They appeared with a flash and a loud bang in the large royal courtyard of Hav'al Castle. The once-pristine stone courtyard was now half-overtaken by wild greenery — thick vines crawled up marble pillars, colorful wildflowers pushed through cracks in the paving stones, and soft moss carpeted the edges. Only a few ancient statues stood out clean and untouched, gleaming under the bright midday sun.
Dan's eyes immediately landed on the grand statue perched above the massive castle entrance. It was an angel carved from pure white marble, wings spread wide and powerful, holding a spear in one hand and a shield in the other. She stood tall and vigilant, gazing into the distance at something only she could see. The sight made Dan uneasy for some reason — a strange chill ran down his spine. He quickly looked away.
The moment they landed, Lizzy let go of Arthur's arm and doubled over, puking violently onto the stone ground. During the teleport she had subconsciously clung to him, her face now deathly pale, blood-red hair even messier than usual. She wore the same dark shirt, white pants, and black knee-high boots from earlier, now looking slightly rumpled from the trip.
Dan quickly bent beside her, gently patting her back with his small hand. "Mum…"
The tall castle doors swung open with a heavy creak. Flynn stepped out, his silver armor gleaming in the sunlight, blond hair neat, blue eyes calm but sharp. He looked every bit the composed knight.
"My lord, greetings," Flynn said dryly, though his tone carried clear annoyance. "Even though you deserve no courtesy from me at this point. But because of Shula and your son, I'll let you off the hook this time."
He turned to Lizzy, voice softening with worry. "Poor Shula… did he force you into another teleportation spell again?" Flynn stared at her pale, sweaty face, his melodic voice sounding calm yet genuinely concerned.
Lizzy tried to answer but only puked again, knees wobbling.
"And your son, Prince Dan, I presume?" Flynn extended a gloved hand. Dan shook it firmly, looking straight into Flynn's blue eyes. There was something about the knight — tall, muscular, silver armor shining — that instantly made people feel at ease. Dan thought he seemed almost too perfect, like an angel who had mistakenly been made human.
Lizzy finally straightened up with great difficulty, stumbling a few times. Dan quickly supported her until she could stand on her own, still looking shaky in her white pants and dark shirt.
"Flynn, you gotta help me!" she wailed dramatically, sniffing. "Arthur and Dan are after my life! They bullied me into teleporting!"
Arthur bit his lip hard, barely holding back laughter. Dan looked away, pretending to study a nearby vine-covered statue.
"It is what it is," Flynn replied, giving Lizzy a pitiful look at her miserable pale face. "There's nothing I can do about Arthur, I'll admit."
Lizzy shot pure daggers at Arthur with her crimson eyes. He quickly looked away, suddenly very interested in a random plant growing between the courtyard stones.
"Well," Arthur said finally, moving toward the grand castle doors, "shall we head in?" He glanced at his son, trying to read the boy's expression. "Dan, I'm sure you've figured out by now who I am. So you're about to explore your new home… and my workplace."
They started walking toward the massive entrance. Lizzy stayed behind in the overgrown courtyard, arms crossed, still looking a bit pale from the teleport. Flynn took one step forward — the heavy doors swung open silently on their own. Dan and Arthur stepped through. Dan looked back one last time, catching a glimpse of his mum's messy red hair and dark shirt before the doors boomed shut behind them. He wondered what she would do now that she wasn't coming with them.
The inner halls of the castle were bright and spotless, nothing like the plant-infested courtyard outside. Sunlight poured through tall arched windows lined with heavy red curtains, making the polished marble floors gleam. Not a speck of dust anywhere. The ceilings soared high above, supported by enormous stone columns that made Dan feel like a tiny ant. Side passages branched off here and there, but Arthur kept them on the wide main hallway, their footsteps echoing softly.
"Arthur," Flynn began as they walked, "though I should have mentioned it earlier… it slipped my mind with your sudden arrival. It seems we've caught the infamous prodigy of Amag. They're booked in our finest dungeon for now, until you're ready to pass judgment or tell us what to do with them."
"They?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Did they catch more than one?"
"Yes. The guards caught them heading toward one of our ministers' domains. They put up quite a fight, but luckily Haki was among the guards, so casualties weren't severe."
"If anything, I pity the members of Amag," Arthur shrugged. "I'm even more surprised they didn't die after running into her."
"According to the report, the prodigy went toe-to-toe with Haki for a while before finally being subdued," Flynn continued.
