Aaric stood at the edge of the training grounds, the distant roar of dragons rolling through the valley like thunder. The wind cut sharp across the bowl of the field, stirring the scent of smoke and sulfur. He clenched his jaw.

This was Threshing. The moment where theory became truth, and names became either legend or memory.

Around him, first years paced or whispered final prayers. Aaric remained still. Calm. Focused. His pulse beat steady, though his mind churned beneath the surface. Not because of the dragons he had trained for this. He was ready. But because the moment he bonded, there would be no more hiding.

If the dragon chose him… it would be the first step toward open defiance.

A crack of air split the silence a dragon’s roar echoed off the ridgeline. He felt the pull then. Not just instinct, but something deeper. Calling him forward.

He stepped into the fields, every movement purposeful. The time for hiding would come later. For now, he was just another cadet in the eyes of Basgiath. But when he met his dragon’s gaze, he knew the truth:

His real trial had only just begun.

Night had fallen on Basgiath, the sky streaked with fading stars and ash. He'd survived. Bonded.

Around him, cadets buzzed with stories..

But Aaric scanned the crowd for only one face.

“You survived,” he said softly as he approached, lips curling into a quiet, genuine smile. For the first time all day, he let his shoulders drop.