One year later.
Snow.
It was everywhere.
Lumeris had been transformed into a kingdom of white. Rooftops, trees, roads, stone walls—everything was covered beneath a thick blanket of snow, turning the familiar kingdom into something almost unrecognizable.
The streets were alive with laughter.
Children ran through the snow in heavy winter clothes, leaving trails of small footprints behind them. Some were busy building snow creatures while others chased each other around, throwing handfuls of snow until someone inevitably slipped and fell.
For the people of Lumeris, it was a rare and welcome sight.
A proper winter had finally arrived.
---
Inside the barn at the Vinson estate, however, one particular dragon was still enjoying the warmth.
Mia slowly opened her eyes.
She blinked a few times, still half-asleep, before stretching her forelegs and arching her back. Her wings shifted with a soft rustle, and her long tail dragged lazily across the floor.
Then she looked toward the window.
Her eyes widened.
Snow covered everything outside.
Mia slowly rose to her feet and walked closer to the window, her larger body casting a shadow across the barn floor.
Over the past year, she had grown considerably.
Her body now stretched roughly 6.6 meters from nose to tail. Small fin-like spikes had developed along her tail, while the fins on her cheeks had grown wider. Her horns curled farther upward, and several fin-like spikes had appeared along her back.
She had certainly grown but her expression remained the same.
"What…?"
Mia stared at the snow falling outside as something about it stirred an old memory.
Snow…
Her thoughts drifted backward—to another life, another world, another name.
Earth.
Snow had always meant one thing to her.
Christmas.
Mia tilted her head.
"Do they even have that?"
She had never heard anyone in Lumeris mention Christmas, so she assumed the holiday simply did not exist here.
Still…
It was nice seeing snow again.
A small smile appeared on her face as she stepped outside.
And then—
"ARRRCHUUUUU!"
Mia's entire head jerked forward from the force of the sneeze.
She blinked.
Her nose felt stuffy, and a tiny bit of drool hung awkwardly from her nostril.
"…Ugh."
As she looking arround,Leo stepped out of the estate wearing a thick coat, with a scarf wrapped comfortably around his neck.
He looked toward Mia then he noticed her nose.
There was a brief silence before Leo's mouth slowly curled into a grin.
"Hahahaha! You dragons can get sick?!"
Mia's ears flattened.
"Stop it! I just caught a little cold."
Leo laughed even harder.
"Yeah, yeah. Sure. Even dragons can get cold. Hehe"
Mia narrowed her eyes at him.
Leo finally stopped laughing and adjusted his scarf.
"Anyway, since it's winter, you know what that means?"
Mia immediately opened her mouth.
"Chri—…Mmm. What does that mean?"
She stopped herself and Leo didn't seem to noticed it and raised his one finger.
"It means the Snow Architecture Festival is coming!"
Mia stared at him.
"…A what?"
Leo blinked.
"Oh, right. You haven't seen it before."
He walked closer, already looking excited to explain.
"Every twelve years, Lumeris gets a proper winter like this, and whenever it happens, we hold a huge festival where people build all kinds of things out of snow. Houses, castles, animals, statues—you name it. Then the king and queen judge the best creations, and the winner gets a prize."
He grinned.
"It's really fun to watch. Some people even build giant snow trees!"
Mia stared at him.
So… basically a snowman-building contest, but with an entire kingdom involved.
"…Interesting."
Then her nose twitched and Leo immediately noticed.
"Oh, don't tell me you're about to—"
"ARRRCHUUUU!"
Mia sneezed again and Leo burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! You should see yo—"
FWOOOSH!
Leo barely had time to react before Mia swept her tail through a nearby patch of snow.
A massive wave of powder flew directly into his face.
"PFFFT!"
Leo staggered backward, rubbing off the snow from his face.
Mia simply looked at him.
"Blep."
Leo slowly wiped the snow from his face.
"Hey!"
He scooped up a handful of snow and threw it back.
