Elena and nevan could be seen flying above the forest treetops. They'd been flying for over thirty minutes with no end in sight.
"How much longer until we get to the dragon kingdom?" Nevan called out.
"Quite a way. I had to put your egg deep in the forest so you'd be safe from any rogue dragons, even though I was always nearby."
"But why a forest and not the castle?" he asked, hoping the answer wasn't what he thought.
She looked him in the eyes. "Not everyone was happy about you being born. To keep you safe, I put you in the cave far away."
"Great. Not even a day old and I already have enemies."
Elena came to an abrupt stop, almost causing Nevan to crash into her. "We can rest here until your mana replenishes. There's someone I'd like you to meet."
Deciding not to voice his dislike of meeting people, Nevan frowned but flew down beside his mother anyway.
Looking below, he spotted what appeared to be a worn down cabin.
The structure sagged against itself like a corpse left standing. Rotted wood formed the walls blackened, splintered planks that looked ready to crumble at the slightest touch. The roof had caved in on one side, shingles missing in patches like scales torn from a dragon's hide. Moss and vines strangled what remained, creeping through cracks and gaps. Windows hung broken, jagged glass teeth grinning out at nothing.
Nevan wondered how it was even standing.
After reaching the ground, he and his mother began walking toward the cabin.
"Stay right here, Nevan."
Elena walked forward, stopping a few feet from the structure. She slowly raised her hand into the air.
Reality rippled.
The air tore like fabric, distorting and warping outward in concentric waves. Nevan's breath caught. Space itself seemed to crack, fractures of light bleeding through the tears.
"Is this a barrier?" he muttered, staring at the rippling space.
Elena grabbed the distortion with her bare hand fingers closing around nothing and everything at once. She yanked downward.
The illusion shattered.
Like glass breaking in reverse, the decayed cabin collapsed into fragments of light that dissolved into the air. In its place stood a new structure still a cabin, but alive. Sturdy timber walls gleamed with fresh lacquer. The roof sat whole and strong, dark shingles aligned perfectly. Windows sparkled, intact and clear. Soft golden light glowed from within, warm and inviting.
"Come on," Elena beckoned.
Before they took another step, a man emerged from the doorway.
The world broke.
Space bent and twisted around Nevan the instant the figure appeared. Up became down. Left bled into right. His vision fractured into a thousand kaleidoscope shards each one showing a different angle, a different color, a different reality. Rainbows that shouldn't exist flashed across his sight. His stomach lurched as gravity forgot which direction to pull. He couldn't tell if he was standing, flying, or falling through dimensions that had no names.
"Elena, you didn't have to destroy my barrier. If you'd waited one more second, I would've opened the door for you."
The voice was deep. Each word rumbled like continents shifting. And as the man spoke, waves of visible space rippled outward from his mouth, distorting the air like he was breathing reality itself.
"As you know, Killian, I'm a very impatient woman. And please control your power before you hurt my son."
Elena smiled, but her energy told a different story. A current of mana exploded outward from her in all directions, pressing down with crushing weight but not before she wrapped Nevan in her own mana like a cocoon, stopping the dizziness instantly.
Nevan's vision stabilized.
He looked at the two beings before him, and the air itself vibrated with their power. He knew knew that without his mother's protection, he would die just from standing in their presence.
Putting his focus on the man, Nevan noticed something strange. Despite the crushing pressure Elena was exerting, Killian just stood there. Calm. Unbothered.
He was a strange man. But strong.
Getting a better look, Nevan found the man's appearance… unsettling.
His skin was a deep gray-black, like storm clouds given flesh. Across it, constellation patterns shifted slowly silver lines connecting stars that drifted beneath the surface as if his body contained entire galaxies. His eyes were the most disturbing part: void-black, with no pupils or irises. Only drifting points of white light, like distant stars floating in an endless abyss.
Long silver hair flowed past his shoulders, moving as though underwater even in still air.
