The Rightful Heir

Chapter 1

Ezra watched the boring scenery go by as the car bumped along the winding road. He and his parents—who were actually his aunt and uncle—were heading to Hamilton, Montana. Aunt Sandra and Uncle Steve had raised him since he was a baby. The only connection he had to his real parents was a golden medallion with a red stone in the center, which he wore around his neck like a protective talisman, a physical reminder of a family he never truly knew.

Boredom settling in, Ezra reached into his backpack and pulled out his favorite book, **Dragon Marked**. He admired the intricate cover design, a depiction of a fierce dragon surrounded by swirling flames, then gently tapped his aunt with it to grab her attention.

"What is it?" she asked, turning to look at him, the concern evident in her eyes.

"Are we going to make a pit stop soon?" Ezra queried, already feeling the weight of the traveling fatigue creeping into his bones.

"Oh my gosh! We just made a stop an hour ago," Uncle Steve yelled from the front seat, his voice cutting through the monotony of the road.

"Dear, leave him be! He was sleeping," Aunt Sandra interjected sharply, shooting her husband a disapproving glance.

Ezra rolled his eyes, his irritation simmering just beneath the surface. He was almost 18 now, and he found it increasingly annoying when his aunt referred to him as just "a boy." No sooner had that thought crossed his mind than his medallion began to glow. Suddenly, through a vivid flash in his mind, he saw a car careening toward them from the side of the road, tires screeching.

"Get off the road! NOW!!" he screamed.

Startled, Steve swerved sharply, pulling off the road just as the other car sped past, narrowly avoiding catastrophe.

"Ezra... you just saved us!" Aunt Sandra breathed, shock evident in her voice.

"And whoever was driving the other car," Steve added, still getting his bearings after the abrupt maneuver.

"Yeah, whatever. Let's go," Ezra huffed, remaining annoyed by the way they seemed to process the day.

Steve and Sandra exchanged glances, their surprise lingering in the air, but Steve eventually pulled back onto the road, piecing together the fragments of their near-miss.

By the time they arrived in Hamilton, snow began to drift lazily from the sky, blanketing the ground like a soft white quilt. Standing outside the enormous three-story house that had recently been purchased, Ezra felt a mixture of curiosity and trepidation. His aunt and uncle had moved every year for reasons he never fully understood, leaving behind bonds he struggled to form. In contrast to the sprawling exterior, the interior boasted wide-open spaces and myriad windows, promising an abundance of light.

After stretching his sore legs from the long car ride, Ezra trudged inside, feeling his exhaustion deepen. He collapsed onto the plush couch with a long sigh, feeling the day's travel finally catch up with him.

"Sit up, boy! There is no slouching in this house," Steve yelled from the kitchen, having caught sight of Ezra's lounging position.

"Steve, leave him be! He's tired, just as we are," Aunt Sandra countered, her voice soothing—her protective nature always a calming force against Uncle Steve's gruffness.

Ezra smiled at this exchange; it was one of the things he loved most about his aunt—her unwavering ability to stand up for him, even when it meant going against her husband.

Days passed uneventfully until it was time for Ezra's first day at a new school, where he faced the daunting prospect of a new beginning. The excitement and anxiety clashed within him as he sat at the back of the Biology classroom, his heart fluttering at the uncertain faces around him. As Miss Jones introduced him, he felt a familiar sort of isolation creep back in.