Mia immediately spread one wing.
FWUMP!
The snowball bounced harmlessly off her wing membrane and slide down.
Mia peeked around it.
"Blep."
Leo stared.
"Not fair!"
"It is fair. You just need a wing like me. Nehehehe"
Leo groaned.
Before their snow battle could escalate any further, the estate's doors opened.
Miss Korbi stepped outside with three maids behind her. One of them carried something large in her arms.
Korbi smiled when she saw Mia.
"Good morning, Lady Mia."
Mia turned toward her.
"Morning, Miss Korbi."
Korbi approached, holding up the item.
"We made something for you."
Mia blinked.
"For… me?"
"That's right."
The maids unfolded the enormous piece of fabric.
It was a thick, warm scarf, specially made to fit around Mia's much larger neck.
Mia's eyes widened.
"Thank… thank you!"
And then—
"ARRRCHUUUU!"
Korbi covered a smile with one hand.
"Well… apparently, even dragons can catch a cold."
The maids carefully wrapped the scarf around Mia's neck, adjusting it until it sat comfortably against her scales.
Mia looked down at it.
A genuine smile spread across her face.
"Thank you, Miss Korbi."
She leaned down and gently nuzzled against Korbi and the maids one after another.
The maids laughed softly as they patted her side.
Leo watched the scene with a grin.
"Hehe. Hey, Mia."
Mia looked over.
"Let's go for a walk. It'll be fun."
She glanced toward the sky.
"Or do you prefer flying?"
Mia immediately shook her head.
"No. I don't wanna fly."
Leo raised an eyebrow.
"Why not?"
"Too much cold air."
Leo laughed.
"Fair enough."
He pulled his scarf a little tighter around his neck.
"Then let's walk."
Mia nodded.
The two of them set off together.
Leo walked ahead, his boots sinking slightly into the fresh snow with every step.
Crunch. Crunch.
Behind him, Mia followed at an easy pace, her large paws pressing deep into the snow.
Crunch.
Their footprints stretched behind them—Leo's small boot prints beside Mia's much larger paw prints.
As they continued down the snow-covered road, Mia glanced at the people passing by. The cold air brushed against her scales, and even with the scarf wrapped around her neck, she still felt a little chilly.
After a moment, she sighed.
"Hmm…well.."
A faint black purple shimmer surrounded her body.
Puff.
Her large dragon form disappeared, replaced by that of a young girl.
She now appeared to be around fifteen years old, with long black hair framing a face marked by a pair of unmistakably blue dragon eyes. Her clothes were simple—a black fabric tunic that suited her dark appearance—and the oversized scarf Korbi had made for her was wrapped snugly around her neck and cover half of her body.
Mia adjusted it with both hands.
Leo glanced sideways at her.
"You know, it's kind of weird that your human form doesn't match your actual age."
Mia looked at him.
"Remember what Miss Emma said? A dragon's human form can look older than their actual dragon age."
Leo grinned.
"Hehe. I just saying."
Mia rolled her eyes.
The two of them wandered through the winter streets, surrounded by the sounds of the festival preparations. Merchants were setting up stalls, families carried bundles of decorations through the snow, and children were already making the most of the weather.
A group of kids suddenly came running past them.
"Catch me!"
"You're not getting away!"
"Wait for me!"
Their laughter echoed down the street as they chased each other, occasionally slipping in the snow before scrambling back to their feet.
Mia watched them with a small smile.
Leo noticed.
"You wanna join them?"
Mia immediately looked at him.
"No."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"You looked interested."
"I was watching."
"Same thing."
"It isn't."
Leo chuckled.
"Whatever you say."
After walking for a while longer, Leo eventually spotted a small inn along the street.
"Hey, let's stop here."
Mia followed him inside.
The warmth immediately surrounded them.
Compared to the freezing air outside, the inn felt almost heavenly. A small fireplace crackled near the wall, filling the room with warmth while the smell of freshly baked bread drifted through the air.
