The chaos around me was deafening—students shouting, beasts braying, and royal knights barking orders—but it all felt distant, like I was underwater. My hands were clammy, clenched tightly at my sides, and my legs felt as though they might buckle any second. My mind raced, flitting between the unknown threat outside and the all-too-familiar fears inside. What if this is another invasion? What if David is out there, fighting right now? What if… I shook my head, forcing myself to focus.
The platform shook violently, knocking a younger cadet to the ground. I reached out instinctively, helping her up as tears streaked her face. “It’s okay,” I muttered, though I didn’t believe it myself. All around us, the beasts in the stables were panicking—the dragon’s roar cutting through the din as it rattled its chains. Below, Diana and her generals were shouting orders, their voices firm even in the chaos. The sight reminded me of my father, Jonathan, and how he’d commanded troops with that same confidence. I used to think nothing could shake him. That was before he disappeared.
It had been two years, but the memory still haunted me. His squad had been ambushed during a skirmish with rebels, or so they said. Not a single trace of them was ever found. One moment, he was leading his men; the next, he was gone, like he had shimmered into nothingness. I could still hear my mother’s quiet sobs in the dead of night and see David’s clenched jaw when no one was looking. My father had been our pillar or strength, and his absence had left a gaping void. Now, every alarm, every evacuation, brought it all rushing back.
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The royal knight closest to us shouted over the chaos. “Year 5s, lock arms and prepare to shimmer!” Around me, my classmates moved quickly, linking arms and muttering nervously. I followed suit, but my gaze drifted back to the stables. Diana was unchaining the dragon, her movements swift and deliberate. For a second, I imagined myself in her place—leading, commanding, protecting. But what if I failed, like my father had?
The hum I’d heard earlier, that low mechanical growl, was louder now. It wasn’t just my imagination—it was real, and it was coming closer. My chest tightened, and I tried to suppress the rising panic. Stay calm. Focus. Think. The royal knight raised his hand, counting down. “Three, two, one—go!”
And then, weightlessness.
For a brief, fleeting moment, the chaos fell away, replaced by the peaceful stillness of glimmering. But when I landed in front of the War Memorial, the blaring alarms and shouts brought it all crashing back. I looked up at Jason’s statue, gleaming gold in the sunlight. He’d fought against impossible odds and triumphed, becoming a legend. I wondered if my father had felt the same pressure before his final mission. Did he think of his family? His kingdom? Or had he simply fought because it was his duty?
“Move it, Cadet!” a knight barked, breaking my reverie. I stumbled forward, joining the flow of students toward the bunker entrance. My heart pounded as I glanced back at the sky, half-expecting to see something break through the invisible barrier that protected our kingdom. Whatever was out there, I had a sinking feeling it wasn’t something we were prepared to face.