I stand there in front of the door, staring at my mom and dad, completely shocked.
I don't know what to say. I don't know what to do.
They just walked into the house and found a girl inside. A girl I didn't tell them about.
My dad breaks the long, awkward silence first.
"I really like her," he says casually. "But are you sure she just came over to drop off homework?"
"Yes," I answer a little too quickly.
My mom steps forward slightly. "Then why did she come inside?"
"She… wanted a tour of the house. That's all."
"Hm."
She stares at me. Not just looking at me — analyzing me. Like she's trying to pull the truth straight out of my head.
I avoid eye contact. Don't look nervous. Don't look nervous.
I've never been good at lying.
After a moment, she sighs.
"Okay," she says. "You should invite your friends over for dinner sometime. And definitely invite her. I like her. She's very beautiful."
Beautiful.
I never really thought about Jordan like that before. I always just saw her as… difficult. Annoying, even.
But today — when we weren't arguing — she was kind of beautiful.
"Yeah," I say. "I can do that."
"Tomorrow," my dad adds excitedly. "We'll make it game night."
"Game night?" I repeat.
"Board games. Snacks. The whole thing," he says, grinning.
"Okay," I nod.
They head further into the house.
"And go shower," my mom calls back. "You have school tomorrow."
"Yes, ma'am."
I head upstairs, shower, go through my normal routine, and fall into bed.
Sleep takes me fast.
But for the first time in days, I feel… steadier. Like I know where I stand with the Dragon Keepers. Even if I don't like it, I understand it.
The next morning is quiet.
My parents left early for work. The house feels empty.
I step outside into the cool air. The sun is already bright. The breeze wakes me up more than anything else.
Zack is waiting across the street like usual.
We walk in silence for a bit before I finally build up the courage to ask him.
"Hey, man," I say. "You want to come to my family's game night tonight?"
"Sure," he says instantly. "What time?"
"Uh… nine."
"Yeah, I'll be there."
"Can you ask Ava too?"
"Yeah, no problem."
Relief settles in my chest.
School goes by like normal, except for math.
There's a kid who sits next to me — quiet, always drawing. I've never paid attention before, but today I glance over.
He's drawing someone in black armor, holding an old sword. The details are insane. It looks almost real.
I must stare too long.
He snaps his notebook shut.
"Mind your eyes," he says sharply.
"Sorry," I mutter. "Didn't mean to."
He turns away from me after that, hiding his sketchbook for the rest of class.
The silence between us feels heavy.
After school, I tell Zack I'll see him tonight and head downtown to the coffee shop.
The bell rings as I step inside.
I drop down the hidden slide.
The landing still isn't any softer.
When I stand up, everyone's already there.
Cameron. Maya. Jordan. Shu.
They all turn toward me.
"You're back," Cameron says, almost relieved.
"Look who finally decided to show up," Maya says calmly. "You know, some of us don't get to take breaks."
"Yeah, yeah," I say. "I just needed a few days."
"I wish we could all take a few days," she replies.
Jordan glances at Maya, and she quiets down.
Shu steps forward.
"Now that all of you are here," he says evenly, "we need to discuss something important."
Cameron straightens immediately.
"The Shadowveil is weakening," Shu continues. "Closer to breaking than it has ever been. That is why your powers awakened. That is why I found you."
"We already know that," Jordan says.
"Yes," Shu nods. "But what you don't know is this: the mission I sent you on should have been simple. A foot soldier. Something manageable."
My stomach tightens.
"From the way you described it," Shu continues, "you fought a lieutenant."
"A lieutenant?" Cameron asks. "What does that mean?"
Shu's voice grows more serious.
"A lieutenant is one of Lord Drakna's most powerful servants. There are four of them. Each commands a division of the Shadowveil's army."
He raises his hand.
"Fear."
Another finger.
"Grief."
Another.
"Regret."
And finally—
"Anger."
"Those four emotions form the foundation of their army. Each lieutenant embodies one. I did not expect you to encounter one this soon. That means they are accelerating their plans."
"So they're making a move?" Maya asks.
"Yes. I do not know when. I do not know where. But it will be soon."
The room feels heavier.
"You must grow stronger," Shu says. "Quickly."
He looks around at all of us.
"Now. Tell me — what is the core cost of your power?"
Jordan raises her hand slightly.
"Our symbol. Our weapon. And our connection to our dragon."
"Correct," Shu says. "But that is only the foundation. Dragon Keepers are divided into three paths."
He steps back, his eyes scanning each of us.
"Manifest."
Shu stands before us, hands behind his back, eyes calm but sharp.
"Listen carefully," he says. "From this point forward, you will fall under one of three alignments."
Jordan shifts slightly. Cameron crosses his arms. Maya tilts her head, already thinking ahead.
"Manifestors are the most creative," Shu continues. His eyes move toward Jordan and Maya. "They can bring their dragon's element into existence from thought alone. Pure projection. Pure imagination turned real."
A small stone rises from the ground beside Jordan as if responding to his words.
"A Manifestor excels at range. Area control. Versatility. But…"
His gaze hardens.
"In close combat, they are the weakest. Their bodies are not reinforced. Their dragons do not wrap around them for protection."
Cameron smirks.
"So they're glass cannons?"
"In simple terms," Shu replies.
Maya crosses her arms. "So we all fit into one of these three types?"
"Yes."
The single word lands heavy.
"Vessels," Shu says, now looking directly at Cameron, "are dragon keepers who use their bond for enhancement. They reinforce their muscles. Their reflexes. Their durability."
