Legacy of the Dragon Lord

The towering gates of Ardent Moon Academy loomed ahead, their silver filigree glinting under the morning sun. Shira and Elias stood at the entrance, exhausted and covered in soot. Beyond the gates, marble spires and lush gardens stretched as far as the eye could see. The academy was a beacon of strength and knowledge, a place where warriors and magic-wielders were shaped into legends.

But to Shira, it was nothing more than a prison of unfamiliar faces and unspoken expectations.

Elias squeezed her hand gently, offering a reassuring smile. "We'll be safe here, Shira."

She nodded, though her heart ached for home, for the parents she had lost, for the life that had been ripped away.

As they stepped inside, a wave of whispers followed them. Their arrival had not gone unnoticed. Later, as Elias found a moment alone near the academy courtyard, a striking young woman with cascading auburn hair and piercing green eyes approached him.

"You must be new," she said, her voice smooth with confidence. "I'm Lyra. And you are?"

"Elias," he replied cautiously, studying her.

Lyra smirked. "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into here, Elias. This place is not as kind as it looks." With that, she walked away, leaving Elias watching after her, intrigued and wary.