Anna stepped forward first. Not confidently exactly.
But familiarly. Because despite all the secrets surrounding the Obsidian Circle…
This place no longer felt entirely foreign to her.
Alistar stirred faintly within her core as she crossed the threshold toward the eastern grounds.
Kaelen and Lara followed a step behind Anna as they crossed through the obsidian gates.
The moment they passed the threshold, the atmosphere changed completely.
The sounds of the academy vanished.
Not faded. Vanished.
No distant conversations. No footsteps from nearby courtyards. No wind through the trees outside the eastern walls.
Only silence.
Deep. Layered. Intentional.
The training grounds were far larger on the inside than the eastern tower had any right to contain.
Wide enough to house multiple sparring rings layered with glowing protective wards. Obsidian-inlaid walls rose around the sprawling chamber, etched with ancient resonance sigils pulsing faintly beneath the surface like sleeping veins of light.
To the left, advanced cadets practiced live-casting drills atop an elevated platform while instructors monitored fluctuating mana barriers around them. Bolts of elemental force cracked through the air in controlled bursts, colliding against reinforced targets with flashes of blue fire and compressed wind.
Farther ahead, the distant clang of steel echoed rhythmically as several trainees fought against humanoid training constructs moving with unnatural precision.
And hanging above it all—
A massive banner bearing the obsidian-black crest of the Circle.
It rippled faintly despite the still air.
Like something alive.
Kaelen slowed immediately.
"…Okay," he murmured, staring upward. "This is significantly more intense than I expected."
"That's because you expected a study club," Anna said softly.
"I was hoping for a study club."
Lara turned slowly in place, taking in the hidden grounds with visible awe. Even the nymph had gone unusually still on her shoulder, green eyes wide as she observed the layered wards and flowing ley channels woven through the structure itself.
The deeper they stepped inside—
The more alive the place felt.
Not crowded.
Focused.
Every mage moving through the grounds carried purpose.
Discipline.
Power.
And several of them had already noticed the newcomers.
Eyes tracked them briefly from the sparring rings.
Especially Anna.
Especially Lara's spirit.
Then—
The obsidian doors shut behind them.
The sound boomed through the chamber.
The wards sealed.
And instantly—
Anna felt Alistar surge within her core.
Not agitated.
Relieved.
Like something finally allowed to breathe.
Anna barely had time to react before golden resonance burst softly from her chest.
A small figure launched outward into open air.
Alistar.
Golden resonance scattered softly through the chamber as Alistar spiraled happily into open air.
The tiny dragon gave an excited trill and banked once above Anna's head, clearly thrilled to finally be outside the confines of her core.
And immediately—
Chaos.
"ANNA—" Lara hissed in absolute panic.
Kaelen reacted even faster.
"Oh gods, hide him!"
Before Anna could even process what was happening, Kaelen was already tearing his academy jacket off like a man responding to an active assassination attempt.
Alistar blinked mid-flight.
Confused.
Kaelen lunged.
"GET DOWN HERE!"
"Kaelen—" Anna started.
Too late.
Kaelen jumped, caught the little dragon against his chest with surprising reflexes—
And immediately wrapped him in the black academy jacket like he was smuggling illegal explosives through customs.
"There," Kaelen whispered urgently. "Nobody panic."
The bundled jacket wriggled.
A muffled indignant chirp emerged from inside.
Lara was already looking around wildly.
"Did anyone see?!"
Several nearby Obsidian Circle trainees looked over.
Paused.
Then calmly returned to training.
One of the instructors actually sighed like this was mildly inconveniencing his concentration.
Meanwhile, the jacket in his arms started glowing gold.
Alistar's head popped out from the top opening immediately, looking deeply offended.
The tiny dragon chirped loudly.
Kaelen shoved him gently back inside. "No. Absolutely not. You are a state secret."
Anna had both hands over her mouth now trying—and failing—not to laugh.
Lara pointed frantically at the glowing jacket bundle.
"He's leaking!"
"I KNOW HE'S LEAKING!"
A nearby cadet walked past carrying training spears.
They glanced directly at the tiny glowing dragon head poking from Kaelen's jacket.
Then kept walking.
Kaelen froze.
Very slowly, he looked toward Kael Draven.
Who stood exactly where he had been the entire time.
Watching all of this unfold with perfect calm.
One pale brow slightly raised.
"…You all know," Kaelen said.
"Yes," Kael replied.
Kaelen stared at him blankly.
"The entire Circle knows Anna has a dragon."
"Correct."
Kaelen stared at Kael for another long second.
Then slowly looked back down at the bundled jacket in his arms.
"…I have made several mistakes today."
The jacket wriggled violently.
Before Kaelen could react, Alistar shoved his head out again.
