Page 203 of Magical Mission

The mark on my hip had gone from warm to glowing-hot, but not in pain. It was an invitation wrapped in reverence. And now, I knew exactly where I needed to go.

The dragon den.

“Keegan, it’s fine.”

“How do you know?” he asked.

“I just do. It’s…personal, and I’d tell you if I could but…”

A hint of a smile surfaced on his mouth, and he nodded. “I’ll be waiting in my classroom if you need me.”

“Thank you.” I squeezed his arm and nearly kissed him.

I moved faster, passing empty classrooms where book sprites fluttered and hallways that blinked with shifting murals. The closer I got to the farthest wing, the more alive everything became—subtle and vibrant, like every wall was quietly watching.

The ancient wooden door that led into the dragon wing appeared just before I turned the last corner. The key fluttered into my hand before I realized I’d summoned it.

I pressed it to the rune-carved lock and whispered, “I’m here.”

The door clicked open with a low sigh and a rush of warm, fragrant air, like cinnamon, moss, and wood smoke mingling with something wild and ancient. I stepped through, and the world shifted.

The den was bathed in golden light, flickering from the crystals embedded in the ceiling and walls like a thousand little hearths. The mossy floor was springy underfoot, and steam curled gently from the small hot spring at the edge. Vines with silver-tipped leaves draped from the rafters, swaying slightly as I passed.

And in the center, nestled in a bed of ferns and velvet cloth, was the egg.

The one with the shimmering, dusky lavender shell.

The one we’d all been waiting on.

Cracks danced across its surface now, glowing faintly with a soft, amber light. A low, musical hum vibrated through the space, evoking the sound of ancient magic, of something sacred awakening.

The mother dragon, a sleek creature with eyes like polished opal, watched me as I approached, her long tail curled protectively around the nest. She didn’t speak—none of the dragons did—but her eyes held understanding. Permission.

You’re meant to see this.

I knelt beside the nest, just close enough to feel the warmth radiating from the egg. My breath caught.

With a soft pop, a sliver of shell fell away, landing gently in the moss. Then another. And another.

The humming grew louder, resonating in my chest. The magic in the room stirred. Crystals blinked to life in different colors, mirroring the heartbeat of the creature arriving.

A small snout pushed through the crack. Pale gold, wet and delicate.

Then a talon. Then wings, crumpled and iridescent.

And finally, with a shudder that echoed through the floor, the hatchling broke free.

She was no bigger than a pug, her scales shimmering between soft bronze and rose-gold, her eyes large and filled with a strange, ageless knowing. She blinked up at me, then let out the tiniest squeak, more like a hiccup than a roar, and collapsed into the warmth of her mother’s side.

The den pulsed.

A wave of pure magic rolled outward from the nest, soft as mist, strong as thunder beneath skin. I felt it wrap around melike a vow. It flowed into the walls, down the halls, into the roots of the Academy itself. Into Stonewick. Into the land.

This was the kind of magic that didn’t just enchant.

Itrestored.

I pressed a hand to my heart, tears stinging my eyes.