"Sorry about that." Killian's voice broke through Nevan's thoughts. "I don't get visitors much. Before, I didn't have to worry about my power leaking out."
As soon as he spoke, everything returned to normal. The spatial distortions vanished. Gravity resumed its proper direction.
Killian cast a brief glance at Nevan and waved his hand.
The world shifted.
One moment they were standing outside. The next, Nevan found himself inside the cabin his mother beside him. But instead of chairs, they stood on smooth wooden flooring. The interior was surprisingly spacious, far larger than the outside suggested. Spatial manipulation, Nevan realized.
Elena stood comfortably in her human form. Nevan remained in his dragon body, tail curling instinctively around himself.
I wonder if I'll be able to do that, Nevan thought, watching Killian's casual display of power. I do have the Title Lord of Space and Time..
"So, Elena. What brings you two here?"
"My son just hatched, and I wanted to bring him out of the forest back to the kingdom. But as you can imagine, we're quite far. He doesn't have a lot of mana to keep flying." She paused, frowning slightly. "Although I don't understand why he won't just use his wings. I guess he likes flying using mana."
Nevan tilted his head. Use my wings?
The thought hit him like a physical blow.
Why was I using magic to fly? Wings should just be another body part like using my feet.
He lowered his head in shame.
Although… it did give me time to get used to mana. And showed me my limit.
While he was thinking, Killian was staring at him. If Nevan had lifted his head, he would've seen the stars in Killian's eyes spinning at a rapid pace.
Feeling eyes on him, Nevan looked up.
Those void-black eyes locked onto his stars swirling faster now, like galaxies caught in a storm.
"What is your name, son?"
"Nevan."
Killian turned his head, eyeing Elena up and down. "You have an exceptional son, Elena. To possess not only the power of the Void but also Space."
Elena's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Nevan. A huge grin broke across her face. "Of course he's my son. I wouldn't expect anything else."
Nevan, meanwhile, was panicking. How does he know about my powers?
Killian saw the confusion on the young dragon's face. "I also have the power of Void and Space at a much higher mastery than you. So I can sense it."
He paused, tilting his head. "Though I am surprised a dragon would have both. Not even my own race has both."
Elena's grin widened. "Well, he's not just any dragon."
Killian's eyes fixed on Nevan. "Clearly." He leaned forward. "You used it yet? The Void?"
Nevan hesitated. "No. Not the Void. But I used… something else."
"Something else?"
"I made a hole. In the cave floor. When I tried to channel mana into my claw" Nevan gestured helplessly. "Boom. Crater."
Killian's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, the stars within them spinning faster. "Spatial manipulation. Uncontrolled compression, perhaps. Or localized gravity distortion." He tilted his head. "And flying?"
"Yeah. Space, I think. It just happened."
"Just happened." Killian glanced at
Elena. "He's using Space and Time instinctively, but hasn't touched the Void yet."
"He's less than a day old, Killian."
"Which makes this even more interesting."
Killian rose, circling Nevan slowly. "Most of my people spend centuries learning to touch the Void without losing themselves. You're doing it like breathing."
Nevan shifted uncomfortably. "Is that bad?"
"Bad?" Killian laughed. "Dangerous, yes. But bad? No."
He stopped in front of Nevan. "How much do you know? About what you are?"
"I'm a dragon. A prince." Nevan paused.
"And?" Killian pressed gently.
Nevan glanced at his mother, unsure.
Elena looked between them, confused. "Titles? All dragons receive a Title when they speak their name. Why are you asking about—"
"How many does he have?" Killian interrupted, eyes never leaving Nevan.
Nevan stayed silent, instinct warning him not to reveal everything to a stranger.
Elena frowned. "One, presumably. That's normal for—"
"He has more than one," Killian said quietly, reading something in Nevan's mana signature. "Don't you?"
Silence.
Elena's eyes widened as she looked at her son. "Nevan?"
Nevan shifted uncomfortably under their combined stares.
