- 6 hours ago
Betrayed and Unstoppable - The Forgotten Lord of Mythical Beasts
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Short filmTranscript
00:04I helped my cousin Gavin run his companion beast manor.
00:09This season, we cleared 3 million mana crystals in pure profit.
00:13But when it came time to pay me, he handed me a pitiful pouch.
00:18He said the manor and capital were his.
00:20As for me, I was just a servant who poured elixirs into incubation pools.
00:25I glanced at the meager pouch.
00:27I didn't argue or make a scene.
00:28I just took the money in silence and went straight to lease the most dilapidated property in Holy Light County.
00:35A place everyone shunned as a cursed, abandoned castle.
00:38Not long after I walked away, Gavin's manor pulled in nothing.
00:41His high-priced companion beast eggs cracked open, oozing foul, greenish-black toxic sludge
00:48as shrieking wraiths swirled from the ruined shells, filling his estate with rotting death.
00:53Meanwhile, my once-cursed castle courtyard was filled with magnificent, high-tier, primordial companion beasts.
01:00Their coats gleamed like spawn silk, every single one pulsing with flawless magic.
01:05The second Gavin saw it, he turned deathly pale.
01:08I stepped back.
01:13Stop right there, Gavin.
01:15Your dirty boots don't belong in my sacred waters.
01:18It all started one afternoon.
01:19Silas, here's your cut.
01:22I grabbed the little unicorn, who was already scrambling to chew the mana crystals inside as treats.
01:27One glance, and I knew there were barely 5,000 crystals.
01:31I said nothing, but I was doing the math.
01:34For three years, I lived beside those magic-radiated incubation pools.
01:38It was a once-in-a-century element-tide year.
01:42Grand mages fought duels and offered fortunes to bid on our young companion beasts.
01:46The net profit was nearly 3 million mana crystals, and he gave me 5 grand.
01:52Listen, Silas.
01:54Profits were unbelievable.
01:55Nearly 3 million!
01:57Take that 5,000, go buy a decent velvet mage robe.
02:01For Murphal's sake, that ragged outfit should have been burned years ago.
02:04Let's be honest.
02:05Pouring elixirs and throwing feed isn't a rare skill.
02:07You could tie a brainless goblin to the fence, and it could do that job.
02:12You're still young.
02:13Take the money, go to the capital's magic academy, and find a respectable desk job.
02:18Stop wasting your life in a smelly stable.
02:20But hearing all that, I felt absolutely nothing.
02:23Three years earlier, when Gavin took over the manor, he nearly ran it into the ground
02:27because he didn't understand manotides or elemental balance.
02:31I was the one who turned things around.
02:33I brought in an ancient loon mastery I had developed on my own,
02:37which allowed us to precisely sense dying mutated eggs
02:40and bring the hatchling's mortality rate to zero.
02:43Back then, we agreed I'd provide the secret arts and split profits 70-30.
02:50He said we were family, and as the older cousin,
02:53he'd never let me get the short end of the stick.
02:58Alright, Gavin, I'll take the money.
03:03Good man.
03:05Go enjoy a vacation.
03:06Oh, one more thing.
03:07The defective half-breed runt in Pen 3 won't stop shrieking.
03:11Go quiet it down before you leave.
03:12I walked away without looking back.
03:14In Pen 3, a panicked, dark-element wolf pup
03:18instantly quieted down at my touch,
03:20nuzzling its soft head against my palm.
03:22Gavin had no idea this runt was already sold for a fortune
03:26to the legendary Archmage of the Royal Court.
03:28Thank goodness the high-tier hatchlings were already safely sold to those powerful lords.
03:33I knew exactly what was coming.
03:35Without my hidden remains,
03:36the incubation springs would soon curdle into barren silk
03:39and no egg would ever hatch alive again.
03:41Gavin would soon face ruined contracts,
03:43bankrupting debts,
03:44and the absolute destruction of everything he owned.
03:47I didn't return to town.
03:49Suddenly, a commotion broke out by the harbor.
03:51Those high-tier hatchlings,
03:53about to be shipped to the lords,
03:55broke free from their golden cages.
03:56They ignored their elite handlers,
03:59rushing frantically through the crowd just to nuzzle my boots.
