Chapter 10 Aug 18, 2025 "The morning after heartbreak," Mira muttered as she yanked her boots on, "always comes with a test." She slammed one into the mud with enough force to splash her calf. "Let's see if I pass." Her braid was yanked tight enough to throb. Her sparring gear creaked like it wanted to scream. But her eyes-those stayed frozen, unreadable, even as they landed on the figure already waiting in the practice yard. Bastian. Arms crossed. Jaw locked. Eyes forward like she didn't exist. Perfect. From the sidelines, Tessan's voice slithered into the silence. "Early morning, Roen?" she called sweetly, too loudly. "Couldn't sleep? Or did you just miss the sound of my voice?" No response. She touched his arm. "Don't worry. Everyone knows the charity phase is over. Some people just need to be reminded of their place." Still nothing. Not a blink. Not a shift. Bastian might as well have been carved from obsidian. *** The drills began. Staffs clashed. Mira didn't wait. She launched herself into it like the pit of her chest had gone hollow and this was the only way to fill it. Strike. Pivot. Slam. Again. Again. Her partner grunted with each blow, but Mira didn't ease up. Across the ring, Bastian sparred with mechanical precision. Fluid. Effortless. Cold. Like nothing had happened. Like yesterday meant nothing. Fine. She could lie too. At the edge of the field, Liorith stirred, silver tail flicking like a fuse about to catch. Her wings flexed. Mira didn't look. She could feel the tension rolling off her dragon in waves. It matched the thrum in Mira's blood. Everything held-barely-until the dragons took flight. One by one, the pairs rose into the indigo sky. Mira swung onto Liorith's back without a word. Her spine was a blade. Her hands steady. Her jaw locked. Then Vharok and Bastian lifted beside them. Too close. Way too close. Liorith lunged. A furious burst of silver fire snapped through the air. Her claws slashed out mid-flight. "INITIATE SOLVAIN!" the instructor's roar cracked across the field. "CONTROL YOUR BOND!" Mira's voice rose, sharp. "Liorith-NO!" The dragon halted mid-strike, hovering inches from Vharok's throat. Smoke curled from her nostrils. Her eyes blazed molten gold. Bastian didn't flinch. "Maybe she just doesn't like competition," he said coolly. Mira's glare could have melted steel. "Or maybe she finally sees a liar for what he is." Gasps. Low murmurs. Cadets whispering like wildfire catching dry grass. Instructors closed ranks, their voices clipped, serious. The headmaster strode forward, each step final. "Due to behavioral conflict between dragons," he said, eyes sweeping both of them, "Initiates Roen and Solvain will no longer rotate partners." Mira felt her stomach dip. "You will remain paired. Permanently." The field went silent. Mira froze. Hands tight on Liorith's reins. Her pulse slammed like a drumbeat in her throat. Tessan's snort broke the silence. "Of course. Give the farm girl her crutch. Can't have her combusting every time someone challenges her." Mira didn't turn. Instead, she swallowed the heat boiling in her chest and locked herself still. No one else spoke. Then Bastian moved. He walked across the field without pause, like every step was deliberate, like the earth made room for him. He didn't stop when he reached her. Didn't look her in the eye. Just brushed past-close enough to feel his breath against her cheek. His voice was a blade, low and certain. "We're done. You just don't know it yet." And then-he was gone. Mira didn't breathe. Her fists curled at her sides. Her chest heaved once-then stilled. Behind her, Liorith landed hard. Wings wide. Teeth bared. Still, Mira stood at the center of the ring, unmoving. Her boots rooted into the dirt like they were trying to keep her from falling apart. They were watching her. All of them. Waiting to see if she'd crack. If she'd run. If she'd break like every girl who came before her. She didn't. She straightened her spine. Lifted her chin. Let them watch. Let Bastian think he still had that power over her. He didn't. Not anymore. And yet- We're done . The words echoed. What did they mean? A warning? A threat? Or something far more dangerous? Because Bastian Roen was everything she shouldn't want-and every time he looked at her like that, her entire world tilted sideways. She wanted to scream. To punch him. To drag him behind the stables and kiss him until he begged. But she didn't. She bit down the tremble in her throat. She raised her chin. Let the whole damn academy watch. Her breath burned. Her vision narrowed. Her pulse refused to calm. And the most terrifying part? She didn't know what she wanted more - To break his face... Or kiss him again.