After giving birth to the Celestial Lord’s twin dragon eggs, I faked my death and fled with one of them. Three hundred years later, I had to run an errand. I gave my young son, who had just taken human form, a stern warning. "My dearest, you be a good boy and wait for Mommy at home. I'll be right back." He nodded obediently. The moment my back was turned, he secretly followed me to the mortal realm. When I found him, I had no choice but to bring him along. Until one day, as I was leading him home by the hand, a figure barrelled toward the entrance of our valley. "Mommy! What took you so long? I've been waiting for a whole month!" I froze. My son was at home? Then who was I holding hands with? 1. Truthfully, I’d noticed something was off with Kai about two weeks ago. He was the undisputed little demon king of Silvermist Valley. Everything from the mountain spirits to the birds and bugs had suffered his "tyranny" at one point or another. But on this trip to the mortal realm, he was being... unnervingly well-behaved. He'd even mastered the aura-concealing art I'd spent half a month trying to teach him. "Oh, my boy, if you'd told me you were this good at hiding your presence, I would've brought you out ages ago!" I exclaimed, overjoyed. I cupped his face in my hands, squishing his cheeks. Normally, he'd squawk, "Mom, stop squishing my face!" But this time, he just let me maul him, his face flushing red, his eyes wide and bright. Strange. Very strange. But I didn't suspect a thing. I just figured my lessons had finally sunk in. And so, we spent a wonderfully "harmonious" month together in the mortal realm. 2. It wasn't until now, staring at the two identical "Kais" in front of me, that I realized I might have made a tiny mistake. "Mommy! Who is he?!" The real Kai was far less composed than I was. He looked at my hand, still holding the other boy's, his expression one of utter betrayal. "When… when did you give me a little brother?!" "..." Seeing his dramatic flair, the over-the-top gestures and expressions, I knew instantly. Yup. This one was mine. "Don't be ridiculous! I was gone for a month. How could I possibly have a brother this big for you!" I gave him a light bonk on the head. Kai yelped in pain but didn't back down. "Then why does he look exactly like me?" Well… I didn't know the answer to that. At first, I'd thought he might be a spirit who had taken on Kai's form. But thinking back, very few beings outside our valley had ever seen my son's true face. What kind of spirit would possess such powerful magic that they could even fool me? I was baffled. But after a month together, I knew this boy meant no harm. I cleared my throat. "Young friend, is there a reason you've taken on my son's appearance to follow me?" The "fake" Kai, who I now called "young friend," was still reeling from the shock of seeing his double. Hearing my voice, he looked at me blankly. "I didn't change my form. And… you were the one who called out to me first that day." "..." A murderous glare shot at me from my other side. I gently pushed the real Kai's face away, feeling a bit sheepish. 3. He was right. That day, I’d just left the valley and arrived in the mortal realm when I saw a child standing in front of a bun stall. He was the spitting image of Kai. My heart leaped into my throat, and I immediately ran over and grabbed him. "You little rascal! Didn't you promise me you'd stay in the valley? Why did you follow me out here?" I was in the middle of a full-blown lecture and completely missed the look of confusion in his eyes. It was only after I finished scolding him that I heard a loud growl from his stomach. "Hungry? Wait here." I went to the stall, bought two warm buns, and stuffed them into his hands. "Remember, don't wander off. And hide your aura. This place is crawling with monsters that snatch children." I chattered on, holding his hand tightly. The problem was, after he finished the buns, he never bothered to tell me I had the wrong kid. He just let me feed and care for him for a whole month. Thinking of it that way, I felt perfectly justified. The boy, on the other hand, knew he was in the wrong. He fidgeted with the corner of his shirt, head bowed. "I'm sorry. It was my fault." "Is 'sorry' gonna cut it? You went and claimed my mommy as your own! Where's your mommy, huh?!" Kai was not appeased. He stood with his hands on his hips, glaring at the other boy. The boy's voice was a whisper. "I don't have a mommy." "..." Kai, who had been full of righteous fury just a moment ago, froze. His hands dropped to his sides. He shot me a look that screamed, Mom, I messed up, what do I do now? So, he was a poor, motherless child. That explained a lot. I sighed. For the moment, I forgot to wonder why this child was an exact copy of Kai. I chalked it up to the mysteries of the universe—if nature could create similar landscapes, why not similar faces? "If you're not Kai, what's your name?" He looked up, his eyes shining brightly. "Liam. My name is Liam!" Liam only told me his name. When I asked where he was from, he clammed up. I guessed he'd run away from home after a fight with his family. But what kind of kid runs away for a month without getting worried? With no other choice, I took Liam in temporarily, asking around to see if anyone had lost a child. 