04:03Whimpering in tearful goodbye,
04:05the royal guards and grand mages stood stunned.
04:08To them, these were ferocious legendary beasts.
04:12To me, they were three years of my life.
04:16Right then, I saw Gavin.
04:18He had taken over the Grand Plaza,
04:20hosting a lavish banquet for the entire town.
04:23He was loudly bragging,
04:25loudly flaunting his new Earthdrake carriage
04:27to a crowd of flattering relatives.
04:29I sneered and turned away,
04:31walking toward the darkest edge of Holy Light County,
04:33the abandoned, cursed castle grounds.
04:35It was covered in toxic rot and death magic.
04:39Even town beggars refused to come near.
04:41But as I knelt and touched the withered soil,
04:43feeling the deep, dormant, magical ley lines beneath,
04:46a wild idea ignited in my mind.
04:49Gavin thought anyone could do my job.
04:51Fine.
04:52I'd show him what a true, godly Beastmaster could do.
05:08I'd like to rent the abandoned, cursed castle grounds.
05:12Good grief.
05:14That ruin is a death trap.
05:16The soil is poisoned,
05:17and ghosts literally wail there at night.
05:19Why on earth do you want that?
05:21Even the town drunks won't sleep near its gates.
05:24Lord Barnes, what's the annual rent?
05:28If you're dead set on committing suicide,
05:31it's 1,000 crystals a year,
05:32a nominal fee just to get it off our books.
05:35But don't expect the town guard to clean up your mess
05:38if a specter eats you.
05:39I did the math.
05:40My 5,000 crystals could rent it for five years,
05:43leaving enough for basic elemental purification runes
05:46and magic-detecting crystals.
05:49Let's sign right now.
05:52Silas, don't be foolish.
05:53Gavin just made a fortune.
05:55Go ask him for a real job.
05:57The contract, please.
05:58After signing, I ran to the castle,
06:00trembling with excitement.
06:02The grand courtyard was caked with black toxic slime,
06:05and the air reeked of rotting death.
06:07To everyone else, it was hell.
06:09To me, it was a gold model.
06:10When the townspeople heard I'd rented the cursed castle,
06:13they all gathered at the gates to gossip.
06:16Silas has lost his mind.
06:19A pile of haunted rubble,
06:21and he plans to breed companion beasts there?
06:24He's completely obsessed.
06:25Gavin gave him 5,000 crystals,
06:27and instead of buying a decent house,
06:29he blows it on a graveyard.
06:30What an idiot.
06:32Even Gavin drove over in his Earth Drake carriage,
06:35looking utterly smug.
06:36Hey, Silas, buddy.
06:38If you don't know how to spend that money,
06:41I'll take you to the premium taverns in the royal capital.
06:44Why cling to a pile of cursed junk and look like a bum?
06:50I ignored him,
06:51putting on an apron to shovel the toxic sludge alone.
06:55But that night,
06:56after the onlookers left,
06:59rustling sounds came from the forest.
07:03One by one,
07:04dozens of small companion beasts
07:05leaped over the castle walls.
07:08They were the injured,
07:10defective runts
07:11I had secretly healed
07:12and saved behind Gavin's back
07:14over the years,
07:15recognizing my scent
07:16that they had escaped.
07:18With happy chirps,
07:19the little shadow pups,
07:20wind ferrets,
07:21and earth moles
07:22immediately started digging
07:23and purifying the sludge with their magic,
07:25helping me rebuild my new home.
07:27I worked with the little beasts,
07:30using starlight moss
07:31and elemental feathers
07:32to build the coziest nests.
07:34For two weeks,
07:35I mended gear at the pier by day
07:37to hide my tracks
07:38and transform the castle by night.
07:41Then a miracle happened.
07:43The toxic sludge was entirely gone.
07:46The incubation pools now overflowed
07:48with crystal pure radiant liquid
07:50that perfectly simulated
07:52a legendary ancient dragon nest.
07:54It was so perfect
07:55that the incredible magical scent
07:57wafted out,
07:58immediately attracting
07:59several rare,
08:00majestic wild beasts
08:01from the deep forest.
08:03They sneaked in,
08:04checking out the premium nests,
08:06eagerly preparing to lay
08:07their precious eggs here.
