Archive of Our Own

The first thing Shelby heard every morning was not her alarm.

It was Firefly.

The tiny dragon had somehow learned that dawn was an appropriate time to demand breakfast, and so, before the sun had even climbed over the mountains surrounding the academy, Shelby was greeted by an indignant series of chirps from the foot of her bed.

"I know, I know," she mumbled into her pillow, reaching a hand blindly toward the basket beside her desk. "You're absolutely starving. You've never eaten before in your life."

Firefly answered with another offended squeak.

Shelby smiled despite herself.

The baby dragon was scarcely larger than a housecat, with feather-light wings that shimmered somewhere between pale gold and soft mint depending on how the morning light caught them. Tiny tufts of cloud-like fur ran down her neck instead of scales, and whenever she became excited, little gusts of wind chased one another around the room, fluttering loose papers and rustling the curtains.

The moment Shelby sat upright, Firefly launched herself into the air, circling triumphantly before landing on her shoulder with surprising grace.

"There you are."

Shelby scratched gently beneath the dragon's chin.

"There. Happy now?"

Firefly purred.

Outside the dormitory window, the Academy stretched across the valley like something pulled from a storybook.

Stone towers climbed through the morning mist, connected by ivy-covered bridges that seemed almost too delicate to exist. Flower fields rolled endlessly between classrooms, each bloom enchanted to remain in perpetual blossom throughout the year, painting the hillsides with every colour imaginable. Beyond them stood ancient forests, crystal lakes, forgotten ruins, and the towering mountain cliffs where older students trained with fully-grown dragons.

Every generation added another building to the academy.

None dared remove the old ones.

There were libraries beneath libraries, abandoned observatories, sealed crypts, broken temples swallowed by vines, and stone pathways that no longer appeared on any official map.

Naturally, they were the Quartet's favourite places.

Shelby pulled on the familiar navy academy uniform, fastening the silver clasps along the front while Firefly busied herself trying to untangle a ribbon from Shelby's hair.

"Oh, really?" Shelby laughed. "You think you can do my hair now?"

Firefly chirped confidently.

"It looks terrible."

Another chirp.

"You are biased."

The dragon puffed herself up proudly.

Shelby finally relented, letting Firefly perch atop her head while she gathered her satchel.

"Fine."

The dragon preened victoriously.

"I suppose you're coming to breakfast too?"

Firefly answered by launching herself out the open window.

Shelby sighed, "That wasn't a yes."

The Academy was already awake. Students crossed the cobbled paths in clusters, magic drifting through the air almost as naturally as conversation. Sparks leapt between fingertips during animated debates. Vines curled lazily around lamp posts before retreating back into the earth. Small familiars darted overhead carrying letters between dormitories.

Someone's dragon raced far too low over the central gardens, someone else shouted after them.

Shelby smiled.

Home.

She hadn't expected somewhere so enormous to ever feel that way, yet after nearly two years within its walls, she couldn't imagine waking up anywhere else.

Well...

Anywhere except—

"There she is!"

A voice echoed across the courtyard.

Shelby turned just in time to catch sight of someone sprinting down the hill, dark curls bouncing wildly with every step, a heavy satchel swung dangerously from one shoulder. Behind her, a tiny moss-green dragon bounded after her owner with far more dignity than the human currently possessed.

"Drift!"

Shelby barely had time to brace herself before Drift skidded to a stop directly beside her, only narrowly avoiding colliding into the nearby fountain.

"I wasn't late, was I?"

"You absolutely were."

"I can still see breakfast."

"The doors opened twenty minutes ago."

"So..." Drift grinned, "I'm fashionably late."

Fern climbed neatly onto Drift's shoulder, giving Shelby a polite little nod.

Unlike Firefly, who possessed the attention span of an overexcited puppy, Fern moved with quiet patience. Moss grew naturally along her scales, tiny flowers occasionally blooming behind her horns whenever she slept for long enough.

Shelby reached over to scratch beneath Fern's chin, "Morning."

Fern happily leaned into the affection.

Firefly immediately swooped down from somewhere overhead, landing beside Fern with an offended squeak that clearly meant, Excuse me? What about me?

Shelby laughed, "I said good morning to you already."

Firefly remained unconvinced.

Drift watched the exchange with a smile Shelby had always found strangely calming.

"You know," Drift said, "I think Firefly gets jealous."

Shelby looked down at the tiny dragon now trying to physically wedge herself between Shelby's hand and Fern.

"I think you're right."

"I wonder where she gets that from."

Shelby rolled her eyes, "Definitely not from me."

"Mm."

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"You sound suspicious," Shelby replied, jokingly narrowing her eyes.

"I sound innocent," Drift exclaimed, emphasising the "d".

"You've never sounded innocent in your life."

Drift gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her heart, "Shelby! You wound me."

"I'll recover."

"You won't even apologise?"

"No."

"Not even a little?"

"Nope."

Drift sighed theatrically, "I suppose this friendship has finally run its course."

"You said that yesterday."

"And I'll say it again tomorrow."

They fell into step together toward the dining hall, their dragons darting between flower beds while the morning breeze carried the scent of fresh bread across the courtyard.

Shelby had walked this path hundreds of times.

Usually with Scott complaining about assignments, or with Pyro arguing with Scott about something entirely unrelated. And of course, with Drift somehow convincing everyone to abandon responsibility for at least an hour.

It had become such an ordinary part of life that Shelby rarely stopped to think about it. About how lucky she was, how easy Drift made every morning feel. How, without ever really noticing when it happened, Drift had become the first person Shelby looked for in every crowd.

She told herself that was normal, Best friends did that. Didn't they?

Ahead, Drift was animatedly explaining something to Fern while gesturing so enthusiastically that she nearly walked straight into the academy's Head Librarian.

Shelby caught her sleeve just in time, gently pulling her backwards, "Watch where you're going."

"Oh," Drift blinked, "Right."

"Books before breakfast would be a terrible way to start the day."

Drift smiled at her. A warm, effortless smile that somehow made the morning sunlight seem just a little brighter.

"You always catch me."

Shelby opened her mouth to make another joke. Instead, she found herself looking into Drift's dark gold eyes for just a second longer than she probably should have.

"...Someone has to."

Neither of them moved.

Firefly chirped and Fern gave a tiny, knowing rumble.

Then, from somewhere inside the dining hall—

"IF YOU PUT ICE IN MY TEA AGAIN, I SWEAR—"

Pyro.

Immediately followed by—

"IT'S CALLED FLAVOUR."

Scott.

Shelby burst into laughter while Drift groaned.

"They've been awake for five minutes."

"And somehow they're already fighting."

The two exchanged one resigned look before simultaneously breaking into a run toward the dining hall.

Some mornings at the Academy began peacefully, this was clearly not going to be one of them.

By the time Shelby and Drift reached the dining hall, everyone inside had already turned to watch the commotion.

"...I'm just saying," Pyro declared loudly, pointing an accusatory finger across the breakfast table, "ice does not belong in tea."

"It literally keeps it cold."

"It ruins it."

"It improves it."

"It waters it down."

"You drank half of it before noticing."

"That's because I trusted you."

Scott folded his arms triumphantly, "So you admit it was good."

"I admit I was betrayed," Pyro snapped back.

Around them, dozens of students continued eating with complete indifference, arguments between Scott and Pyro were about as common as rain.

Shelby slipped into the empty seat beside Drift while Firefly fluttered onto the table, immediately making herself comfortable beside a basket of pastries.

"No," Shelby warned. Firefly looked at her innocently.

"You already ate."

Another innocent chirp.

"I know exactly what you're thinking."

The dragon slowly extended one tiny paw toward a blueberry muffin, Shelby gently pushed it back.

"Absolutely not."

Across the table, Fern watched the exchange with the exhausted expression of someone who had witnessed this exact argument hundreds of times before.

Then another tiny dragon landed beside the muffin.

Aurora.

Unlike the others, Aurora carried herself with surprising elegance despite still being little more than a hatchling. Her icy blue scales sparkled like fresh snow beneath the enchanted lights of the hall, and delicate frost spread across the tabletop wherever she walked. She lowered her head politely toward Firefly.

Firefly stared…Aurora stared back.

Neither moved.

"...Should we stop them?" Drift asked.

Scott looked over briefly.

"Nah. They're negotiating."

"Negotiating?"

"Last time they did this," Scott explained, "they spent twenty minutes silently arguing over one strawberry."

"They're dragons," Shelby said.

"They're weird."

"They learned from us," Drift pointed out.

"Exactly."

A burst of laughter echoed from the entrance.

"You're all impossible."

AJ wandered into the dining hall carrying three books balanced beneath one arm and a steaming mug in the other. Before anyone could greet them, a murder of crows swept gracefully through the open doorway, circling overhead before settling along the rafters. Several first-year students ducked instinctively.

"They're friendly," AJ called cheerfully.

One crow immediately stole someone's piece of toast.

"...Mostly."

Drift grinned. AJ laughed, setting their books onto the table before taking the final empty seat beside Drift.

"Morning, everyone."

"Morning."

As if on cue, one particularly bold crow hopped directly onto Drift's shoulder. Fern looked mildly offended as Drift scratched beneath the bird's beak anyway.

"There you are," Drift smirked.

"You've got..." AJ reached over, gently brushing a loose leaf from Drift's hair, "There."

Shelby watched the interaction over the rim of her mug.

"Oh," Drift blinked, "Thanks."

"No problem."

Shelby looked back down at her breakfast.

For some reason...Something about that tiny interaction sat uncomfortably in her chest.

It wasn't unusual.

AJ and Drift had always been like that. Constantly teasing each other, competing in class, trying to outdo one another during spellwork. Every conversation somehow became either an argument or a competition.

They enjoyed it.

Shelby knew they did.

She also knew there wasn't anything romantic about it…Probably.

Hopefully.

"...Shelby?"

"Hm?"

Drift was looking at her.

"You've been staring at your porridge for a full minute."

"I was thinking."

"Dangerous."

Scott nodded solemnly, "Very."

Pyro snorted into his drink.

Shelby sighed dramatically, "I cannot believe I'm surrounded by people like you."

"You choose to be," AJ reminded her.

"...Fair point."

The table dissolved into easy laughter.

Moments like this happened every day, breakfasts that stretched far longer than they were supposed to. Arguments that nobody actually cared about winning, resulting in them dragging one another to lectures with barely enough time to spare.

It felt effortless, like nothing could ever really change.

Their first lecture of the day was Advanced Elemental Theory.

Professor Willow, whose beard appeared to contain several living vines, spent the better part of an hour discussing the relationship between emotional balance and magical output.

"Magic," he said, pacing slowly before the class, "is not merely energy."

He tapped the blackboard.

"It remembers."

Students scribbled notes.

"When your emotions become unstable..."

A small flower growing from one of his sleeves suddenly wilted.

"...your element responds."

With another gentle gesture, the flower bloomed again.

"For better or worse."

Shelby copied the sentence into her notebook. Magic remembers…something about the phrase lingered.

Beside her, Drift was doodling tiny dragons in the margin instead of taking notes. Shelby quietly slid her notebook across the desk, Drift glanced down.

"...You're letting me copy later?"

"I'm saving your grades."

"You are my hero."

"I know."

