The blizzard that tore through the icy wasteland that year brought their lives together.

Deep within knee-deep powdery snow, Lyra found a tiny, skin-and-bones creature curled beneath a fallen pine tree. Its pitch-black scales reflected the cold silvery light, its half-closed eyes trembling. At first, Lyra tried to ignore it. Survival in the eternal snows left no room for weakness or pity. She turned and walked away, but a faint “mew” piercing through the howling wind stopped her in her tracks.

When she turned around, the baby dragon stumbled after her, spreading its wrinkled wings as it fought for every step in the snow. From that day on, the little creature never left her side by even a single step. Lyra named him Noxar. Her initial indifference was gradually melted by the freezing winter nights when Noxar would nestle into her arms, puffing out small sparks to warm their wooden cabin. Between them, it was no longer just a bond between human and pet—it was family, their sole anchor in this cruel world.

But peace shattered into dust on one stormy night.

Iron-masked raiders from the Ashen Kingdom swept down upon the village. Swords clashed, and fire painted the night sky red. Lyra collapsed while trying to protect Noxar—who was still just a helpless young dragon. Her hands were bound in chains, and she was dragged across the snow. Noxar roared in terror, frantically biting the hem of her cloak with his small teeth, only to be kicked into a rocky ravine by the iron boots of the raiders.

Lyra’s final lingering thought before passing out was the image of her little dragon crying out amid the burning ruins.

Ten years passed.

The tiny creature of the past had become Noxar—a magnificent black dragon 15 meters long. His entire body was encased in black scale armor tougher than steel, his broad wings spanned across the sky, and his eyes burned with a vibrant quartz-orange hue.

For ten long years, Noxar had never forgotten that warmth. He crossed thousands of miles of snow-covered lands and braved deadly mountain ranges to trace the footsteps of the woman who had raised him. The only clue guiding his way was a piece of iron chain stamped with the crest of the Ashen Kingdom, left behind in his old village.

Noxar braved brutal blizzards, endured starvation, and evaded human hunts—all to keep a silent promise made in his youth.

And then, the black dungeon towers of the Ashen Kingdom appeared before his eyes.

The arrival of a 15-meter black dragon tore through the kingdom’s skies. Noxar’s roar shook the sturdiest stone walls. The tyrannical lord mobilized thousands of archers and fire-lances, unleashing a rain of poisoned arrows toward the dragon.

But Noxar did not retreat. He plummeted like a black meteor, devastating every defensive barrier. Amidst the chaos, in the freezing courtyard of the dungeon, Noxar’s fiery eyes came to a halt.

There stood the woman with the familiar brown eyes, looking up in shock and trembling. Time and hardship had left many scars on Lyra’s face, but the way she looked at Noxar remained unchanged from ten years ago.

“Noxar… is that you?” Lyra whispered, tears streaming down her face.

The giant black dragon landed, his ferocity instantly melting away. He lowered his massive head, gently resting it against Lyra’s thin palm.

Soldiers of the Ashen Kingdom surrounded them, thousands of blades and spears pointed at the pair. The lord roared, ordering heavy chains to bind Noxar’s wings, determined to capture them both alive.

Facing the threat of enemies who sought to tear them apart once more, Noxar looked deep into Lyra’s eyes. In his gaze, there was no fear—only eternal resolve.

Noxar let out a roar that ripped through the night sky. From his throat erupted a torrent of quartz-orange dragon fire, incinerating the surrounding chains and stone walls. His magnificent wings spread wide, completely shielding Lyra from the relentless storm of arrows.

Noxar bowed his head, lifting Lyra onto his back. He let out a roaring declaration echoed toward the entire Ashen Kingdom: He would never let anyone take her away ever again.

Soaring straight into the vast open sky through the thick clouds, the great black dragon carried the only person he loved back to freedom—where their bond would endure eternally throughout time.