A faint crackle of electricity dances across Cameron's forearm without him even trying.
"They are dominant in close-range combat. Their dragon becomes an extension of their physicality."
Cameron grins.
"Finally. Something that sounds good."
"Do not celebrate yet," Shu says calmly. "Vessels struggle with projection. They cannot simply imagine their element into existence in front of them. They must embody it."
Cameron's grin fades slightly.
Shu turns.
"And finally… Dragonbound."
His eyes stop on me.
My stomach tightens.
"Dragonbound channel their dragon exclusively through a weapon."
Silence.
"If you are separated from your weapon, your effectiveness drops dramatically."
My throat goes dry.
"However," Shu continues, "because their power is focused through a single conduit… their offensive output is the highest."
Cameron glances at me.
Jordan raises a brow.
Maya studies my face.
"It comes directly from the dragon's core through the weapon," Shu says. "Less diffusion. More concentration."
"That kind of helps," I mutter under my breath.
"It is important," Shu says firmly, "that you do not envy one another. The more you lean into your alignment, the stronger you become."
We straighten instinctively.
"Understood, Sensei," we say together.
Still… tension lingers.
I raise my hand.
"Yes, William."
"How do we know which one we are?"
Shu nods once.
"Close your eyes."
We obey.
"Focus on a single point in your mind. Picture your dragon. Picture your element directly in front of you. If you can manifest it outside of yourself… you are not Dragonbound."
The world grows quiet.
Too quiet.
I breathe in.
Out.
Focus.
Fire.
Red scales.
Heat.
Nothing happens.
Nothing appears.
Just darkness.
I open my eyes.
Shu is standing directly in front of me.
I glance to my right.
Cameron's body is wrapped in crackling electricity, not exploding outward but hugging him tightly like a second skin.
To my left—
Jordan has a solid piece of earth floating in front of her palm.
Maya has a single droplet of water suspended before her face, spinning slowly in midair.
Shu speaks calmly.
"Cameron. Vessel."
Cameron exhales sharply.
"Jordan. Maya. Manifestors."
Jordan's stone rotates slightly.
Maya's droplet splits into two.
Then Shu looks at me.
"William. Dragonbound."
The word sinks deeper than I expect.
Cameron scratches the back of his head.
"I kinda wanted Manifestor."
"For once, I agree with him," Jordan says. "I wanted Vessel."
Maya looks between them. "Why would you want Vessel?"
"Because close combat is cleaner," Jordan says. "Manifestor feels… safer."
"You say that like it's bad," Maya replies. "Range dominance is insane."
Then Cameron glances at me.
"And William got Dragonbound."
"Did anyone want that?" he asks.
Silence.
"No," Jordan and Maya answer at the same time.
Maya adds quickly, "It is the strongest offensively."
"But the most one-dimensional," Jordan says.
Cameron throws an arm around my shoulder.
"I think it's cool."
I look at him.
"You think everything is cool."
"Not wrong," he admits.
"Enough," Shu says.
We straighten again.
"Now that you understand your alignment, you will receive your shinobi gi."
"Shinobi gi?" I ask.
"Armor," Cameron says immediately. "Superhero suits?"
Jordan rolls her eyes.
Maya, surprisingly, looks interested.
"I wonder what mine will look like," she says quietly.
Shu raises a hand.
"Close your eyes again. Focus on your bond."
I inhale.
Exhale.
Darkness.
—
When I open my eyes, I am somewhere else.
A door made entirely of fire stands before me.
Not bright orange.
Deep crimson.
Flames folding inward like living silk.
I push it open.
The world beyond is bathed in red twilight.
My dragon coils around a throne of molten stone.
Massive.
Ancient.
Golden eyes open slowly.
"What do you want?"
"I need my shinobi gi."
Mist rolls from his nostrils.
"Why."
"Because I can't fight without it."
A pause.
Eclipse lounges nearby against a stone pillar, watching with quiet amusement.
The dragon exhales.
"Fine."
The ground trembles slightly.
"But remember."
His voice deepens.
"If you ever fall into despair… I will take your body."
Eclipse smiles faintly at that.
Flames rise around me.
They do not burn.
They wrap.
Layer after layer.
—
I open my eyes.
The training grounds return.
I look down.
Crimson scales cover my body, layered and sleek, shifting naturally with my movement. Not bulky. Not heavy. Each scale edged with faint black lines that glow like veins of molten energy.
Matte black fabric supports the joints at my shoulders and knees.
A hood shadows my eyes.
A deep red sash rests at my waist, ends flowing slightly in an unseen breeze.
My Dragonbound weapon rests against my back.
Refined.
Sharper.
The blade tinted scarlet, faint heat distorting the air around it.
Alive.
I glance up.
Cameron's Vessel gi is tighter, reinforced along his chest and arms. Electric-blue scales pulse faintly across his shoulders. Lightning crawls over his forearms when he clenches his fists.
Jordan's Manifestor gi is lighter. Earth-toned scales frame her shoulders and waist while stone fragments orbit slowly around her like controlled satellites.
Maya's is fluid. Dark navy scales blend into sleek black fabric, water drifting around her wrists in slow spirals. Calm. Controlled. Precise.
Shu surveys us.
"These are not costumes," he says.
"They are reflections of your alignment."
Wind moves across the field.
Four dragon keepers stand there.
Different.
Uneasy.
Stronger.
And for the first time—
We do not look like students.