Drift smiled that bright, effortless smile again. Shelby quickly looked back toward the front before she could get distracted.

Professor Willow continued.

"Control is not the absence of emotion," He smiled knowingly, "It is understanding why you feel."

By the time classes ended, the sun had climbed high above the academy. Students spilled into the courtyards, filling the flower-lined paths with conversation. The quartet naturally drifted toward their dormitory together.

Scott walked ahead with Aurora perched proudly atop his head. Pyro was explaining, in unnecessary detail, why his practical exam should have received higher marks.

"It was creative."

"It exploded," Scott replied.

"It exploded creatively."

"Half the training field is still missing."

"They'll grow another one."

"You cannot grow stone," Shelby pitched in.

"You can if Drift helps."

"I am not rebuilding your mistakes," Drift laughed.

They reached the entrance to the Elemental Dormitory just as Pyro stopped walking.

"...You know," he muttered.

"What?"

"I still think iced tea should be illegal."

Scott froze.

"You did not."

"I did."

"You've learned nothing."

Pyro smirked, "Oh, I've learned plenty," a flicker of orange flame danced between his fingertips.

Scott grinned, a tiny shard of ice floated harmlessly above his palm.

Shelby immediately sighed, "...Boys."

Drift pinched the bridge of her nose, "Not inside."

"We're not—"

"We're absolutely inside," Shelby interrupted.

"It'll be fine," Pyro said.

Scott smiled, "It'll be hilarious."

The first spell missed intentionally—a tiny flame, a harmless burst of frost, back and forth. Students walking past simply stepped around them.

A blonde student a few metres away—Martyn—started taking bets.

"Five silver says Pyro loses."

"You're on."

Another spell…then another.

The dragons chirped excitedly from overhead. Aurora launched tiny snowballs, while Cindy answered with little sparks that fizzled harmlessly against the stone walls.

"This," Drift sighed, "is how every disaster begins."

Shelby nodded, "Should we stop them?"

"Nah."

Another explosion of harmless magic echoed through the hallway.

Then—

"...Uh."

Pyro's smile disappeared.

The flame he had launched ricocheted unexpectedly from one of Scott's ice mirrors. Time seemed to slow as the firebolt shot sideways.

Past Scott.

Past Shelby.

Past Drift.

Straight through the open doorway of Room 104, Drift's room.

There was one heartbeat of silence.

Suddenly, orange flames erupted through the doorway, smoke pouring into the corridor.

Everyone stared.

Pyro looked absolutely horrified, "...I..."

Drift blinked once.

"...Did..."

The curtains caught first, then the rug. Then, from somewhere inside, Fern gave a deeply offended roar.

"Oh no."

Drift was moving before anyone else, vines already racing from her fingertips toward the doorway.

Shelby was only half a step behind.

Smoke lingered in the corridor long after the flames were gone.

The fire itself had lasted barely a minute, between Drift's earth magic, Shelby's controlled gusts, Scott's ice, and Pyro desperately trying to smother the blaze he'd accidentally started, the fire never had much chance to spread beyond Room 104.

Unfortunately, Drift's belongings were in the depth of the ash.

The hallway was eerily quiet, water dripping steadily from the blackened doorway. The smell of burnt wood mixed with damp stone hung heavily in the air as students peeked cautiously around corners, whispering amongst themselves before slowly deciding the excitement was over.

Drift stood in the middle of it all without saying a word. Her room looked...gone.

The curtains had been reduced to little more than ash clinging stubbornly to the window frame. Half of her bookshelf had collapsed inward, leaving soaked, blackened pages scattered across the floor. One corner of the ceiling was stained charcoal where the fire had licked its way upwards before Scott's ice extinguished it.

Her desk had survived…mostly. One leg now leaned at an angle that suggested it had given up on supporting anything ever again.

"...Well," Drift finally said, her voice was remarkably calm, "I guess I won't have to clean my room anymore."

Nobody laughed. Pyro looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole.

"I'm so sorry."

Drift turned, "It's okay."

"No, it isn't."

"It was an accident."

"I still did it."

His shoulders had sunk lower than Shelby had ever seen, his usually bright confidence replaced by something painfully close to shame. Even Cindy, normally a tiny whirlwind of excited embers, sat silently atop his shoulder with her wings folded tightly against her body.

"I didn't think..." Pyro muttered.

"I know."

"I was aiming for Scott."

"I gathered."

Scott awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, "...In fairness, I probably shouldn't have reflected it."

Pyro stared, "You think?"

"I panicked."

"You literally made it worse."

"I know."

They looked at one another.

"...Sorry?"

"...Yeah."

"...Sorry."

Shelby blinked, "You two apologised."

"We're capable of growth," Scott replied, "Don't sound so surprised."

"I am surprised."

"It feels weird," Drift admitted.

The four of them exchanged tired smiles, only for a moment, then Professor Rowan arrived. The Head of Student Housing surveyed the ruined doorway with the expression of someone who had seen far too many magical accidents over the years.

"...Fire?"

"Accident," Pyro answered immediately, "...My fault."

Professor Rowan simply nodded, "I assumed as much."

He stepped carefully into the room, examining the damage while quietly muttering repair enchantments beneath his breath. Pieces of broken furniture lifted themselves gently from the floor before settling into neat piles outside the doorway.

"The structural enchantments held."

"That's good, right?" Drift asked.

"It means the building won't collapse."

"...That's very reassuring."

"It also means..." The professor frowned thoughtfully, "This room will require approximately three weeks of restoration."

Drift's smile faltered.

"...Three?"

"I'm afraid so."

He looked apologetic, "The magical fire reached the foundation runes. They'll need to be rewritten by hand."

Three weeks…that wasn't impossible.

Professor Rowan continued, "We'll arrange temporary accommodation."

Scott immediately raised his hand, "She can take my room."

Pyro nodded, "I've got space too."

AJ, who had quietly arrived halfway through the clean-up after hearing rumours from another dormitory, adjusted the satchel slung over one shoulder.

"I don't mind sharing either."

Drift looked around the small group.

"Guys..."

Before she could answer—

"She can stay with me."

The words left Shelby's mouth almost before she'd realised she'd spoken.

Everyone turned to look at her, including Drift.

Shelby suddenly became acutely aware of how quickly she'd answered.

"I mean..." She cleared her throat, "We already spend most evenings together studying."

"Your room is on the second floor," Professor Rowan observed, "It wasn't damaged."

"No."

"And you have a spare bed."

"...Yes."

Professor Rowan smiled, "That seems like the simplest solution."

Just like that...It was decided.

Moving Drift's belongings took considerably less time than anyone had expected, mostly because there weren't many belongings left to move.

Shelby carefully stacked the surviving books into a box while Scott carried what remained of the desk downstairs. AJ coaxed a pair of enchanted trunks into floating behind them through the corridors. Pyro insisted on carrying everything else, even when there was almost nothing left.

"You don't have to," Drift told him for perhaps the sixth time.

"I know."

"I'm not angry."

"I know."

"You can stop apologising."

"I know."

"...You're still going to, aren't you?"

"Definitely."

Drift sighed, "I figured."

Fern wandered slowly through the remains of the room, carefully nosing at the charred blankets that had once formed her nest. The little dragon let out the tiniest, saddest rumble.

Shelby knelt beside her, "Oh, sweetheart."

Fern looked up, her moss-covered scales were stained with soot, and one tiny flower growing behind her horn had wilted from the smoke.

"It'll be alright," Shelby gently brushed the ash away with her sleeve.

Firefly fluttered down beside Fern without making her usual dramatic entrance. Instead, she quietly nudged her nose against Fern's, the earth dragon leaned into the gesture. For several long seconds, the two baby dragons simply sat together.

Shelby smiled softly, "They're comforting each other."

"They're better at feelings than we are," Scott muttered.

Nobody disagreed.

Shelby's dorm was smaller than Drift remembered—or perhaps it simply felt smaller with two people living inside it.

The room overlooked the eastern flower fields, where endless patches of lavender and wildflowers stretched toward the distant forest. Afternoon sunlight poured through wide windows, bathing everything in warm gold.

Plants occupied nearly every available surface; small vines climbed the bedposts, while tiny flowering herbs sat neatly arranged along the windowsill, and pressed flowers decorated shelves beside rows of carefully organised books.

"...Wow," Drift breathed, "I forgot how many plants you have."

Shelby laughed nervously, "Is it too much?"

"No," Drift smiled, "It feels like my magic."

Shelby looked around the room face red, she'd never thought about it that way.

Fern immediately wandered over to inspect every single plant, Firefly followed close behind, occasionally creating tiny breezes that made the leaves dance happily.

"They approve," Drift decided.

"That's good."

Shelby hesitated before gesturing toward the second bed, "It's not as nice as yours."

Drift looked at the neatly made bed tucked beneath the window, "It looks perfect."

"It squeaks."

"I've slept in caves before."

"You have?"

"Long story."

Shelby smiled, "I'll ask later."

"I'll tell you."

There it was again, that easy rhythm they'd always shared.

Drift set the final box down beside the bed before letting herself fall backwards onto the mattress. It squeaked and she laughed.

"You were right."

"I warned you."

"It's charming."

"It is not."

"It has personality."

"It has poor maintenance."

"Same thing."

Shelby rolled her eyes, "You really are impossible."

"So I've been told."

She looked over, Drift was lying on her back, staring up at the wooden ceiling with one arm tucked beneath her head, Fern curled contentedly against her side.

She looked...Peaceful. Despite everything that had happened, losing her room, nearly losing far more than that.

Shelby found herself smiling.

"If you keep looking at me like that," Drift said without opening her eyes, "I'm going to assume I've got ash on my face."

Shelby froze, "I wasn't—"

"You were."

"I was thinking."

"Dangerous."

"You've been spending too much time with Scott and Pyro," Shelby shook her head, "they're a bad influence."

"They're our bad influences."

Shelby couldn't argue with that.

Outside, the evening breeze stirred the endless sea of flowers below the dormitory, somewhere in the distance, bells rang across the academy, signalling the end of classes.

For the first time since arriving at the Academy nearly two years ago, Shelby's room didn't feel quite so lonely.

She wasn't entirely sure why that thought made her both wonderfully happy...

...and just a little afraid.

It took precisely one morning for Drift to accidentally make herself at home.

Shelby discovered this shortly after waking to find Fern happily asleep across the foot of her bed, Firefly curled comfortably beside her as though the two dragons had known one another all their lives, and Drift standing in the middle of the room wearing one sock.

"Morning," Drift said brightly.

Shelby blinked, "...Where's your other sock?"

"I don't know."

"You've been awake for what? Five minutes."

"I know."

"So how have you already lost it?"

"I have absolutely no idea."

Shelby pushed herself upright, rubbing the last traces of sleep from her eyes before glancing around the room. The missing sock was hanging from one of Firefly's tiny horns, the little dragon looked immensely pleased with herself.

Shelby sighed, "...Firefly."

The dragon chirped.

"Give it back."

Firefly took off through the room, Drift laughed.

"Oh, she's fast."

"She's a menace."

"She's adorable."

"Those things are not mutually exclusive."

The chase that followed lasted several minutes. Firefly darted gleefully between hanging plants while Drift attempted to negotiate with increasingly creative promises.