"The prodigy must be something special to fend off Haki's attacks," Arthur said, patting Dan's shoulder. "Well, change of plans, Dan. Looks like you'll get to witness the court side of my work first." Dan's reddish-orange eyes lit up with pure excitement. Everything he knew about the human castle came from books or stories from Lizzy and Arthur. Now he was actually here, about to see a real court proceeding — he could barely contain himself.
"Well then, Flynn, bring the prisoners to the courtroom. I'll get things ready and join you." Arthur turned to his son. "Dan, come with me. I'll show you our living quarters real quick." He gave the order and set off immediately down the hallway.
Flynn headed off to fetch the prisoners while Arthur and Dan continued marching along. Dan was grinning nonstop, lost in excitement like any other eight-year-old kid, completely oblivious to his own wide smile.
In the courtroom, Arthur placed Dan in a chair right beside him. They both faced the main door, waiting. The room was neat and orderly, with only six people total including them. Dan kept staring around wildly — at the tall tapestries on the walls, the polished wooden benches, the high ceiling carved with intricate patterns. At one point Arthur thought the boy might actually jump up and run around the room.
The courtroom doors suddenly swung open with a loud bang. The sound of heavy chains clanking filled the air. A man shuffled in, looking like he had been dipped in hot oil — his back bent in an almost impossible crooked position, only a few thin strands of hair left on his head. His face matched his ruined body: wrinkled, scarred, with a long white beard so tangled it looked like a bird's nest. Heavy chains bound him from neck to ankles. Flynn led him to the center of the room.
Beside the man walked a small figure also in chains, though hers were lighter and less restrictive. She had long, flowing white hair that reached almost to her knees, completely covering her eyes. From what Dan could see, she looked about his age, maybe a little older. She wore simple, dirty traveler's clothes — a faded gray tunic and worn brown pants — that hung loosely on her small frame.
"Dad… Dad…" Dan whispered urgently, tugging Arthur's sleeve. Arthur turned. "Can I go play with her? I've never seen a kid my age before, and this is gonna be really boring for me."
Arthur looked at his son like he was crazy for a second. Then he thought the little girl probably wasn't dangerous — she must have just gotten caught up in the mess by accident. "Flynn," Arthur called. "Take Dan and that girl to the royal chambers. Show Dan his room and watch over them. I'll join you once we're done here."
Flynn looked like he was about to protest, but he got distracted when Dan suddenly appeared right in front of the girl. The knight blinked in surprise — he hadn't even seen the boy move.
Flynn glanced at Arthur one last time and understood immediately. He was being sent along as both guard and guide — if the white-haired girl turned out to be dangerous, he could handle her. He nodded to the king and motioned for the two kids to follow.
The old chained man stared after them with sunken eyes as the group left the courtroom. As soon as the heavy doors shut behind them with a deep thud, they were about to set off when Dan suddenly called out.
"Umm… Mr Flynn?"
Flynn turned around, silver armor glinting under the hallway lights. "What's the matter?"
"She's still in chains," Dan pointed out.
Flynn paused, then moved with speed too fast for Dan's eyes to follow. In a blur, the chains and cuffs around the girl's arms and legs split cleanly in two and clattered to the polished marble floor. The girl didn't flinch — she just stood frozen in place, long white hair still covering most of her face. She wore the same dirty gray tunic and worn brown pants from earlier, now looking even more ragged after the journey.
"Well, now that that's settled, we should be on our way," Flynn said calmly. He took the lead, walking at a controlled pace so the kids could keep up. They twisted and curved through the massive castle halls for about ten minutes. Flynn pointed out a few handy shortcuts along the way. Finally, they reached an almost isolated wing of the castle that somehow felt both part of the main structure and separate from it — quieter, with softer lighting and thicker carpets underfoot.
"Oh, because of the urgency I forgot to send people for your things," Flynn said, rubbing his forehead. "Damn. Well, I can handle that later. There are clothes here anyway." He started walking again. "Let's go."
Dan followed without thinking and suddenly felt a cold ripple pass over his skin. He turned back — the main castle now looked far away. He stepped backward and realized they had crossed some kind of invisible barrier. From his secret reading of magic books, he knew it was a spell, though he had never tried casting one himself. His mum would instantly know if he ever did.
"You're curious about the barrier, right?" Flynn asked, noticing Dan's excited reddish-orange eyes. "Only with permission from the king and queen can anyone pass through it. Now that you two have crossed, you've been registered as occupants and can come and go anytime. It's a handy little thing your dad set up — pretty useful."
