Shut Up, Malevolent Dragon! I Don’t Want to Have Any More Children With You

Leon couldn't discern the true meaning behind Konstantin’s whispered words: "I'm so tired."

Were they the resignation of a dragon ready to face his destined end, or had the Flame Dragon King decided to relinquish the fight entirely? Perhaps, he simply no longer wished to involve himself in the struggles of this world.
Leon said nothing further. Standing silently for a moment, he turned and left, the sound of his retreating footsteps echoing down the hallway.
Konstantin waited until the noise faded before he slowly opened his eyes.

Raising his hand to his chest, he pressed his palm against the steady, forceful rhythm of his heartbeat. Yet, he knew this wasn’t entirely his heart—it pulsed with a foreign power, sustained by the Black Dragon Scale's chaotic energy.
His hand tightened involuntarily, crumpling the fabric of his shirt. After a moment of stillness, he exhaled deeply and released his grip, his crimson eyes lifting toward the faint sunlight spilling through the room’s small window.
“...Hefei…” he murmured, her name carrying on his breath like a silent prayer.

Two Days Later
Near the Silver Dragon territory's border, Konstantin strode forward, a large bag slung over his left shoulder and Hefei's small hand held tightly in his right.
The bag was stuffed with all the toys, books, and other items she had once longed for but had never received.

But despite this, the little dragoness’s face remained devoid of joy.
"I thought buying you these things would cheer you up," Konstantin said.
Hefei paused, causing her father to glance back when she failed to keep pace.

"It's not the toys or the food," she said hesitantly, "It's that you still haven't told me what's wrong."
Konstantin sighed.
"There's nothing to tell," he replied flatly.
But Hefei wasn’t so easily swayed. She tugged her hand free, stopping in her tracks. Her small body trembled, her voice choked with suppressed emotion.

"You're lying. You think I can't tell?" Her tone cracked with frustration. "You're giving me all these things because you're going to leave me!"
Her words hung heavy in the air.
Konstantin ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) knelt before her, his large, cool hand resting gently on her trembling head.
“Listen to me, Hefei,” he said firmly.

“But—”
“I am not leaving you. Whatever happens, any parting between us will only ever be temporary."
Her dark eyes shimmered with tears as she looked up at him. Konstantin’s crimson gaze softened, a glimmer of something unspoken flashing through them.
"We will meet again," he promised, his voice unwavering, “When the sun rises again on another day.”

Later That Day
Konstantin and Hefei arrived at the designated meeting point, a Silver Dragon outpost near the border.
At the edge of the clearing stood Rosvisser, her silver hair gleaming in the soft afternoon light, and Leon, waiting silently at her side.

"Go to Rosvisser," Konstantin said softly, releasing Hefei's hand.
But the little dragoness hesitated, glancing between her father and the waiting queen.
Konstantin gave her a small nod.
"Go on," he urged, gently pushing her forward.

Tears brimming in her eyes, Hefei finally ran toward Rosvisser, who knelt and wrapped the girl in a tender embrace.
Leon approached Konstantin.
"Are you sure about this?"
Konstantin nodded solemnly.
"Her safety comes first. I can’t predict what will happen during my sentencing—or when the Black Dragon Scale’s influence might resurface. I need her away from me, somewhere safe."

Leon studied him for a moment, then offered a rare smile.
"We’ll take good care of her. You have my word."
The Flame Dragon King allowed a faint smile to cross his lips.
"Thank you. I trust you, Leon. More than anyone else."
Leon blinked at the statement, both surprised and moved.

“Take care of yourself, too, Konstantin,” Leon added earnestly.
For a long moment, Konstantin remained silent, his gaze cast downward. Then, finally, he murmured,
“Thank you.”
Several Hours Later

At the entrance to the Flame Dragon’s grand sanctum, Konstantin returned under the watchful eyes of the academy guards assigned to monitor him.
As they reached the massive doors, Konstantin hesitated, his fiery red gaze narrowing at the faint scent that wafted toward him—metallic, sharp, and unmistakable.
Blood.

Without a word, he pushed the doors open. The scene inside stopped him in his tracks.
The grand hall of the sanctum was a charnel house. Bodies of Flame Dragons lay strewn across the floor, their blood pooling in dark, viscous puddles.
The academy guards faltered, their faces pale as they took in the massacre.

"How... how did this happen?" one of them stammered.
Before anyone could react further, a suffocating wave of pressure descended upon them.
Konstantin’s dragon aura surged to its peak, an overwhelming force of fury and grief. His body trembled as his gaze swept across the desecrated hall, finally settling on the royal throne at its center.

A figure cloaked in black rose from the shadows, their face hidden beneath a hood.
"Who are you?!" one guard demanded, preparing to attack.
But before he could strike, the guard and his comrades collapsed, lifeless, without so much as a cry.

Konstantin's breath caught as the figure suddenly appeared before him, moving with ghostly swiftness.
"You..." Konstantin growled, his teeth bared.
“Shadow.”
"Good," the figure murmured, their voice dripping with cruel amusement.
“You remember me. That saves us some time.”

Konstantin roared, summoning flames to his hands, but before he could attack, an invisible force pressed him to the ground.
"Your strength is impressive," the Shadow mused, "But it belongs to me now."
The Shadow raised a hand, and a surge of dark energy poured from Konstantin’s chest.

He howled in agony as the Black Dragon Scale was forcibly torn from his body, its chaotic energy pooling into the Shadow’s grasp.
The Shadow examined the glowing black scale with a sinister smile.
“Beautiful,” he whispered. “And now, I’ll take what else you stole from me."
With a gesture, the Shadow began extracting the remnants of the Primordial Power Konstantin had absorbed.

“Stop...” Konstantin gasped, his strength fading.
“Stop... I’ll... kill you...”
“You’ll try,” the Shadow taunted, his laughter echoing as he drained Konstantin of everything.
When the Shadow left, he left only devastation in his wake.

Konstantin’s broken body lay amidst the ruins of his sanctum, barely breathing.
Hours later, a search party combed through the smoldering wreckage.
“I found him!” someone shouted.

Under layers of ash and debris, Konstantin lay battered and burned.
But nestled at his chest, faint but resilient, a soft white flame flickered.
One of the rescuers knelt, eyes wide in awe.
“Primordial Magic... Heartfire. He used it to preserve himself.”

Another figure stepped forward, gazing down at Konstantin’s fragile form.
The man spoke softly, his voice filled with reverence:
“The Flame Dragon King... truly, saving him was the right choice.”