- Chapter 1 - The same place in every dream

"I see a hut in a middle of a flower field in every dream of mine...why? Ever since I got rescued by an old man and his granddaughter on a beach...I've been getting that dream...every single night. What happened to me before I got rescued? I...I have no idea, the only things I remember are my name, the things I've learned and just me laying on a beach...nothing beside that..."

...

Japan, Sendai, January 2024.

Two years after Aky was found on a beach...

"I've been taught about the human things in the past two years, it's pretty simple, at least for me...I did remember that I'm not a human, I'm a part of the species that is a combination of a human and a dragon, a demi-human...I'm not sure if there are more demi-humans beside my species, but seeing that we appear in human fantasy books along some other demi-humans, I believe that there are more demi-humans besides us...but I set that theory and research aside, I was focusing more on my dream. I made a sketch and every day I update it with another object, it might not be percisely accurate, but it can surely help me out in the future. I've been living alongside a human girl that rescued me with her grandfather, her name is Risa Inugawe, a cute dark haired girl with blue eyes, her grandfather is named Haichi Inugawe, I've actually been working with him in the past two years, he runs a local store where he sells food, candy, drinks, similar to a small grocery store, but he also sells toys, his hand made wooden toys, surprisingly kids who come here really love them, probably because they are themed after anime and video game characters mostly, honestly I really love working there...but where does Risa work? well, she always states that she is working in a lab and not any other lab, but a very secret one, so she can just tell me that for now at least. She was the first and only human to find out that I'm not actually a human, I wasn't surprised since I know she's very intelligent. Beside her job in that secret lab, she also does archery and she is a master at it! Though one night while I was working I've got an information from Haichi that really changed my experience in the human world...a lot..."

Aky was at his working alongside Haichi one night...soon enough his shift was over and the old man approached him while holding a newspaper in his hands...

"Before you go Aky, I've got a question...have you heard of this mysterious hero that has made their appearences in this town lately?"

Aky shook his head in disagreement...

"No, I haven't, why do you ask?"

Haichi just smiled as he showed the newspaper article to Aky, "Crime rate in Tokyo and Sendai has been dropped, a mysterious hero has appeared"

"Just asking, I think I have seen them yesterday right after our shift has ended! I saw their weapon, which I believe was a bow..."

Aky was now really interested in that topic...so he thought that the hero everyone's been talking about might be his roommate and Haichi's granddaughter, Risa!

"Well, I would be happy to see them! I think Risa would love that hero! Now then...I shall go and get a lot of rest since I'm free tomorrow!"

After Aky said that, Haichi once again smiled and said:

"Have a good rest boy! See you soon at work!"

They both waved at eachother as they both walked in two opposite directions...

"See you soon, gramps!"

That night and the day after Aky was researching about this mysterious hero, since they only hunt for criminals from sunset to late night hours and Risa usually comes back home in late hours, that hero might be her!

Day after day, night after night...soon enough the hero got interviewed a bit by a news reporter and they revealed their name, it was "Zap Arrow"...after seeing that, Aky was almost completely sure that was Risa, though the hero's voice was a little digitalized so he wasn't able to recognize it...

A few more weeks passed as Aky finally decided to come clean and reveal that he knew Risa was Zap Arrow all this time. He sat down on her bed in her bedroom as he was waiting patiently for her. At about midnight, she was there, she entered through the main door of the apartment...she looked inside of Aky's room, to her it seemed like he was sleeping since he has set up loads of pillows under the blanket. Soon enough she enters her bedroom just to find him sitting down on her bed and looking at her...she was pretty surprised to see him in there...but soon enough she became shocked after Aky said the following words...

"Welcome home...Zap Arrow..."

After that they just looked at eachother for a few seconds before Risa speaks up...

"A-Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?! And how do you-"

Aky speaks as he knows what she's about to ask:

"I'm free tomorrow...and I have obviously found out that you are that hero, your actions, your skills, the time you get back here...so similar..."

Risa's breath shivers but she then calms down and looks at him without any shock in her face...

"Fine fine, since the secret about you being a dragon is only between us two, then this will also be between us two...yes, I am Zap Arrow...about my gear, well, they weren't made by me, they were made by a company that I work for, almost everyone there knows how to work in a lab...yeah, that secret is not only between us, they know that I'm Zap Arrow..."

Aky looked at her curious as she kept talking...

"...it's really secret and I doubt that we are going to get any new members because of our boss who just really really wants to keep that hero and lab business as a secret...but yeah, that's all I can tell!"

Aky sat up as he looked her directly in her eyes and said:

"Well then...can I join you?"

Risa had an extremely surprised expression on her face after that one...

"...eh?"

- 𝙀𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 -