Chapter 6: A Snow Dragon, a Mansion Secret, and a Jealous Friend

The night was dark, and the forest was quiet. As I walked deeper into the woods, I spotted something fluttering in the air—a small creature, glowing like fresh snow.

It was a tiny baby dragon, white as snow, making a soft, squeaky sound.

“Kuu… kyu…”

Its leg was badly burned.

“Oh no, you poor thing…” I rushed over and healed it using my Reversal Ability—magic that undoes damage instead of just healing it.

Suddenly, a soft glow surrounded the dragon. In a blink, it transformed into a beautiful girl who looked around 12 years old. She had long black hair, sparkling silver eyes, and wore a soft white robe. She was incredibly cute—but had a powerful presence.

Lyra, the fox girl beside me, gasped. “Is that… the dragon?!”

The girl bowed gently. “Thank you for saving me. My name is Silvia, the Dragon Princess. I was locked in a dungeon for 50 years. I know I look young now, but I’m strong. Please… let me join you on your journey, Hero.”

Before I could reply, Lyra stepped forward. “Then I’ll come too! I was the first one to be saved!”

The two girls stared at each other—intense silence filled the air. It was like they were already competing to be my first official companion.

“Okay, okay!” I waved my hands awkwardly. “My mission is complete here, so I need to return to my world. But I’ll come back for you both.”

To keep them safe, I used Earth Magic to build a giant stone golem. I gave it life, a voice, and a simple name: Jumbo.

“I’ll protect these girls, Master Hero!” Jumbo said proudly.

I gave him a scroll with training instructions and a magical crystal called the World Receiver—so he could contact me in case of danger.

I said goodbye to the girls, and with a flash of light, I was back in my bed.

The clock read 10:30 PM. Still the same day.

I woke up early, the next morning had breakfast and told my family I was heading to Ram’s house.

“I’ll be back before lunch!” I said cheerfully and left the house.

But instead of going straight to the park, I created a secret portal behind a tall tree and teleported to an old mansion behind the park. It was dusty outside but well-kept inside.

I had turned the upper floor into my private study room for school projects. The mansion owner, a friend of my dad, let me maintain it and even gave me pocket money for cleaning.

After checking everything, I exited through the back and walked casually toward the park—where Deeksha was waiting.

“You’re late! I waited 4 minutes!” she snapped, arms crossed.

“Sorry! I came from the mansion…” I replied.

She raised an eyebrow. “The haunted one?!”

I laughed. “It’s not haunted. Just dusty.”

We started walking, and I casually told her about my dream—rescuing two magical girls.

“Wait… were they pretty?” she asked.

“Uh… yeah. Kinda really pretty.”

Her expression turned dark. I quickly changed the subject.

“Let’s go see Ram!”

She didn’t speak for a second. Then finally said, “It was just a dream, right?”

“Of course! Dreams aren’t real.” (Sometimes a small lie avoids big trouble…)

We reached the bus stop and took a bus to Richie Street where Ram’s apartment was, and which took about 30 minutes. It was a cozy two-story building. His parents greeted us warmly.

“He’s upstairs,” Ram’s mom said. “I’ll bring snacks.”

When we opened the door to his room, Ram was doing pushups.

“Oh hey! Sorry, I didn’t notice you! I’m building stamina!” he grinned.

Deeksha smiled. “Glad you’re okay.”

Ram frowned. “I was absent for half a day. I missed class…”

I laughed. “No worries. The class ended early because a monster showed up!”

Ram lit up. “Seriously?! I want to be like the Time Hero—you know, the cool guy with the magenta hoodie. Super strong! The one-hit KO guy!”

I chuckled nervously.

Ram narrowed his eyes. “Though he only shows up during big battles. Pretty lazy, if you ask me…”

Then he picked up his badminton racket. “Still better than YOU!”

He ran at me to hit me—so I panicked and used Freeze Magic! He turned into an ice statue for a second.

He quickly melted it off with his Blaze Ability, which increases body heat. He looked stunned.

“You used magic?!”

Deeksha quickly explained. “Time Hero gave me powers too. We’re part of something big now.”

“I want a Dock like you guys…” Ram mumbled.

Then his mom brought us snacks and juice. We relaxed, watched Mission Impossible, and played chess. I lost to Ram, but Deeksha beat him in the next round.

She clapped her hands. “Starting tomorrow, we train together at the park! We’re going to beat that monster next time.”

Ram nodded. “Deal! And hey… my Palmtop just detected the Time Hero nearby!”

My heart skipped.

I quickly asked Time in my mind, “Am I being exposed?”

He answered, “No. Your powers are hidden. But… don’t go with them. You’ll need a backup plan.”

As they asked Ram’s dad to drop them near the bridge, I made up an excuse.

“Sorry, I’ve got something to do.”

They looked annoyed. “You’re not even a Time Hero fan, huh?”

I boarded the bus alone, sitting quietly as the bus rolled forward.

What danger are my friends about to face…? I thought, feeling helpless.

[To be continued…]