beneath the moonlight.
The flowers illuminated the darkness like countless tiny stars scattered across the ground.
The sight was breathtaking.
Even Vlox found himself momentarily admiring it.
Astraith’s eyes sparkled.
"It’s beautiful."
Vlox nodded.
"It is."
The moment he finished speaking, the dragon disappeared.
Or rather-
She sprinted directly into the flower field.
Laughing.
Smiling.
Completely abandoning any trace of dignity.
Vlox watched her run across the valley.
A soft smile appeared on his face.
For a moment, everything felt perfect.
The dragon spun happily among the flowers.
Moonlight danced across her silver hair.
The glowing blossoms illuminated the darkness around her.
The entire scene looked almost unreal.
Like a painting brought to life.
A peaceful image that belonged in a dream.
One he wished could last forever.
Several minutes later, Astraith finally settled among the flowers.
The dragon sat in the center of the glowing field while the moon illuminated her silver hair.
The countless blossoms surrounding her swayed gently in the breeze.
The scene looked ethereal.
Almost divine.
When Vlox approached, Astraith smiled and patted the ground beside her.
"Come sit."
Without objection, he sat beside her.
For a while, neither spoke.
The silence wasn’t uncomfortable.
It never was.
They simply admired the view together.
The stars above.
The flowers below.
The quiet beauty of the world around them.
Then Astraith suddenly broke the silence.
"Vlox."
"Hm?"
The dragon looked toward the horizon.
"If you could choose one memory from our entire life together..."
Her voice softened.
"What would it be?"
The question caught him off guard.
For a moment, Vlox genuinely thought about it.
Cause There were so many memories that even someone like him couldn’t immediately choose.
He remembered worlds being born.
Kingdoms rising and falling.
Victories.
Failures.
Moments of joy.
Moments of sorrow.
Yet among all those memories, one stood above the rest.
Eventually, he smiled.
"The day I met you."
Astraith froze.
Completely.
The dragon’s entire body went still.
Then her cheeks immediately turned pink.
"Really?"
"Really."
The blush deepened.
Astraith quickly looked away.
Trying very hard not to smile.
And failing.
Spectacularly.
The corners of her lips kept rising no matter how hard she fought them.
Vlox simply watched.
Amused.
The dragon eventually covered her face with both hands.
Which somehow only made her look more embarrassed.
For several moments, neither spoke.
The flowers continued swaying gently around them.
The moon continued shining overhead.
And Astraith continued trying-and failing-to hide her happiness.
Hours later, they finally returned to Black Mountain.
The castle stood proudly beneath the moonlight.
Its towering walls overlooked the surrounding forests.
Its countless windows reflected silver light.
The rebuilt structure appeared magnificent.
Strong.
Unyielding.
Home.
Astraith smiled at the sight.
Then she began walking toward the castle.
But after several steps, she noticed something strange.
Vlox wasn’t moving.
The dragon turned around.
"What’s wrong?"
No answer came immediately.
Vlox stood perfectly still.
His gaze remained fixed upon the distant horizon.
Far beyond the mountains.
Far beyond the forests.
Far beyond the visible world.
Astraith’s smile slowly disappeared.
Something had changed.
The relaxed atmosphere surrounding him was gone.
His expression had become serious.
Focused.
The dragon immediately felt a sense of unease.
"Vlox?"
For several moments, he remained silent.
Then he finally spoke.
"There is a disturbance."
Astraith frowned.
"A disturbance?"
Vlox nodded.
The peaceful atmosphere vanished instantly.
Every trace of relaxation disappeared from the dragon’s expression.
"What kind?"
Again, silence.
Then-
"A sealed realm."
Astraith blinked.
For a moment, she simply stared at him.
Then realization struck.
"The Ancient Void Realm?"
"Yes."
Her expression changed immediately.
Because she knew exactly what that meant.
Thousands of years ago, several dangerous entities had been sealed within that realm.
Monsters capable of threatening entire universes.
Creatures so destructive that even Astraith preferred avoiding unnecessary confrontations with them.
The dragon folded her arms.
"What’s happening?"
"The seal is weakening."
Silence followed.
