"This is awesome!" Cameron says.
Jordan actually laughs like this is the coolest thing that's ever happened to her. And Maya… for the first time since I've known her, she looks genuinely excited. Not calm. Not reserved. Excited.
Honestly, this is probably our first training session that went completely right. No arguments. No injuries. No chaos.
We all received our shinobi gi without any problems.
The instructions were simple, I guess. But what surprises me most is that the Red Dragon just… gave it to me. No resistance. No test.
And Eclipse didn't interfere either.
That's what confuses me.
It feels like they're separate — Eclipse and the Red Dragon. Two different entities. But the way Shu explained it, when I merge with my dragon, our consciousness overlaps. Our moral compasses blend.
That fusion is what created Eclipse.
But Eclipse doesn't feel like just a blend. He feels independent. A separate voice.
Maybe I'm overthinking it.
As Sensei Shu finishes training, we gather in a circle. Our shinobi gi dissolves into embers of light and fades away.
Cameron looks genuinely disappointed when his disappears.
"One more thing," Shu says.
We all look at him.
"Your powers have limits. They are not endless."
"What do you mean?" Jordan asks.
"I mean," Shu says calmly, "when you feel exhaustion, when your body begins to weaken, you must stop. That is your body warning you."
"And if we don't?" Cameron asks.
"If you push past that limit," Shu says, his tone steady, "you risk over-exhausting your core. And you could die."
The air shifts instantly.
And then—
He just walks away.
No reassurance. No elaboration. Nothing to soften the blow.
Just drops that on us and leaves.
"We'll be fine," Cameron says after a moment. "We just won't overdo it."
"Yeah," Maya agrees. "We just have to manage ourselves."
"Easier said than done," Jordan says. "What if we're in a fight? What if we have to push ourselves?"
"Then we won't let you," Maya says firmly. "We're a team."
"Yeah," Cameron nods.
There's a quiet understanding between us.
We have each other.
As we start heading out, I stop them.
"Hey… you guys want to come to dinner? My family's doing game night."
Cameron lights up. "Yes."
Jordan shrugs. "Yeah."
Maya just nods.
I'll take that as a yes.
"What time?" Cameron asks.
"Nine."
Everyone agrees, and we split off.
The walk home is short.
I get inside, head upstairs, slide my sword under the bed, shower, and collapse onto it. I've got a couple hours before everyone arrives.
I'll just take a quick nap.
Next thing I know, the doorbell rings.
I blink awake.
I head downstairs. I can smell my mom cooking something warm and heavy, probably pasta. The TV is on in the living room. My dad's probably pretending to watch it while actually waiting for the doorbell to ring again.
They look happy.
Really happy.
It's probably because this is the first time I've invited friends over. They're happy I'm settling into life in Redwood City.
And honestly?
Even with all the chaos… I am.
This is probably the closest I've ever felt to having a real home.
I open the door.
Zack and Ava stand there.
"Hey," they say together.
"Come in."
They step inside and greet my parents.
"You must be William's friends from school?" my mom asks warmly.
"Yes, ma'am. I'm Zack, and this is Ava," Zack says.
"Nice to meet you," Ava adds.
"The pleasure's ours," my dad says. "Make yourselves comfortable."
More doorbell rings follow.
Jordan.
Then Maya.
Then Cameron.
It's strange seeing both parts of my life collide like this.
Dragon Keepers meeting normal life.
But somehow… it works.
Everyone's casual. Relaxed. No tension.
We start with charades.
The teams are split:
Me, Jordan, Zack, and my dad.
On the other team: my mom, Ava, Maya, and Cameron.
Jordan goes first for our team.
Her word is "bear."
And I swear to you, it's the worst bear impression in human history.
She's flailing her arms. Growling like a sick cat.
We guess "dog." "Monkey." "Zombie."
Wrong.
When she walks back to us, completely embarrassed, she leans in close and says quietly,
"Don't ever speak about this again."
I nod immediately.
I value my life.
My mom's team wins by a landslide.
Cameron and my mom are surprisingly competitive. My dad jokes too much during his turns, so we can't guess anything.
It's loud. It's chaotic.
And it's… normal.
After the game, I step outside for some air.
It's nighttime now. The sky is clear. Stars scattered everywhere.
