The forest went silent.
Not the ordinary silence of night—no rustling leaves, no insects, no distant animals. It was the kind of silence that felt unnatural, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Eleanor slowly stepped back from the egg.
"…That's not good."
The cracks spreading across the shell glowed with a faint blue light, like frost illuminated from within. The light pulsed slowly, almost like a heartbeat.
Another tremor shook the ground.
The egg shuddered.
Eleanor stared at it, her brows knitting together.
"Please tell me that's not about to hatch."
Behind her, voices echoed through the trees.
"She fell down here!"
"Search the slope!"
The men were getting closer.
Eleanor clicked her tongue in irritation.
"Of course they are."
She glanced between the glowing egg and the dark forest above the slope. Climbing back up would take time she didn't have.
Her gaze returned to the egg.
The shell cracked again with a sharp sound.
Something inside pressed against it.
Something large.
"…Fantastic," she muttered.
The glow intensified, casting pale light across the wet forest floor.
Rain hissed as it touched the surface of the egg, tiny clouds of frost forming where droplets landed.
Frost.
Eleanor crouched carefully beside it.
The air around the egg was growing colder by the second.
Her breath turned visible.
"That's… not normal."
She hesitated for only a moment before placing her hand against the shell again.
It was freezing.
But beneath the cold surface, she could feel something else.
A pulse.
A steady, powerful rhythm.
Like a heartbeat.
The moment her palm touched the egg, the cracks flared bright.
A low sound rumbled from inside.
Not quite a roar.
More like… a long breath.
Eleanor pulled her hand away quickly.
"Yeah, that's definitely alive."
Above the slope, a lantern light appeared between the trees.
"There!" one of the men shouted.
Eleanor stood immediately.
Three silhouettes appeared at the top of the rocky incline.
The merchants.
One of them pointed down.
"Well look at that," he called. "You made our job easy."
Eleanor crossed her arms.
"Glad to help."
They began climbing down carefully.
The rain made the rocks slippery, forcing them to move slower than they liked.
One of them noticed the egg.
"What is that?"
The others squinted.
"…A stone?"
"No… it's glowing."
Eleanor glanced at the egg again.
The cracks were spreading faster now.
A faint sound came from inside.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Something was hitting the shell.
Hard.
She sighed.
"Well… this is about to get interesting."
The first man reached the bottom of the slope and straightened his coat.
"You're done running."
Eleanor tilted her head slightly.
"Who said I was running?"
The second man laughed.
"You're surrounded."
She looked around theatrically.
"By trees and three idiots, yes."
His smile faded.
The third man stepped forward, grabbing her arm roughly.
"That mouth of yours is going to cause problems."
Eleanor didn't even hesitate.
She slammed the heel of her boot into his shin.
The man cursed and loosened his grip.
She twisted free instantly.
"Don't touch me."
The first man drew a short blade.
"Enough games."
Eleanor's eyes flicked to the weapon.
Then to the egg.
The cracks were almost covering the entire shell now.
Something inside shifted again.
The air temperature dropped sharply.
Frost crept across the nearby rocks.
The men noticed.
"…What is that?" one muttered.
Another crack split the egg.
A sharp piece of shell broke off and fell to the ground.
From the opening, a pale blue glow spilled out.
The men stared.
Inside the egg, something moved.
A shape.
A claw.
Long.
Black.
And definitely not human.
The forest floor trembled again.
Eleanor took another slow step backward.
"…Okay," she murmured. "Now I'm concerned."
The men exchanged uneasy glances.
"That thing's alive."
"No kidding."
The egg cracked again.
This time the sound was deafening.
The shell split open with a violent snap.
A blast of freezing air erupted outward, throwing frost across the ground like a sudden winter storm.
The merchants staggered back.
"What the hell—?!"
Something pushed through the broken shell.
First a claw.
Then another.
Then a massive head forced its way through the opening.
Scales the color of moonlit ice gleamed in the faint light.
Two enormous wings twitched as the creature pulled itself free from the shattered egg.
The dragon was still young, but even curled slightly it was easily the size of a horse.
Its scales shimmered pale silver-blue.
Thin frost clung to its horns.
The creature slowly lifted its head.
Its eyes opened.
They glowed a piercing, frozen blue.
For a moment, everything stood still.
The dragon inhaled deeply.
Cold mist spilled from its nostrils.
The men stared in horror.
"That's… that's a dragon."
"No," another whispered.
"Dragons are extinct."
The dragon's glowing eyes shifted.
Slowly.
Until they landed on Eleanor.
The world seemed to narrow in that moment.
Dragon and girl stared at each other across the frost-covered ground.
Something ancient stirred in the creature's gaze.
Recognition.
The dragon tilted its head slightly.
Then it looked down at the blood still dripping from Eleanor's palm.
Its pupils narrowed.
A strange, deep vibration rumbled through its chest.
The men behind her began backing away.
"We should leave."
"Yes. Immediately."
But the dragon wasn't looking at them.
Its attention remained completely fixed on Eleanor.
She raised one eyebrow.
"…Why are you staring at me?"
The dragon took a step toward her.
The ground froze under its claws.
The men panicked.
"Kill it!"
One of them lunged forward with his blade.
The dragon moved faster than anyone expected.
Its head snapped toward the man.
A blast of icy breath exploded from its mouth.
The man didn't even have time to scream.
Frost spread across his body instantly.
In seconds, he was completely frozen.
A statue of ice.
The other two froze in terror.
Eleanor blinked.
"…Well."
The dragon slowly turned its head back toward her.
Those glowing blue eyes softened slightly.
It took another step closer.
Then another.
Finally, it lowered its massive head until it was level with her.
Cold mist curled through the air between them.
Eleanor stared at it.
The dragon stared back.
For several long seconds, neither moved.
Then the dragon leaned forward…
…and gently pressed its forehead against hers.
A sudden surge of cold energy rushed through Eleanor's body.
Images flashed through her mind.
Ancient skies.
Endless ice fields.
Dragonfire freezing entire mountains.
And a name.
A voice echoing from somewhere deep within the dragon's being.
Isfrid.
The world snapped back into place.
Eleanor stumbled slightly.
"…What just happened?"
The dragon—Isfrid—lifted his head.
Then he turned slowly toward the two remaining men.
His eyes were no longer calm.
They were furious.
The men backed away in terror.
"Oh no."
Isfrid opened his mouth.
Frost gathered between his jaws.
Eleanor folded her arms.
"…You really picked the wrong night to chase me."