The tiny dragon fixed Kaelen with what could only be described as a deeply offended expression.
Golden eyes narrowed.
Tiny nostrils flared.
His wings gave one irritated flick from inside the coat bundle.
Anna immediately lost whatever composure she had left.
"Oh no," she laughed softly. "He's mad at you."
"I was protecting him!" Kaelen replied in a panic.
Alistar chirped sharply.
Not convinced.
Then, with dramatic indignation, the little dragon climbed fully out of the jacket and leapt down onto the obsidian floor.
He landed neatly.
Paused.
Then slowly lifted his head with all the pride and wounded dignity of an ancient emperor personally betrayed by his own court.
Kaelen watched nervously. "…Why does he walk like he's judging kingdoms?"
"Because he is," Anna replied through laughter.
Alistar turned his head just enough to give Kaelen one final disapproving stare.
Then—
With a sharp flick of his back feet—
He kicked a spray of dust directly at Kaelen's boots.
Kaelen blinked.
"…Did he just throw dirt at me?"
Alistar chirped smugly.
Then turned and walked away with his tail raised high, wings slightly spread in visible offense.
Not fleeing.
Not hiding.
Strutting.
Like an insulted noble.
Anna laughed outright now, one hand against her forehead.
"Oh gods," she managed between breaths. "You offended him."
"I wrapped him in a jacket for national security!"
Alistar didn't even look back.
The tiny dragon continued marching across the training grounds with exaggerated dignity while nearby Obsidian Circle trainees calmly stepped around him like this happened often enough not to question anymore.
One cadet even gave him a respectful nod in passing.
Alistar chirped approvingly back.
Kaelen looked devastated.
"He likes them more than me already."
Lara was laughing now too, though she was trying much harder to hide it. Even the nymph seemed amused, tiny flowers blooming rapidly along Lara's shoulder while she watched Alistar parade away in righteous outrage.
Kael Draven observed the entire scene with calm interest.
"…For future reference," he said smoothly, "dragons generally dislike confinement."
Kaelen slowly turned toward him.
"You could have shared that information before I tried to smuggle him like illegal fireworks."
"I could have."
"That sounded intentional."
"It was."
Kaelen pointed accusingly. "You people are impossible."
Kael's faint smile returned.
"And yet," he said glancing toward the offended little dragon, "you accepted the invitation anyway."
Kaelen looked toward Alistar.
Then toward the hidden training grounds surrounding them.
Then toward the obsidian-black banner hanging overhead.
Finally, with the exhausted resignation of someone realizing normalcy had permanently abandoned his life—
"…Yeah," he admitted.
"I did."
Alistar eventually stopped near the far edge of the training grounds.
Still visibly offended.
The little dragon sat atop the low stone barrier surrounding one of the larger sparring rings, tail flicking slowly as he watched two advanced Obsidian Circle members trade strikes across the warded arena below.
The duel was fast.
Too fast for most first-years to follow comfortably.
One combatant wielded compressed wind blades that shrieked through the air in silver arcs while the other manipulated layered earth barriers with precise defensive timing. Wards around the ring pulsed brightly each time the attacks collided, dispersing the force safely into the surrounding obsidian framework.
Alistar watched intently.
Not playfully.
Analyzing.
Nearby trainees had begun noticing him more openly now, though no one interrupted. A few exchanged curious looks at the sight of a dragon calmly observing advanced combat drills like an instructor reviewing poor technique.
Back near the entrance, Lara adjusted her shoulder automatically—
Then blinked.
"…Wait."
The nymph was gone.
A blur of pale green darted across the training grounds.
Tiny feet pattered lightly over obsidian stone as the Eldergloom nymph hurried toward Alistar with surprising speed, flowers blooming in her wake where her mana brushed the ground.
Kaelen pointed immediately. "Your forest child escaped."
"I can see that!"
The nymph reached the stone barrier and climbed up beside Alistar without hesitation.
The little dragon glanced sideways at her.
Still dignified.
Still slightly insulted.
Then—
The nymph reached out and tapped him once on the back.
Softly.
Alistar blinked.
Turned.
And noticed something else approaching behind her.
A low metallic hum rolled softly through the chamber.
Kaelen's eyes widened instantly.
"…Wait."
Something inside the small reinforced pouch attached to his belt shifted violently.
Then—
A silver blur launched itself out into open air.
The compact mythril construct unfolded mid-leap with rapid clicking precision, segmented plates rotating outward as blue resonance lines flared alive across its frame.
By the time it hit the ground—
It had fully assembled.
Not full-sized.
Not yet.
But large enough now to stand nearly waist-high with sleek mythril limbs and glowing blue eyes fixed directly ahead.
Toward Alistar.
Toward the nymph.