"I'll give you half my toast."

An excited chirp.

"...The whole piece."

Another chirp.

"...Fresh strawberries?"

Firefly slowed, Shelby folded her arms.

"Stop bargaining with her."

"You’re right,” Drift sighed, “I think I'm losing."

Eventually Firefly landed triumphantly on Drift's shoulder and allowed the sock to be reclaimed…only after receiving a strawberry.

"You're encouraging bad behaviour," Shelby observed.

"I prefer to call it diplomacy."

"You're going to be a terrible parent someday."

Drift paused, "...You know, I hadn't thought that far ahead."

Shelby's face immediately grew warm. She hadn't either…Why had she said that?

Drift, fortunately, seemed blissfully unaware.

"Come on," she said, pulling the sock on. "We'll miss breakfast."

Within three days, the academy had quietly accepted that Drift now lived in Shelby's room. Scott stopped knocking before entering, Pyro wandered in whenever he smelled food, and AJ somehow appeared regardless of whether the door had been locked.

Nobody questioned it anymore, Shelby's room had simply become the unofficial headquarters of the Elemental Quartet.

By Wednesday afternoon, every available chair had been claimed. Scott sat cross-legged on the floor, attempting to finish an essay while Aurora snoozed peacefully across his shoulders like an expensive scarf. Pyro was upside down on Drift's bed for reasons known only to himself, lazily tossing tiny sparks of fire between his hands.

"They're going to mark you down for handwriting," Shelby informed Scott.

"I know."

"I can't read that."

"Neither can I."

"Then why are you still writing?"

"I'm hoping the professor mistakes it for ancient runes."

Across the room, Drift was trying to convince Fern not to eat one of Shelby's herb plants.

"It's basil," Drift explained patiently, "You don't even like basil."

Fern looked unconvinced, leaning closer.

"It is not food."

Fern took one bite.

"...Okay,” Drift sighed, "You've made your choice."

Shelby laughed quietly, "I told you she likes eating plants."

"I thought you meant weeds."

"I meant all plants."

"I owe you a new basil plant."

"You really do."

Firefly landed beside the half-eaten pot and looked at Fern with unmistakable judgement, Fern ignored her completely.

The room settled into comfortable silence. Outside the window, sunlight drifted lazily across the flower fields surrounding the academy, students wandering between lectures while dragons soared high above the valley.

It was peaceful…perhaps too peaceful.

Pyro suddenly sat upright, "I'm bored."

Scott didn't even look up, "You've been studying for twelve minutes."

"Exactly."

"You weren't even studying," Shubble cut in.

"I was emotionally supporting Drift."

"You were asleep."

"I was supporting her spiritually."

Drift snorted, "I appreciate the effort."

"I knew you would,” Pyro stretched dramatically before hopping off the bed, "We should go somewhere."

"We have assignments," Scott reminded him.

"We always have assignments."

"Exactly."

"So they'll still be there tomorrow."

Shelby smiled despite herself, "...He does have a point."

"You're encouraging him," Scott looked horrified.

"I live with Drift now."

"And?"

"I've become significantly worse at making responsible decisions."

Drift looked delighted, "I've taught you well."

"You really have."

Scott pinched the bridge of his nose, "I've lost both of you."

"You never had them," Pyro replied cheerfully.

An hour later, they were wandering through the oldest section of the academy. None of them remembered who had suggested the mossy cobblestone path, it had simply called to them.

Whenever one of them grew restless, the others somehow found themselves following winding stone paths toward another forgotten corner of the grounds. The newer buildings gradually disappeared behind towering oak trees, ancient walls emerged between thick ivy, as broken statues watched silently from beneath blankets of moss.

The air itself seemed different here, older. Magic lingered beneath every stone, woven so deeply into the landscape that even the breeze carried whispers of enchantments cast centuries before.

Shelby loved this part of the academy. No matter how many times they explored it, there was always something new waiting to be discovered, an overgrown staircase, a hidden courtyard, a forgotten fountain, or doors that hadn't opened in generations.

"This wasn't here last week," Drift said suddenly.

She had stopped walking. Ahead of them, half concealed beneath climbing vines and flowering ivy, stood a narrow archway cut into the hillside.

Scott frowned, "...I'm fairly certain it was."

"No,” Drift shook her head, "I would've noticed."

Shelby stepped closer, the stone was ancient, far older than the surrounding buildings. Delicate carvings spiralled around the entrance, worn smooth by centuries of rain, though faint traces of emerald moss glowed gently between the cracks.

Pyro brushed aside another curtain of ivy, "I don't remember this either."

Scott crouched beside one of the carved stones, running careful fingers across weathered symbols, "...These aren't modern."

"No?"

Scott looked thoughtful, "They're Old Common."

Drift's eyebrows lifted, "Seriously?"

"They stopped teaching this language nearly three hundred years ago."

Shelby looked toward the dark passage disappearing beneath the hill. A cool breeze drifted out from the darkness, Firefly fluttered closer to her shoulder. Fern had quietly moved beside Drift's leg, even Aurora seemed strangely alert.

"...Well," Pyro said, there was a grin already spreading across his face, "I think we just found our afternoon."

Drift looked at Shelby, Shelby looked back. Neither of them needed to say anything…they were absolutely going inside.

Whatever had been hidden beneath the academy for centuries...it had just found four very curious students.

The entrance swallowed the afternoon light almost immediately. The narrow stone passage curved gently downward beneath the academy, its walls carved from pale grey rock that glittered faintly with veins of enchanted crystal. Every few steps, clusters of luminous moss clung to the ceiling, casting soft emerald light across the tunnel. It was just enough to see by, not nearly enough to make the place feel welcoming.

Shelby walked beside Drift without thinking about it. Firefly hovered close to her shoulder, her tiny wings stirring the stale air, while Fern padded quietly along beside Drift, every so often stopping to sniff at strange patches of moss growing between the stones.

Behind them came Pyro, arguing to Scott behind him in hushed voices over whether the tunnel had been deliberately hidden or simply forgotten by time.

Scott brought up the rear, one hand resting against the rough wall as Aurora flitted silently ahead, scouting each bend before the group reached it.

The academy disappeared behind them. With every step, the sounds of students laughing, dragons calling overhead, and distant bells faded until only their own footsteps remained.

"...This place feels old," Shelby murmured.

"Very old," Scott agreed, "The enchantments here don't feel like anything I've studied."

Drift rested a hand lightly against the wall, Earth magic always responded strangely to ancient places. Sometimes she could almost hear them, not voices, memories. The stone beneath her fingertips pulsed gently.

"...Someone built this with purpose."

Scott glanced toward her, "You can tell?"

Drift nodded slowly, "The foundations are alive."

"Alive?" Pyro raised an eyebrow.

"Not literally,” She frowned, searching for the right words, "It's..."

She closed her eyes, "...Like the earth remembers everyone who's walked here."

Professor Willow's lecture drifted back into Shelby's mind…Magic remembers…She hadn't expected to feel those words so literally.

The tunnel eventually widened into an enormous circular chamber, all four of them stopped.

"...Whoa," Pyro breathed.

The room was unlike anything they'd ever seen. Massive stone pillars stretched upward into darkness, disappearing long before they reached the unseen ceiling. Thick vines cascaded from impossible heights, flowering despite the absence of sunlight.

Ancient murals wrapped around the walls in an unbroken circle. Four figures stood proudly at the centre of each, one surrounded by roaring flames, one beneath a crown of frozen stars, one wrapped in flowering vines, and one suspended amongst swirling winds.

Above them all...a fifth figure—not a person, a shadow. It towered over the four elementals, its form impossible to make out beneath layers of cracked stone and faded paint. Dark tendrils stretched from its body, reaching toward each of the heroes.

"What is that?" Shelby whispered.

Nobody answered.

Even Scott looked unsettled, stepping closer to the murals, "They're Elemental Guardians."

"You know them?" Drift asked.

"Only vaguely,” Scott brushed centuries of dust from one section, "There are old stories."

"The founders?"

Scott nodded, "Sort of. They weren't the founders of the academy, they came before it."

Shelby stared, "How far before?"

"...Nobody really knows."

The walls told a story, the four students slowly followed the murals around the chamber.

The first showed the four guardians travelling together, dragons flew overhead while villages celebrated their arrival. Flowers bloomed wherever the Wind Guardian walked. Forests flourished beneath the Earth Guardian's feet. The Fire Guardian lit great beacons that drove away darkness. The Ice Guardian protected entire cities behind towering walls of crystal.

"They were heroes," Drift said quietly.

Shelby smiled, "They look happy."

"They do."

The next murals changed, the shadow appeared again. Its darkness spread through forests and rivers alike, dragons fled, as the skies blackened. Villages burned. The four guardians stood together against it.

"They fought."

"For a long time," Scott murmured.

The paintings seemed almost animated, as though ancient magic still lingered within the stone itself. Tiny flickers of fire danced across painted torches, painted rivers flowing gently. Leaves stirred in painted trees whenever Drift walked past.

Pyro looked positively delighted, "This is incredible."

Scott nodded, "The murals are enchanted."

"They're remembering."

Near the centre of the chamber stood a stone pedestal. Unlike everything else, it remained untouched by vines or dust. Almost...waiting.

Upon it rested a single crystal tablet, Shelby reached for it instinctively. The moment her fingers brushed the surface—the room exploded with light. Wind rushed through the chamber, the murals blazing brilliantly, as their dragons cried out together. Shelby staggered backwards as Firefly darted protectively in front of her.

"What did you do?" Pyro shouted.

"I don't know!"

The crystal floated into the air, ancient symbols raced across its surface before rearranging themselves into modern script.

Scott stared, "...It's translating."

The chamber fell silent, words slowly appeared across the glowing crystal, Scott began reading aloud.

“They called us the Fourfold Guard.”

His voice echoed strangely through the enormous chamber. The crystal shimmered as new words appeared.

“Seren carried ice magic, calm and sharp as winter glass. Kaela burned with fire magic, bright enough to turn fear into courage.

Mira held earth magic in her hands, strong enough to split streets and raise walls from stone. Aveline commanded wind magic, fast as arrows, wild as storms.

Alone we were powerful.

Together, we were a disaster for anything corrupted.”

Shelby smiled, "...That's beautiful."

"It gets stranger," Scott whispered.

Below those lines...a battle slowly appeared.

“When the Storm Ravens came for the capital, Aveline dragged them from the sky with screaming winds.

Seren froze their wings mid-flight. Kaela shattered them with fire so hot the ice exploded into steam. When twisted beasts charged through the smoke, Mira opened the ground and buried them beneath the city stones.

We moved like one body.

Wind fed fire. Fire melted ice into blinding mist. Ice hardened earth into spears. Earth gave wind dust and stone to throw like knives.”

Nobody spoke. The powers matched perfectly…the crystal knew them.

"...That's impossible," Drift breathed.

"No," Scott said quietly, "I don't think it is."

The glowing letters pulsed green, then turned to black. More words formed beneath the battle, slower, almost reluctantly, as though the magic itself wished they wouldn't have to be read.

Scott swallowed before continuing.

“For three days, we held the road beneath the shield tower.

Then the shield faltered.

The corruption poured through in a black wave.

