Back at the academy, Jelo, Mira, Atlas, and Ken walked toward the dorms under a haze of whispers. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the academy grounds, but the usual bustle of students had transformed into something different. Something heavier. Students lined the pathways, gathered in clusters near the dormitory entrances, their conversations dying to hushed murmurs as the four of them passed.

Eyes tracked their movement with unconcealed curiosity.

Jelo kept his gaze forward, jaw tight, aware of every stare that landed on him like a physical weight. Beside him, Mira walked with her head slightly lowered, exhaustion evident in the slope of her shoulders. Atlas trudged along, hands shoved deep in his pockets, while Ken maintained his usual composed expression, though even he seemed uncomfortable with the attention.

The whispers weren't subtle.

"That's them, right? The ones who went through the portal?"

"I heard they were missing for almost two days. The masters had to launch a full rescue mission."

"They're the reason the entire academy went on lockdown."

"Do you think they really saw ihe? Like, actual ihe?"

The murmurs followed them like a tide, rising and falling but never fully receding. Some students pointed openly, not even bothering to hide their interest. Others simply stared, their expressions ranging from awe to resentment to fear.

But the eyes that lingered on Jelo were different.

"Wait, is that really Jelo? The same Jelo from our combat class?"

"When did he get so tall?"

"And… handsome? Did he always look like that?"

"No way. He definitely changed. Something's different about him."

Jelo's fingers curled into fists at his sides. He'd noticed the changes too—the way his reflection in the mirror had sharpened, the way his shoulders had broadened just slightly, the way his features had become more defined. The dragon evolution had altered more than just his internal strength. It had reshaped him physically, noticeably enough that people who'd barely registered his existence before now couldn't stop staring.

Atlas noticed it too.

He glanced sideways at Jelo, then at Ken walking on the other side, then back at Jelo. His expression soured, lips pressing into a thin line.

"Great," Atlas muttered under his breath, though loud enough for Jelo to hear. "Now you look as handsome and impressive as Ken. That's just perfect."

Ken raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Atlas kicked at a loose stone on the pathway, sending it skittering ahead. "Guess that officially makes me the lone loser of the group now."

The bitterness in his voice was unmistakable, though beneath it lay something more fragile. Hurt, maybe. Or fear of being left behind.

Jelo didn't hesitate.

He stopped walking, forcing the others to pause as well. He turned to face Atlas directly, his expression serious.

"You're not a loser, Atlas," Jelo said firmly. The conviction in his voice left no room for argument. "You're the most courageous person I know."

Atlas blinked, clearly caught off guard.

"I mean it," Jelo continued. "when things got dangerous in that city, you didn't run. You didn't freeze. You fought alongside Ken. That takes guts. Real guts. And courage alone—" Jelo met his friend's eyes steadily, "—disqualifies you from being a loser."

For a moment, Atlas just stared at him. Then his throat worked, swallowing hard. He looked away, blinking rapidly.

"Yeah, well…" Atlas's voice came out rougher than usual. "Figured we were going to die anyway, least I could do was die fighting"

-----

Inside their dorm room, the familiar space felt both comforting and confining. Atlas flopped onto his bed with a heavy sigh, staring up at the ceiling. Ken moved to the desk, Jelo sat on the edge of his own bed, exhaustion settling into his bones.

For several minutes, no one spoke.

Then Atlas broke the silence.

"So," he said, still staring at the ceiling, "why didn't you ever tell us? About your powers, I mean."

Jelo's shoulders tensed. He'd known this conversation was coming, but that didn't make it easier.

"And why did Mira know first?" Atlas continued, propping himself up on his elbows to look at Jelo. There was no accusation in his tone, just genuine curiosity mixed with a hint of hurt. "Did you not trust us or something?"

Jelo exhaled slowly. "It wasn't about trust. I didn't tell anyone on purpose. Mira… she discovered it by accident."

Ken paused his organizing, listening now.

"It was during that class trip to the ruins a few months ago," Jelo explained. "Remember when we split into groups for the exploration exercise? Something happened while we were separated. I lost control for a moment, and Mira saw. I didn't have a choice but to explain."

Understanding dawned on Atlas's face, his expression shifting as pieces clicked into place. "That's when you two got close, isn't it? After that trip. You were barely friends before, and then suddenly you were always together."

Jelo nodded. "She kept my secret. Helped me figure things out when I didn't know what was happening to me."

Atlas was quiet for a moment, processing. Then his expression shifted to something more uncertain. "So… am I like you? Am I a dragon too?"

The question hung in the air.

Jelo immediately pulled up his system interface, focusing on Atlas's profile. The familiar translucent screen appeared in his vision, visible only to him. He scanned through the information, searching for the race classification.

His brow furrowed.

**Atlas Reeves**

**Race:** *Unclassified*

"I don't know yet," Jelo admitted, meeting Atlas's gaze. "The system can't identify your race clearly. It just lists you as unclassified."

Atlas's face fell, though he tried to hide it. "Oh. So… maybe I'm just normal after all."

"Or maybe you're something the system hasn't encountered before," Jelo countered quickly. "Either way, I promise I'll find out. Whatever you are, whatever potential you have—I'll help you figure it out."

Atlas managed a weak smile. "Yeah. Okay."

The conversation lulled, each of them lost in their own thoughts.

xxx

Eventually, Jelo stood. The room felt too small suddenly, the walls pressing in. "I'm going to clear my head. I'll be back later."

No one stopped him.

He wandered the academy hallways, avoiding the main corridors where students still gathered in buzzing clusters. His feet carried him without conscious direction, eventually leading him to an empty classroom on the second floor of the east wing. The door was unlocked, the room dark except for the fading sunlight streaming through the windows.

Jelo entered and sat at one of the desks near the back, slumping forward with his head in his hands.

His mind churned with worries.

Atlas. The uncertainty of his friend's situation gnawed at him. What if Atlas really was just human? What if he'd been exposed to dragon blood but it hadn't taken? What if—

And then there was the more immediate problem.

The Dabba heart.

He needed another one. The system had made that clear. But now, with the academy on high alert and portals to the Forbidden City surely under strict guard, how was he supposed to obtain one? The masters would never allow students near those areas again, not after what had happened.

Jelo's fingers pressed against his temples.

"This is such a mess," he muttered to the empty room.

"Jelo?"

A female voice called his name, soft and familiar.

Jelo didn't look up, assuming it was Mira. "You should be resting," he said tiredly. "You pushed yourself too hard out there."

"Resting?" the voice asked, a note of amusement coloring the word. "Why would I need to rest?"

Something in the tone made Jelo pause.

That wasn't Mira's cadence. The inflection was different. Warmer, but with an edge of something else.

Slowly, Jelo lifted his head and looked up.

His breath caught.

Standing in front of him, was Tessa.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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