Leo approached the counter.
"Two cups of warm tea, please. And some bread."
The innkeeper nodded.
"Coming right up."
A few minutes later, Leo and Mia sat together at a small wooden table near the fireplace.
Steam rose from their cups.
Mia wrapped both hands around hers, enjoying the warmth against her fingers.
Leo tore off a piece of bread and took a bite.
Mia did the same.
Then, almost simultaneously, they lifted their cups and took a drink.
They lowered them at nearly the exact same time.
"Haaah…"
A pair of warm clouds escaped from their mouths.
They looked at each other and laughed.
Mia took another bite of bread.
"This is nice."
Leo nodded.
"Yeah."
Outside, snow continued to fall over Lumeris.
Inside, two siblings sat beside a warm fireplace, eating bread and drinking hot tea while watching winter pass by through the window.
Once they had finished eating, Leo paid for the meal and stepped away from the table. Mia followed him outside, pulling her scarf snugly around her neck as the cold air greeted them again.
Leo glanced down at her.
"So… where should we go next?"
Mia thought for a moment.
"Hmm… let's go see Ebruhan. I wanna see that fox."
"Iyas?" Leo asked. "You know he'll run if he sees you."
Mia's eyes brightened.
"Still. He's a fluffy fox."
Leo gave her a knowing look.
"You really are into Iyas, aren't you?"
"Everything fluffy!" Mia declared. "They're so adorable."
Leo chuckled.
"You're adorable too, though. And a great dragon."
Mia immediately puffed out her chest.
"That's right."
She raised her chin proudly before she stopped with blushing cheek.
"Graah!!....Stop that."
Leo laughed as Mia's expression turned smug.
"All right, all right. Let's go."
They continued toward the palace, following a street where several workers were clearing the snow from the roads. Shovels scraped against the stone, and piles of snow were pushed toward the sides of the street to make room for travelers.
The kingdom was still busy despite the weather. Merchants called out from their stalls, children played near the snowbanks, and warm light spilled from the windows of nearby houses.
Then, from somewhere ahead, they heard a weak voice.
"Spare change…? Spare coins…?"
An old beggar approached them slowly, wearing ruined clothing that did little to protect him from the cold. He held out a small cup with both hands.
Leo stopped.
The old man looked between them, his expression tired and uncertain.
Leo reached into his pouch and pulled out twenty gold coins.
He placed them into the man's cup and the old man froze.
His eyes widened as he stared at the coins.
"Y-young one… this is…"
"Stay safe, sir," Leo said. "There's an inn nearby. Buy yourself some food, and share it with the others if you can."
The old man looked up at him.
"I… I will."
Before he could say anything else, Mia reached up and removed the scarf from around her neck.
Leo turned toward her in surprise.
"Mia?"
She stepped closer to the old man and gently wrapped the scarf around his neck.
"Take care, sir."
The old man's hands trembled as he touched the warm fabric. His eyes grew moist, and he gave Mia and Leo a grateful smile.
"Thank you… both of you."
He shook their hands before slowly making his way toward the inn.
Leo watched him go, then looked at Mia.
"Miss Korbi is going to be upset."
Mia blinked.
"Why?"
"You gave away the scarf she made for you."
Mia glanced after the old man.
"She won't be upset. I did the right thing, didn't I?"
Leo smiled and gently patted her head.
"Good dragon."
Mia's eyes narrowed.
Then she reached up and patted Leo on the head in return.
"Good human."
Leo froze.
"…What?"
Mia smiled.
"See? See how it feels?"
Leo stared at her for a moment before laughing.
"Hahaha! Good one."
Mia folded her arms proudly as leo shook his head, still smiling.
"All right, all right. I'm a good human."
"That's right."Mia said with a grin.
"You're never letting me forget that, are you?"
"Nope."
Leo sighed dramatically, then continued walking.
