10. Ancient Dragon bloodline

Xavier Loid had always been the embodiment of control. As the captain of the Special Forces, he thrived on discipline and precision. But that control had been slowly unraveling over the past week, and it all started the night after his fateful encounter with Alvin Bencio at the auction house.

It wasn't just a fleeting attraction or passing curiosity. No, it was much worse than that.

That night, for the first time in his life, Xavier had a dream so vivid, so visceral, that he woke up in a cold sweat, his heart pounding, his body betraying him in ways he didn't understand. In the dream, he had been lying in bed with Alvin, their bodies entwined in a way that felt both impossible and utterly real. He could still feel the phantom heat of Alvin's skin, the sound of his voice whispering in his ear, the sensation of their mouths meeting in a fiery kiss.

"What the hell..." Xavier had muttered to himself, staring at the ceiling of his dark room that night, wide-eyed and confused.

He had chalked it up to an odd occurrence, a one-time fluke. After all, he had only just met the man—there was no logical reason to be dreaming about him like this. But the next night, it happened again. And the night after that. Every night for a week, Xavier found himself trapped in increasingly vulgar, absurd dreams about Alvin.

One night, he dreamt of kissing Alvin passionately in a dimly lit room, his hands roaming over every inch of the man's body as if he couldn't get enough. The next, he was making Alvin pregnant, his mind twisted into imagining a future that was both ridiculous and impossible. Another dream saw him putting handcuffs on Alvin, the scene so charged that Xavier woke up feeling more restless than ever.

And then, there was the one where Alvin was... cooking for him, wearing nothing but a thin apron and a devilish smirk. That dream had sent him into such a tailspin that Xavier barely looked at food the next day without flushing red.

For the entire week, Xavier had been walking around like a man haunted, his usual calm demeanor frayed at the edges. His team noticed. His family noticed. Hell, even strangers could see something was off about him. And the more he tried to shake the thoughts of Alvin from his mind, the more persistent they became.

Sasha Loid, Xavier's mother, had always been keenly aware of her children's moods. It didn't take long for her to notice that something was deeply troubling her second son. He was usually so composed, so methodical in everything he did. But lately, he seemed distracted, restless—almost agitated.

She decided it was time to find out what was going on.

One evening, after dinner, Sasha knocked on Xavier's door. She entered without waiting for a reply, finding her son sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at the floor as if deep in thought.

"Xavier," she said softly, her voice laced with concern. "What's going on with you, darling? You've been out of sorts all week."

Xavier blinked and looked up at his mother, his jaw tightening slightly. "It's nothing, Mom. I'm fine."

Sasha wasn't buying it. She crossed the room and sat beside him on the bed, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "Xavier, I've raised you. I know when something's bothering you. You've been restless for days. Is it work? Or something else?"

Xavier ran a hand through his hair, debating whether to tell her. But Sasha had a way of coaxing the truth out of her children, and Xavier wasn't immune to it. After a few moments of silence, he sighed.

"It's... weird, Mom," he admitted, his voice low. "I keep having these dreams. About someone."

Sasha's eyes widened with interest. "Dreams? What kind of dreams?"

Xavier's face flushed slightly, which only intrigued Sasha more. She hadn't seen him this flustered since he was a teenager.

"They're... intense," Xavier muttered. "Every night for a week, I've dreamt about this person. It's driving me insane."

Sasha squeezed his arm gently, encouraging him to continue. "Who is it? Someone you've met recently?"

Xavier nodded slowly, his expression troubled. "Yeah. Someone I met at an auction last week. His name's Alvin. I don't even know him, but I can't stop thinking about him. It's like... I'm cursed."

At that, Sasha's eyes widened, and her grip on Xavier's arm tightened slightly. "Can't stop thinking, you say?"

Xavier glanced at his mother, confused by her reaction. "Yeah. Why?"

Sasha took a deep breath, her mind racing. She had hoped this conversation would never come, but it seemed fate had other plans. She hesitated for a moment, then spoke.

"Xavier, there's something you should know about our family. Something... ancient."

Xavier frowned, his curiosity piqued. "Ancient? What do you mean?"

Sasha sighed, choosing her words carefully. "The Loid family has an ancient dragon bloodline, passed down through generations. It's not something we talk about often, but it's important, especially now. Because of our bloodline, we've always been drawn to certain people—people who are our fated ones."

