The boy ran faster into the woods, scared and nervous that he might get caught again. He tried to run faster even though the snow was falling heavily. He breathes hardly because the coldness he felt was sinking into his body through his lungs. He thought that it’s better to die in the heavy snow than to get caught again. 

While he was running, he cried. 

He remembered the girl he left in that cabin. He's worried about what they do to her. He can’t help the little girl because he’s still unable to use his powers. He blamed himself for not doing anything because he thought that he was a useless dragon. Him being one of the descendants of the white dragon clan is shameful for not being able to use the power bestowed upon him.

‘I need to seek help! I need to save that girl!’ That's what he thought.

But before he got far away to the forest, he heard footsteps not so far away. He looked back and he saw the two adults who kidnapped him. He panicked and ran faster away from them. But before he got away, one of the kidnappers caught him. He tripped and got laid down on the ground. The man grabbed his arms and out of fear, he shouted. His shout is not any ordinary shout. 

That’s the dragon’s roar. 

He didn’t realize that he used one of the powers of the dragons. 

The two men were deafened by the screams he made. Their ears bled after that. They took steps away while covering their ears. But the tall man didn’t give up. He was about to run towards the boy but the boy who's sitting on the ground of snow shows the aura of the dragon. The men were scared of what they saw. 

“T-They say he’s useless! B-but what is this?” the chubby man scaredly said.

“They trick us! Damn it!” said the tall man

When they attempted to run away, they got slashed through their back. The two men die. The petite man who followed them saw what happened. He got scared and attempted to run away too but the boy slashed him too. 

They’re gone now. 

The boy walked again on the way to the cabin. 

“I… I need to save her..” he said.

But because of his sudden power, the boy got dizzy and passed out through the snowy forest. 

******

The boy heard noises not too far away and he opened his eyes slowly. 

He saw the imperial knights who were busy cleaning up the mess he made. He stood up and the captain of the knights saw him.

“Your highness!” the captain called

The Captain went to the boy. 

“Your highness, are you alright? Does anything hurt you?” he worriedly asked.

“I’m fine, Leo. It's just that my body is too heavy.” the boy replied.

“I see. That’s the side effect of your power, Your Highness. We were actually glad that you know how to use it now. If you didn’t use it, we don’t know what happened to you. Because of your power, we were able to track your whereabouts.” he said

The boy smiled at him. 

But a sudden worry comes to the boy’s mind. 

He remembered the girl in the cabin. 

“Leo … do you happen to see the girl here?” the boy asked

“A girl? No, Your  Highness. Did you happen to have a company here?” Captain Leo asked

The boy nodded.

“She helped me escape to those men. I need to find her!” The boy said

Captain Leo nodded and he called the other knights to help them search the cabin along the way to the forest where the boy last saw Sophia. 

The heavy snow stops. The boy and the knights finally reached the cabin. The knights searched inside the cabin while the boy and the Captain were outside. 

One of the knights shouted.

“I found the girl!” he said

The boy ran inside and the Captain followed him. But the boy was shocked when he saw the state of the young girl. 

“No….” he said.

The boy cried when he saw the poor girl sleeping on her own blood. One of the knights checked her breath to see if she was still alive. 

“Your Highness, the girl has a little breath. She will die in a minute.” the knight said. 

The boy rushed through the girl and he held her in his arms. The boy bites his thumb and the blood comes out.

“Your Highness! Don’t do that!” Captain Leo said

“That’s dangerous! Don’t give her your mark! You don’t even know her. It will chain you forever and there’s no way to go back!” Captain Leo worriedly said.

The boy looked at him. 

“Why won’t I? I won’t let my savior die because of me. She is the reason why I’m still here. Because of her I escaped and got to learn my power. So it’s alright to give what’s mine, isn’t it?” the boy replied

“But.. if his majesty knows it she will be endangered.” Captain Leo said

“Then, I will put my trust in you that what happened here will be known between us only.” the boy said

Captain Leo doesn’t have the power to change the boy’s mind. Instead, he sent the knights out of the cabin. The boy started to use his power and sealed a mark on the girl. After the mark was sealed, Sophia’s hair turned white and she was healed instantly but was still unconscious. The boy brushed the hair of the girl to her face and said…

“You’re gonna be alright now. Thank you for saving me. I promise to come back to you when the time for us has come and we will be together. So wait for me, okay?” he smiled

The boy took one scale from his body. He asked for any strings to the Captain to put on the scale. When Captain Leo gave a string, the boy chained his scale on that and put it on Sophia’s neck. He also kissed the girl’s forehead. 

After that, the boy and the Captain left together with Sophia. They went to a place where they can give Sophia a bright future. They also found out that Sophia was an orphan that’s why they didn’t hesitate to bring the girl with them. 

They chose the Soledad household. 

Marquis Soledad doesn’t have an heir due to his infertility and his wife’s heart disease. So the boy gave Sophia to them. He is one of the trusted vassals of the Second Prince.

“Please… take good care of her, Marquis Soledad.” the boy pleaded.

The Marquis didn’t ask any questions to the boy who’s the second prince and nodded to him. He took the girl from the second prince.

“Your Highness, Prince Rhaegal, we will wait for the time that you can explain this matter to us. I hope that time will come sooner.” said the Marquis.

“Don’t worry, I will explain everything to you. For now it’s risky. Just tell them that you got her from the orphanage. Don’t tell anyone that I brought her here.” said the Second Prince.

“You can count one me, Your Highness.” Marquis replied.

After that, the Prince and the Captain leave the Marquisate. When they left, the Marquis noticed the mark on the little girl.