Killian's expression softened slightly. "I can sense it in your mana structure. Multiple foundational concepts intertwined. It's… extraordinary." He looked at Elena. "Whatever we discuss here stays between us. You have my word."
Elena studied Killian for a long moment, then nodded. She turned to Nevan. "It's alright. Killian is trustworthy. You can tell us."
Still hesitant, Nevan finally spoke. "Four. I have four Titles."
Elena's breath caught.
Killian's eyes widened fractionally the first real surprise Nevan had seen from him.
"Four," Killian repeated slowly. "Most beings have one. Exceptional individuals might have two. Four is…" He trailed off, studying Nevan with new intensity. "Which ones?"
Nevan looked at his mother. She seemed stunned but managed a small nod.
Taking a breath, he answered. "Void God. Lord of Space and Time. Dragon King. Primordial Dragon."
Silence.
Elena stared. Killian went perfectly still, the constellation patterns across his skin glowing faint silver.
"Void God," Killian whispered. "That's not a Title. That's a concept." He looked at Elena. "Do you understand what this means?"
"I knew he was special, but.."
"This explains everything." Killian started pacing, energy crackling around him. "Void God grants absolute control over the Void. Lord of Space and Time handles spatial manipulation. Together?" He stopped, eyes locking onto Nevan. "You're built for this."
"But I don't know how to use them," Nevan said. "Not really."
"Exactly the problem." Killian turned to Elena. "You can't teach him. No dragon can."
Elena's expression shifted. "You."
"Me." Killian crossed his arms. "I've trained warriors for millennia. Taught Void manipulation to Eternals older than you. But a dragon?" He smiled, almost excited. "Never. And certainly not one with four Titles."
"So you want to train him."
Killian was quiet for a moment. "If you take him to the castle now untrained, uncontrolled he's dangerous. That crater? A fraction of his power leaking out. Imagine what happens when he loses control around enemies."
"He wouldn't—"
"He wouldn't mean to. But intent doesn't matter when you can tear holes in space." Killian's voice gentled. "He needs control, Elena."
Nevan felt ice down his spine. "I can really do that?"
"With Void God? Eventually." Killian looked at him. "If you learn. Which is why you shouldn't go to the castle yet."
Elena looked torn. "Killian, he just hatched. I don't want…"
"Then visit. As much as you want." Killian's voice was firm. "But he needs this. You know it. That's why you stopped here."
She closed her eyes, then looked at Nevan. "What do you think?"
Nevan considered.
Part of him wanted to refuse he'd just met his mother, and now she'd leave him with a stranger?
But another part remembered dying helplessly. Remembered having no control.
That part wanted power.
"How long?" he asked.
Killian shrugged. "Depends on you.
Months. Maybe years."
"And you'd teach me everything?"
"Everything I know." Killian's eyes gleamed. "I'll make you something this universe has never seen."
Nevan looked at his mother. Worried. But also proud.
"Okay," he said. "I'll stay."
"Killian, can you give me and my son a minute?"
"Sure." Killian disappeared into his own shadow.
Elena turned to Nevan, her expression conflicted. "Are you sure you want to do this? You're not even a day old. We haven't even spent much time together. I waited two years."
Nevan could see the hurt on her face, and he hated seeing her like that. But what he hated more was being weak. He wanted freedom. And training would give him exactly that.
"I'm sorry, but I have to do this. Like you said, not many in the castle wanted me alive before I was even born. If I don't do this, I won't have a way to protect myself."
"You brought us here because you trust Killian. Now I'm asking you to trust me." He met her eyes. "I promise I'll spend every day with you after the training."
"Don't make promises you can't keep, Nevan." She shook her head, then got up and wrapped her arms around his dragon body, pulling him to her chest. "Not even two days old, but you act like you're older."
Her voice was soft. Sad. Proud.
In the quiet cabin, a mother said goodbye to her son, not knowing when she might see him again.