Xavier's confusion deepened. "Fated ones? Are you saying... Alvin is mine?"

Sasha nodded slowly, her expression serious. "It's possible. The dreams you're having, the obsession you can't shake... it sounds like the bond forming between you and your fated one. It's rare, but when it happens, it's powerful. That's why you can't stop thinking about him. Your blood recognizes him."

Xavier stared at his mother, his mind reeling. "So, you're telling me I'm destined to be with this guy I barely know because of some... ancient dragon magic?"

Sasha smiled softly, placing a hand on his cheek. "It's more than just magic, Xavier. It's fate. But it's up to you how you want to handle it. You don't have to rush into anything."

Xavier leaned back, rubbing his temples. "This is insane. I've never believed in fate, and now you're telling me I'm locked into it because of some ancient bloodline." He paused, then shot his mother a wry look. "Wait a second—if this is true, then does that mean Natasha's idiot boyfriend is her fated one too?"

Sasha's smile faltered slightly, and she shifted uncomfortably. "Ah... well, about that. Natasha's situation is... complicated. She's been trying to deny her fate, but you can see where that's gotten her. She chose the gutter when she could've had something far better."

Xavier snorted. "Yeah, she sure knows how to pick them. Poor girl." He shook his head. "And now I'm supposed to just... accept this fate with Alvin?"

Sasha patted his hand. "You don't have to accept anything right now. Just give it time. If he truly is your fated one, things will fall into place naturally. Trust me, Xavier. The bond is stronger than anything you've ever felt before. You'll know what to do when the time comes."

Xavier sighed again, leaning back on the bed. "Great. I'm destined for some guy with a sharp tongue and more sarcasm than I've ever heard in my life. This is going to be fun."

Sasha chuckled softly. "Love comes in unexpected ways, darling."

---

At the orphanage, Jax and Luis were exhausted. They had spent the entire week running around the city, fulfilling Alvin's ridiculous list of tasks. From buying 120 sets of clothes for the kids to filling a warehouse with 100 kilograms of grains, vegetables, and fruits, it had been non-stop work.

That morning, they returned to the orphanage with the paperwork for the purchases, both of them looking like they hadn't slept in days.

"We're done," Jax said, handing over the stack of papers to Alvin with a tired grin. "Everything you asked for."

Luis nodded, collapsing into a chair. "I swear, this has been the most intense job I've ever done. How do you keep coming up with these lists, Alvin?"

Alvin, sitting casually on the porch with a smug smile, glanced through the paperwork. "It's a gift, really. I have a knack for keeping people busy."

Jax groaned, leaning against the wall. "So, we're good for now, right? No more insane tasks?"

Alvin's devilish smile widened. "Oh, you're far from done." He handed them a new list. "Next, I need you to gather a stockpile of medicines—everything from basic first aid to rare herbal remedies. And we'll also need furniture for the new villa. Beds, couches, kitchen supplies, everything."

Luis's eyes widened in disbelief. "You want us to furnish the entire villa?"

--

The afternoon at the orphanage had been peaceful, almost too peaceful. The children were playing in the living room, laughing as Alvin sat nearby, his long sky-blue hair lazily tied back as he flipped through a book. He glanced up now and then to make sure none of the kids were causing too much chaos, though his attention was mostly focused on how to make more money to fund their ever-growing needs.

Suddenly, a loud crack of thunder boomed outside, shaking the old orphanage walls. The laughter stopped instantly as the sky grew darker, heavy raindrops pelting against the windows. The wind howled, and the children went eerily quiet.

Ash and Diana were the first to react. Ash's big eyes widened in fear as he instinctively grabbed onto the nearest thing—one of Alvin's legs. Diana, on the other hand, let out a small whimper before bursting into tears, clutching her stuffed bunny tightly as if it could protect her from the wrath of the storm outside.

Alvin blinked, momentarily startled by the intensity of the thunder. Then he looked down at Ash, who was trembling and had latched onto his leg with the grip strength of a terrified kitten. Diana was next, practically sobbing into her bunny, looking like the world was about to end.

With a sigh, Alvin shut his book and scooped Ash up with one arm while gently pulling Diana into his lap with the other.

"Seriously, you two?" Alvin said, his voice laced with playful sarcasm. "It's just a little thunder. You're acting like the sky's about to fall."