Bigger than anything we had faced. Aveline was the first to fall, torn from the air while laughing one last challenge at the storm.

Seren froze herself solid around a breach, sealing it with her own body. Kaela burned until her heart gave out, leaving a ring of white fire no monster dared cross.

Mira stood alone at the end, hands buried in the road, dragging hundreds of corrupted things down with her.

By sunrise, The Capital still stood.

But the Fourfold Guard did not.

Only their magic remained: frost on the tower steps, ash in the wind, cracked stone beneath the gate, and a breeze that still whispers their names.”

Silence settled over the chamber.

Pyro frowned.

Scott looked grim, "Heroes usually don't survive prophecies."

One final section remained, the crystal glowed brighter than before, almost painfully bright. The last lines appeared one word at a time.

"Beware...

For history remembers its own path."

And the winds..."

The room seemed to grow colder.

"...are always the first to fall."

Everything stopped, the crystal dimmed and the rushing wind vanished.

No one moved.

Shelby's brow furrowed in confusion, "...What does that mean?"

Scott stared at the final sentence.

Pyro opened his mouth, then closed it again, looking away.

Drift couldn't, she kept reading the same words over and over again.

The winds... are always the first to fall.

Wind…Shelby.

Her chest tightened.

"No," Drift whispered.

Nobody heard her, or perhaps...everyone did.

Firefly landed gently on Shelby's shoulder, nuzzling against her cheek as though sensing the sudden unease. Shelby absently stroked the little dragon, still trying to make sense of what she'd just read. She noticed none of the frightened glances exchanged around her.

When she looked back toward Drift, she found her friend already watching her. There was something in Drift's expression Shelby had never seen before. Not fear for herself. Fear...for Shelby. It disappeared almost as quickly as it had come, hidden behind a reassuring smile.

"We'll figure it out," Drift said softly.

Shelby smiled back without hesitation, "Of course we will."

She believed it completely.

Drift wished she could.

Life at the Academy had an uncanny way of pretending nothing had happened.

The ancient crypt remained exactly where they had left it, hidden once more behind curtains of ivy and wildflowers as though it had never revealed centuries-old prophecies or named six bewildered students as the successors to legendary guardians.

Lectures continued, assignments accumulated. Pyro still complained about eight o'clock classes, Scott still corrected him every opportunity he got.

Even the dragons seemed content to return to their usual routines.

Everything looked exactly the same…only Drift knew it wasn't.

She couldn't stop looking. It wasn't intentional, she simply...checked.

Whenever Shelby laughed too close to the edge of one of the academy's floating bridges, Drift noticed.

Whenever a practical spell ricocheted unexpectedly across the training field, Drift instinctively stepped between it and Shelby before she'd even realised she was moving.

When they crossed the flower fields after lectures, Drift found herself unconsciously walking on the side nearest the road.

Shelby noticed none of it.

Scott noticed all of it.

They were leaving Elemental Combat one afternoon when Scott slowed his pace until he fell into step beside Drift.

"You've done it again."

Drift blinked, "...Done what?"

Scott nodded toward Shelby, who was walking several metres ahead with Pyro while Firefly repeatedly stole ribbons from Cindy's tail.

"You're watching her."

"I'm not."

"You've looked over there seven times in the last minute."

"I have not."

"You have."

Drift opened her mouth to deny it again before realising...she had.

Scott's voice softened, "You're thinking about the prophecy."

Drift didn't answer, she didn't need to.

Scott sighed quietly, "We don't know it means Shelby."

"It says the Wind Guardian falls first."

"It says the winds."

"It's the same thing."

"We don't know that."

Drift looked ahead again.

Shelby was laughing at something Pyro had said, the afternoon breeze catching strands of her hair as Firefly spun circles overhead.

She looked...happy, completely unaware.

"...I can't ignore it."

Scott's expression gentled, "I know."

Shelby, meanwhile, had reached an entirely different conclusion. She thought Drift was avoiding her. Not constantly, just...in tiny ways. Drift seemed distracted more often, quieter.

Whenever Shelby caught her staring, Drift looked away almost immediately.

She smiled just as much as before, laughing, joking with AJ. Yet there was something different beneath it all. Something Shelby couldn't quite name.

"You've noticed too."

Shelby looked up, AJ had somehow appeared beside her carrying an armful of enchantment books.

"...Noticed what?"

"Drift."

Shelby's heart skipped, "What about her?"

AJ shrugged, "She's acting weird."

"Oh,” Shelby forced a laugh, "I thought it was just me."

AJ frowned thoughtfully, "I've asked her twice if she's alright."

"And?"

"She said she was."

"...Do you believe her?"

"Not even slightly."

Shelby looked back toward Drift, she wished she knew what had changed.

By the end of the week, Professor Rowan pinned a large enchanted notice to the centre of the academy courtyard. Students gathered around almost immediately, Pyro elbowed his way to the front.

"We've got something!"

Scott sighed, "You sound far too excited."

Pyro began reading dramatically.

"'To celebrate Hawthorn Dormitory's victory in this year's Inter-dorm Tournament...'"

He looked up with a grin, "...They're throwing a party."

The courtyard erupted. Students immediately began talking over one another, someone was already discussing outfit colours. Another group debated which professors would inevitably pretend not to notice students sneaking enchanted cider into the gardens.

"It's basically the end-of-term celebration," Scott explained, "They only do one every year."

Shelby smiled, "I love these."

"You've only been to one."

"And I loved it."

Drift found herself smiling too, the previous year's celebration had been one of the happiest nights she'd spent at the academy. Music beneath enchanted lanterns, dragons chasing floating lights across the gardens, and students dancing until sunrise. It had felt...enchanted.

"...Plus ones are allowed," AJ observed, reading further down the notice.

Scott shrugged, "Most people bring friends."

"Or partners,” Pyro wiggled his eyebrows exaggeratedly, "Ooooh."

Scott immediately shoved him, "Don't start."

"I haven't even said anything."

"You were going to."

"I absolutely was."

Shelby laughed, "You two are unbelievable."

The conversation stayed with Drift long after everyone returned to class. Plus ones…she hadn't thought about it before. Now she couldn't stop thinking about it.

The idea settled stubbornly in the back of her mind throughout Magical Ecology, Dragon Behaviour, and nearly half of Rune Theory before she finally accepted something she probably should have admitted weeks ago.

She wanted to ask Shelby. Not because they weren't already both invited, she knew they were, she simply...wanted the evening to mean something. Even if Shelby never realised why.

Maybe she'd say yes, maybe they'd dance once. Maybe...that would be enough.

The opportunity came that evening.

The flower fields behind the dormitories glowed golden beneath the setting sun, hundreds of tiny enchanted blossoms slowly folding their petals as evening approached.

Shelby sat cross-legged beneath their favourite willow tree, reading through tomorrow's herbology notes while Firefly chased glowing insects through the tall grass.

Drift approached carrying two mugs of hot chocolate, "I come bearing peace offerings."

Shelby looked up, smiling immediately, "You remembered the cinnamon."

"You always complain when I forget."

"I don't complain."

"You absolutely complain."

"I offer constructive criticism."

Drift laughed, settling beside her.

For a while, neither of them spoke. They watched the dragons instead.

Fern carefully attempted to dig a burrow beneath the willow roots, while Firefly repeatedly filled it back in with little whirlwinds. Neither dragon seemed remotely bothered by this arrangement.

"...Shelby?"

"Hm?"

Drift looked down at her mug, she suddenly felt remarkably nervous.

"...The party."

"What about it?"

"I was wondering..." She rubbed awkwardly at the side of the cup, "...Would you maybe..."

Her courage nearly disappeared, "...Come with me?"

Shelby blinked, "Of course."

Relief flooded through Drift.

Then—

"I mean, we're both already invited."

Drift's smile hesitated, "...Right."

Shelby nodded brightly, "It'll be fun!"

"...Yeah."

"And besides—"

Shelby continued without noticing the way Drift's shoulders had fallen ever so slightly.

"If we're bringing plus ones..." She smiled thoughtfully, "Shouldn't it be someone outside the academy?"

Drift looked up, "...Outside?"

"Like someone from the market, the café owner, one of the bookshop assistants. It'd probably be more exciting for them."

Drift stared.

Shelby smiled, completely oblivious, "I think that'd be really sweet."

"Oh,” Drift's voice came out much quieter than she'd intended, "...Yeah."

"Don't you?"

Drift forced herself to smile, "Sure."

The word felt strangely heavy.

Shelby happily returned to her notes, she'd misunderstood. She thought Drift was asking a practical question, about invitations, not...about her.

Drift looked down into her hot chocolate, suddenly finding it far more interesting than the conversation. For just a moment, she allowed herself to imagine what it might have been like if Shelby had understood.

Just once.

Then she smiled again, a practiced smile, one Shelby accepted without question.

Above them, Firefly chased another glowing insect into the evening sky. Neither of them noticed that Fern had quietly wandered over to sit beside Drift, gently pressing against her leg as though the little dragon somehow understood exactly how disappointed her human felt.

Shelby reached over absentmindedly and rested her head against Drift's shoulder while reading another page. A completely unconscious gesture, one she'd done dozens of times before.

Drift closed her eyes for just a second, it was enough to make her heart ache. Because Shelby could lean on her without thinking, could smile at her without hesitation, could trust her completely. Yet somehow...still not realise Drift had just asked her to be her date.

The party became the academy's favourite topic of conversation almost overnight. Every lecture seemed to begin with students whispering about outfits before professors inevitably reminded everyone that passing their exams was considerably more important than matching dresses…nobody listened.

By Thursday morning, the marketplace outside the academy gates was overflowing with students browsing enchanted fabrics, polished dragon harnesses, flower crowns woven with tiny glowing blossoms, and enough ribbons to decorate an entire flock of dragons.

Pyro had somehow convinced himself he needed a new jacket, Scott insisted the one he already owned was perfectly acceptable.

"It has a hole in the sleeve."

"It gives it character."

"It caught on fire."

"Barely."

"It was laundry day."

Drift barely heard any of it. She walked a few paces behind the others, Fern padding faithfully beside her while the disappointment from two evenings earlier stubbornly refused to disappear.

She'd told herself not to dwell on it, Shelby hadn't rejected her. Shelby hadn't even realised she'd been asking, she couldn't exactly be upset with someone for misunderstanding a question they'd never realised was a confession in disguise.

Still...it stung.

Classes dragged on, by the time Dragon Handling finally arrived after lunch, every student looked noticeably more interested in the clear blue skies outside than Professor Hazel's lecture on aerial navigation.

Fortunately, Professor Hazel noticed. She smiled knowingly before snapping her notebook shut.

"I suppose," she said, "that dragons have spent enough time indoors this week."

The room erupted into cheers.

"We'll continue today's lesson outside."

Within minutes, dozens of students spilled into the academy's western training fields. The cliffs beyond stretched endlessly towards the horizon, great shelves of flowering stone overlooking forests that rolled all the way to the distant mountains.

Young dragons adored this place, the open skies gave them room to practice flying without fear of crashing into towers or classrooms.

Firefly shot into the air almost immediately. Fern followed more cautiously, her sturdy wings beating with determined, if slightly uneven, rhythm.

