Through Smoke and Ashes

Thirty||A Sickening Meeting

As the days stretched on, the Academy became less a place of learning and more a theater of scrutiny, where every movement, every word, every misstep felt like it was being dissected under a microscope. My instructors watched with sharp, unyielding eyes, cataloging every flaw, every hesitation. My peers were no less observant, their whispers curling through the air like frost creeping over glass. I could feel their judgments before they even left their lips, sharp and cutting, and with each passing day, the weight of their scrutiny pressed heavier on my shoulders. It made me retreat inward, burying myself deeper into the comfort of silence, into the protective cocoon of solitude I had once cherished. The more I tried to fit in, the more I realized I was nothing more than an outcast, an anomaly to be studied rather than understood.

My longing for isolation grew more profound with every dawn. I craved the freedom of the wind and the skies, the simple, unbroken connection I had once shared with Naxan. I thought of the dragon island, and my chest tightened with a pang of homesickness that refused to be ignored. That island was more than a place—it was a sanctuary, a living memory of a bond untouched by the demands and judgments of the world. It was where I had first met Naxan, where we had recognized in each other a missing piece we never knew we were searching for. Every flight across the jagged cliffs and soaring ridges had been a lesson in trust, a silent conversation between hearts and wings. We had hunted together, guarding one another, moving as a single, fluid entity, attuned to the other's breath, the other's thoughts. Every shadow of danger, every trap left by hunters, had been met side by side.

I could almost feel the wind brushing against my face, and the sun warming my skin. The scent of the salt-laced sea below, the distant cries of gulls, the hush of the forests we skimmed over—those were my true comforts. Here, in the Academy, the air was thick with tension, the walls confining, the schedules rigid. Every corner seemed to echo with judgment, and my body remembered the freedom of the skies with aching clarity. I knew Naxan felt it too; his restlessness mirrored my own. But unlike me, he seemed to understand something deeper—that despite the ache in our hearts, the Academy was where we needed to be. It wasn't home, not truly, but it was the path we had to walk for now, a place to grow stronger, to learn, to endure. And even as homesickness gnawed at me, I resolved to carry a piece of that freedom with me in every heartbeat, every thought, every silent prayer to the winds that carried Naxan and me once more, if only in memory.

If only it weren't such a struggle, I would enjoy my time here more. But I'm sure this was intended, to break me until I cried like the girl I was. Well, they wouldn't get tears from this girl. I thought bitterly. If I was being segregated into tougher treatment than the rest, so be it. I've gone face to face with wild cats ready to rip me apart, dragons who could swallow me whole, and dangerous men who saw me and Nax as profit. I imagined I could handle a couple of offended men and their egos.

To top things off, the ball that I had to take place in was only a week away. Meaning I would be paraded around in front of all to see in an uncomfortable dress surrounded by unfamiliar faces who would judge my every movement. I knew they would be watching me because I was the first female dragon rider they had ever seen. I was breaking the system. And I knew for a fact people would indeed dislike that idea.

I thanked the people who didn't see me as a disturbance. They made me feel welcomed and that I had people to turn toward. So, I suppose I wasn't completely alone at the Academy. I had Baylen, who, although he liked to tease and joke around far more than I would like him to, I know he meant well. Then there were the first-year dragon riders, Aelric, Ton, Roland and Sige. They first met me on the dragon island, not expecting to find more than what they came there to look for. Now we train together every day and all day. I couldn't ask for a better team. Then came Tomi and Fin. Our first encounter was not the greatest of situations for I was covered from head to toe in demon guts. They never let me forget that day, but they also constantly praise me for my weaponry abilities. And then there was Kayne. He drove me crazy for reasons I was unsure of. I was drawn to him in ways I could not control, whether it be from my own feelings or the shadows wanting to feel his power. My feeling for him was unknown at this point. These past couple of days he's been acting strange. He still had his flirtatious personality, but somedays he seemed so distant and withdrawn from his friends, especially me.