Noah felt like something was wrong with her.
Her recent, massive increase in appetite could, at a stretch, be written off as "growing pains" or the result of "intensive training."
But as the days went on, she found herself waking up every morning feeling deeply, unusually exhausted.
This was completely unlike her. Even after the most grueling training sessions, she always woke up feeling refreshed and ready to conquer the day. Her body's ability to recover was practically superhuman—a necessary trait for anyone who trained as relentlessly as she did.
So… was this strange fatigue connected to those recurring dreams?
Noah rarely dreamed. Her sleep was usually deep and perfect, only ever interrupted when Muen decided to use her as a cuddle pillow.
But could a simple dream really affect her physical state so much?
She had no idea what to think.
If it were just a normal illness, her powerful body would have shaken it off in a day or two. But after nearly two weeks, the tiredness wasn't going away; if anything, it seemed to be getting worse.
Finally, the young, determined "champion" decided it was time to talk to her father.
Her dad always had a way of fixing things, no matter how big or small the problem.
Of course, she didn't want to make her parents worry unnecessarily. She had a theory—maybe her recent changes, along with the strange dreams, were somehow connected to their trip to the Primordial Dragon King's ruins a few weeks ago.
So, she decided to approach him from that angle.
Noah found Leon in Rossweise's private library. He was helping Muen and Aurora review their schoolwork for the upcoming term.
"Good morning, big sister!" Aurora was the first to notice Noah and greeted her cheerfully.
"Good morning, sis! You're finally up!" Muen put down her book, hopped off her chair, and ran over, her tail flicking excitedly as she grabbed Noah's hand.
Noah smiled and returned their greetings before walking over to the study table where her father and sisters were seated.
"Good morning, Dad," she said, using the informal "Dad" that Aurora had influenced her to adopt.
"Good morning," Leon replied warmly. He was about to invite her to join their study session when he noticed the unmistakable fatigue in her expression, a lingering tiredness shadowing her young eyes.
He opened his mouth to ask about it directly, but after a quick glance at his younger daughters, he decided against it. Instead, he said, "Noah, come help me pick out a few new books for the shelf."
"Sure."
"Muen, Aurora, you two keep studying. I'll be back to check on you in a bit."
"Yes, Dad!"
After giving his instructions, Leon stood and led Noah toward the tall bookshelves lining the walls.
They each browsed a different aisle, pretending to look for books. This was just an excuse. Leon didn't want Noah to feel pressured to talk about her health in front of her sisters.
Noah, sharp as ever, understood his intention perfectly. She also felt that what she needed to discuss was best kept private for now.
After a moment of silent browsing, Noah lowered the book she was holding and turned to face her father.
"Thanks, Dad."
Leon set his own book down and gave her his full attention. "No problem. It's just us now. Can you tell me what's going on?"
Noah scratched her head slightly, choosing her words with care.
"Lately… I've been having the same dream, over and over again."
"The same dream? What happens in it?"
"It seems to be… a war. A war from a very, very long time ago."
They walked slowly between the shelves until they reached the large, sunny windows at the far end of the library. The warm sunlight washed over Noah, offering a little comfort, though her small face remained serious.
"In this war, different dragon clans are fighting each other to the death over resources and land. It's so brutal that the dragon population starts to plummet.
"At the very end of the dream, there's always a giant white dragon. It lands on the highest mountain in the frozen plains and uses its overwhelming power and authority to put an end to the war."
Noah's brow furrowed as she looked up at Leon, a trace of unease in her gaze.
"I wanted to look up information about this white dragon, but its image is always so blurry in the dream. I don't even know where to start searching."
Leon listened quietly, not interrupting or offering quick guesses. He sensed that Noah was still working through her thoughts and that there was more she needed to say.
"Ever since these dreams started," Noah continued, her voice dropping a little, "I wake up every morning feeling completely drained. I've thought about it for days, and I finally decided to come to you. Dad, do you know any way to make these dreams stop?"
Leon's expression grew thoughtful. He stroked his chin, considering her words.
The battlefield Noah described sounded exactly like the ancient dragon civil war—a conflict that happened thousands of years ago.
And the "white dragon" that ended the war could only be one being: the Primordial Dragon King, Noah.
Leon knew this because he had helped Rossweise research Primordial Power, and he'd read many ancient texts on the subject. Those very texts contained records of Noah, the legendary first ruler of the dragons.
The ancient Dragon King Noah was a heroic figure to dragonkind. It was the first Dragon King in history, using its power to nourish the dragons' lands and shape their society for generations, right up to the present day.
Such a revered ancestor would be like a legendary emperor in human history—a name forever recorded in the history books.
But why was this particular piece of history appearing in his Noah's dreams?
Leon had a few theories, but he wanted to see if Noah had drawn any conclusions herself. He replied carefully, "Trying to forcibly control dreams can be dangerous. It's easy to become addicted to the feeling of control inside the dream world, and that can blur the line between dreams and reality."
"So, before we figure out how to stop the dreams, maybe we should first try to understand why you're having them."
Noah blinked, confused. "But dreams are just random, aren't they? Can we really find a reason for them?"
Leon shook his head. "This isn't a random dream, Noah. What you're seeing is a part of real history."
He decided it was best to be fully honest with her. He understood his eldest daughter; she was clever, and having the same vivid dream repeatedly had likely already made her suspicious.
"Real… history?" Noah wasn't massively surprised, but her thoughtful frown deepened.
"Yes."
Leon gave her a brief summary of the Primordial Dragon King and the ancient dragon civil war.
When he finished, Noah nodded slowly, a spark of understanding in her eyes. "So the white dragon in my dreams is the Primordial Dragon King?"
After a moment's pause, she added, "And Mom… named me after this Dragon King…"
"Mm-hmm. The ancient Dragon King was a hero to all dragons. Your mother hoped you would grow up to be a warrior as noble and strong as it was," Leon explained. Though privately, he thought:
Forget the 'hero' of dragonkind—the real hero here is Leon Cosmodeous!
[HELL YEAH!!]
I crossed time and space, saved my wife and daughter, and, incidentally, the entire dragon clan! I did all that and then just walked away, not even bragging about it!
Noah scrunched up her nose, muttering under her breath, "But honestly, I'd rather grow up to be like you, Dad—Ow! Ow…!"
Startled, Leon quickly reached out to steady her. "What's wrong? A headache?"
Noah rubbed her temples gently. "I don't know why, but my head suddenly started pounding… Maybe I really haven't been getting enough sleep."
Leon began to gently massage her temples. "Is that better?"
"Mm, it was just for a second. I'm okay now."
[Somewhere, an ancient dragon spirit grumbled: Using my name, yet dreaming of becoming like someone else? This young dragon clearly needs to be taught a lesson!]