08:08Just as everything was ready,
08:10heavy footsteps approached.
08:11Quick, hide!
08:12I whispered softly
08:13to the little animals at my feet
08:15and they promptly slipped
08:16into the shadows.
08:17Hey, Silas!
08:18Still messing around
08:19with this haunted heap of rubble?
08:21I just captured a bunch
08:22of filthy goblins from the wild.
08:25They work for free
08:26under my whip,
08:27gathering resources
08:28day and night.
08:30Keep playing in the mud, buddy.
08:32Suit yourself, Gavin.
08:35He left him laughing,
08:37completely unaware
08:38that his downfall
08:39had already begun.
08:43The moment Gavin left,
08:44the forest behind the castle shook.
08:46The irresistible sense
08:47of starlight moths
08:48and pure mana
08:49had driven the wild beasts
08:50into a frenzy.
08:51They weren't just inspecting
08:53the nests anymore,
08:54they were outright riding
08:55and reclaiming it.
08:58A majestic,
08:59frost-winged griffon roared,
09:01ice crackling
09:02as it tried to nest
09:02in the central pool.
09:04Suddenly,
09:05a massive,
09:06obsidian-scaled
09:07earth-titan beetle
09:08burst from the ground,
09:10its horns glowing
09:11with magma,
09:12slamming into the griffon
09:13to push it away.
09:14A legendary storm
09:16from the third-minute bar
09:17unleashing lightning
09:18eager to snatch
09:19the high-ground nest.
09:21Trees shattered
09:22and boulders through
09:23as these terrifying,
09:24high-tier creatures
09:25clashed furiously,
09:27turning the courtyard
09:28into a chaotic battlefield.
09:30My rescued little ferrets
09:31and moles shivered,
09:32hiding behind my boots.
09:34Enough!
09:35The terrifying griffon
09:37froze mid-air.
09:38The massive beetle
09:39lowered its horns
09:40and the fierce eagle
09:41quietly glided down.
09:43These wild,
09:43destructive titans
09:44suddenly look like
09:46guilty puppies.
09:49Line up!
09:49No fighting in my sanctuary!
09:52Or no one gets a nest!
09:56The backyard of my ruined castle
09:59transformed into the most bizarre,
10:01high-tier beast sanctuary
10:02the continent had ever seen.
10:04The terrifying,
10:05frost-winged griffon,
10:07with a wingspan that could block the sun,
10:09sat upright like a well-behaved house cat,
10:11its massive talons neatly tucked in.
10:14Next to it,
10:16the mountain-sized,
10:17earth-titan beetle
10:18flattened its obsidian armor,
10:19carefully squeezing its magma-glowing horns
10:22so it wouldn't scratch the walls.
10:24Even the fierce storm eagle
10:25folded its wings,
10:26suppressive lightning reduced
10:28to tiny, playful sparks,
10:29patiently waiting its turn.
10:31I walked down the line
10:32with a clipboard made of oak.
10:35No roaring,
10:36no unauthorized magic,
10:38and keep your tails
10:39inside your designated circles.
10:42Understand?
10:42The giant monsters nodded in unison,
10:45their heavy movements
10:45causing the ground to vibrate.
10:47I tossed a glowing starberry
10:49to the griffon.
10:51Good boy.
10:53For being quiet,
10:55you get the premium starlight moss nest.
10:57The griffon let out
10:58a soft purring chirp,
11:00looking ecstatic.
11:02The other colossal titans
11:03watched enviously
11:04sitting even straighter,
11:06completely tamed.
11:07They were ready to lay
11:08their legendary eggs
11:09under my absolute command.
11:11While my sanctuary
11:13thrived in secret,
11:15Gavin struck gold.
11:17Princess Evelyn
11:18was turning 18
11:19and urgently needed
11:20a legendary companion beast
11:22for her royal
11:23coming-of-age ceremony.
11:24Gavin successfully
11:26secured the contract,
11:27promising her
11:28the finest beast in the realm.
11:29He spent a fortune
11:31buying a high-tier royal egg
11:32from the black market,
11:34betting everything
11:34on this single gamble.
11:36Of course,
11:37he couldn't resist bragging.
