Page 131 of Magical Mission

The halls of the Academy had gone still, with that particular hush falling after curfew when even the book sprites dimmed their glow. Laughter had faded to soft murmurs behind closed doors, the crackle of hearths muffled beneath thick stone walls, and everyone had retired for the night.

Everyone but me.

I slipped through the quiet halls like I belonged to the silence, my boots barely brushing the worn floors.

The Academy didn’t question me anymore when I walked its hidden paths.

It knew where I was going because it was the one leading me there.

The old wooden paneling just beyond the west stairwell shifted open at my touch. No lock. No key. Just recognition.

The tunnel beyond was cool and dry, lit only by the faint glimmer of light that was buried in the walls, like veins. I descended slowly, with a steady breath, heart tight with something that wasn’t quite dread, but wasn’t peace either.

The key fluttered toward me instantly, and I used it to unlock the hidden wing.

The dragon den always felt like stepping into another world.

Not just a secret place but a sacred one.

The space opened wide, smooth stone gleaming in the soft bioluminescence of moss and enchantment. The air was warmer here. Heavier. And alive.

I didn’t speak.

I didn’t need to.

They knew I was here.

The baby dragon, sleek and golden-colored, with translucent tips and cautious eyes, lifted its head as I stepped inside. It didn’t approach, but it watched me with quiet acknowledgment before settling again beside one of the boulders carved with ancient markings.

And then I saw her.

The mother.

Curled tightly around the egg.

She hadn’t moved much since I was last here, and yet something had changed. Her wings were tucked close, her breath deep and slow, and her body hummed with that low, steady rumble only another living being could understand.

She’s waiting.

I crossed to a quiet spot near the edge of the den and sank to the floor, legs folded beneath me. The warmth soaked into my bones slowly, like an embrace that didn’t ask anything in return.

I didn’t speak for a long time.

I didn’t need to.

There was something reverent about the stillness in this space. As if the world beyond couldn’t intrude, not while something so pure was unfolding here. A dragon was waiting for her child to be born. Guarding her with every breath.

And suddenly, I knew.

I had the answer I’d been turning inside out.

I pressed a hand to my chest, and the truth settled in so fully it felt like it had always been there.

I couldn’t bring Celeste to Stonewick.

Not yet.

Not while shadows still circled. Not while the shimmer whispered through the halls, and Gideon, whatever he was becoming, still had a foothold near the edge of the Wards.