Diana sniffled, looking up at him with big, watery eyes. "But... but it's so loud, Father! What if it... what if it gets worse?"

Ash buried his face into Alvin's chest, nodding in agreement as his tiny hands clutched Alvin's shirt. "The sky is angry..." he mumbled.

Alvin smirked and shook his head, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Oh no, not the angry sky! How dare it make loud noises while I'm trying to read." He tilted his head, pretending to listen to the storm. "I bet it's just jealous that we're having more fun in here than it's having out there. Thunder's got nothing better to do but roar for attention."

Diana hiccuped mid-sob, momentarily distracted by Alvin's silly explanation. "The sky... is jealous?" she asked, her sobbing slowing down as she peeked out from behind her bunny.

"Absolutely," Alvin said with a firm nod. "The sky is like a really cranky old man who gets annoyed when he hears people having a good time. So, it throws a fit and starts yelling—'Hey! Look at me!'" He raised his arms dramatically, imitating the sky's booming voice. "But we don't care, do we? Because we've got much more important things to do. Like... playing!"

Ash, still snuggled against Alvin's chest, peeked up at him, his wide eyes curious now instead of terrified. "Are you sure, Father? It sounds... really mad."

Alvin grinned, gently ruffling Ash's hair. "Mad? Please. I've faced down gods, demons, and even a dragon or two in my time. You think I'm going to let a little thunder scare us?" He stood up, still holding both Ash and Diana. "Let's show that cranky old sky that we're not scared. How about we keep playing, huh?"

Diana, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand, gave a small nod. "But... but what if it gets really loud again?"

Alvin smirked. "Well, if it does, we'll just yell back. It's like a game, you see. Every time the thunder roars, we yell louder. We'll beat the sky at its own game."

Ash giggled at the thought. "We're... gonna yell at the sky?"

Alvin nodded, his face serious but his eyes twinkling with humor. "Exactly. So next time you hear thunder, I want you to shout right back at it. And let me tell you something, Ash—thunder's got nothing on your shouting."

Diana giggled softly, finally smiling through her remaining sniffles. "Okay... I'll try."

Alvin set them both down and stood dramatically. "Now! Let's get ready for the next round. When the thunder comes, we're gonna yell so loud, the sky won't know what hit it!"

The children around the room, noticing the playful energy in Alvin's voice, gathered closer, intrigued by the idea of shouting at the sky.

Just then, another loud crack of thunder rumbled outside. For a moment, Ash and Diana froze, but then, at the same time, they both screamed as loud as they could, tiny voices filled with mock bravery.

"TAKE THAT, THUNDER!" Ash yelled, his face scrunched up in determination.

"YOU CAN'T SCARE US!" Diana shouted, holding up her bunny as if it were a sword.

Alvin laughed heartily, joining in with his own exaggerated shout. "YEAH, YOU TELL 'EM!"

The other children, not wanting to miss out on the fun, started yelling too, their voices echoing through the orphanage. Even little Leo, who had been watching from the side, jumped in, his fists clenched as he screamed at the storm.

The room was filled with laughter and joyful shouting as the children took turns "defeating" the thunder with their voices. Alvin watched them, a small smile playing on his lips as the tension melted away from the room.

When the next rumble of thunder came, it was met not with fear, but with loud, triumphant yells from the entire group of children. They screamed and laughed, declaring victory over the storm with Alvin leading them like a general commanding his tiny army.

Finally, the thunder began to quiet down, its roars fading into distant rumbles as the storm passed. The children, now tired from their "battle," collapsed into giggles on the floor, their previous fear completely forgotten.

Ash, still clutching onto Alvin's leg, looked up at him with wide, admiring eyes. "Father... you're the best."

Diana, still holding her bunny close, nodded in agreement. "Yeah! You scared the thunder away!"

Alvin chuckled, kneeling down to their level. "Of course I did. It knows better than to mess with us." He gave them both a quick, playful ruffle of their hair. "Now, how about we find something else to do? Preferably something that doesn't involve screaming at the sky."

The kids all nodded enthusiastically, their fear of the storm now a distant memory.

As Alvin stood up, watching the children scatter back to their games, he smirked to himself. "If only dealing with the apocalypse was this easy," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head in amusement.

The main problem was that his soul has still not recovered and he can only use 1/10th of his powers...