A hunter was sent to kill the feared dragon prince—so why was he the one being hunted instead?

*****

"You're the worst hunter I've ever met."

"And you're the worst dragon prince."

*****

The village feared the dragon prince.

Yuma was said to be ruthless, his golden eyes burning through the skies as he watched over the land. No one who entered his territory left unscathed—except those he chose to spare. And those were rare.

Taki had never believed the legends. Until now.

Crouched on the edge of a rocky cliff, the hunter had his bow drawn, arrow aimed straight at the beast lying just below. The prince wasn't the monstrous, winged terror he had imagined. He was human-shaped, draped in dark robes, his long silver hair cascading down his back. But his presence was anything but human. Even at rest, Yuma radiated power, an energy that made the air hum.

This was Taki's chance. One shot. One kill.

His fingers trembled.

The wind shifted. Yuma's eyes snapped open.

Taki barely had time to react before a force slammed into him. The cliff crumbled beneath his feet, and he tumbled down the rocky slope. He landed with a sharp gasp, bow knocked from his grip. Before he could scramble up, a clawed hand closed around his throat.

Yuma loomed over him, golden eyes glowing in the dim light. "You were going to kill me," he murmured.

Taki wheezed, heart hammering. He had failed.

But the final blow never came. Instead, Yuma's grip loosened, and he stepped back.

"Go."

Taki blinked. "What?"

"I said go." Yuma turned, walking away as if nothing had happened.

Taki sat frozen. Why? Why had the dragon prince spared him?

He should've left. Run. Report back to the hunters.

But instead, he asked, "Why didn't you kill me?"

Yuma paused. For a moment, there was only silence, then—

"I've had enough of killing."

That should have been the end of it.

Taki should have gone back to the village, told them the dragon prince was real, prepared for another hunt.

But something held him back.

Maybe it was the way Yuma had let him live.

Or maybe it was the way Taki had wanted to believe the dragon prince wasn't the monster everyone claimed.

So, he stayed. He watched from the shadows, curiosity burning stronger than his fear. He saw Yuma sitting alone in the ruins of an old temple, tracing patterns in the dirt with his claws. He saw him helping lost animals, letting birds perch on his shoulders as he stared at the sky.

The dragon prince wasn't a monster. He was just... lonely.

Taki shouldn't have cared. But he did.

And that was his mistake.

The hunters came.

They found him lingering too close to enemy ground. They accused him of betrayal.

When he refused to lead them to Yuma, they turned their blades on him.

And then the skies burned.

Yuma arrived in a flash of fire and fury, his golden eyes filled with rage. The hunters never stood a chance.

Taki lay on the ground, wounds searing with pain, as Yuma kneeled beside him. "You idiot," the dragon prince hissed. "You should've run."

Taki smiled weakly. "Didn't want to."

Yuma exhaled sharply, shaking his head. His hands—clawed, powerful—rested gently against Taki's wounds, warmth seeping into his skin. "You're the worst hunter I've ever met."

Taki coughed out a laugh. "And you're the worst dragon prince."

Silence stretched between them. Then, softly—

"Stay."

Taki's breath caught. "What?"

Yuma's golden eyes softened. "Stay with me."

Taki should've said no. He should've thought about his people, his duty.

But instead, he whispered, "Okay."

Because maybe—just maybe—he had been hunting the wrong thing all along.