Aurora climbed gracefully on invisible currents of cold air. Cindy launched herself from the cliff edge with so much enthusiasm that Pyro had to yell after her not to set any clouds on fire.

"You know," Scott observed, shielding his eyes from the sun.

"I don't think she listens to you."

"I choose to believe she does."

"That's optimistic," Scott smirked.

"It's called parenting."

Dragon Handling lessons were unlike any other class. Students weren't expected to remain in neat rows or complete worksheets, instead, Professor Hazel encouraged exploration.

"Magic," she often reminded them, "is strongest when dragons and riders trust one another."

Which usually translated into students disappearing across the hills for an hour before wandering back covered in mud.

Today was no different, Drift watched Fern happily nose through patches of wildflowers before glancing towards Shelby.

She was helping Firefly practice controlled wind currents over the meadow, laughing every time the little dragon accidentally sent petals swirling in every direction.

She looked...beautiful. Drift's stomach twisted.

Scott wandered over, "You've been staring again."

"I know."

"You should talk to her."

"I tried."

"Try speaking in complete sentences this time."

"I did speak in complete sentences."

"You spoke in vague suggestions."

"...Fair."

Scott folded his arms, "If you're going to keep moping, at least do something about it."

"I'm not moping, you’re one to talk," Drift snapped, gesturing at Pyro.

"You've sighed seventeen times," Scott continued, ignoring her suggestion.

"You counted?"

"I got bored."

Drift looked back towards Shelby, "...Maybe."

Scott smiled faintly, "There she is."

An hour later, Professor Hazel announced a short break while the dragons rested. Students scattered across the meadow, some unpacked lunches, while others wandered down towards the nearby stream.

Pyro immediately disappeared after Cindy, who had discovered that setting pebbles on fire produced fascinating colours. Scott followed, loudly insisting someone needed to supervise him.

AJ headed in the opposite direction, several crows circling lazily overhead.

Leaving Drift and Shelby standing alone beside the cliffs. Well...almost alone.

Firefly and Fern were enthusiastically chasing butterflies through the long grass nearby.

Drift took a slow breath. Now, before she could lose her nerve again.

"...Shelby?"

"Hm?" Shelby looked up from adjusting Firefly's harness.

Drift rubbed awkwardly at the back of her neck, "I've been thinking."

"Oh?"

"...About the party."

Shelby smiled, "I've almost finished my outfit."

"I, uh..." Drift hesitated, "...Actually wanted to ask something."

"Okay."

The words caught in her throat, she'd rehearsed this…several times, on paper, in her head. Even Fern had listened patiently while Drift practised different versions the night before.

Somehow all of them disappeared the moment Shelby looked at her.

"...Would..." Drift swallowed, "...Would you save me one dance?"

Shelby blinked, "...A dance?"

Drift nodded, "Just one."

Her voice came out barely above a whisper, "I'd really like..."

Before she could finish—

Shelby's face brightened in immediate understanding, "Oh!"

Drift's heart leapt.

"You mean all four of us!"

It promptly crashed again.

Shelby laughed, "Of course we'll dance together."

Drift frowned slightly, "...All four?"

"The Gardening Club!" Shelby smiled as though the answer were obvious, "You, me, Scott and Pyro. We always dance together, I thought that's what you meant."

Drift stared for a second, then forced herself to smile, "...Yeah…exactly."

Shelby nodded enthusiastically, "I mean, it'd be weird if only two of us danced."

"...Right."

"We've always done things together."

"Of course," Drift's chest tightened, "...Four sounds great."

Shelby beamed, "I'll tell Scott later!"

She turned back towards Firefly, completely unaware that she'd just shattered Drift's courage for the second time in one week.

Drift remained standing exactly where she was, Fern wandered over quietly, gently nudging her hand with her nose.

"I'm okay," Drift murmured. Fern looked unconvinced.

The walk back towards the academy felt unusually quiet. Scott fell into step beside Drift almost immediately.

"...How'd it go?"

Drift gave him a look.

"...That badly?"

"I asked her for one dance."

Scott smiled, "That's progress."

"She thought I meant all four of us."

"...Ah."

"Apparently we're the Gardening Club."

Scott pinched the bridge of his nose, "...To be fair..."

"No."

"...You do call yourselves that."

"I know."

"And we've all danced together every year."

"I know."

Scott sighed sympathetically, "...She's unbelievably oblivious."

Drift laughed despite herself, "She really is."

"...Are you giving up?"

“Are you?” Drift replied, looking ahead, Scott followed her gaze.

Shelby was walking with Pyro now, laughing as Cindy repeatedly tried to steal Firefly's tail ribbon. She looked happier than anyone had a right to be.

Drift smiled softly, "...No."

Scott glanced sideways, "No?"

"No."

"Why?"

Drift watched Shelby tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear as the breeze caught the ends of her dress robes.

"Because she smiled."

Scott looked confused, "So?"

"I like making her smile."

"...Even if she never understands?"

Drift thought for a long moment, "...Even then."

Scott didn't reply immediately. Instead, he looked ahead at the man he calls his best friend with something very close to admiration.

"...We're hopeless."

"I know."

"Completely."

"I know."

"And ridiculously in love."

Drift buried her face in her hands, "...Please don't say it out loud."

Scott laughed, "I don't think you need to worry."

"Why?"

"Because somehow..." He looked ahead at Shelby, who was now enthusiastically showing Firefly a particularly interesting cloud. "...The only person who hasn't figured it out...is Shelby."

Drift groaned, "I was afraid you'd say that."

She turned back to look at Scott, still watching the two ahead, “if it's any consolation, you shouldn’t worry either.”

Scott grinned, “I know.”

Above them, the afternoon breeze carried petals across the academy grounds, they danced effortlessly through the air before disappearing beyond the rooftops. Neither Drift nor Shelby noticed that the petals briefly swirled around them together before being carried onward by the wind.

Professor Willow had been right…magic remembered. It also had a terrible habit of embarrassing its owner.

The week's final practical lesson was held in the Elemental Arena, a wide circular training ground nestled between the academy's western cliffs and the ancient forest. Stone pillars rose at regular intervals around the arena, each engraved with runes designed to absorb stray spells before they could leave the practice grounds.

It was, according to every professor, the safest place on campus to lose control of one's magic. According to the students...it was simply the most entertaining.

Today's lesson focused on elemental adaptability. Pairs of students would spar using controlled magic while the rest of the class observed, learning how different elements responded to one another under pressure.

Professor Willow stood at the centre of the arena, hands folded calmly behind his back.

"Remember," he called, his voice carrying easily across the field, "this is not about winning."

Pyro raised a hand, "So we're absolutely keeping score?"

Professor Willow sighed, "...Officially? No."

"Unofficially?" The professor looked at the expectant faces surrounding him before giving up, "I suppose I can't stop you."

The arena erupted into excited chatter.

Shelby settled onto one of the low stone walls surrounding the practice circle beside Scott, Firefly already curled comfortably in her lap.

Drift wandered toward the sign-up board. Before she could even reach it—

"Race you!” AJ's voice came from somewhere behind her.

Drift turned, already smiling, "You're on."

The two of them reached the board at exactly the same moment.

"I got here first."

"You absolutely did not."

"My foot touched the line."

"My hand did."

"Feet count more."

"Since when?"

"Since right now."

AJ laughed, "You make up rules faster than Pyro."

"I learned from the best."

Shelby watched them from across the arena. They always did this…every lesson somehow became a competition; who could finish first, who could solve puzzles faster, who could climb higher, or who could summon more magic with less effort. It had never bothered Shelby before, not really. If anything...she usually found it funny.

The sign-up sheet paired students randomly. Or at least, it tried to. Professor Willow glanced at the list before looking up with the faintest hint of amusement.

"Miss Drift."

"Yes?"

"Mm—" He paused, "AJ."

Both looked at each other, then grinned.

Scott groaned quietly beside Shelby, "...Here we go."

Their duel began exactly as everyone expected, with far too much talking.

"You know," AJ said, stretching one arm lazily, "You could surrender now."

Drift folded her arms, "I'd rather win with dignity."

"So...You think you're winning?"

"I know I am."

Several crows swooped gracefully overhead before settling across the arena pillars. Fern pawed eagerly at the ground, Firefly watched from Shelby's lap.

Professor Willow raised one hand, "Begin."

AJ moved first, a sharp whistle echoed across the arena. Instantly, half a dozen glossy black crows burst from the trees surrounding the practice grounds, circling low above the arena before diving toward Drift in perfect formation.

Drift smiled, "Cute."

She pressed one hand against the earth, vines erupted from the arena floor. They twisted through the air like dancers, gently redirecting the crows before wrapping harmlessly around the stone pillars instead.

AJ laughed, "You've been practising."

"I have."

"My turn."

The ground beneath Drift suddenly shifted. She stepped neatly aside before a flock of summoned ravens burst upward from the cracks AJ had cleverly hidden beneath an illusion spell.

"Oh, that's sneaky."

"I know."

The watching students cheered, Pyro had somehow acquired a notebook.

"I've got three points to Drift."

Scott looked over, "...Why?"

"Style."

"You can't score style."

"I absolutely can."

Shelby smiled despite herself. It was...fun, watching them.

Drift looked happier than she had all week, she laughed every time AJ surprised her. AJ laughed every time Drift found another ridiculous solution. It was less a duel and more a conversation, one held entirely through magic.

Shelby had seen it dozens of times. So why...why did something about it suddenly bother her?

AJ darted forward, stopping just inside Drift's reach, "You're getting slow."

Drift grinned, "I'm getting merciful."

"Oh?"

"I'd feel bad embarrassing you."

AJ gasped dramatically, "You wound me."

"I'll recover."

"You stole my line."

"It suited me better."

The arena burst into laughter. Shelby felt a breeze stir around her, small at first, barely noticeable. Firefly lifted her head.

The duel continued, neither of them seemed interested in actually winning. Instead, they kept trying to make the other laugh.AJ sent a crow swooping low enough to steal one of Drift's ribbons, Drift responded by causing flowers to bloom beneath AJ's feet every time they landed. The crows began carrying petals, Fern proudly presented AJ with a daisy she'd dug out of the ground.

"This is chaos," Scott muttered.

"It's beautiful chaos," Pyro replied.

Shelby laughed automatically. But...she couldn't stop watching. Couldn't stop noticing how easily AJ stepped into Drift's space, how naturally Drift reached out to steady AJ after an overenthusiastic dodge. How comfortable they looked together.

It shouldn't have mattered. She knew it shouldn't.

Drift and AJ had always been like this. They weren't—

They couldn't—

"...Why am I thinking about this?" Shelby whispered to herself.

Firefly chirped softly.

Shelby sighed, "I know."

Another gust of wind rippled across the arena, this one stronger. Professor Willow glanced briefly toward the sky, curious.

AJ narrowly avoided another twisting vine, "You're improving, you’re less of an Open Book"

"I've got a good teacher."

"Oh?"

Drift laughed, "My roommate."

Shelby's ears perked up.

"She's been helping me with control."

AJ smiled warmly, "Tell Shelby I said thanks."

"I could,” Drift tilted her head mischievously, "Or you could tell her yourself."

"I probably will."

"She likes hearing compliments."

"I've noticed."

Something inside Shelby tightened, Firefly shifted uneasily. The breeze strengthened again, loose petals skittered across the stone arena.

