Chapter 2 Arrival at Kastros Academy

~~~~Peace doesn't mean Friendship~~~

Brielle

I couldn’t breathe. Every time I tried, water rushed into my lungs. I flapped my arms and legs until I finally broke through the surface with a gasp. I dragged in air that burned my throat. My nails scraped against the stones along the riverbank as I tried to pull myself out of the water.

Water clung to my lashes, blurring my vision as I pushed my hair back with trembling hands. I collapsed onto the cold ground, coughing violently.

The events from a few minutes ago flooded my head.

“They’re fine,” I whispered hoarsely. “They will come get me.”

The lie tasted bitter.

I squeezed my eyes shut, but it didn’t help. I could still see them. I saw the blade piercing Ria’s chest and the knife slitting Geraldine’s throat.

Slowly, the truth settled in.

My fingers curled into the sand, gripping it tightly as though it could hold me together.

“They’re gone…”

My voice broke. I was the reason.

If I hadn’t used magic… If I hadn’t been so determined to go to the funfair and had just listened to them.

“I killed them.”

I pressed my palm against my mouth, trying to hold back the sound threatening to escape, but a sob broke through anyway.

The compass.

I turned around, searching for the last thing they had left me. I found it. The chain was gone, and the glass covering it was broken, distorting the needle inside. I picked it up carefully and turned it in my hand, but the needle wouldn’t settle in any particular direction.

“No, no… you’re not supposed to be broken.”

How was I supposed to find my way now?

The sound of a stick breaking snapped through the air.

I forced myself up and stumbled backwards as two figures wearing silver armour stepped into view.

“Don’t come any closer.” My voice came out shaky, but I raised my hand anyway. The survival spells my mothers had made me memorise were ready on the tip of my tongue, waiting to be cast if they made a wrong move.

“Easy,” one of them said, slowly raising a hand. “You are safe.”

Safe?

I had just watched my mothers get killed by creatures who wanted me, and now I was in an unfamiliar place.

“W-where is this place?” I asked, still eyeing them suspiciously.

“Kastros Academy.” His armour creaked as he moved.

Kastros Academy?

This was exactly where my mothers had wanted me to come. My grip on the compass tightened.

“Do you have an identification?” the second guard asked.

I frowned. “Identification?”

They exchanged a glance.

“We should report this,” the first one muttered under his breath.

Then, louder, he said, “Come with us.”

“Who are you?” I demanded. “Where are you taking me?”

“To the principal. Aren’t you here to enrol?”

Yes. I was here on my mothers’ instructions. It was their last wish. They had said this was the safest place for me.

I needed to honour it.

“Lead the way.” I remained cautious as I followed them.

The massive gates swung open, revealing a vast, asymmetrical fortress unlike anything I had ever seen. Kastros Academy rose from the mountain as though it had been carved straight out of the stone. Its towers stood at different heights and angles, some narrow and sharp, others wide enough to hold entire halls. The tallest tower disappeared into the clouds, its peak hidden behind a thick layer of mist.

Before I could take in anything else, a deafening screech pierced the sky.

I flinched as a huge shadow swept over us. A massive creature descended from above, its enormous wings beating against the air. When it landed, the impact shook the ground, sending dust, sand and small stones flying into the air. Some struck my face and arms.

I stumbled backwards, unable to breathe.

It was enormous.

Its wings stretched wide, while its body was covered in layers of thick, sky-blue scales that shimmered beneath the sunlight. Along its spine ran a row of jagged horns, beginning at the base of its neck and continuing all the way down its back. Its nostrils flared, releasing cold mist that curled through the air like smoke.

It lowered its head.

Its sea-green eyes locked onto me, its pupils narrowing into thin black slits.

A low growl rolled from its chest.

Everything inside me screamed to run.

“A dragon…” I whispered, my feet beginning to retreat.

“Stand still,” one of the guards warned.

The dragon’s gaze never left me. It studied me as though it knew something about me.

“First time seeing one?” the second guard asked.

I didn’t answer. My entire body had gone cold.

I shouldn’t be here.

Dragons and witches had a bad history. They were arch-enemies, and dragons were the reason shadow hunters were hunting us.

Or had I missed something?

No, I hadn’t. That was what my mothers had told me all my life. Why would they ask me to come here? Why would this be the safest place for me?

Before I could make sense of anything, something even more shocking happened.

The dragon’s body began to fold in on itself. Its bones cracked as its wings collapsed inward. Its massive form shrank and twisted until, where the beast had stood, a young man remained.

He was tall, with a bare chest and dark, shredded trousers. His skin was unnaturally pale, with blue scales that shifted whenever he breathed. His blue hair was tied back in a ponytail.

Despite the fear still twisting inside me, I couldn’t help noticing how breathtaking he looked.

A second deafening screech sounded from the sky, followed by a massive burst of fire.

The blue-haired boy immediately tore his gaze away from me and turned towards the incoming attack. The red dragon swooped down, its enormous wings beating against the air as it hurled a ball of fire at him.

The attack struck with tremendous force, sending the blue-haired boy stumbling backwards. Before he could regain his balance, his body began to shift. His arms stretched into powerful limbs, blue scales spread across his skin, and enormous wings burst from his back. Within seconds, the boy was gone, replaced by the massive blue dragon I’d seen earlier.

“The princes are at it again,” one of the guards muttered casually.

Soon, the courtyard erupted into chaos.

More dragons appeared in the sky. Young people dressed in grey uniforms rushed out of different buildings, spilling into the courtyard like swarms of bees.

The two dragons lunged at each other.

Their bodies collided with a deafening crash. The blue dragon snapped its jaws at the red dragon’s neck, but it twisted away and struck back with its tail. The blue dragon staggered, then retaliated, slamming its own tail against the red dragon’s side.

They fought like beasts. Their enormous bodies crashed against pillars as they struggled for dominance. Fire burst from their mouths, scorching the ground and sending students scrambling for cover.

I stumbled backwards, trying to get away from the chaos. The heat from their flames burned against my face, and the ground shook beneath my feet.

Then the red dragon twisted its head and spat another ball of fire.

I couldn’t tell whether it had aimed at the blue dragon or simply lost control of its attack. All I knew was that the fireball was coming straight towards me.

My body moved before I could think.

I lifted my hand.

“Fiat Scutum, Mater Terra!”

The words had barely left my lips when a transparent barrier formed in front of me.

The fireball slammed into it.

For a brief moment, the barrier held. Then the force of the impact sent the fireball hurtling back towards the fighting dragons. It struck the red dragon, disrupting its attack just as the blue dragon lunged at it. Their enormous bodies collided, and the force of the impact sent them crashing into the courtyard wall.

The stone cracked. Dust and debris exploded into the air as part of the wall collapsed.

Then everything went eerily still.

The dragons began to transform. Their enormous bodies shrank, wings folded into their backs, and scales receded until two young men stood amid the dust and broken stone.

Every eye turned towards me in shock, awe and fear.

My hands trembled because I had just used magic in front of the very creatures I was warned to hide from.

Dragons.