The door to their new home was massive but simple, nothing overly flashy — exactly how Dan knew his parents liked things. Flynn pushed it open. The warm smell of freshly built wood welcomed them. The house was identical in layout to their cozy forest cabin, only much bigger, with higher-quality timber and smoother finishes. Dan noted every detail as they climbed a wide spiral staircase that branched off to different parts of the house.
They stopped at a door that looked strangely familiar — it was almost identical to the one on Dan's old room back in the woods. Without waiting, Dan flung it open and dashed inside. The room was just like his old one, but significantly larger, with a grand four-poster bed in the far corner draped in deep blue fabrics. Sunlight filtered through tall windows overlooking the castle grounds.
"This would be your sleeping quarters, young master," Flynn said. "I'm sure the layout feels familiar, so you'll find your way around easily. There are clothes in the cupboard, though I doubt they'll fit perfectly yet. Anyway, that's it for now. I'll leave you two be — I've got to fetch your belongings." As he turned to go, he lightly tapped the silent girl on the shoulder. She didn't react. Flynn simply closed the door behind him with a soft click.
Dan jumped onto the big bed, then lay still, soaking in the sudden quiet. He looked over at the girl still standing near the door. "Hey! Why don't you speak?" He approached her and gently lifted the long white hair away from her face. Beneath it were striking deep-purple eyes. She looked completely human.
"And here I was thinking you were blind or something," Dan said. "Also, why is your hair so long? It's pretty though — long white hair and purple eyes to match." He tilted his head. "I know you're supposed to be some kid caught up in a political mess, but I still don't get why you were in chains. You don't seem that dangerous."
"What's your name?" he asked. "How may I address you?"
"I go by Number 1," she responded quietly.
Dan took a shocked step back. Her sudden reply caught him completely off guard. Her voice sounded like a kid's, but carried the sharp edge of a grown woman. Then again, she was only the second girl he had ever seen besides his mum, so he couldn't really tell.
"Your voice is weird," Dan stated. "Also, who names their kids numbers? I've read books with really good names, but never numbers. Well, I guess everyone is different." He brightened. "Since Mr Flynn isn't here, why don't we explore the castle together? I already learned the layout so we can find our way back. Plus, your clothes don't look so good. You can't bathe yet 'cause my mum isn't back, but you can at least change. What are you even wearing? Is this a sack?" He touched the rough fabric to confirm. "Oh, it is a sack. I didn't know people wore that."
He pointed to the cupboard. "Over there are clothes for my room, but since mine are still coming, you'll have to wear whatever Flynn said is in there. Don't worry, I'll wait outside the door. Once you're done changing, we can go explore." With that, he stepped out and closed the door behind him.
At first Dan sat patiently in the hallway, but the big new house quickly sparked his curiosity. He stood up and started wandering, telling himself he wouldn't go far. There were so many more rooms than in their old forest home, and he wanted to see what was inside every one. He opened the next door — just a normal storage room. Then the one after that. He had finished checking all the nearby rooms when he heard another door close down the hall.
He looked up. There stood the girl, now wearing a simple white shirt and black shorts that looked like they would fit a sixteen-year-old boy perfectly. The oversized clothes hung loosely on her small frame, but her long white hair still reached nearly to her knees.
"Whoa, your hair makes it hard to tell where the shirt even begins!" Dan yelled from the other end of the hallway. "Come on, I found something interesting in the last room! Hurry up or I'm leaving without you!" He dashed back into the room, thrilled when she appeared right behind him just seconds later.
"Wow, you're fast!" Dan grinned. "It would take me about twenty-five seconds to run from the other end of the hall, but you covered it in no time. If I were as fast as you, I'm sure I could beat Mum in a race." He smiled wider. "Well, that saves time. Come here." He crouched near one of the walls, slipped his hands underneath a hidden ledge, and pulled. Nothing happened. "Hey, help me — there's a hidden door here."
The girl crouched beside him without a word and gave one strong pull. The panel gave way almost instantly and swung open. Dan's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Thanks! I didn't know how I would've opened that by myself," he said, wiping sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. He peered inside — a small passage sloped downward like a smooth slide. "I wonder where it leads? Since it's in our house, I doubt it's a trap. And why would a trap be hidden in a wall and so hard to open? It's gotta be a secret room or something."
"I'm going in. Afterwards you can come after me." Without waiting for a reply, Dan scurried into the hole and slid down.