Professor Willow looked up once more, his expression grew thoughtful. Neither Drift nor AJ noticed, they had wandered closer together while talking. Close enough that AJ lightly bumped Drift's shoulder.

"You cheated."

"I adapted."

"That's cheating."

"Only if I lose."

Shelby stood, she didn't remember deciding to. The wind responded instantly, it circled her feet…faster, stronger. Firefly gave a worried little squeak, Shelby took one step toward the arena.

"They're..." She frowned, "...Standing awfully close."

Scott looked at her, "...Shelby?"

She barely heard him. Drift laughed again, AJ laughed with her. Something inside Shelby finally snapped.

"Oh, for goodness' sake!"

She thrust one hand forward, the wind obeyed, a powerful gust burst across the arena. Not enough to hurt anyone, just...enough.

Drift and AJ were suddenly lifted clean off their feet.

"...WHOA!"

The two of them tumbled in opposite directions, rolling harmlessly across the soft practice sand before coming to a rather undignified stop several metres apart.

Silence, every crow froze, Fern stared. Even Cindy stopped trying to set a pebble on fire. The entire arena looked at Shelby…Shelby looked at the arena.

"..."

"..."

"...I..."

Professor Willow slowly lowered the hand he'd instinctively raised to intervene, "...Miss Shelby."

Shelby blinked, "...Yes?"

"...Would you care to explain why you just separated your classmates with what can only be described as a small hurricane?"

Shelby opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again.

"...They..."

Everyone waited.

"...Were distracting."

There was another long silence. Then—

Pyro burst into laughter, Scott followed. Soon the entire class was laughing. Drift sat up, brushing sand from her robes while trying very hard not to laugh herself, AJ looked equally bewildered.

"...Did..." AJ glanced toward Drift, "...Did we do something?"

Drift honestly had no idea.

Across the arena, Shelby could feel her face burning. She sank back onto the stone wall, burying her face in her hands as Firefly gently rested against her shoulder.

Professor Willow watched the breeze slowly settle around her, his expression wasn't amused anymore. It was thoughtful, very thoughtful.

As students resumed talking, he quietly murmured to himself, "Magic remembers."

Shelby didn't hear him, Drift didn't either. But Scott did.

And as he looked from Shelby...to Drift...then back again...A suspicion quietly began to take root.

The academy had grown quiet by the time they returned to the dormitory. The excitement from the afternoon's practical lesson had already transformed into exaggerated stories spreading through the hallways.

Apparently, according to one particularly enthusiastic first-year, Shelby had summoned an actual tornado. According to another, AJ had flown nearly twenty metres through the air.

Pyro seemed determined to encourage every increasingly ridiculous version, "I heard Drift landed on the roof."

"I very much did not," Drift replied.

Scott looked over the top of his book, "I've heard Shelby accidentally challenged Professor Willow."

"I don't think that one's caught on yet."

"It will."

Shelby groaned, "I am never going to live this down."

"No," Pyro said cheerfully, "Probably not."

Even Shelby couldn't help laughing.

Eventually, Scott disappeared to finish an essay, Pyro wandered off in search of snacks, and AJ left after promising to bring everyone some horrific breakfast the following morning as compensation for "getting blown into next week."

Before leaving, they smiled warmly at Shelby, "No hard feelings Pretty One"

Shelby's shoulders finally relaxed, "...Really?"

AJ shrugged, "It was kind of funny."

Drift nodded, "It really was."

"You both hit the ground."

"You should've seen your face."

"I don't think I want to."

"No,” Drift grinned, "You probably don't."

The room settled into comfortable silence once the door closed. Outside the window, evening had painted the sky deep shades of violet and gold.

Firefly had already curled into her favourite hanging planter, gently swaying as the breeze rocked the vines. Fern slept beneath the window with her nose tucked beneath one moss-covered wing.

Shelby sat cross-legged on her bed, quietly pretending to read. She wasn't reading, she kept glancing toward Drift.

Drift was kneeling beside the small trunk she'd rescued from her burnt dorm room. Most of its contents had survived, books, letters, a few pressed flowers, an old compass that had long since stopped pointing north. And...a small wooden box.

Shelby had noticed it before.

Drift always handled it carefully, almost reverently. Tonight was no different, she lifted the box from the trunk with both hands before sitting beside the window. For several long moments, she simply looked at it.

"...Can I ask you something?"

Drift looked up, "Always."

"What's in the box?"

Drift blinked, then smiled faintly, "I was wondering when you'd ask."

"You don't have to tell me."

"I know,” Drift turned the box over slowly in her hands.

"I've just..." She laughed quietly, "...Never really told anyone the story."

Shelby set her book aside, "I'm listening."

The wooden lid clicked softly as Drift opened it. Inside, curled upon a bed of impossibly soft silver moss, was a tiny glowing insect.

It looked almost like an ordinary firefly, almost. Its wings shimmered with colours Shelby had never seen before, deep blues melted into soft gold before fading into brilliant white. Every pulse of light seemed impossibly gentle, as though breathing.

"...It's beautiful."

Drift smiled, "Yeah. He really is."

Shelby looked up, "He?"

"He doesn't actually have a name, I've just always called him..." Drift hesitated, "...Little Light."

The firefly slowly climbed onto Drift's finger, its glow brightened affectionately.

"I found him," Drift began quietly, "during my first year."

Shelby frowned, "I thought we'd only met then."

"We had."

"This happened a few months before,” Drift looked out the window, "I never told anyone."

Not because she didn't trust them, because she didn't know how.

"It was during one of the academy's advanced exploration assessments."

Shelby nodded, "The dimensional navigation one?"

"Yeah."

"We were supposed to enter a stable pocket dimension."

Drift laughed without humour, "I didn't."

She looked down at the tiny glowing insect, "I ended up somewhere else."

Shelby's smile disappeared, "...Somewhere else?"

"The professors still don't know how. I stepped through the portal....and came out in the Void."

The room fell silent, the breeze seemed to stop.

Shelby had heard stories, everyone had. The Void wasn't another world, it was...the absence of worlds. A place between realities where direction, time, and memory slowly dissolved. Few people ever entered, even fewer returned.

"...Drift..."

"It was dark,” Her voice remained strangely calm, "So dark I couldn't even see my own hands."

She gently stroked the tiny insect with one finger, "I wandered for what felt like days. It might've been hours, it might've been months. The Void doesn't really care."

Shelby listened without interrupting.

"There were..." Drift swallowed, "...Things."

"What kind of things?"

"I don't know. I never saw them, I only heard them,” The smile she'd been wearing faded, "They knew exactly what to say."

Shelby frowned, "What do you mean?"

"They talked, they sounded like people I loved. They told me I was alone, they told me nobody was coming. They told me..." Drift's voice became quieter. "...That my mum was dead."

Shelby's heart clenched, Drift rarely spoke about her family.

"I believed them. They showed me memories, or things that looked like memories.I thought..." She stared at the softly glowing firefly. "...I thought the only way I'd ever see her again...was if I stayed."

Shelby reached across the space between them without thinking. Her hand rested gently over Drift's, she didn't pull away.

"What happened?"

Drift looked down at their joined hands for just a second before continuing, "I nearly listened. I was so tired, so scared. I couldn't tell what was real anymore."

“Then..." She smiled, "This little idiot flew into my face."

Shelby laughed quietly through the lump in her throat, "He what?"

"He smacked straight into my nose. As if to say...'Oi! Wrong way.'"

Shelby laughed again.

Drift did too, "He kept flying away, I kept following. I don't know how long. But every time I thought I'd lost him....he'd light up again."

The firefly's glow pulsed gently.

"He led me to a fracture between dimensions. The professors found me just as I came through, they still don't know how I escaped."

Drift looked at the tiny insect, "I do."

Neither of them spoke for a long time, the room was quiet, peaceful. Shelby couldn't stop looking at the tiny creature.

"So..." Drift said softly, "I've been thinking."

Shelby smiled, "Dangerous."

"A little."

Drift carefully lifted the firefly onto her palm, "He saved me."

Shelby's smile faltered.

"He did. And..." Drift looked suddenly nervous, "I think..."

She took a slow breath, "...I want him to save someone else now."

Before Shelby could respond—Drift gently offered her the tiny glowing insect.

Shelby's eyes widened, "...Drift."

"I want you to have him."

"What? You can't."

"I can."

"No,” Shelby shook her head immediately, "This means too much."

"I know."

"Then why—"

"Because..." Drift's voice softened, "If anything ever happens..."

She stopped herself. No, not if. She couldn't say that.

She tried again, "...Because everyone deserves a light."

Shelby stared at her.

Drift smiled, "He found me when I thought I was completely alone."

"I figured..." She laughed nervously, "...Maybe he'll look after you too."

The tiny firefly climbed carefully from Drift's hand onto Shelby's. Its warm light reflected softly in Shelby's eyes.

"It's almost like..." Shelby whispered, "...He's choosing."

Drift smiled, "I think he already did."

Shelby looked at the tiny creature for another long moment before lifting her gaze back to Drift.

"...Thank you."

There weren't enough words, not really. She'd never been given something so deeply personal, something that carried so much history. So much trust.

She carefully closed both hands around the tiny glowing light, "I'll take good care of him."

"I know you will."

Shelby laughed softly, "I think..."

She looked down at the little firefly nestled safely in her palms, "...He reminds me of someone."

Drift tilted her head, "Oh?"

"You. He's gentle,” Shelby smiled, "Always quietly looking after people."

Drift laughed, "I don't think that's who he reminds you of."

Shelby looked confused, "No?"

Drift shook her head, "No."

She smiled to herself, "I always thought he reminded me of you."

Shelby blinked, "...Me?"

"The way he glows. The way people feel calmer around him. The way..." Drift stopped before she said too much.

She smiled instead, "I don't know, I just think he fits you."

Shelby felt warmth rise to her cheeks.

Outside, the first stars began to appear above the academy. Between them, the tiny firefly drifted gently into the air. His soft golden light filled the room. Not enough to banish every shadow. But enough to make the darkness feel a little less frightening.

Three weeks passed more quickly than either of them expected. The academy settled back into its familiar rhythm, morning lectures drifted into afternoons spent wandering flower fields. Evenings disappeared beneath mountains of assignments that somehow always ended with the Quartet crowded into Shelby's room regardless of whose homework they were supposedly completing.

The prophecy remained unspoken—not forgotten, but quietly tucked away behind laughter and routine.

Only Drift still found herself glancing over at Shelby whenever practical lessons became even slightly dangerous.

Only Scott noticed, he never mentioned it.

By the beginning of the following week, a neatly folded letter appeared beneath Shelby's dormitory door.

Firefly found it first, the tiny dragon proudly dragged the envelope halfway across the room before Shelby rescued it from becoming an unusually expensive chew toy.

"...Thank you."

Firefly chirped proudly.

Shelby turned the envelope over, the academy seal gleamed in dark green wax.

"Oh."

Drift looked up from where she was trying—and failing—to convince Fern that flowerpots were not appropriate places to bury shiny rocks.

"What is it?"

Shelby unfolded the letter, her smile faded ever so slightly.

"...Professor Rowan."

Drift immediately understood, "...My room?"

