DRAGON'S CURSE

Classes

I walked into my new room, feeling a whirlwind of emotions. The news about being in the royal clan felt like a heavy weight on my chest. Sophie looked crushed, almost like I'd stolen her favorite toy. Aiden tried his best to comfort me, but it only made me feel more out of place. Mara, on the other hand, was practically glowing with excitement, like she just won the lottery.

As I barged into my room, I noticed my belongings had already been moved to the royal dorms. 

Aiden, Sophie, and Jasper walked in behind me, their faces a mix of concern and curiosity. Just then, as I made my way down the stairs, I spotted Lucas standing there. His intense gaze locked onto mine, sending a jolt of electricity through me. There was something about the way he looked at me—half admiration, half challenge—that made my heart race.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to sound confident but failing miserably. He smirked, that infuriating smirk that made my stomach twist. "Just checking out the new royal," he replied, his voice smooth and teasing.

I rolled my eyes, but I could feel my cheeks heating up. Why did he have to make everything so complicated?

Lucas walked away with his friends, throwing a glare at Aiden as he passed. Great, just what I needed—drama already brewing. Now, here I was, standing in my new room, feeling a bit lost. The rules were clear: no other clans were allowed in each other's rooms, which meant I had to haul all my things in by myself.

As I stepped inside, the room was nothing like I imagined. It practically screamed royalty. The walls were adorned with elegant gold accents, and the furniture looked like it belonged in a castle. I felt out of place, like I was pretending to be someone I wasn't.

I began unpacking my bags, throwing clothes into drawers and setting up my things on the desk. Then I spotted a packet of chips tucked away in one of the bags. Perfect! I opened it and munched away, finding a little comfort in the familiar crunch.

After a few minutes, I remembered my phone. I pulled it out, hopeful that I could get a signal to call my parents. I scanned the screen, but there was no reception. Just my luck. I sighed, wishing I could talk to them and share everything that was happening. It felt like a million changes were crashing down on me all at once, and a part of me longed for their reassurance.

I made my way to the bathroom, groggily tying my hair into a Dutch braid. The mirror reflected the tiredness in my eyes, but I tried to ignore it. Once I was done, I opened my wardrobe and noticed something new. My combat clothes and boots were neatly arranged, and there was a small note resting on top.

Curious, I picked it up and read the elegant handwriting: "Hope you are well, Luna. I'm your grandmother. I have personally chosen this wardrobe for you. Hope you like it."

I stared at the note for a moment, feeling the weight of everything sink in again. Grandmother? Royalty? It still didn't feel real. I ran my fingers over the boots and sighed, trying to mentally prepare myself for the day ahead.

I made my way toward the Wind Clan's cafeteria, only to stop in my tracks, suddenly remembering that I wasn't allowed there anymore. A wave of awkwardness washed over me as I turned around and decided to wait outside. I leaned against a nearby wall, hoping Aiden, Sophie, and Jasper would show up soon.

It didn't take long. Sophie spotted me first and ran up, wrapping me in a tight hug. "I missed you already!" she said, squeezing me a little too hard.

Aiden came up next, holding out a sandwich with a smirk. "I figured you didn't eat anything in your fancy new cafeteria," he teased. "Considering you're out here waiting."

I chuckled and took the sandwich gratefully. "Well, that's kinda true. Thanks, Aiden."

"Let's start with some light stretching and then running laps across the field," the instructor barked.

 We all spread out on the mats, bending and stretching in ways that made my muscles ache immediately. After a few minutes, he blew a whistle, signaling us to start running laps.

I wasn't much of a runner, and after just two laps, I could feel my legs burning. I glanced around and noticed some of the other students looked equally tired, but a few, like Lucas, were practically gliding across the field like it was nothing. Of course.

"Keep moving!" the instructor shouted. "This is just the warm-up!"

True to his word, the guy had us running 20 laps across the field. Twenty. By the time I hit lap 15, I was pretty sure I saw my life flashing before my eyes—mostly scenes of me lying in bed, where I clearly belonged.

"If I run one more lap, I'm gonna pass out and haunt this place forever," I muttered under my breath.Sophie, running next to me, looked equally dead. "Tell my parents I love them," she gasped dramatically.

After finishing the last lap, I collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air like I'd just run a marathon. Aiden walked over and plopped down next to me, not looking much better.

"Why do I feel like I liked my human school better?" I groaned, wiping the sweat off my forehead.

Aiden chuckled, also catching his breath. "Because in human school, they don't make you run until your legs hate you.""Exactly. This is dragon school torture, not training," I mumbled, still lying flat on the ground.

"Don't even compare some human shit to dragons," Lucas muttered as he walked past with his friends, not even sparing us a glance.

I shot him a glare. "I already hate this guy," I mumbled under my breath.

Aiden, lying next to me, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he's got that 'I'm better than everyone' vibe going on."

"Ugh, it's like he walks around with a permanent stick up his—"

"Okay, okay, don't finish that thought," Aiden interrupted with a grin, but he knew I wasn't wrong.After combat, I dragged myself back to my room, barely making it to the shower. The hot water helped ease the soreness in my muscles, but my mind was still swirling with thoughts about the day.

Once I freshened up, I remembered that Aiden, Sophie, Jasper, Mara, and I had planned to have breakfast on the grounds.
I didn't really have any friends in the Royal Clan. AND If everyone was like Lucas, I didn't want to make friends with them anyway.