Chapter Text

Part 1 of Chapter 2: The Salvation

The red dragon finally arrived on the Western continent, where his little brother was located. A wide smile can be seen on the red dragon’s face, with his eyes slowly getting teary. He was glad... That his younger brother was still alive... in contrast to someone else...

"Wait for me, little brother! Big brother is here to find you." The red dragon couldn’t help but fasten the flap of his cute little wings as he sensed he was nearing where his little brother was.

However, the closer he came, the more he sensed something was amiss. He had a feeling he would witness something dreadful. Unfortunately, he shook his head, refusing to believe his own instincts that perhaps he was only anxious. Since it had been an eternity, he had seen his mother suffer in that lonely house solely built for them three.

Yet, in the end, his ecstatic countenance was shaken when he saw the place where his younger sibling had hatched and fully grasped how cruel the world was to them.

"Huh? Why is my brother here?" The red dragon's eyes shook as he noticed the chilly, dark cave where he believed his brother was staying.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The red dragon's heart beats rapidly as he flaps his wings to enter the dark, frightening cave. With each tremendous thump, his heart felt heavy as he slowly followed the path where he could sense his little brother.

'Please do keep my brother safe.' The Red Dragon can’t help but be anxious, as his little brother was his only hope for their mother to be saved and for them to finally be happy.

Unfortunately, in the end, as soon as he caught his eyes where his brother was, his hopes were shattered, along with his heart, which was crumpled and trampled by the harsh fate that God set for them. A slap of reality was dealt. It was truly undeniable that it was humans again who had been cruel enough to crush the hopes he had been yearning for.

"What a spectacular sight I am witnessing," the man, definitely a noble, said as he sipped a glass of a luxurious wine set prepared for him to watch such a horrendous sight for the others.

The poor red dragon’s eyes shook intensely as he watched the cruelty beyond his vision. His eyes teared up, seeing what his little brother was experiencing.

One hit. Two hits. Three hits... and so on.

The newborn young dragon receives one whimper for every frightening whip he receives from the torturer. In exchange for the torment he suffered, the nobleman still enjoys such sights.

To someone who has just hatched from his egg, how cruel is it for him to face torture as soon as he is born?

Oh, such a poor black dragon who was confused the moment he opened his eyes—only cruel things happened to him. The beautiful things that he should’ve seen only turned into nightmares as soon as he came out of the shell.

If the black dragon knew this was what his cruel fate would be, would he even come out of the shell?

*Thud*

"Hmp!!!" whimpers the black dragon, his eyes welling up with tears from the pain. With each hit, the nameless black dragon's eyes glared at the blonde noble, prompting him to sneer mockingly.

"I wonder whether you can still gaze at me with those nasty eyes after experiencing this on a regular basis," the nobleman said to the black dragon, who is constantly beaten by whips cruel enough to kill a human.

However, the black dragon remained silent and glared at the noble with hatred, causing the noble to get irritated and scornfully exclaim,

"Hey. What the fuck are you doing? Raise the level!"

"But he will die, young master—" muttered the one who tortures the black dragon, with eyes that show a bit of hesitation.

"Are you going against me? Huh? Are you an idiot?" the nobleman questioned, his brow furrowed in annoyance at the remark.

With that expression shown, the torturer, as if it didn't show any hesitation at all, responded,

“Yes, young master!" Obediently exclaimed the torturer, who once again carried out with a loud thud almost etched in the black dragon's scales.

Eyes almost tearing out, the black dragon stayed glaring at the young master. However, pleasure was written on the face of the nobleman.

"That's it! Keep going." He said as he feasted on the delicacy that was prepared in front of him.

However, with those words and the next course of action bestowed, the red dragon, who was watching in horror, began to shout,

"No! Please stop! I plead with you." As he flew towards his beloved brother, he yelled in a tearful voice that no one could hear.

"I don't mind if you hit me instead, but please don't hurt my brother... I beg of you!" The red dragon's eyes glistened with grief as he was determined to take the hits instead of his helpless brother.

But the reality is harsh for the two dragons, who merely wanted to be happy. Even if the red dragon stood directly in front of his brother, the whip passed through him and struck the black dragon's back, causing the black dragon to whimper in the pain it brought.

Thud. Slam. Slash. Thud.

With his eyes half closed, the poor black dragon's state is more gruesome than the previous torture he received.

With one hit, the whip struck the damaged back of the black dragon once again, creating a deeper and larger cut that enabled blood to flow rapidly. It is said a dragon's scale is robust enough not to scratch easily; if that's the case, the red dragon can't imagine the agonizing thought of how many whips his little brother has endured.