Shelby nodded, "They've finished the repairs."

Silence settled gently over the room. Neither of them had expected to feel…disappointed.

"The restoration has been completed to academy standards," Shelby read quietly, "Room 104 is now available for immediate occupation."

Drift smiled, "That's good."

"It is."

"...Yeah."

Shelby folded the letter carefully, neither moved. Firefly looked between them, Fern tilted her head. The dragons seemed almost as confused as their humans.

Eventually Drift stood.

"I suppose..." She rubbed awkwardly at the back of her neck, "...I'd better start packing."

Shelby smiled, "Probably."

"...Probably."

Neither sounded particularly convinced.

Packing turned out to be surprisingly easy, most of Drift's belongings had never really been unpacked. The books she'd borrowed shelf space for were stacked neatly into boxes. Her clothes returned to the same enchanted trunk they'd arrived in. The old compass, the rescued letters, everything found its place.

Drift paused after lifting the final blanket from the spare bed, it looked strangely empty now.

Shelby's room had become familiar in countless tiny ways, she knew which floorboard creaked if you stepped too close to the window. She knew Firefly insisted on sleeping in the hanging planter every third night before inevitably climbing into Fern's nest by morning. She knew Shelby always hummed quietly while watering her plants, and, she knew exactly how the evening sunlight painted soft golden patterns across the wooden floor.

It had stopped feeling like Shelby's room. It had started feeling...like home.

"...You alright?" Shelby's voice pulled her back.

Drift smiled, "Yeah."

"You've been staring at the bed."

"I was just thinking."

"Dangerous."

"A little."

Shelby laughed softly, "I'll miss having someone to complain to every morning."

"I'll still complain."

"You'll just have to walk upstairs first."

Drift grinned, "I can do that."

"You absolutely can."

Their smiles lingered.

By late afternoon, the boxes had all been carried downstairs. Scott insisted on helping despite Drift repeatedly telling him she could manage. Pyro carried three boxes at once simply because someone had suggested he couldn't. AJ arrived halfway through with pastries from the village bakery "for moving-day morale."

"You bribed us with food," Scott observed.

"I did."

"It's working."

"I know."

The repaired room looked different. Fresh timber replaced the charred beams, the windows gleamed as new curtains fluttered gently in the breeze. Not a single trace of the fire remained.

Professor Rowan smiled proudly from the doorway, "As good as new."

Drift stepped inside, she looked around slowly.

"...It doesn't feel like mine anymore."

The professor's smile softened, "It will."

"I hope so."

He gave a small nod before quietly excusing himself, leaving the friends alone.

Pyro stood awkwardly near the door, "...Hey."

Drift turned.

"I really am sorry."

Drift sighed dramatically, "If you apologise one more time..."

Pyro winced, "...You'll forgive me?"

"I was going to say I'll start charging you."

That finally earned a laugh.

"I mean it."

"I know."

"I still feel awful."

Drift walked over before he could continue. Without hesitation, she wrapped him in a quick hug.

"You've apologised every day for three weeks."

"...Because I meant it."

"I know,” She smiled warmly, "And I forgave you three weeks ago."

Pyro hugged her back just a little tighter, "...Thanks."

Scott coughed loudly, "If you're both done being emotional...We're hungry."

AJ nodded immediately, "Very."

The room dissolved into comfortable laughter.

As the evening wore on, everyone gradually drifted back toward their own dormitories. Scott and Pyro argued over whose turn it was to buy breakfast the following morning, while AJ promised to settle the debate with an unnecessarily complicated coin toss involving magic and at least three crows.

Only Drift and Shelby remained, the hallway outside Room 104 was unusually quiet.

"I should..." Shelby gestured vaguely toward the staircase, "...Head back."

Drift nodded, "Yeah."

Another silence.

Shelby smiled reluctantly, "I guess this is goodbye."

Drift laughed, "You say that like I'm moving across the kingdom."

"You are moving downstairs."

"A terrifying distance."

"I know."

"I'll probably never recover."

Shelby rolled her eyes, "You'll survive."

"...Probably."

They both laughed, neither moved. Finally, Shelby stepped forward. Without thinking, she wrapped Drift in a hug.

It was easy, the sort of hug they'd shared dozens of times before. Except…this one lasted longer.

Neither of them seemed eager to let go. Drift closed her eyes for just a second, she could smell lavender from Shelby's shampoo, feel the familiar warmth of her arms around her shoulders. For one impossible moment…she wished Professor Rowan had needed another month, another year, anything.

Eventually, Shelby stepped back, "...Goodnight."

"Night."

Shelby walked halfway down the corridor before turning back, "You know..."

Drift looked up.

"My room's still open."

Drift smiled, "What, you want Fern stealing more of your plants?"

Shelby laughed, "I was actually thinking about you stealing my hot chocolate."

"I never stole it."

"You absolutely did."

"I borrowed it."

"You drank all of it."

"I intended to replace it."

"You never did."

"I was getting there."

Shelby shook her head, smiling all the while, "You can still visit."

Drift's expression softened, "...Yeah?"

Shelby looked at her as though the answer were obvious, "You're always welcome."

For reasons she couldn't quite explain...those three words settled warmly inside Drift's heart.

You're always welcome.

Shelby waved before disappearing up the staircase. Drift remained where she was for another minute, behind her, Room 104 was finally hers again. Ahead of her, the second floor. Where someone waited who had somehow turned three accidental weeks into some of the happiest days Drift could remember.

Fern gently nudged Drift's hand, Drift smiled down at the little dragon.

"I know."

The room was fixed, everything was back to normal. Yet normal suddenly felt a little lonelier than before.

By the time the evening of the Hawthorn Celebration finally arrived, the Academy barely resembled itself.

Every tower was wrapped in strands of enchanted lanterns that floated lazily through the air like captured stars, drifting between rooftops before settling amongst the branches of ancient oak trees. The flower fields surrounding the central gardens had been transformed into glowing seas of colour, thousands of blossoms opening only after sunset to reveal petals that shimmered with soft blues, pinks and golds.

Music echoed across the valley, invisible enchantments hidden amongst the gardens carried melodies through the warm evening air, changing gently as students wandered from courtyard to courtyard.

Even the dragons seemed to understand tonight was special. Young dragons darted joyfully between the floating lanterns while older dragons rested peacefully upon the academy rooftops, their scales reflecting the countless lights until the entire campus looked as though it had been scattered with constellations.

Shelby stood in front of the mirror in her dorm room, "...Firefly."

The tiny dragon chirped.

"You've untied my ribbon."

Firefly looked completely innocent.

"You did."

Another chirp.

Shelby sighed dramatically before re-tieing the pale green ribbon around her ponytail.

"You are impossible."

Firefly fluttered onto her shoulder and proudly nudged Shelby's cheek with her nose.

"...I know,” Shelby smiled despite herself, "You just wanted to help."

A soft knock interrupted them.

"Come in."

The door opened, Drift stepped inside. For perhaps the first time since they'd met, Shelby genuinely forgot how to speak.

Drift rarely dressed formally, tonight she wore deep forest-green robes embroidered with fine silver vines that caught the lantern light every time she moved. The academy crest rested neatly over one shoulder, while small embroidered leaves climbed one sleeve towards her collar.

Her usually unruly curls had actually stayed where she'd attempted to brush them…mostly, a few stubborn strands had already escaped.

"...Wow,” The word left Shelby before she could stop it.

Drift blinked, "...Good wow?"

Shelby nodded immediately, "Very good wow."

A faint blush coloured Drift's cheeks.

"You look..." Shelby searched desperately for a word worthy enough, "...Beautiful."

Drift looked down at the floor, "...Thanks."

She smiled shyly, "I was actually going to say the same thing."

Shelby's own dress flowed softly around her in shades of pale sage and ivory, delicate embroidery curling like wind through the fabric. Tiny enchanted flowers had been stitched into the sleeves, opening and closing almost imperceptibly whenever a breeze drifted past.

The little firefly Drift had gifted her hovered quietly near her shoulder, his gentle golden light complementing Firefly's playful gusts.

Neither of them looked away. Fern gave a tiny rumble, Firefly chirped loudly, the spell broke.

Drift laughed awkwardly, "...Ready?"

Shelby smiled, "Always."

The gardens were already alive with laughter, students wandered between stalls selling enchanted sweets, warm pastries, glowing drinks and tiny magical trinkets crafted by the village artisans.

Scott was impossible to miss, mostly because Aurora had somehow convinced three younger dragons to balance tiny flower crowns upon their heads.

"I did not help," Scott insisted the moment he noticed Drift staring.

Aurora looked deeply offended.

"...She absolutely organised this."

Pyro appeared moments later carrying an alarming quantity of caramel apples, "Market research."

Scott looked at the six apples balanced in Pyro's arms, "For what?"

"...Hunger."

"That's not research."

"It is if I take notes."

AJ arrived soon afterwards, somehow managing to navigate the crowd with nearly a dozen crows weaving gracefully through the lanterns overhead.

"None of them have stolen anything,” They said, hands held high in surrender.

One crow immediately flew past carrying someone else's ribbon, "...Almost nothing."

Shelby laughed, the familiar warmth of their little group settled around her once again.

"Drift!" A familiar voice called from across the gardens.

Drift turned, "Martyn!"

A tall student with sandy hair waved enthusiastically before weaving through the crowd toward them. Beside him walked Ren, smiling warmly as he gently accepted the paper lantern Martyn absent-mindedly shoved into his hands halfway through the journey.

"I told you we'd find them," Ren laughed.

"You said they'd probably be near food."

"I was right."

"You usually are."

Martyn slipped an arm naturally around Ren's shoulders. The gesture was so effortless neither of them seemed to think about it.

Shelby smiled, "It's good to see you two."

"You too,” Ren looked between Drift and Shelby.

"So..." He smiled knowingly, "You finally got ready."

Drift looked confused, "...Yes?"

"We've been waiting nearly twenty minutes."

"Oh."

"We're terrible with time."

Martyn laughed loudly, "That explains everything."

He looked towards Ren with unmistakable affection, "Shall we?"

Ren nodded.

Together, they wandered towards the dance floor, still hand in hand. Shelby watched them disappear into the lantern-lit crowd.

"They're cute."

Drift smiled softly, "They really are."

As the evening continued, the music gradually changed, the lively tunes gave way to slower melodies drifting gently through the gardens. More and more students made their way toward the enormous circular dance floor built amongst the flower fields. Floating lanterns descended lower, bathing everyone in warm golden light.

Professor Rowan quietly enchanted flower petals to spiral overhead like slow-falling snow. The whole academy seemed to glow.

Martyn twirled Ren beneath the lanterns.

Scott reluctantly accepted Aurora's persistent nudging and allowed Pyro to drag him onto the dance floor despite loudly insisting he couldn't dance.

"You absolutely can."

"I absolutely can't."

"You've got feet."

"They're uncooperative."

AJ was laughing so hard they nearly dropped their drink.

Shelby smiled. The evening was perfect, until—

She spotted Drift, standing beside AJ, they were laughing together again.

AJ leaned close enough to whisper something, Drift laughed, then lightly nudged AJ's shoulder. AJ nudged her back.

