This little "epilogue" takes place during the "Forest Lushing Blue" arc (Chapters 106-108 of the manga).


Shin-Ah wasn't sure what exactly had happened. First he was saving his pet squirrel, Ao, from a dragon statue after she had fallen in. To do that, he sliced off the head. Ao was fine as she happily climbed back up onto his shoulder. He turned to leave.

Then…nothing.

He didn't understand what was going on.

Where was he right now?

There was a person in front of him. It looked like a woman. He stepped closer to her.

That face. It couldn't be.

"L…Lyra?" he whispered.

The woman smiled beautifully at him. He hadn't seen that smile in 14 years.

Overwhelmed with emotion at the sight of the only woman who had ever cared for him as a child, he eagerly ran into her awaiting arms.

She kindly laughed as she tightly hugged him back.

When he pulled away, he felt as if he wanted to cry, but no tears would come to his eyes. It was as if it was impossible to cry in this place, wherever it was.

Lyra put her hand to his cheek and he realized he didn't have his mask on. "You're all grown up, aren't you?"

"I…I don't understand," Shin-Ah said softly. "Am I dead?"

"No, beautiful boy. Your journey is not yet at its end."

Shin-Ah hugged her again and refused to let go. He hadn't realized how much he missed her until she was in his sights again.

"I'm so sorry I had to leave you," she said softly to him. "I never wanted to leave you alone."

Shin-Ah didn't answer her as he had no words to say to her. After she died, he had thought of so many things he had wanted to say to her, but now that he had the opportunity, he couldn't remember any of it.

"How is this possible?" he finally asked. "I don't remember what happened."

"You came across the resting place of several previous Blue Dragons. One of them has taken over your body. Part of you is aware of what's going on. But the other part of you, this part, is here."

"I…I miss you, Lyra."

"I know. But I've been watching over you all these years. You have several people who care about you now. People with the special power I had."

"Yeah. They're my friends."

"You've become very close with that girl, haven't you?"

"Yona."

"Yes. I can tell that you share a very special bond with her."

"She…gave me my name. I'm Shin-Ah."

Lyra smiled at him. "It's beautiful. And I think it is much more fitting that she named you instead of me."

"She's kind to me. She reminds me a little of you."

Lyra once again put her hand to his face. Shin-Ah lightly pressed her hand on top of hers.

"I'm so proud of you," she told him. "You're every bit the man I always wanted you to be."

"Lyra, please…can't I stay with you?"

She gave him a sad smile. "No. It's time for you to go back. You still have a job to do. That girl needs you. They all need you."

"But I need you."

"And I will continue to watch over you. I promise. We'll meet again someday."

The woman gave him another tight hug and then started to walk away.

Shin-Ah looked ahead and saw another figure. This one was a man. He looked familiar.

His heart clenched in his chest when the man came into clearer view and met eyes with him. He had nearly forgotten that face entirely.

But he looked different. Not so angry.

"Look after yourself, kid," he said.

Lyra tenderly took the man's outstretched hand. Then she turned back to Shin-Ah with a kind smile. "Good-bye…my beautiful boy."

Shin-Ah's surroundings blurred before everything turned black.

When he opened his eyes, he was on his knees staring at some very familiar red hair.

"Yona," he said softly.

The girl looked up at him. "Shin-Ah?"

"I'm back."

That night, once the group had left the burial grounds and set up a campfire, Shin-Ah rested on his back and gazed up at the star-filled sky.

Ao nuzzled his cheek and her soft fur tickled his skin.

"Shin-Ah?" Yona said as she came to sit next to him. "Are you okay?"

"I…remembered."

"Remembered what?"

"I remembered…my guardians."

"What were they like?"

Shin-Ah looked over at her and saw she wore that ever present and curious smile on her face.

"You don't have to tell me if you're not comfortable. But I would really like to know if that's all right. Did they take care of you when you were a child?"

Shin-Ah nodded.

"I'm guessing one of them was the Blue Dragon before you, right?"

He nodded again.

"Who was the other one? His wife?"

He shook his head. "She was…a friend."

"What was her name?"

"Lyra."