As blood poured down, drop by drop, the skin that was meant to develop into sturdy scales flaked off as though ripping into pieces.

In the second hit, the whip went through the damaged tail's scales, which can no longer prevent the stinging whip from making its way through the skinned tail. One could faint from the pain the black dragon was in, yet he persisted in showing that arrogant noble he wouldn't get what he desired.

On the third hit, the whip struck the tattered wings, which look torn all over due to the many hits they received while not being healed.

The wings that should've blossomed into exquisite beauty at night became wrecked, as though beyond repair. The poor black dragon's condition was too devastating, yet the whips continued to strike his body.

Continuing the torture, the black dragon knew exactly where the next strike would come from, and as he prepared himself, he closed his eyes to the approaching whip, which was nearing the most excruciating stage of the torture process.

The whip pierced his cheeks all the way up to his closed eyes, causing the black dragon to weep again and again. His body was slowly succumbing to the torture, leaving him numb all over.

‘Why? What did I do to deserve this kind of pain? Did I do something wrong? '

The black dragon couldn’t help but resent the blonde noble, who only felt ecstasy at the "so-called wonderful scene" in front of him. He knows that even if he kept persisting, his body was slowly giving up and was close to fainting. However, even if his body keeps getting heavier as the hits keep going, his mind is focused on staying alive no matter what and getting his revenge someday.

With all of this going on, the red dragon, who witnessed what his little brother was going through, couldn't help but go insane.

"No, no, no, PLEASE STOP!" cried the red dragon as he spread his wings in front of his little brother to defend him from the oncoming whip. But what can his little soul do?

Even though he tried his hardest, the whip merely passed through him and struck his little brother, who is now trembling from the constant pain he is subjected to.

"AHHH STOP—! STOP— stop… I beg of you… N-not my brother." The red dragon's eyes became enraged. He couldn't bear the sight of his little brother appearing to be on the brink of death while he was unable to intervene.

Through his helplessness, it reminded him of the dream he thought would come true.

A dream that all children yearn for—a happy, harmonious life with their family.

The red dragon could not help but remind him of the dream and how he would want his life to go. With his mother and his adorable little brother, he thought it would be fine if he could at least witness how his dream would come true even without him.

But why? Why is this happening?

The red dragon couldn't help but recall an old dream he told his mother years ago in the icy weather of the Castle of Light.

"Mom, I know you’re lonely there thinking about our well-being, but don’t worry! Little brother will one day come to you. I just feel it!" The red dragon enthusiastically recited to his mother, to whom only sobs could be heard and no glimpse of hope could be seen.

Even though the red dragon felt saddened to witness her mother in that state, he still naively kept hoping that one day his family would get back together as it was supposed to in the first place.

“Mom, it would be nice if we could wake up to very wonderful, sunny weather, such as when the sun greets us on a fine morning, instead of this snowy field. Where we would dine together at the same table, chatting about our plans for the day and where we would go to travel to some places."

The red dragon looked at his mother and continued with a small smile on his face, contrasting the droopy eyes of sadness.

"It would be great if my little brother and I would bond and be in each other’s arms through the challenges that will be brought to us. A little sparring would be fun, and even you will teach us how to be stronger than we are currently." A small tear rolled down his cheeks while he continued muttering his little dreams.

"Going through any continent and discovering a lot of new things, may it be on land or water, just to be able to be with you and my little brother is something I always yearn for and forever will be in any timeline."

He is aware of the truth he must confront, yet he remains hopeful.

"And... and maybe, if things don’t go wrong, you will be able to give us a name that I will say in great confidence. Since it will be the greatest gift you will ever bestow on us, it would be great if these little hopes of dreams come true."

Even as tears slowly fell into his eyes, the red dragon’s little hope ignited, and he claimed it from his mother.

"Let’s not give up, Mom. It will come true; it should!"

And then he continued,

"Mom, little brother is still out there waiting to be hatched. So at least you and my little brother will soon get reunited. So, let’s not lose hope!"

‘And maybe in another lifetime, I will finally get into your embrace as well.' Thoughts of the red dragon while he gazes at the cold, snowy weather surrounding their supposed home.

Singing through the dreary years that passed by, he thought, now that his little brother has hatched, it will finally go back to what it is supposed to be.

‘Isn't that how it was supposed to be?’

Once again, the red dragon witnessed for years how his brother went through a torturous life.

As he can only watch.