4. A few days passed. In that short time, Liam and Kai had forged a bond of profound friendship. Kai had always been a mischievous child, but I knew he was lonely. Why else would he constantly terrorize the spirits of the valley? Now that he had Liam, he had a partner... in terror. One day, I asked the twin-headed birds returning from their reconnaissance flight, "Any news? Did you find out whose child is missing?" "No, but…" one of them stammered. "But what?" "But there's news from the Celestial Realm. One of the Lords' young princes has gone missing. They're sending out search parties." It had been so long since I'd heard anything about the Celestial Realm. My heart skipped a beat. "Which Lord?" "Lord Kaelan of Mount Aerion." "..." Damn it. I should have known. In this entire world, the only person who could look identical to Kai, besides a one-in-a-billion chance, was the other dragon egg I had given birth to. 5. I thought I would never see him again. To think... I'd just casually picked him up off the street. My other son. "Mommy!" As I was lost in thought, Kai came running over, holding Liam's hand. I noticed his dirty little face and frowned in disgust. "Have you been rolling in the mud again?" But my complaints were just for show. I took out a handkerchief and began to gently wipe his face clean. As I did, I felt another pair of bright, expectant eyes on me. I looked down and saw Liam. "Mommy, can you wipe Liam's face, too?" Kai piped up. I would have done it even if he hadn't asked. I beckoned Liam over. As I cleaned his face, I took the opportunity to study him closely. He wasn't exactly identical to Kai. Kai's features resembled Kaelan's, but Liam's were more like mine. That explained it. I remembered feeling a little annoyed when Kai first hatched. Why does my child have to look like that heartbreaker? It turned out the one who looked like me was here all along. Still… I wondered how Kaelan had raised him. He was a walking iceberg himself, and now he’d raised Liam to be so serious and mature for his age. I felt a surge of anger and resentment. Just then, Liam spoke. "Thank you, Auntie Lyra. I wish my mommy was still here." A wave of guilt washed over me. But before I could share in his sorrow, Kai slapped a hand on his shoulder. "Don't be sad! You don't have a mommy, but I don't have a daddy. So from now on, we're brothers!" "Yeah!" Liam nodded vigorously. "..." I stared blankly at the two of them, who had just formed some kind of solemn pact. If I didn't intervene, they looked like they were about to perform a blood oath right in front of me. "Alright, alright," I said, quickly pulling Kai away. "Stop messing around, you little rascal. I have something to tell you." Two pairs of identical, shining eyes stared up at me. Looking at their similar faces, my heart melted. But then I remembered what the birds had told me, and I had to push down my maternal softness and become serious. "Liam, I've found your family." Liam's face fell. He was probably wondering how I'd found out his identity so quickly, but after living with me for a while, he had some idea of my capabilities. Kai's eyes went wide. "What? Does that mean Liam has to leave?" "Yes." "No! I don't want him to! Mommy, I can't bear to be without Liam! I want to stay with him!" Before I could say anything else, Kai had grabbed Liam's hand. Both of their eyes filled with tears, looking at me with the most pitiful expressions imaginable. My heart ached, but I had to face reality. If Kaelan found out I was hiding here with Kai, I might not be able to keep either of my children. "Kai, Liam's family is looking for him. If he doesn't go back, think how worried they'll be." I tried to reason with him gently. Kai wasn't an unreasonable child, but he'd finally found a friend. The thought of being separated so soon was overwhelming. My resolve softened. I gave them some time to say their goodbyes. At the edge of the valley, Kai was still clinging to him. Liam, though more composed, had red-rimmed eyes. "Will you come visit me?" Kai asked. "Of course. I'll come whenever I can." The two children bid each other a reluctant farewell. 6. Once we left Silvermist Valley, I led Liam in the direction of Mount Aerion. "Liam." "Hm?" The little boy, still lost in his sadness, looked up at me. Looking at his face, so much like Kai's, a thousand emotions swirled within me. I knew when I left all those years ago that I would be failing one of my children. But it was the only way I could think of to protect us. "When you get back to Mount Aerion, don't tell anyone you've seen me or Kai, okay?" "Why not?" "We're just simple spirits from Silvermist Valley. If the great Lord Kaelan found out about us, it might cause... some trouble." If I wasn't mistaken, Liam had also snuck out on his own. Kaelan would surely question him when he returned. I didn't want him discovering my existence, or Kai's. Liam understood. He nodded silently. Then, remembering his promise to Kai, he looked at me, his dark eyes filled with a mixture of hope and fear. "Does that mean I can't go play with Kai either?" It was as if my answer held the power to shatter him. I couldn't bring myself to say the words, "It's for the best." 7. Before I could answer, we arrived at the borders of Mount Aerion. I gazed at the magnificent celestial palace, shrouded in auspicious clouds and echoing