Mia followed beside him, her bare neck exposed to the cold but her expression warm.
Together, they made their way toward the palace, leaving their footprints in the snow as the winter sun shone faintly through the clouds.
Neither of them noticed the old man looking back from the entrance of the inn.
He held the scarf close around his neck as he smiled.
-----
After another while of walking, the palace gates finally came into view through the falling snow.
The familiar guards stationed at the entrance noticed the two approaching figures and immediately straightened.
"Lady Mia. Welcome, Are you here to meeting with Ebruhan again?"
"Yep."
The guard smiled."Carry on, Miss. He should be at his house." The guard then glanced toward Leo. "And good to see you too, Young Master Leo."
Leo smiled.
"Good to see you too."
Mia opened her mouth to say something—
"ARRRCHUUUU!"
Her entire body jerked from the sneeze as Leo immediately snickered.
"Heh…"
Mia wiped her nose and glared at him.
"I'm fine. I'm fine."
The guard raised an eyebrow.
"Lady Mia, perhaps you should get yourself some warmer clothes."
"I'm fine," Mia repeated, though her slightly red nose made the claim less convincing.
She quickly turned away.
"Come on, Leo."
Leo followed her through the palace grounds, but after a few steps, he quietly unwound his own scarf.
Mia noticed something warm being placed around her neck.
She looked down to scarf
"Leo?"
"You need it more than I do.You gave away your."
Mia glanced at him, then smiled faintly.
"Thanks."
They continued toward the royal garden, Ebruhan was no where to be seen.
Mia look arround for a bit, then
"Hmm..I think he at his house..the one with iyas?"
Leo looked ahead.
"Hmm…"
He turned toward Mia.
"We're going to have to fly. Isn't that place far from here?"
Mia sighed.
"Yeah…"
She removed Leo's scarf and handed it back to him.
"Here."
Then she stepped away and her human form disappeared, replaced by her black dragon body as she lowered herself toward the ground.
"Get on."
Leo climbed onto her back and settled between her wings.
Once he was secure, Mia spread her wings.
A translucent barrier formed around her body, creating a protective shell that kept the falling snow and icy wind from reaching them.
"Ready?"
Leo grabbed onto her.
"Ready!"
Mia launched into the air.
The snowy ground quickly disappeared beneath them as they flew toward Ebruhan's house.
It didn't take long before the distant building came into view.
Mia descended.
There, in front of Ebruhan's house, were two familiar figures.
Ebruhan was sweeping snow away with his tail.Meanwhile, beside him, Iyas was struggling with a shovel in his human form.
The shovel scraped uselessly across the thick snow.
Ebruhan glanced at him.
"You know, you're barely moving anything."
Iyas leaned heavily against the shovel.
"I am doing my best!"
Ebruhan shrugged.
"Fair enough."
Apparently, he had decided not to question it.
Then, the moment Iyas see Mia land , he turned into his fox form and run behind Ebruhan.
Ebruhan look back to Iyas "What are you doing?"
Iyas look to Mia who is looking at them."hiding from her."
Leo jump down and both him and Mia blinked.
Then they stared.
Something about Ebruhan looked… different.
His usual blue scales were still there, but surrounding his neck was a thick mane of blue fur, almost like a natural scarf. More blue fur ran along the top of his head and continued down his spine toward his tail.
And at the very tip of his tail is a fluffy ball of fur.
Mia's eyes widened as she looks carefully on Ebruhan.
"What…?"
Ebruhan noticed her.
"What?"
Mia stared at him for another few seconds.
Then—
"Ebruhan…"
"Yeah?"
"You got fluff?!"
Ebruhan blinked.
"…Yes?"
"How?!"
"I was about to ask you the same thing."
He gestured toward her.
"Why haven't you grown your winter fluff? You need it for weather like this."
Mia froze.
"…Eh?..I can?"
"Of course you can."
Mia stared at herself.
"…How? Magic?"