11:38The very next day,
11:39his earth-drake
11:40carriage rattled up
11:41to my ruined gates.
11:44Gavin shouted,
11:45stepping out
11:46in a velvet cloak.
11:47Hey, Silas!
11:48Entirely unaware
11:49of the titanic wild beasts
11:51hidden just behind
11:52my illusory wards,
11:53he pointed back
11:54at a golden glowing case.
11:55See that?
11:56That's a grade-A wyvern egg.
11:58I'm supplying
11:59the princess of the empire herself.
12:00The royal family
12:01demands perfection.
12:02When I present this hatchling
12:03to her highness,
12:04I'll be knighted.
12:05And you?
12:05You'll still be shoveling dirt
12:07in this cemetery.
12:08Enjoy your dirt, peasant.
12:10I stood there,
12:11calmly holding my clipboard.
12:12Right behind the illusion,
12:14the legendary storm eagle
12:15was cooing like a giant pigeon.
12:17It was trying to barter
12:18its own priceless egg
12:19just to get me to give it
12:20a premium feather grooming session.
12:22Congratulations, Gavin.
12:31The moment Gavin's carriage
12:32rattled away,
12:33I dropped the illusion.
12:39The tense atmosphere
12:41vanished instantly.
12:45The legendary storm eagle
12:46immediately let out
12:47a needy chirp,
12:48nudging my shoulder.
12:50I laughed,
12:51pulling out a specialized
12:52silver comb
12:53to finally give it
12:54that promised premium
12:55feather grooming.
12:56As I brushed away
12:57its loose,
12:58lightning-infused feathers,
13:00the gigantic apex predator
13:01closed its eyes,
13:03purring like a spoiled kitten.
13:05Meanwhile,
13:06the other giant beasts
13:07sat patiently,
13:08waiting for their turns.
13:09I walked down the line,
13:11feeding the frost-winged
13:12griffin some frozen mana fish
13:14and massaging
13:15the earth-tightened beetle's
13:16obsidian shell
13:17with soothing elemental oil.
13:19This wasn't just a sanctuary.
13:20They'd accepted me
13:21as their pack leader,
13:22trusting me completely
13:23with their unborn lineage.
13:25As night fell,
13:26a deep stillness
13:27settled over the courtyard.
13:28I sat by the radiant
13:29incubation pool,
13:31watching the massive eggs
13:32glow softly in the dark.
13:34Suddenly,
13:35a sharp crack echoed
13:36through the silence.
13:37The crystal, pure water
13:38began to bubble furiously,
13:40radiating blinding,
13:41multicolored light.
13:42One,
13:42two,
13:43three,
13:44dozens of spiderweb
13:45frowns in the dark.
13:46The grand hatching
13:48was beginning.
13:50The divine incubation pool
13:52bubbled,
13:53and several legendary eggs
13:54cracked open at once.
13:56Within seconds,
13:58I was completely buried
13:59under a chaotic avalanche
14:00of newborn,
14:01fluffy, mythical cubs.
14:03A tiny shadow pup
14:05chewed on my boots,
14:06while a miniature frost griffin
14:08purred,
14:09nuzzling my neck.
14:10Suddenly,
14:11a blinding crimson light
14:12erupted.
14:13The divine tear egg hatched,
14:15revealing a baby phoenix
14:16covered in glowing,
14:17fiery down.
14:18It let out a loud chirp,
14:20flapped its unstable
14:21little wings,
14:22and tumbled backward.
14:24Instead of landing safely,
14:25the clumsy little bird
14:26accidentally caught
14:27a rogue draft of wings,
14:30and went shooting
14:31over the castle wall
14:32like a miniature comet.
14:34I gasped,
14:35shoving the other
14:36clinging cubs aside.
14:37I chased the streak of fire
14:39across the valley,
14:40but the energetic runaway
14:41was too fast.
14:42To my horror,
14:43it flew straight through
14:44the open balcony window
14:45of the grand,
14:46high-walled royal castle nearby.
14:48Desperate to save
14:49my newborn chick
14:50before the royal guards
14:51turned it into a pincushion,
14:52I scaled the stone walls
14:53and sneaked inside,
14:55tracking the scent
14:55of burnt feathers
14:56directly into the
14:57majestic royal chambers.
