A Month of Fire, Letters, and Frosted Birthdays
The summer passed like a living thing—busy, warm, and very loud.
For Keith Argus Runcandel, peace was apparently a myth.
Letters, Scoldings, and Very Immortal Grandparents
Nicolas Flamel was not pleased.
Neither was Perenelle.
"How dare you vanish for weeks," Perenelle wrote in elegant but furious script.
"Do you know how long immortals can sulk?"
Nicolas' letter was shorter.
Write. Back. Or we are visiting.
Keith, wisely, replied immediately.
Apologies were sent.
Promises were made.
Regular letters were sworn upon dragon blood and ancient alchemy.
The Flamels, now visibly in their early thirties thanks to Keith's de-aging elixir, accepted—with dramatic sighs.
They still treated him like a grandson.
And Keith, in return, sent them pastries, rare alchemical herbs, and a very illegal phoenix-feather infused tea blend.
Lucian Runcandel would have approved.
Mansion Life: Chaos, Love, and Dragon Spoiling
Back at Runcandel Mansion, life was… crowded.
Keith spent his days rotating between:
Grayfia (quiet, deadly affection) Luna (gentle frost and constant worry) Scathach (training that nearly broke spacetime) Albedo (possessive smiles and ominous hugs) Gamma (metallic precision and efficiency) Rias (jealous, affectionate, and very vocal) Narcissa (subtle charm and dangerous intelligence) Bellatrix (intense loyalty and unapologetic devotion) Nagini (silent warmth and unwavering presence) Serafina (calm competence and growing affection) Daphne, Cassandra, AstoriaAmelia, Tonks, Susan
The mansion had officially accepted that Keith was not a person.
He was an ecosystem.
Damage Control: The "Other Girls"
Then came the other problem.
Hermione.
Katie.
Angelina.
Helena.
Penelope.
They were… upset.
Very upset.
Keith spent days meeting them—walking Diagon Alley, sitting in cafés, taking them on carefully planned dates that were equal parts sincere and apologetic.
There were tears.
There were glares.
There were long silences.
Eventually—
They calmed.
Not entirely happy.
But no longer angry.
Hermione called him "an infuriating genius."
Katie punched his shoulder, then hugged him.
Angelina laughed and warned him to survive.
Helena only smiled—quiet and unreadable.
Penelope pretended indifference but held his hand a little longer than necessary.
Peace… of a sort.
Twelve Years Old — And Still Not Normal
The day finally came.
Keith and Rias' twelfth birthday.
The mansion was decorated by magic so over-the-top that even the house wards groaned.
Cake? Yes.
Gifts? Many.
Dragons? Of course.
When Keith performed his daily sign-in—
The system chimed.
Reward Acquired:
Latias — Demi-God Class Pokémon
A flash of crimson light filled the hall.
Latias appeared gracefully, eyes soft and curious.
She immediately flew to Keith—
Then turned and gently nudged Alolan Vulpix.
Friendship was established instantly.
Ice, Evolution, and Unrestrained Spoiling
Among the rewards was a High-Grade Ice Crystal—pure, ancient, and humming with power.
Keith didn't hesitate.
He knelt beside Vulpix.
"For you."
The crystal dissolved into frost-light.
Magic surged.
Snow spiraled.
When the light faded—
Alolan Ninetales stood where Vulpix once was.
Elegant.
Regal.
Cold moonlight incarnate.
The mansion lost its mind.
Luna hugged her.
Rias fed her treats.
Bellatrix declared her magnificent.
Latias circled her happily.
Even Giratina watched with mild approval.
Ninetales preened.
Latias bonded.
Keith sighed.
"My life is unfairly adorable."
Wealth, Power, and Quiet Growth
The month ended with more sign-in rewards:
Vast amounts of Galleons and Muggle currencyAdditional mansions Corporate shares Rare resources quietly stockpiled
Everything was managed efficiently by Gamma and Serafina.
Nothing leaked.
Everything grew.
Somewhere in France…
Nicolas Flamel smiled over a letter.
"He's growing fast."
Perenelle nodded.
"Just like Lucian said he would."
And far away, ancient forces stirred—
Because a dragon had turned twelve.
And the world, still unaware, was quietly stepping closer to a storm.