"I can't believe we're about to graduate," said Krin, the brown-haired boy standing in front of the massive academy building. The dragon insignia carved into the stone walls gleamed in the morning sun.
He turned to his best friend. "Dante, it's been quite the journey, hasn't it?"
Dante stood beside him, black hair falling across his face in that careless way that made all the girls swoon. He was one of Rising Dragon Academy's brightest stars, blessed with the rare ability to harness aura—a talent so unique that only a handful of people in the world possessed it.
His record spoke for itself. Three young dragons killed, each one rated as a Catastrophe-level threat. Over seventy monsters slain in portal raids. Every student in the academy knew his name. Every teacher praised his skill.
"I guess," Dante mumbled, hands buried deep in his pockets. His voice carried that same bored tone he always used, like nothing in the world could surprise him anymore.
Krin shook his head with a smile. He'd been trying for years to get Dante to show more enthusiasm, especially around the younger students who looked up to him. But that was just who Dante was—calm, cool, and completely unaware of how famous he'd become.
"Isn't that Dante?" a girl called out as she walked past in her fitted academy battle suit. "Dante, good morning!"
Dante smiled and waved back politely. But before he could take another step, more girls appeared as if from nowhere.
"Dante, can you teach me how to use a sword?" One girl pressed close to his left arm, her body pushing against him in a way that made his face turn red.
"Dante, can you show me your training routine?" Another girl grabbed his right arm, squeezing even closer than the first.
"Dante, can we hang out after school?"
"Dante, will you—"
More and more girls surrounded him like a flock of hungry birds. Dante's eyes grew wide with panic as he found himself trapped in the middle of their circle. His face burned with embarrassment.
Poor Krin got pushed to the side, watching his friend's suffering with a helpless sigh. This happened every single day, and while most guys would kill for this kind of attention, Dante looked like he wanted to disappear into the ground.
"What's going on here?"
The sharp female voice cut through the crowd like a blade. Everyone froze.
Standing at the academy gate was a beautiful young woman with fiery red hair that seemed to glow in the sunlight. She had the kind of figure that could stop traffic and the kind of face that belonged on magazine covers. Even first thing in the morning, she looked perfect.
The moment the girls saw who it was, their faces went pale. They scattered like leaves in the wind, leaving behind a confused Dante and a very nervous Krin.
"We're dead," Krin whispered to Dante. "And this is all your fault! Why do I always get dragged into your problems when I'm completely innocent?"
He turned to face the red-haired girl with his hands raised in surrender. "Freya, I swear it was all him! I had nothing to do with—"
A large ball of fire shot toward his head before he could finish. Krin's eyes went wide, but he calmly raised one hand. The moment the flames touched his palm, they simply dissolved into nothing.
"Every time I see you do that, I'm amazed," Dante said, genuine respect shining in his eyes.
Krin immediately shook his head, looking offended. "Don't compare my useless talent to yours. All I can do is cancel attacks. I can't hurt anyone with this power. It's completely worthless in a real fight."
"Hey, where's the party at?" a cheerful voice called out.
The three friends turned to see another group approaching from the left side of the building. Leading them was a blonde boy with his hair tied back in a ponytail. Behind him walked a girl with snow-white hair that seemed to shimmer like ice, and beside her was an elegant girl who carried herself like royalty.
"Hey there," Dante waved back, his whole face lighting up with a genuine smile. These were his real friends, his team, and seeing them always made him happy.
The white-haired girl's cheeks turned pink when she saw Dante's smile. Krin and Freya both noticed, sharing a knowing look.
"Good morning, Captain," the ponytailed boy said to Dante, but Dante quickly shook his head.
"We've been through this before," Dante said, pointing to the elegant girl. "Captain Mia is our appointed team leader."
Mia shot him a glare that clearly said she didn't need his help to remind people, but Dante pretended not to notice.
"You can say that all you want," Freya said, giving Mia a challenging look, "but we all know who the real leader is around here."
Mia's face flushed red, her noble composure cracking just a little.
Krin could feel the tension building between the two girls like storm clouds gathering. "Maybe we should head to the headmaster's office now?" he suggested quickly.
"Yeah, let's go," Dante agreed, stepping forward before another fight could break out.
The group walked through the academy's main entrance, their footsteps echoing in the grand hallway. None of them knew that this would be the last normal day of their lives.