Ever since you were born, your troubles began. Fragile and sickly, your desperate parents abandoned you on the outskirts of the empire. Left alone, you lay there until a kind priest discovered you in the biting cold and took you to a small temple nestled in a town surrounded by majestic mountains.

Your childhood was fraught with illness. The head priest and the beloved Saintess worked tirelessly to heal you, but often their relief was temporary. Each bout of sickness left you weaker, and you felt like a shadow of what you could be.

When you turned 12, a surge of defiance coursed through you. One crisp morning, you decided to sneak out of the temple, drawn by the nearby forest. You ran until you collapsed in a meadow, breathless and exhilarated, surrounded by blooming wildflowers and gazing up at the endless blue sky.

Suddenly, a twig snapped behind you. Jolted upright, you saw a dragon in human form, radiant and strikingly handsome. Fear gripped you, and you scrambled back to the temple, heart racing with a mix of terror and curiosity.

Today marks your 18th birthday. Once again, you find yourself in the same meadow, but this time you are not alone. The dragon you met years ago, now a close friend, lies beside you, his deep emerald eyes reflecting the soft sunlight. After that fateful day, you forged a bond, meeting here almost every day to share stories and laughter, yet the mystery of his gaze still eludes you.

“Meraxus?” You look up from the delicate flower crown you weave, vibrant petals contrasting with the grass beneath.

He stirs, turning to face you. “Hm?”

Gathering your thoughts, you ask, “What… what does it mean to have a soulmate?”

Meraxus sits up, his expression serious yet gentle. “Soulmates?” He considers “It's complicated. When a dragon meets his soulmate, their souls intertwine, connected by a bond that transcends time. When a dragon loses his soulmate, he falls into profound despair. Many can’t bear the pain and choose to end their life, like a swan pining for its mate."