Ebruhan gave her a mildly confused look.
"No."
"Then…?"
"It easy..Just think about it. Let your body do the rest.Your instincts know exactly what to do."
Mia looked at her own claws.
Think about it…
She closed her eyes and thinks about "Fluff."
Nothing.
She concentrated harder.
Winter fluff… like Ebruhan.
Then—
She felt something strange.
An itch.
Mia's ears twitched.
"…Huh?"
The sensation spread across her body, and she instinctively scratched at her side.
Then she opened her eyes.
She froze.
Soft black fur had appeared along her body, forming a thick layer around her neck, chest, and back. Smaller patches covered some parts of her limbs and tail, giving her an unexpectedly fluffy appearance.
Mia stared at herself.
"Woah!"
Ebruhan nodded.
"There you go."
Leo blinked in susprised and immediately reached out , then he touched the new fur as his eyes widened.
"So… soft…"
He ran his hand through it again.
"Woah."
Mia immediately turned her head.
"No!"
Leo pulled his hand back.
"Why?"
"Because you keep touching me!"
"But it's fluffy!"
"No!"
Ebruhan sighed.
"Now you don't have to rely on a scarf all the time."
Mia looked down at herself.
She slowly smiled.
"…I like it."
"Good."
Ebruhan then looked toward her.
"Now try changing into your human form."
Mia tilted her head.
"Why?"
"Because your winter adaptation carries over. Watch."
Ebruhan stepped back as his dragon form transformed into his human appearance.
But even that had changed.
He was now wearing a thick winter coat, its collar lined with the same blue mane that surrounded his dragon form, making the entire outfit look almost ridiculously well-suited for winter.
Mia stared and looked him up and down.
"That actually looks really good."
"Your turn."
Mia nodded.
"Okay."
She concentrated again.
Puff!
Her dragon form transformed.
This time, instead of her simple black tunic, Mia found herself wearing a thick black winter coat with a soft black mane forming the collar.
She looked down.
Then she looked at Ebruhan.
Then back at herself.
"…Oh."
Leo's jaw dropped.
"Okay, what?!"
He pointed at her.
"That is so cool!"
Mia smiled proudly.
"Really?"
"Really!"
Ebruhan nodded.
"Looks like you figured it out."
Then Mia's attention suddenly shifted as her blue eyes landed on Iyas.
He had been watching the entire exchange.
The moment their eyes met, Iyas's ears twitched.
He slowly took one step backward.
"…No."
Mia smiled.
Iyas took another step back.
"Mia…"
She lunged.
"Got you!"
"AH?!"
Mia grabbed Iyas and pulled him against her.
Then—
Pat.
She patted his head.
Iyas froze.
"…"
Pat pat.
His ears flattened.
"Sir Ebruhan…"
Pat pat pat.
"Sir Ebruhan!"
Ebruhan looked over.
Iyas desperately reached one paw toward him.Tiny tears already forming and he trying to break free from Mia grip.
"HELP!"
Ebruhan stared at the scene as he seemed to think for a moment.
"Hm…"
Then he casually turned away.
"I think I forgot something inside my house."
Leo immediately caught on.
"Hehe."
Ebruhan started walking toward the door.
"Leo, wanna come?"
Leo grinned.
"Sure, teacher."
Iyas's eyes widened in horror.
"WAIT!"
Ebruhan opened the door.
"Have fun."
"NOOOO!"
The door closed behind them.
Iyas looked back at Mia.
She smiled.
His ears drooped.
"Mia… let's talk about this…"
Pat pat pat pat.
"NOOOO!"
Mia hugged the fluffy fox tighter.
"I love fluffy things."
Iyas could only stare helplessly at the closed door.
"Why does everyone keep leaving me alone with her?!"
From inside the house, Leo's laughter could faintly be heard.
Mia smiled.
Winter had officially begun.
And apparently, so had the annual tradition of bullying Iyas.