Dan didn't know how long he slid for, but it felt like forever. At the end of the long concrete tunnel, he shot out into blinding sunlight and landed hard on soft grass. He rolled to his feet, blinking. A vast, endless green field stretched out in every direction under a clear blue sky — no trees, no buildings, just rolling grass swaying gently in the breeze. The only thing out of place was the dark hole he had come from, floating a few feet above the ground like some weird magic doorway.
He walked around a bit, then realized Number 1 hadn't come down yet. He leaned into the hole to check — and got a face full of her boots as she slid out right into him. Dan tumbled backward, rolling on the grass in pain.
"Why did I have to look in the hole?!" he groaned, clutching his face. "Also, couldn't you have told me you were coming down?"
Number 1 stood up calmly, brushing grass off her oversized white shirt and black shorts. Her long white hair was still messy, deep purple eyes watching him without expression.
Dan got up, rubbing his nose. "What do you think? We found a really nice secret room, don't you think? Wanna check how far it goes?" Without waiting, he dashed off across the field. Number 1 followed right behind, careful not to overtake him, keeping him clearly in the lead.
They ran for a while until Dan, completely exhausted, collapsed onto the soft grass, chest heaving. Number 1 stopped beside him but stayed standing, looking down with those cold purple eyes.
"I think I'm too weak for this," Dan gasped.
"We should go back." He stood up and started making his way toward the floating hole. "From the look of things, it's just a vast green land. Once we have enough free time again, we can always come back. Let's go."
When they reached the hole, it finally hit him. "How do you even climb a slide?" He stared up the slippery concrete slope. "Are we trapped?"
"Um… sorry, Number 1. I think I might have gotten us trapped here," Dan said nervously, scratching his head. "Now how do we get back? And I don't know any way to contact Dad or Flynn… Mum isn't even here yet."
"Maybe if we wait long enough, they'll find us," he muttered to himself, then panicked a little. "What if this place is really secluded and no one can find us?" He started pacing in controlled worry.
"Any ideas, Number 1?" Dan asked, looking at her.
"Take off your jacket," she said indifferently.
Dan blinked, confused, but obeyed. She took the jacket, tied one end around her own waist, then tied the other end securely around Dan's.
"I'll climb up the hole and you'll follow right behind me," she said. "It's gonna be slippery, so I'll go as slow as possible. You try to keep up… I'll pull you when I can." With that, she climbed into the hole. Dan followed close on her heels.
She felt along the smooth concrete surface and started crawling upward slowly, careful not to move too fast. The slide was slippery and clearly built more for escape than fun — cold, hard concrete with almost no grip. They had been crawling for about a minute when the slope got steeper. There was a sudden bang — Dan slipped and nearly dragged Number 1 back down with him. She quickly braced her hands and feet against the walls, holding them both steady long enough for Dan to scramble back onto all fours.
"Thanks," he muttered nervously. "I would've dragged us both back down if not for you."
Number 1 didn't respond. She carefully placed her feet back on the slope. Dan noticed her movements made almost no sound at all. They kept crawling. At this point she was half-pulling Dan without him realizing it. Another two minutes passed before they finally spotted the end of the tunnel. Number 1 climbed out first, then reached down and pulled Dan up after her.
Dan clambered out of the hole, sweat beads all over his face, and flopped onto the wooden floor, breathing hard.
"Come on!" he said between deep breaths.
"How come you're not tired? It's unfair. I should get you to race Mum sometime." He loosened the jacket from both their waists and handed it back.
"Let's go back to the room before Flynn comes back—" The moment Dan opened the door, he froze.
He had never seen his mother look like this. Lizzy's deep crimson eyes were glowing faintly, a clear sign she had been using magic. Her wild blood-red hair was even messier than usual, and she looked exhausted… and worried. Dan knew immediately it was because of him.
Before he could speak, she started. "Do you know how I felt when you disappeared?" Dan looked down, unable to meet her eyes. "I almost died of a heart attack when I couldn't sense you anymore. I had to teleport back to the forest to check if you were okay, and when I got to the castle I still couldn't feel you. Do you know you've been gone for six hours? It's almost nighttime."
"No, we've only been gone for about thirty minutes," Dan tried to defend.
Lizzy finally noticed the white-haired girl standing quietly beside him. She sighed. "Well, next time you're going on an adventure, would you be kind enough to take me with you?" She smiled sweetly. "You can't have all the fun without your mum, you know." She crouched down by the slide entrance. "So what was in that hole?"