with the songs of divine birds. It hasn't changed a bit, I thought to myself. "Alright, this is as far as I go." Liam tried to hide the disappointment in his eyes. We had just landed, about to say our final goodbyes, when a deep, cold voice cut through the air from behind us. "Liam!" "Father?" Liam's face was a mask of shock. He stood frozen, clearly not expecting to be caught by Kaelan himself at the very gates. He wasn't the only one. From what I remembered, Kaelan was either cultivating his power or in seclusion. He rarely set foot outside his palace, earning him the title of the "Most Reclusive Lord" in the Celestial Realm. He hadn't changed much, though. He still had that imposing, majestic, and cold aura. And that deceptively serene face, so ascetic and pure it made you want to corrupt it, even as it warned you to stay away. I must have been out of my mind back then to become the first to pluck that "high mountain flower." The consequences, as everyone knew, were disastrous. 8. Liam watched numbly as Kaelan approached. Kaelan's gaze fell upon his son. "Where have you been?" The question was light, but it carried a heavy weight of authority. Kaelan explained that Liam was supposed to be in a lesson with a venerable master that day. When the time came and he didn't show, a search revealed he was missing. A missing prince was no small matter. They had turned the palace upside down, never imagining he would be bold enough to sneak off to the mortal realm. "You've gotten bold, haven't you? Who taught you such behavior?" Liam lowered his head, unable to speak. Seeing him being scolded like that, a pang of sympathy shot through my heart. Was Kaelan always this strict with him? It didn't seem right. He was usually fair and measured. Could it be because Liam looked like me? Was he taking out his old frustrations on our son? That bastard. I shouldn't have left him a single egg! As I was fuming, a gentle, melodious female voice floated over. "The young prince has returned." Hearing Kaelan's voice left me cold, but hearing Fiora's made my eyes narrow. Three hundred years, and it seemed her status had risen considerably. The number of attendants behind her had doubled from four to eight. She carried the air of someone in charge. Fiora glided forward gracefully. Perceptive as ever, she immediately sensed the tension between father and son. She turned to Liam, bending down to speak softly. "Your Highness, you caused the Lord Emperor a great deal of worry by sneaking away. He even skipped today's celestial assembly just to look for you." At her words, Liam looked up at Kaelan. "I'm sorry, Father. I was wrong." Kaelan took a slow breath. "You are confined to five hours of sword practice." "...Yes, Father." An attendant led Liam away. Fiora turned back to Kaelan, her voice soft again. "My Lord, now that the young prince is back, you can rest easy." Kaelan didn't speak, but I could see the tension in his jaw relax slightly. That was my cue to leave. I tried to slip away unnoticed, but as I turned, a sharp, cold gaze landed on me. "Wait." I froze. 9. I had assumed his attention was entirely on Liam. I was wrong. My feet felt nailed to the ground. "Who are you?" Kaelan's voice was deep and commanding. Fiora's eyes followed his, landing on me. A look of scrutiny entered her gaze as if she were only just now noticing my presence. Thankfully, I had concealed my aura and my true face before arriving. I had also been practicing diligently these past few hundred years. While I couldn't compare to these celestial beings, I could at least avoid being instantly exposed. I bowed my head, deepening my voice. "This humble spirit is but an unnamed immortal grass from the lower realms." Fiora asked, "Was it you who brought the young prince back?" "Yes." She stared at me, her suspicion palpable. She was sharp. Fortunately, I had prepared my story. I explained how I had stumbled upon Liam, and finding no flaws in my tale, Fiora's expression softened into one of slight arrogance. "In that case, we thank you. Do you realize you found the son of the great Lord Kaelan?" The same old condescending attitude. I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes, keeping a humble smile on my face. "This humble one is overwhelmed." "You may go." Those were the words I was waiting for. I started to back away, but the man who had been silent since stopping me finally spoke. "You said you were from which mountain?" I couldn't give him the real name, so I invented one. After I answered, he fell silent again, making my heart pound. His gaze remained fixed on me. Fiora noticed. "My Lord, is something amiss?" "...No." Kaelan finally looked away. I couldn't be sure, but for a fleeting moment, I thought I saw a flicker of disappointment in his eyes as he lowered his gaze. "Thank you for today," he said coolly. "I owe you a favor. Should you ever need my assistance, you may come and find me." The words sounded familiar. He'd said something similar to me once. Back then, I didn't realize it was just a polite formality and had eagerly taken him up on it. Looking back, I was so naive. "I wouldn't dare," I said, feigning awe. Kaelan said no more and turned to leave. Fiora followed, but not before casting one last, lingering glance in my direction.
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