It's peaceful.
I lift my hand slightly.
A small flame flickers to life in my palm.
It's all I can manage without pushing it.
The fire dances softly against the dark.
For a moment, everything feels balanced.
Then
The back door creaks open.
I turn around quickly, the strange feeling from earlier fading as I refocus.
It's Jordan.
"Your mom told me to come check on you," she says. Then she notices my expression. "Oh. I see you're deep in thought."
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure? She said you looked like you were thinking about a lot out here."
She walks over and stands beside me. Close, but not too close.
"Yeah," I say. "I promise. I'm fine."
She looks at the stars for a second before speaking again.
"William… can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Would you ever tell your family about… this?" She gestures vaguely. "Your powers. What's going on."
I let out a short laugh.
"No. Definitely not. They'd flip. They'd lose their minds. If they knew I was putting myself in danger like this? I'd be grounded for life."
She smiles slightly.
"But don't you ever wish they knew?"
I hesitate.
"I mean… yeah. I think about it all the time. It'd be easier than carrying this giant secret around. But it's necessary. It's what lets us do this without dragging them into it."
She nods slowly.
"What about you?" I ask. "Would you ever tell your family?"
The wind brushes through her short black hair. Her gray eyes catch the porch light. She's wearing shorts and a black t-shirt with some band logo on it, and black sneakers. Simple. Normal.
"I… don't know," she says quietly.
She looks back up at the sky.
"You know, I used to stare at the stars all the time when I was little."
"What stopped?"
There's a pause.
"My mom died when I was young."
The words hit heavier than I expect.
"Oh. I'm… I'm sorry."
"It's okay." Her voice isn't as sharp as usual. It's softer. "When she died, I kind of stepped up. My dad works two jobs just to keep us afloat. I help with my siblings. Cooking. Homework. Making sure they're okay."
I didn't know that.
"I didn't really have time to look at the stars anymore," she continues. "Not like this. It's nice. It reminds me of being a kid."
"You still are a kid," I say gently.
She gives me a look. "You know what I mean."
Yeah. I do.
She turns toward me.
"Do you think we'll be able to do it?"
"Do what?"
"Stop the world from ending."
I clench my fist, not out of anger — but because I don't know the answer.
"I'm not sure," I admit. "But we have to try. That's kind of the only option."
"Yeah."
There's a quiet stretch between us.
"You know," she says, "I'm glad Shu chose you as leader."
That surprises me.
"Why?"
"Because we don't need someone who thinks they have all the answers. We need someone who doesn't."
"That doesn't make sense."
"It does," she says. "You're not pretending to know everything. You question things. You get scared. You doubt. But you still move forward. As long as you make the best decision you can… we'll follow you."
That hits deeper than she probably realizes.
I smile at her, and I think she notices, because she quickly adds,
"Well. Not always. But sometimes I'll follow you."
I laugh.
"What?" she asks, slightly flustered.
"Nothing. I just remembered how bad you are at charades."
She hits my shoulder again.
"That never happened."
"Oh, it definitely happened."
She shakes her head, but she's smiling.
We both look back up at the stars.
And for a small moment, sitting there in the quiet, I forget about Drakna. About lieutenants. About the Shadowveil.
For that moment, this is everything.
Then she shivers slightly.
"I'm going inside. It's getting cold. You coming?"
"In a minute."
She nods and heads back in.
A few minutes later, I follow.
Inside, everyone's laughing. Soda cans on the table. Chips everywhere. The TV playing in the background. Cameron's arguing with Zack about something. Ava and Maya are actually smiling — Maya more than I've ever seen.
My mom sits on the couch just watching, smiling like this alone makes her happy.
My dad walks over to me.
"I'm proud of you, son."
I blink. "I didn't do anything."
He puts a hand on my shoulder.
"You might not realize it, but all your mom and I want is for you to be happy. Seeing you here. With your friends. Building something in this new city… that's enough."
His voice isn't loud. Not dramatic. Just honest.
"And that's why I'm proud of you."
It catches me off guard.
We haven't talked like this in a long time. They're always working. I'm always distracted. We've kind of just… existed in the same house.
But right now, it feels like more.
"Thanks," I say.
And I mean it.