15:02Tracking the scorching heat,
15:03I searched the
15:04winding palace corridors,
15:06but the clumsy baby phoenix
15:07was nowhere to be seen.
15:11Suddenly, I bumped into
15:12a mysterious girl.
15:13She wore a deep-hooded cloak
15:14that concealed her face,
15:16with an elegant,
15:17gem-encrusted rapier
15:18hanging at her waist.
15:19Before I could speak,
15:20a distinct whiff
15:21of burnt feathers
15:22hit my nose,
15:23and a thin wisp of smoke
15:25was literally escaping
15:26from beneath her cloak.
15:34The girl blurted out,
15:36her voice slightly squeaky
15:38as she nervously
15:38adjusted her cloak,
15:39trying to hide
15:40a glowing crimson bulge
15:41near her chest.
15:42I'm just...
15:44practicing fire magic.
15:48Move along, citizen!
15:51I frowned,
15:52noticing a charred hole
15:53on her sleeve.
15:54But since this was
15:55the royal castle,
15:56I didn't want
15:56to cause trouble.
15:58Right.
15:59Sorry to bother you.
16:00The moment my footsteps faded,
16:02the girl let out
16:02a long breath
16:03and threw back her hood,
16:04revealing a breathtakingly
16:06beautiful face.
16:07She immediately pulled
16:08the chubby baby phoenix out,
16:09burying her face
16:10into its glowing,
16:11fiery down,
16:13squealing...
16:13Oh my gosh, you are the weirdest thing ever!
16:14Yes, you are.
16:15Let's cuddle forever!
16:17From the deep shadows
16:18of the corridor,
16:19I leaned against the stone wall
16:20and slapped a hand over my face
16:21in pure disbelief.
16:23This was bad.
16:24Very, very bad.
16:26That chubby little bird
16:27wasn't just any creature.
16:28It was a divine phoenix,
16:30a mythical lineage
16:31so ancient and noble
16:32that its terrifying,
16:34universe-burning parents
16:35would never tolerate
16:36their royal offspring,
16:38becoming a human's
16:39contracted pet.
16:40If they found out
16:41their sacred prince
16:42was currently being treated
16:43like a squeaky flush toy,
16:45they would likely incinerate
16:47the entire kingdom
16:48in a rage.
16:49It was purring ecstatically,
16:51rolling on its back
16:52inside the girl's arms
16:53while she furiously
16:54rubbed its fluffy,
16:55smoking belly.
16:57You have the blood
16:58of the eternal son,
16:59you absolute disgrace.
17:00Seeing that the runaway chick
17:02was perfectly safe
17:03and clearly enjoying
17:04its royal kidnapping
17:05before the palace guards
17:06spotted me,
17:07I quietly slipped away,
17:08leaving the legendary titan
17:10and cloaked girl
17:11to their frantic cuddling.
17:13After sneaking back,
17:14I fell into a restless sleep,
17:16only to be violently
17:17yanked awake at dawn.
17:18My little ferrets
17:19were frantically
17:20biting my sleeves,
17:21squeaking in pure terror.
17:23A massive domestic crisis
17:24was unfolding.
17:25The sky above the castle
17:26was burning crimson.
17:27I rushed outside
17:27to the courtyard
17:28and my jaw dropped.
17:30Legendary divine phoenix parents
17:32had arrived
17:32to take their baby home,
17:34radiating,
17:34suffocating,
17:35world-ending heat.
17:36But down below,
17:37a full-blown melodrama
17:39was happening.
17:39The hooded girl
17:40from the palace
17:41had somehow tracked
17:42the scent here.
17:43She was currently
17:44on her knees,
17:45crying her eyes out,
17:46tightly hugging
17:46the baby phoenix.
17:47Please don't take him.
17:50We belong together.
17:53The giant father phoenix
17:54let out an angry
17:56thunderous scream,
17:57aiming its blinding
17:58solar system
17:59right at the girl.
18:00Wait!
18:01Wait!
18:01Let's talk this out!
18:03I'm sorry.
18:04I'm so sorry.
18:05The hooded girl wailed.
18:06I lied to you yesterday.
18:09I stole your little
18:10fiery chip.
