The apartment felt different.
Not because anything had changed physically. The same furniture sat in the same places. The same quiet hum of the city drifted through the window. The same faint glow of streetlights stretched across the walls.
But the atmosphere was different.
Heavier.
Aiden stood near the window, looking out at the city below. In his arms, the small frost wyrmling shifted slightly, its tiny claws pressing weakly against his sleeve.
Its body was still cold, but the trembling from earlier had eased.
Ignis sat at the table, watching them both.
"It's stabilizing," she said. "Slowly."
Aiden glanced down at the creature. Its pale scales reflected the faint light from the window, giving it a soft, icy shimmer.
It looked fragile.
Not like something born from a distortion core.
"Are you sure it's not dangerous?" he asked.
Ignis smiled faintly. "Everything is dangerous in the right situation. But this one…" She leaned forward slightly. "It's not hostile. It chose you."
Aiden frowned. "I didn't exactly give it a choice."
Ignis shook her head. "That's not how these bonds work. It could have scattered when the core collapsed. Instead, it came to you."
The wyrmling stirred again, letting out a faint, almost sleepy sound.
Aiden sighed. "Great. Now I'm raising dragons."
Ignis smirked. "You already had one."
A soft knock came from the door.
Aiden's eyes narrowed slightly.
Ignis didn't even turn around. "It's her."
Aiden didn't need to ask who.
He opened the door.
Elira stood in the hallway, her silver hair tied loosely behind her shoulders. She looked exactly the same as before—calm, composed, and slightly amused.
But her eyes immediately locked onto the small creature in Aiden's arms.
"…You actually kept it," she said.
Aiden stepped aside. "Come in."
She entered the apartment, her gaze never leaving the wyrmling.
"That's not just some random distortion spawn," she said quietly.
"I know," Aiden replied.
Ignis leaned back in her chair. "It's a frost-aligned dragon fragment. Rare, even by old-world standards."
Elira's eyes flicked to Ignis. "And you sound like you've seen one before."
Ignis smiled. "Something like that."
Elira approached slowly.
The wyrmling lifted its small head and looked at her.
For a brief moment, the air in the room grew colder.
A faint mist formed around the creature's body.
Elira froze.
"…It reacted to me," she said.
Ignis nodded. "Of course it did."
"Why?" Elira asked.
Ignis tilted her head. "Because your aura carries frost resonance. The system didn't choose you randomly."
Elira looked at Aiden. "So this whole 'temporary contract' thing wasn't just coincidence."
"Apparently not," Aiden said.
The wyrmling suddenly squirmed in Aiden's arms and slipped free, landing softly on the table.
It wobbled unsteadily, then turned toward Elira.
Its glowing blue eyes locked onto her.
Then, to everyone's surprise, it took a few small steps forward.
Elira blinked. "What is it doing?"
Ignis smiled. "Choosing."
The wyrmling stopped in front of Elira.
It let out a soft chirp, almost like a greeting.
Elira stared at it. "No. Absolutely not."
Aiden raised an eyebrow. "Not what?"
"I don't do pets," she said. "Especially ones that look like they could freeze a city block in ten years."
Ignis chuckled. "You might not have a choice."
The system window appeared again.
[Bond Reaction Detected]
Frost Wyrmling responding to dual resonance.
New Option Available:
Shared Contract Path
Requirements:
Aiden Blackwood (Primary Host)
Elira (Frostblade)
Result:
Enhanced growth for entity.
Elira groaned. "I knew this was going to get complicated."
Aiden crossed his arms. "You don't have to accept it."
She glanced at the wyrmling again.
It was still staring at her.
Waiting.
For some reason, that made her hesitate.
"…What happens if I refuse?" she asked.
Ignis answered calmly. "The bond becomes unstable. The wyrmling's growth will slow. It may even collapse back into a fragment."
Elira frowned. "So it's basically saying: cooperate or it dies."
Aiden didn't like the sound of that.
He looked at the small creature. It didn't look like a weapon. It didn't look like a threat.
It just looked… young.
Elira let out a long breath.
"This is why I hate system missions," she muttered.
Then she stepped closer to the table.
"Fine," she said. "But this is temporary."
The wyrmling chirped happily.
The system responded instantly.
[Shared Contract Initiated]
Frost Wyrmling bonded to:
Aiden Blackwood
Elira
Growth potential increased.
Future evolution paths unlocked.
A faint wave of cold energy spread through the room.
Aiden felt a subtle shift inside his body, like a new connection forming. Not heavy. Not intrusive.
Just… present.
Elira blinked. "Okay. That felt weird."
Ignis smiled. "You'll get used to it."
The wyrmling curled up on the table, looking far more comfortable than before.
Its breathing steadied.
The faint tremors in its body disappeared.
Aiden noticed the change immediately. "It's stronger already."
"Of course," Ignis said. "It now has two anchors instead of one."
Elira leaned against the table. "So what now? We just… raise it?"
Aiden shrugged. "Looks that way."
She sighed. "My life just got more complicated."
Ignis smirked. "You walked into the tunnel yourself."
A sudden vibration came from Aiden's device.
He pulled it out.
Three new messages.
Association Notice: Urgent debrief requested.
Ironcrest Guild: Meeting invitation.
Unknown Sender: Observation complete.
Aiden's eyes narrowed at the last one.
"The shadow faction," he muttered.
Elira glanced at the screen. "They're already watching."
Ignis nodded. "Of course. You just acquired something very rare."
Aiden slipped the device back into his pocket.
"Then things are about to get noisy again."
The wyrmling stirred, then hopped down from the table.
It waddled toward Aiden and curled up near his foot, as if claiming the spot.
Elira watched it with a conflicted expression.
"…Does it have a name?" she asked.
Aiden shook his head. "Not yet."
Ignis smiled. "It'll earn one soon enough."
Outside, the city lights flickered against the night sky.
Guilds were moving.
The Association was watching.
The shadow faction was observing from the dark.
And now—
A second dragon had entered the board.
But this one wasn't bound to power or legend.
It was small.
Weak.
And completely dependent on the two people who had found it beneath the city.
Aiden looked down at the tiny creature resting beside him.
"Guess you're part of this now," he said quietly.
The wyrmling let out a soft, content sound.
As if it agreed.