The academy loomed ahead, its lights flickering through the icy fog like a distant sanctuary. My legs felt like they would give out any second, and Dragonir, barely conscious, was practically dead weight at my side. But I didn't care—I couldn't stop now. Not when we were this close.
The doors to the academy creaked open as I pushed them with what little strength I had left. The warmth inside hit me like a wave, but it did nothing to quell the cold fear still gripping my chest. I rushed through the halls, supporting Dragonir, his body slumped against me.
The dean's office was the first place I headed. She'd know what to do, she had to. I burst through the door, Dragonir groaning softly beside me. Dean Illara looked up from her desk, eyes widening for a moment before narrowing, her usual look of composed control settling back into place.
"Miss Seraphina," she began, her tone calm and annoyingly neutral, "what is the meaning of this?"
"Dragonir needs help," I gasped, dragging him a little further inside the office. "We both do. Something happened, we... we were attacked. I don't know where Eleri is. She... she tortured him. Please, you need to help us."
Dean Illara's gaze flicked between us, her expression unchanging. "You've broken protocol by leaving the grounds without permission. This is a matter the academy will investigate, but for now, the infirmary will suffice for your injuries."
I stared at her, my mouth open in disbelief. That was it? "That's all you're going to do? Investigate? We could've died out there!" My voice was louder than it should've been, echoing through the office. I felt Dragonir's weight grow heavier as he leaned more into me.
"You're clearly alive," she replied curtly. "Now, get yourselves to the infirmary. The rest will be dealt with in due time."
Useless. She was absolutely useless.
My heart raced with a mix of anger and desperation, but I couldn't afford to waste time arguing. Dragonir needed help, and I wasn't about to wait for some slow investigation to start. Without another word, I turned and hurried us out of the office, my mind racing as I guided him down the hall towards the infirmary.
By the time we stumbled into the sterile, too-bright room, Dragonir was barely conscious. I helped him onto one of the beds, my own body trembling from the cold and exhaustion. His bruised and bloodied face barely moved, his eyes half-open, struggling to focus on anything.
I grabbed a kit from the cabinets, my hands fumbling as I searched for bandages, antiseptic, anything that could help him.
"Stay with me, Dragon," I murmured, pulling up a stool next to him. I started working quickly, cleaning the cuts and bruises on his chest and arms, my hands gentle but my heart racing. "I've got you, okay? Just... just stay awake."
A soft chuckle escaped his lips, though it sounded more like a groan. "You know... this is probably the least cool I've ever looked."
I glanced up at him, managing a small smile despite everything. "I don't know, you make the unconscious look pretty dashing."
His lips quirked up in a faint smile, his eyes blinking sluggishly. "Dashing, huh? Think that'll... help with the ladies?"
"Maybe if the ladies are into beaten, bloody dragons," I said, trying to lighten the atmosphere. It was almost a reflex, a way to fight back the panic still surging through me. I wrapped a bandage around his forearm, carefully avoiding a nasty gash.
"Lucky for me... you seem to be into that," he mumbled, his voice trailing off as his head lolled back.
I snorted, gently slapping his shoulder. "Shut up and let me patch you up before you start thinking I like doing this."
Despite the banter, my chest tightened as I continued to work. His body was a mess of bruises, gashes, and cuts, each one telling the story of what Eleri had done. I fought back the memory of her twisted smile, the way she had looked at me—possessive, dangerous, unhinged. But worse than the fear was the guilt, the confusing knot of emotions tangled deep inside me.
Eleri had broken me in more ways than one. And as much as I hated her, part of me... couldn't shake the way her touch had felt. It wasn't just fear I had felt. It was something else. Something darker, something I was ashamed of.
I shook my head, forcing myself to focus. Dragonir needed me right now. "There," I said softly, finishing the last of the bandages. "That should help. You're not going to win any beauty contests anytime soon, though."
Dragonir opened his eyes fully for a second, his expression softer, more serious. "I don't care about beauty contests... just glad you're okay."
Something in my chest fluttered, and I quickly looked away, focusing on cleaning up the blood-stained bandages. "Well, I'm okay... because of you."
He let out a weak laugh. "Don't give me too much credit. I wasn't exactly helpful."
"Don't be an idiot. You were." I met his gaze again, this time with more conviction. "I wouldn't have made it out if it weren't for you."
For a moment, we just sat there in silence, the weight of what we'd been through pressing down on us. The tension from earlier was still there, lingering between us, but now it felt different. Lighter, somehow. Like we were both just glad to be alive, even if we didn't know what was coming next.
"Seraphina," Dragonir's voice was softer now, more vulnerable. "I couldn't... protect you. I was supposed to... but I couldn't. I feel—"
"Stop," I cut him off, reaching out to take his hand, surprising even myself with the gesture. "You didn't fail, Dragon. We're alive. That's what matters."
He looked at our hands for a second, then back at me, his expression more open than I'd ever seen it. "Thank you," he whispered, the words barely audible, but I heard them.
I smiled, giving his hand a light squeeze before letting go. "Now get some rest, okay? You need it."
He nodded, his eyes already starting to close. "Yeah... I think I'll take you up on that."
As Dragonir drifted off into an exhausted sleep, I stayed by his side, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. The events of the past day weighed heavy on my mind—the danger, the fear, the confusion—but in that moment, sitting there with him, I felt... safe.
For the first time in a long time, I didn't feel alone. And that was enough for now.