The wind suddenly felt colder.
The night seemed darker.
Astraith looked toward the distant horizon.
Then back toward him.
"What are you going to do?"
Vlox answered without hesitation.
"I’m going there."
The response came immediately.
As if there had never been any other option.
Astraith froze.
Then frowned.
"No."
Vlox looked at her.
"No?"
"No."
The dragon stepped closer.
"The war just ended."
"Astraith."
"No."
Her voice became firmer.
Stronger.
"You promised."
Vlox blinked.
The dragon’s golden eyes locked onto his.
"You promised we would finally have peace."
Silence.
The wind passed between them.
Astraith continued.
"You promised we would spend time together."
"You promised there would be no more unnecessary battles."
"This isn’t unnecessary."
"It’s always the same."
The words struck harder than any attack.
Vlox frowned.
Astraith’s voice sharpened.
"Every single time."
"A problem appears."
"And you immediately run toward it."
"Astraith."
"No."
She interrupted him again.
For the first time in days-
She looked genuinely angry.
Not embarrassed.
Not playful.
Not teasing.
Actually angry.
"I know you."
Her voice trembled slightly.
Not from rage.
From emotion.
"You’ll go there alone."
"You’ll deal with everything yourself."
"You’ll tell me not to worry."
"And then disappear for an hour."
Vlox remained silent.
Because she wasn’t wrong.
Not entirely.
Astraith clenched her fists.
"You just got back."
The anger slowly began mixing with something deeper.
Something far more painful.
Fear.
Worry.
The same fear she had experienced a year ago.
The same fear she never truly managed to forget.
She remembered waiting.
Searching.
Wondering.
Hoping.
Vlox noticed the change immediately.
His expression softened.
"Astraith."
The dragon looked away.
Refusing to meet his eyes.
Because if she did-
The anger might disappear.
And she wasn’t ready for that.
Not yet.
"I don’t want you to go."
The words emerged quietly.
Barely above a whisper.
Yet they carried more weight than any shout.
For a moment, neither spoke.
The moon illuminated the castle behind them.
The wind flowed through the trees.
The night remained silent.
Then Vlox stepped forward.
And gently took her hand.
Astraith immediately tried pulling away.
But failed.
Mostly because she didn’t actually want to.
"I’m not leaving forever."
No response.
"I’ll come back."
Still silence.
"Astraith."
Slowly, she looked up.
Their eyes met.
Frustration.
Fear.
Worry.
Love.
All of it existed within her gaze.
All at once.
Then she finally spoke.
"If you go alone..."
The air trembled.
A faint crack spread across the ground beneath her feet.
Golden energy appeared around her body.
The dragon’s aura erupted.
"...then I’m coming too."
Vlox blinked.
The aura intensified.
Golden light exploded into the sky.
The mountain trembled.
The forests shook.
Clouds scattered across the heavens.
The stars themselves seemed to tremble.
Astraith crossed her arms.
Still angry.
Still stubborn.
Still impossibly beautiful.
"And if you try stopping me..."
A dangerous smile appeared on her face.
One that instantly reminded Vlox why provoking dragons was usually considered a terrible idea.
The dragon narrowed her eyes.
"...we’re going to fight first."
Silence.
The mountain continued trembling.
The forest shook violently.
Reality itself appeared uncertain about how it should respond.
For several seconds, neither moved.
Neither spoke.
Then-
Vlox laughed.
Astraith stared at him.
The dragon’s eye twitched.
He continued laughing.
Which somehow made everything worse.
"WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?!"
The entire mountain shook.
Several distant peaks cracked.
A flock of birds immediately fled into the night.
Vlox tried and failed to stop laughing.
Unfortunately for him, Astraith noticed something.
Specifically-
The expression on his face.
The amused look in his eyes.
The realization struck instantly.
He thought she looked adorable.
Astraith’s eye twitched again.
Then again.
The ground beneath her feet exploded.
"VLOX!"
The creator of the Omniverse finally realized something very important.
Very.
Very important.
He may have made a mistake.
A very large mistake.
And judging by Astraith’s expression-
The next few minutes were about to become extremely dangerous.