"You wouldn't believe it!" Dan said, excitement flooding back. "It was like a whole new world made of grass with no end in sight. We tried to find the edge but I got tired, then we realized we couldn't climb back up the slope. Sorry — I mean I couldn't. But Number 1 here did. She's the only reason I got out."
"That's nice," Lizzy said, smiling. "Thanks, Number 1, for putting up with my son's silliness. How about we go there again tomorrow? I'm sure it'll be fun." She stood up. "Also, where's Flynn? I thought Arthur said he'd be with you guys."
"I don't know," Dan shrugged. "He said he was gonna get our stuff but we haven't heard from him since."
"I'm sure it's alright. He probably left you two alone to have fun." Lizzy took Number 1's hand gently. "Come on, let's get you to your room. Go take your bath — I'm sure the bathroom is in the same place as your old room. I'll freshen this little girl up and then we can all go explore the marketplace together, okay?"
"Kk!" Dan responded excitedly and burst out of the room, running back toward his own. Lizzy heard him crash into a vase in the hallway and just smiled. She turned to Number 1. "Well, let's go to my room now, shall we? I need to get you freshened up."
"Damn… your hair is one piece of work," Lizzy muttered, struggling to wash the girl's long white hair in the large marble bathtub. "You've got molds in your scalp and it's gonna take a while to get them all off. Why would you leave your hair to get this dirty?" She continued scrubbing. "You've got smooth skin though… but what's with this massive scar on your back? It's taking up most of it. I assume it's an old injury, but how can someone so young survive something like that?"
The girl twitched when Lizzy touched the scar.
"Oh sorry," Lizzy pulled her hand back immediately. "I didn't know it still hurts." She kept washing gently. "Also, thanks again for helping my son get out of that hole."
Number 1 gave a tiny nod.
"I'm just gonna go straight to the point," Lizzy said, finally clearing the last of the mold. "I know who you are and what your organization is." The girl twitched noticeably this time. "Don't worry," Lizzy continued softly, parting the wet white hair from her face and pouring warm water over it. "I'm sure you think the masters in your organization will come get you." The girl's body started vibrating with tension.
"Don't worry," Lizzy patted her head with a bright smile, flashing her sharp teeth. "As long as you're in this castle or with me, you can consider yourself free — for what it's worth. I'm not gonna cut your hair… from what I can tell, Dan seems to like it. Of course I do too. But you'll have lots of maintaining to do, got it?"
Lizzy dried the girl with a soft towel and they stepped out of the bathroom together.
"Which do you prefer — pants or skirts?" Lizzy asked, opening her cupboard. "Never mind, you seem like the pants type."
Before long, she had tied Number 1's long white hair into a neat single braid, with the front strands parted neatly to the side. The girl now wore long black pants, sturdy black boots (a bit too big, swallowing her small feet), and a simple black top that perfectly complemented her white hair and purple eyes.
"You really are a doll, aren't you?" Lizzy said, stepping back with a satisfied smile. "And Arthur said I had no taste in fashion. If only he could see you right now."
She leaned down a little. "Also, let me tell you something so you don't ruin our night out with that silent treatment. Even if the whole of Amag tried to come get you, as long as Arthur, Flynn or myself are in the vacinity, they wouldn't dare act rashly. Sound promise. So don't worry — just have fun tonight, okay?"
At those words, Number 1 finally looked up at Lizzy's face, her purple eyes scanning her. Lizzy smiled brightly.
"She's not merely bluffing, I can feel it in my bones, this one is not human," Number 1 thought. "She's immensely strong… I don't even know why someone like her is with the humans, Just what kind of creature is she?. Regardless she's too trusting. Could she really protect me and her son in a crowded street?" Still, Number 1 was sure that if this dragon knew where the organization's hideout was, there was a higher possibility she could wipe them all out alone — including the masters. She was one of the few the organization avoided at all costs. Now she understood why.
"Also, Dan's a bit of a silly kid," Lizzy continued. "So when or if I'm not around, you'll have to put up with his silliness for me, okay?"
They stepped out of the room just as Dan came running toward them. He jumped straight at Lizzy and she caught him easily.
"What's wrong with you?" she laughed.
"Number 1, you're so pretty!" Dan called out from his mum's arms.
Number 1 stared silently at him.
"Well, enough of that. Let's head out," Lizzy said. "There's supposed to be some kind of festival in the streets today. It's gonna be really busy, so you two better stick close to me, okay?"
Dan nodded energetically. As they set off together, the castle halls felt warmer with the promise of the lively night ahead.