The Five Realms

Chapter 12: Joey III

Chapter 12: White Flame

Joey sat at the edge of his bed, elbows resting on his knees, staring at the floorboards like they might spell out the answers he didn't have.

Six months ago, the fire had gutted the heart of their family. And even though the house had been repaired—walls painted fresh, furniture replaced, windows reinstalled—the silence still hadn't left. It crept in through the vents. It curled in the corners. It whispered down the hallway where his father's voice used to echo.

It was Saturday, bright and humid, but the light felt off—like it couldn't quite reach him.

Across the room, perched on the bookshelf like some holy artifact, sat Rohan.

A dragon.

Snow-white, lean-bodied, barely the length of Joey's forearm, but somehow regal as a king. Its wings were folded neatly against its back, and its silver-flecked eyes followed Joey without blinking.

It had hatched two days ago. No fanfare. No flames. Just a quiet crack in the shell, a flash of silver light, and a feeling like gravity had shifted.

And now Rohan was just... here.

Joey's fingers absently traced the edge of the silver rune on his palm. The Gedwëy Ignasia. It hadn't stopped glowing since the bond was made. Sometimes faintly, like a dying ember. Sometimes bright enough to cast shadows.

He still didn't know what it meant.

He thought of William—gone without a trace three days after the funeral. One minute they were texting about dumb basketball memes. The next, radio silence. No goodbye. No explanation.

The police said he probably ran away.

Joey didn't believe that for a second.

And then there was Melodie.

Their breakup hadn't been dramatic. No shouting. No tears. Just a quiet understanding, an unspoken drift. The fire had changed too much. Joey wasn't the same. And she—well, she wasn't part of this. Of dragons and dreams and legacy. Not anymore.

Still, losing her stung. More than he expected.

His eyes met Rohan's.

"You ever lose someone?" he asked quietly.

The dragon didn't respond. Of course it didn't.

But something stirred in Joey's chest. A flicker of warmth. A pressure behind his ribs.

Rohan cocked his head, like he understood more than Joey could explain.

Maybe he did.

Joey exhaled and stood up, rolling his shoulders. He glanced at the clock.

The others would be arriving soon.

And whatever this was—this magic, this fate—it was only just beginning.

The knock never landed.

Mrs. Jackson opened the door before Steven's hand could touch it, her eyes sharp and scanning.

"Did anyone see you?" she asked, her voice low and brisk, a whisper of wind before a storm.

Steven blinked, caught off guard. "Uh... what do you mean?"

"It's not easy to hide a dragon," she said, glancing between the teens. "Do you think it's easy to conceal two?"

Beanca gave a grim nod. "She's right. Mine's already tried to eat half my closet."

Joey leaned quietly against the foyer banister, arms crossed, white dragon perched like a crown of pearl on his shoulder. Rohan blinked, a slow, measured motion that somehow made him seem older than the bones of the house.