I Received System to Become Dragonborn

Night had already fallen when Erend finally arrived home.

The soft rumble of his car engine faded as he pulled into the driveway and stepped out beneath the quiet wash of streetlight.

His boots crunched faintly on the gravel as he approached the front door. The house was warm and welcoming, a distant contrast to the war rooms and metal corridors he'd spent the day in.

He opened the door and stepped inside.

In the living room, Arty and their mom were sitting on the couch together, curled under a blanket, the glow of the television casting soft colors across their faces.

A romantic drama played on the screen. Arty was clearly invested, while their mom looked like she was half watching and half waiting for him.

"Hey," Erend said, setting his keys down on the hallway shelf.

"Hey, you're back!" Arty chimed with a smile. "What you did in that base?"

"Had to finish some things at the base. Secret stuff," Erend said, walking into the room and taking a glance at the TV. "You still watching these cheesy dramas?"

Arty raised an eyebrow. "This one has amazing story, okay?"

Their mom chuckled. "Better than hearing about exploding monsters and Magic wars for once."

Erend laughed lightly and leaned against the wall. "I guess you right, mom. Just glad you're both okay."

"You look tired," his mom said gently.

"Not really tired," he replied. "Just… full of thoughts."

They exchanged a few more warm words before Erend excused himself.

"Gonna wash up and eat my cold dinner."

He headed upstairs, stepping into the bathroom. The hot water ran over him, relaxing his stiff muscles but it didn't ease the whirlwind of thoughts spinning in his head.

When he finished and changed into more comfortable clothes, he went down to the backyard with a plate of simple dinner.

He sat alone at the small backyard table. The quiet night air filled only with the rustling of leaves and distant traffic.

But his mind didn't stay present.

He stared down at the plate, only half-eating.

"What if something happens on Eternal Earth… and something else happens here at the same time?"

He'd never had that occur before. Usually, events from one world didn't coincide with those in another. But it wasn't impossible.

In fact, if the entity he been worrying for was moving behind the scenes, who was to say it wouldn't strike multiple realms simultaneously?

Maybe that was the whole point. Spread thin the defenders, divide attention, and conquer in silence.

And what if he and Eccar couldn't be in two places at once?

He poked at the now-lukewarm food, no longer hungry. If that time came would he have to choose which world to save?

He sighed and leaned back in the chair, looking up at the stars. There was no answer in them.

Eventually, he took the empty plate back inside and joined his mom and Arty again, sitting with them for a while.

They didn't talk much and just shared quiet warmth. The kind of silence that give comfort through presence.

Arty made him promise to watch the next episode with her tomorrow, and he gave a half-smile and nodded.

Later, he climbed the stairs again and stepped into his room. He stood there for a long moment before sitting on the edge of his bed.

Then he thought of her. Aurdis.

She hadn't contacted him in a while. Since they were busy from fighting Laston. She and the otjer Elflves probably been busy with the aftermath, helping the Elven researchers dissect what remained of Laston's twisted cyber-Mage army and his body.

But maybe now she had a moment.

Erend closed his eyes, reached out with his mind, and opened the telepathic link between them.

"Aurdis?" he called softly across the mental channel.

There was a brief pause before her familiar, elegant voice answered.

"Erend. You're contacting me at just the right time."

"You're not busy?"

"No. Not tonight. We've been working nonstop, but I finally told the researchers to leave me alone for a while. I'm resting now, just like you I guees."

A small smile tugged at his lips.

"Can I come over?"

"Of course. I'm in the garden."

Without delay, Erend stood and opened a portal with a smooth motion of his hand.

The air split open with a swirl of white and red energy, casting dancing lights across the walls. The Magic whirled silently, then stabilized.

He stepped through and the world shifted.

He emerged in the serene moonlit garden of the Elf Palace. The soft fragrance of flowers surrounded him and the silver-blue leaves of ancient trees rustled gently in the warm breeze.

Aurdis was there, seated beneath a curved arch of ivy, bathed in the pale light of the moon.

She looked up as he arrived and smiled. A smile that made the tension in his chest loosen for the first time in days.

Erend crossed the grass and sat beside her. They didn't speak at first. They didn't need to.

They just sat there side by side and watching the stars above the ancient trees.

Aurdis glanced at him. "How have you been?" she asked in gentle voice.

Erend exhaled through his nose. "Well, Eccar and I just dealt with something in the human kingdom."

She tilted her head slightly. "What kind of something?"

He hesitated, eyes drifting to the garden path. He could tell her, it wouldn't be wrong, but did he want to bring the weight of it here?

He gave a slight shrug. "It's not important."

Aurdis arched a brow. "Not important… but needed both you and Eccar to go together?" she asked, unconvinced.

Erend offered her a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his neck. "Let's just say… not something I want to talk about tonight."

Aurdis regarded him a moment longer, then let the tension go with a soft nod. "Alright. I understand."

She shifted closer and gently laid her head on his shoulder. Erend responded without thinking, wrapping an arm around her, pulling her into a side embrace.

The moment hung there, warm and still.

Then, Erend spoke softly. "We might not get to see each other as often for a while."

Aurdis didn't lift her head. She just let out a quiet sigh. "Is this the fate of a world savior?"

The words hit harder than she likely intended.

Erend didn't respond.

He stared ahead at the silver-lit trees swaying in the night wind, the stars winking above them like distant.

He tightened his hold on her, just slightly, as if to keep the moment from slipping away.

Aurdis said nothing else and neither did he.

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