Chapter 15 Aug 19, 2025 Mira woke with a jolt, heart pounding as if it had sensed something before her mind caught up. There was no scream, no nightmare-just a sound outside her window. A thud, a gust, and the unmistakable roar of Liorith slicing through the night. The wind howled like it was being hunted. She barely had time to throw on her cloak before the door slammed open. Vharok stood there, massive and smoking, claws sparking against the stone floor. His breath steamed in the cold air, eyes locked on her like she'd been summoned. Behind him, Bastian stood half-dressed and entirely baffled, hair a mess and voice rough. "Did your dragon drag you out of bed too?" Mira raised an eyebrow, slipping past him with her boots half-tied. "You think I planned this?" She nodded toward Liorith, who hovered low, tail lashing like a stormcloud. "She's in a mood." "Mine too," Bastian muttered. "They're up to something." "No kidding," Mira shot back, already climbing onto Liorith's back. The silver drake didn't wait-her wings snapped open and launched them skyward before Mira had time to settle. The air slapped her face, cold and biting. A moment later, Vharok took off, Bastian holding tight, his silhouette swallowed by the clouds. The ground vanished beneath them, replaced by nothing but wind and stars. It wasn't like flying during trials. There were no commands, no goals, no instructors watching. Just the night, the dragons, and them-two riders caught in something far bigger than either could name. "What are they doing?" Mira called, breath sharp from the cold. "No idea," Bastian shouted back. "But I don't think they care what we want." Liorith and Vharok veered in tandem, circling above the towers until their paths began to sync. Mira glanced to her right and caught Bastian watching her. Not with judgment. Not with command. Just... watching. As if seeing her for the first time. The silence stretched, not empty but full. Bastian leaned closer, his voice barely rising above the wind. "You want the truth?" Mira gripped the reins, heart thudding. "That depends." "I don't want to be this person around you," he said, eyes locked on hers. "But I am. You ruin me." She blinked, startled. "That's your confession?" Bastian pressed on, voice low and rough. "I was built for discipline, for control. Everything was structure. Purpose. Then you showed up-fire-hearted, reckless, impossible. And I can't shut it off." Her breath caught, lips parting. The sky spun around them, stars blinking like they were eavesdropping. "You think I asked for that?" "No," he said. "But it happened." They flew higher. The world below faded, until even the castle lights became distant sparks. Their dragons didn't fight anymore. They glided like they'd known this moment would come, the air between them thinning into something electric. Mira exhaled slowly, words stuck behind her teeth. "I don't know what you want me to say." "You don't have to say anything," Bastian said, his gaze softening for the first time she could remember. "Just don't pull away." Her hand moved without thinking, fingers brushing the space between their saddles until they touched. Their eyes locked again, and in that stillness, she leaned in. The kiss was soft-hesitant, questioning. Nothing like their arguments, nothing like their sparring. It was quiet and fragile, barely a breath between lips. His hand found her jaw, and Mira let herself fall into the moment, just for a second. Not because she forgave him. Not because it made sense. But because it felt like the only thing that wasn't a lie. The dragons began to descend. Slowly. Gently. As if even they understood what had just unraveled in the clouds. Liorith curved toward the field behind the barracks, wings steady and confident. Vharok followed, silent and watchful. They landed with a whisper of wind and dew. Mira slid off first, boots sinking into the damp grass. Bastian dismounted after, slower, his eyes never leaving hers. She stepped forward, cloak trailing behind her. The night wrapped around them like a question waiting to be answered. Her throat tightened. "I don't know how to trust you." He didn't say anything. Just stood there, silent in that way of his, like he was weighing whether to speak or walk away. Mira didn't wait to find out. She turned. The silence still rang in her ears when dawn cracked the sky open.