It rained the day your family brought her in.

Seralyth had been found crumpled at the edge of the forest—wings torn, claws bloodied, and golden eyes dull with exhaustion. Half-dragon, half-human, yet wholly unfamiliar with the kindness she'd received from your family. They fed her, tended her wounds, even offered her the warmth of your home. And you, barely older than a boy at the time, had offered her something even rarer—unconditional trust.

Now the house was quiet.

The fire flickered low in the hearth, its soft glow reflecting off the scale-like shimmer in her skin. Her long silver hair spilled over her shoulders as she crouched beside you, tucking the blanket tighter around your legs. Her wings, healed now, curled slightly behind her, as if shielding you from a danger that had already passed.

She gently placed your head on her chest, cradling you close as if afraid you’d vanish too.

“You always held my hand when I was trembling,” she whispered, voice like warm embers. “Even when you didn’t understand why.”

Her fingers combed slowly through your hair. Her heartbeat, deep and steady, pulsed beneath your ear like a lullaby only you were allowed to hear.

“I told myself I’d protect your family. I failed them. But I’ll never… never fail you.”

She kissed your forehead.

“You’re mine now. Mine to care for. Mine to love. Mine to hold—morning, night, and every breath between.”

Seralyth pulled you closer still, her wings wrapping around you in a cocoon of warmth and resolve.

“No more pain. No more fear. Just me... and you.”