18:12But I love him so much,
18:14please don't let them
18:14take him.
18:16Faced with two crying
18:17puddles of helplessness,
18:18I sighed.
18:19Look,
18:20your child has chosen
18:22its path.
18:22The baby phoenix
18:23let out a flurry
18:24of desperate,
18:25heartbreaking chirps.
18:27But I have a solution.
18:28If you let him stay
18:29with her,
18:30I will construct a portable,
18:32high-tier divine nest
18:33for you.
18:34Infused with starlight moss
18:35and pure elemental magra,
18:37it will perfectly simulate
18:38your ancient home,
18:39and you can carry it
18:40anywhere in the world.
18:41The raging solar flames
18:43in the father phoenix's
18:44eyes flickered,
18:45then dimmed.
18:46The mother phoenix
18:47tilted her massive head,
18:48thoroughly enticed
18:49by this irresistible
18:50luxury real estate.
18:52They looked at each other,
18:53then nodded slowly.
18:55The deal was struck.
18:57Overjoyed,
18:57the girl squealed,
18:58and suddenly planted
18:59a quick,
19:00grateful kiss
19:01right on my cheek.
19:02The next second,
19:03her face turned
19:04bright crimson,
19:05and she awkwardly
19:06stepped back,
19:07twisting her fingers
19:08in sheer embarrassment.
19:10Now that the panic
19:11had passed,
19:11I realized she was
19:12an absolute mess.
19:14You can't go back
19:15to the palace lift
19:16looking like a burnt potato.
19:18The intense phoenix fire
19:19had burned her elegant cloak
19:20into tattered rags.
19:22Come inside!
19:22You can wash up
19:23in my castle.
19:24And her face and hair
19:25were completely covered
19:26in black soot,
19:27making her look like
19:27a cute runaway chimney sweep.
19:30I led her into
19:31the newly restored garden.
19:33But a new problem was,
19:35my castle didn't have
19:36any spare clothes,
19:38let alone luxury dresses
19:39for a lady.
19:41I grabbed my coin pouch.
19:43Wait here.
19:44I'll run into town
19:45and buy you
19:45a fresh change of clothes.
19:47Leaving her safe
19:47under the watchful eyes
19:48of my giant,
19:49well-behaved beast guardians.
19:55Down in the town square,
19:56I ran right into Gavin.
20:02still shoveling dirt,
20:04Simus?
20:07Who was guarding
20:08his grand trails
20:08with a smug smirk?
20:12See this wife and egg?
20:13Princess Evelyn
20:14is a legendary magic prodigy
20:16and notoriously cold.
20:17No one in the empire
20:19has ever seen her smile.
20:21I'm hatching it
20:22under premium mortar lamps first.
20:24Princess Evelyn
20:25is a legendary magic prodigy
20:26and notoriously cold,
20:28because no one in the empire
20:29has ever seen her smile.
20:31Gavin sneered,
20:32blocking my path.
20:35She demands
20:36absolute perfection.
20:38When I present her
20:39with a freshly hatched
20:40royal dragon,
20:42I'll be her chief knight!
20:46You, meanwhile,
20:47will die alone
20:48in your muddy dump.
20:51Good luck with that, Gavin.
20:55I muttered,
20:56pushing past him
20:57without wasting
20:58a single second.
21:00Man,
21:01royal princesses
21:01sound exhausting.
21:06Glad I don't have to deal
21:07with high and mighty
21:08snobs like that.
21:11I bought a silk dress
21:12and rushed back.
21:14But when I unlocked
21:15my castle doors,
21:16I froze.
21:17The cloaked girl
21:18from the palace
21:18had scavenged
21:19massive,
21:20magical starlight leaves,
21:21wrapping them around
21:22her body
21:23like a makeshift
21:24green tunic.
21:25Now,
21:26she was rolling
21:26on the floor,
21:27giggling hysterically,
21:29completely buried
21:30under a mountain
21:30of purring,
21:31mythical cubs.
21:33Oh,
21:34you came back!
21:36She gasped,
21:37looking up
21:38with a glowing shadow pup
21:39on her head.
21:40Hi.
21:41See?
21:41Ordinary girls
21:42are so much better.