It was exactly the same playful rivalry they'd always shared. Exactly the same. Yet tonight...it felt different. Because the lanterns were soft, and the music was slow, swirling around them. And everyone around them was dancing.

Shelby's stomach twisted. Firefly shifted uneasily upon her shoulder.

The little firefly Drift had gifted her glowed brighter.

Shelby looked away, she couldn't watch anymore.

Without saying a word, she turned, walking quickly away from the music. Away from the lights, away from the dance floor…away from Drift.

"...Shelby?"

Drift looked up just in time to see the edge of Shelby's dress disappear between the gardens.

"...Where's she going?"

Scott followed her gaze, his smile faded immediately.

"Oh..." He looked toward Drift, "Go."

"What?"

"Go after her."

Drift was already moving. The music faded behind her as she hurried through winding garden paths lined with glowing flowers. Lanterns swayed gently overhead.

Somewhere ahead...She caught sight of pale green robes disappearing into the moonlit gardens beyond the academy walls.

"Shelby!"

No answer, she quickened her pace, "Shelby, wait!"

Still nothing, only the sound of hurried footsteps through the flower fields. Drift's heartbeat quickened.

Not because she thought Shelby was angry. Because...for one impossible, terrifying moment...the prophecy flashed through her mind.

The winds...are always the first to fall.

She broke into a run, "Shelby!"

This time Shelby stopped. But she didn't turn around.

She simply stood beneath the enormous willow tree overlooking the moonlit valley, shoulders rising and falling as she tried to steady her breathing.

Drift slowed carefully as she approached, "...Hey."

Silence.

"Did I..." She hesitated, "...Did I do something?"

Shelby's hands tightened into fists, "...No."

The answer came too quickly, too quietly.

It wasn't true—Drift knew it—she just had no idea why Shelby was lying.

The breeze stirred gently through the willow branches above them, moonlight washed the academy gardens in silver. Away from the music, the laughter, and the endless sea of glowing lanterns, the world felt impossibly quiet.

The willow tree stood at the edge of the cliffs overlooking the valley below, its long branches swaying gently in the evening breeze as flower petals drifted through the air like tiny stars.

Shelby stood with her back to Drift.

Drift slowed her breathing, trying to calm the frantic rhythm of her heart. She had chased after Shelby because she'd been worried, because she'd seen her leave so suddenly. Because for one terrible moment, she'd thought about the prophecy.

Now that she was standing here...she realised she had absolutely no idea what to say.

"...You scared me."

Shelby's shoulders tensed, "I wasn't trying to."

"I know."

Silence settled once more. The breeze carried faint echoes of music from the academy gardens, far enough away to feel like another world.

"I thought..." Drift hesitated "...I thought something had happened."

Shelby laughed quietly, a small, humourless laugh.

"Something did happen."

Drift frowned, "...What?"

Shelby finally turned, there were tears gathering in the corners of her eyes shining in the moonlight.

"You."

Drift blinked, "...Me?"

Shelby folded her arms tightly across herself as though trying to hold together emotions she'd been ignoring for far too long.

"I saw you with AJ."

Drift stared, "What?"

"You always look so happy together." Shelby's voice wavered, "They understand you, they laugh with you, they stand close to you. And you..."

She stopped, shaking her head, "It doesn't matter."

Drift looked genuinely bewildered, "...Shelby."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I do."

"No."

"You ran away."

"I know."

"Please."

Shelby looked down at the grass, "I don't like seeing you with them."

Drift frowned, "...Why?"

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do."

Shelby closed her eyes. The wind stirred restlessly around them, leaves rustling overhead.

Firefly landed quietly beside the tiny glowing firefly perched on Shelby's shoulder. Both dragons remained unusually silent.

"I..." Shelby swallowed, "...I don't like it."

Drift waited.

"I don't like how close you are."

Another pause.

"I don't like watching you laugh with them. I don't like seeing everyone assume you'll end up together."

Her voice became quieter, "...And I really don't like how much that bothers me."

Drift simply stared. Slowly...very slowly...understanding began to dawn.

"...Shelby."

Shelby laughed weakly, "I know it's ridiculous."

"No."

"It is! You and AJ aren't even—"

"We're not."

Shelby looked up, "...You're not?"

Drift looked utterly horrified, "No!"

"I've never..." She shook her head immediately, "Shelby, AJ and I argue because it's fun! We compete, we annoy each other. They're one of my closest friends."

"But..." She smiled softly, "I've never wanted to date AJ."

Shelby's breath caught, "...You haven't?"

"No."

"Then..." She frowned, "...Why do you always ask them to spar?"

"They ask me."

"Oh," Shelby blinked, "...Oh."

Drift couldn't help laughing, not at Shelby, just at the absurdity of the situation.

"I thought..." She rubbed a hand over her face, "I thought you didn't like me."

Shelby's eyes widened, "What?"

"You turned me down."

"...When?"

"The party."

Shelby looked completely confused, "What?"

"When I asked you to come with me."

"I said yes."

"You said we were both already invited."

"...Because we were."

"When I asked you for one dance."

"I said we'd all dance."

"...Exactly."

They stared at one another.

Then realisation struck Shelby with astonishing force.

"...Oh."

Drift nodded, "...Yeah."

"Oh."

Shelby covered her face with both hands, "...Drift."

"I wasn't asking about invitations."

"I know."

"I thought..."

"I know."

Shelby made a noise somewhere between a groan and a laugh, "Oh no."

Drift smiled helplessly, "I've been trying to ask you on a date for nearly two weeks."

Shelby slowly lowered her hands, "...You have?"

"I am apparently very bad at it."

"You really are."

"I've noticed."

They both laughed. The tension that had sat between them for weeks seemed to melt away with every shared smile.

Drift looked at Shelby, really looked at her, and remembered why she'd come.

The smile faded into something gentler, more vulnerable.

"Shelby."

"Hm?"

Drift took one careful step forward…then another.

The music drifted softly across the valley.

"I don't care about the party."

Shelby watched her quietly.

"I don't care if everyone else is dancing."

Drift smiled nervously, "I've spent weeks trying to find the right words, they keep coming out wrong."

Shelby's heart was beating so loudly she was almost certain Drift could hear it.

"So..." Drift took one final breath, "...Would you just dance with me?"

Shelby stared.

There was no room for misunderstanding, no vague invitation. Just Drift, looking at her with hope written across every part of her face.

Shelby smiled, the kind of smile that reached all the way to her eyes.

"...I'd love to."

Drift laughed, a small, relieved laugh that sounded suspiciously close to crying.

She held out one hand, Shelby took it.

There was no orchestra beneath the willow tree, only distant music carried gently on the wind. It was enough.

Drift placed one hand carefully against Shelby's waist, Shelby rested hers lightly upon Drift's shoulder. They began to sway, slowly. Neither of them particularly knew how to dance, they kept stepping on each other's feet.

"I'm sorry."

"It was my fault."

"No, mine."

"I walked into you."

"I think we both did."

They laughed again.

Firefly circled happily overhead, creating tiny whirlwinds that scattered glowing flower petals all around them. The little firefly Drift had gifted Shelby floated lazily between them, his warm golden light illuminating their faces.

"I've wanted to do this for a long time."

Shelby's voice was barely above a whisper, "...Why didn't you say something?"

Drift smiled sheepishly, "I thought you weren't interested."

"I thought you liked AJ."

"I don't."

"I know that now."

"And..." Drift looked down for a moment, "I've been trying to protect you."

Shelby frowned, "Protect me?"

Drift hesitated, she hadn't wanted to tell her, not tonight. But...no more secrets.

"The prophecy."

Shelby's smile softened, "...Drift."

"I know you said we'd overcome it. But every time you walk near a cliff...Every practical lesson, every expedition...I keep thinking..."

Her voice cracked, "...What if that's the moment I lose you?"

Shelby reached up and gently cupped Drift's cheek, "You won't."

"You can't know that."

"No,” She smiled sadly, "I can't."

The wind stirred gently around them, "But I do know one thing."

Drift looked at her.

"The first guardians weren’t us. They didn't have Scott and Pyro, they didn't have AJ. And, they didn't have dragons who'd cross dimensions for the people they love."

Her smile grew brighter, "They didn't have a little firefly who already proved fate can be escaped."

Drift looked toward the tiny glowing insect floating peacefully beside them.

Shelby intertwined their fingers, "We're not them."

Drift's eyes filled with tears she hadn't realised she'd been holding back, "...We're not."

"No."

"We're us."

"And we're going to write our own story."

For a long moment neither of them moved. The music drifted gently through the night, flower petals dancing around them.

Then Shelby leaned forward, very slowly, giving Drift every chance to pull away.

She never did.

Their lips met in a kiss as soft as the evening breeze, gentle, unhurried. Like coming home. Drift closed her eyes breathing in the warm honeyed wind as she melted into the kiss. Shelby opened her mouth, tasting the sun sweet berries of the earth, as colour exploded behind her eyelids.

When they finally pulled apart, both of them were smiling so brightly it almost hurt.

"I really am hopeless, aren't I?" Drift laughed.

Shelby laughed too, "The most hopeless person I've ever met."

"And you?"

"I somehow managed to reject my own crush twice without realising it."

"...That's impressive."

"I know."

Drift rested her forehead against Shelby's, "So..."

"So?"

"Does this mean..."

Shelby smiled, "Yes."

"I haven't asked the question yet,” Drift laughed, "...Shelby."

"Hm?"

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

Shelby pretended to think for exactly two seconds, "I suppose."

"Oh?"

"I'd hate for you to have to ask a second time."

Drift groaned dramatically, "You knew exactly what you were doing."

"I absolutely did."

They both laughed before Shelby kissed her again.

They returned to the party hand in hand.

Scott noticed first, he simply smiled, "Took you both long enough."

Pyro looked between them once, "...I owe AJ five gold."

"You were betting on us?" Drift asked.

"Everyone was,” AJ wandered over carrying two glasses of sparkling cider, "I won."

Shelby blinked, "You knew?"

AJ grinned, "I've known for months."

"You two are unbelievably oblivious,” Martyn laughed so hard he nearly dropped Ren's hand.

Ren just smiled knowingly, "I told him you’d figure it out eventually."

"You gave them too much credit," Scott replied, everyone dissolved into laughter.

Drift closed her eyes, savouring the chorus of music and laughter around her, and feeling the gentle wind caress her face. For the first time since the prophecy, it didn't feel frightening.

Later that night, after the music had ended and the lanterns slowly began drifting back into the stars above the academy, the four friends stood together overlooking the sleeping valley.

No one needed to mention the crypt, or the prophecy.

Scott broke the silence anyway, "We're going back."

Pyro nodded, "We'll figure out the rest of it."

Drift smiled, "There has to be more than one ending."

"There always is," Shelby said quietly.

Drift looked at her, Shelby squeezed her hand.

"We'll change it."

The others nodded, not because they knew how or when, simply because they believed one another.

High above them, four young dragons soared together through the night sky while one tiny firefly traced a golden path between the stars.

And somewhere beneath the academy, the ancient crystal bearing the prophecy shimmered. The final line slowly changed.

History remembers its own path.

But the future belongs to those who choose another.

The Academy remembered many stories; heroes, guardians and legends. But perhaps...the one it would remember longest...was the story of four students who refused to let destiny decide how their tale would end.