Aeron walked beside her, but his eyes kept flicking toward her with a quiet worry. Starfania had barely spoken since they left the house. She kept rubbing her thumb along the shape of the sword-pen hidden in her pocket, her gaze drifting toward the moon even though morning light already washed the sky. Finally, Aeron nudged her shoulder gently.
" Star," he whispered, " you're somewhere else today."
She blinked, caught off guard, then let out a slow breath. " A bit distracted, yeah…I've been thinking."
" About the dreams?"
" And about the Dragon Savior," she admitted. " The one before me. Do you know anything about her? Anything at all?"
Aeron shook his head, brows knitting.
" All I know," he said quietly, " is that she died during the Battle of Endorse. That's about as far as the stories go. But…"
He brightened a little. " Our school library has old archives. And your family library might have even more. We could check both after school if you want."
Starfania nodded thoughtfully. " That's actually a good idea. Maybe we can look later today."
They walked a few more steps in silence before Aeron suddenly stopped her, his hand hovering near her elbow. " Starfania."
She turned. He wasn't smiling anymore. His face held that same fierce loyalty she'd seen in the cave the night Bone died—steady, protective, quietly terrified of losing her.
" When the full moon comes…and you go to meet that dragon from your dream…" His voice softened, almost pleading. " Please be careful. Promise me you won't go in blind."
Starfania placed a hand over his.
" I will be," she said gently. " I promise."
Aeron didn't look convinced, but he nodded. As they reached the gates of WildFire High, the volcanic fires flared brighter across the land, painting the entire campus in molten gold. Students streamed through the courtyard, voice echoing with the usual chaos of morning energy. Starfania took in the scene with a small smile. " I can't believe we still have time before class starts."
Aeron smirked. " Honestly, that's the surprise of the century. Guess running really does wonders."
She laughed—light, real—and the tension eased between them. The moment they stepped into the hallway, Daniel spotted them instantly from across the crowd.
He raised a hand and jogged over, his grin bright enough to rival a lava flare.
" Well, well," Daniel said, slightly out of breath, " Starfania and Aeron—not running late for once. I must be dreaming."
The three of them laughed, and Starfania tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, cheeks warming. " Nice to see you too, Daniel! Today's just…a lucky day, I guess."
Aeron nodded with a shrug. " We're not sure how we managed this miracle."
Daniel grinned wider as he turned and motioned for them to follow. " Come on. Let's get to class before Professor Shadow decides to lecture you for being late even when you're early."
The three fell into step together, weaving through the crowded hall. Their footsteps echoed among the bustling noise, their laughter blending with the morning chatter. For a moment—just a moment—the world felt normal again. But the sword-pen pressed warm against Starfania's hips. And she hadn't forgotten what waited beneath the full moon.