21:44I handed her
21:45the silk dress,
21:46but she was far too
21:47distracted to change.
21:48This mysterious girl
21:50was completely weaponized
21:51by the sheer cuteness,
21:53peppering me
21:53with 10,000 questions
21:55at once.
21:56What does this shadow pup
21:57eat?
21:58Can I brush
21:59the little griffin's feathers?
22:02Oh my gosh!
22:04Look at its tiny paws!
22:06Can I bottle feed
22:08them right now?
22:09Please?
22:10She gasped,
22:12her eyes shining
22:12with pure excitement.
22:14Right on cue,
22:15the chubby baby phoenix
22:16puffed out its chest,
22:17hopping onto a wooden crate
22:19like a tiny,
22:20majestic king.
22:21It let out a sequence
22:22of arrogant,
22:23high-pitched chirps,
22:24gesturing with its wing
22:25toward the other
22:26mythical cubs.
22:27It was proudly
22:28introducing its
22:29underlings to her,
22:30fully convinced
22:31that every legendary
22:32beast in my sanctuary
22:33was its loyal servant.
22:35The other cubs
22:36just blinked lazily.
22:39Wow,
22:40you are such
22:40a brave leader!
22:42She squealed,
22:43completely falling
22:44for the phoenix's
22:45bragging.
22:45Under my guidance,
22:47she instantly began
22:48mixing enchanted milk
22:49formulas,
22:50her mysterious aura
22:51utterly forgotten.
22:52I leaned against
22:53the wall,
22:53laughing.
22:54This chaotic girl
22:55was a natural-born
22:56caretaker.
22:57I eventually convinced
22:59her to change
22:59into the silk dress,
23:01mostly because a
23:02newborn unicorn cub
23:03had already started
23:04eating her meticulously
23:05crafted leaf skirt.
23:07Soon after,
23:08we knelt together
23:08to feed a restless
23:09frost griffin.
23:10She whispered,
23:12leaning close
23:13to hold its paws
23:14while I tilted
23:14the bottle.
23:16Our shoulders brushed,
23:17the air suddenly
23:18warming.
23:19As my fingers
23:20shifted,
23:20they accidentally
23:21brushed against
23:22her hand.
23:22A tiny jolt
23:23seemed to snap
23:24between us.
23:25We both froze.
23:26Her eyes were like
23:27dazzling violet gems.
23:29I quickly pulled
23:30my hand back,
23:31clearing my throat.
23:33You, uh,
23:35have a natural touch
23:37with them.
23:38It's, it's just
23:39because the griffin
23:40likes me.
23:41She murmured quickly
23:42as she suddenly
23:44became intensely
23:45interested in adjusting
23:46the griffin's tiny wings.
23:47Her voice was softer
23:48now, lacking its
23:49usual confidence.
23:51Don't misinterpret
23:52things.
23:53Yet, she didn't move
23:54an inch away from
23:55my shoulder,
23:55her fingers trembling
23:56slightly against the
23:57cub's fur.
23:58As night fell,
23:59the cubs drifted
24:00off to sleep,
24:01leaving a quiet
24:02serenity in the hole.
24:03She stared into
24:04the crackling fireplace,
24:05her energetic
24:06demeanor fading
24:07into a melancholy sigh.
24:10Everyone back home
24:11expects perfection
24:12from me.
24:14I have to be
24:15distant,
24:16flawless,
24:17and strong.
24:19Because of that,
24:20nobody actually
24:20talks to me.
24:21I don't have
24:22a single real friend.
24:24It's exhausting
24:26always wearing a mask.
24:29A heavy crown to carry,
24:30even if it's
24:33an invisible one.
24:36Drink this.
24:37It helps.
24:38She took a sip,
24:39the sweet honey warmth
24:40instantly bringing
24:41a genuine,
24:42soft smile to her lips.
24:43She looked up at me,
24:44her violet eyes
24:45filled with
24:45sudden curiosity.
24:46She whispered,
24:47leaning closer.
24:48You're different.
24:49You possess such
24:50terrifying,
24:51legendary beasts,
24:53yet you live
24:53so peacefully out here.
24:55Who are you really,
24:56Silas?
24:58Why hide your
24:59incredible talents
25:00in a place like this?
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