Aurora.

The Northern Academy's ballroom was traditionally adorned with ice sculptures.

From every corner, over the students and guests watched, the frozen statues of the Academy's founders, as well as its most distinguished deans and rectors. Predictably, all of them were dragons or descendants of the founding dragons.

While I turned my head, admiring the great dragons, Maximilian confidently led us toward the center of the dancing couples.

"Are you ready to dance, Aurora?" his confident voice whispered right by my ear, and I shivered as his warm breath brushed my skin.

"I hope I don't end up stepping all over your feet," I smiled at my companion and, pulling my gaze away from the sculptures, shifted my attention to those twirling around the hall to the soft melody.

In their lavish gowns, the upper-year students from our faculty swirled in the center of the ballroom.

There weren’t many boys in the Domestic Magic faculty, so the girls' dance partners were equally well-dressed dragons. In their dark tailcoats, they looked haughty, and most of them wore expressions of detached indifference.

The requirement to have a female escort was the only thing that pushed many of them to invite girls from the Domestic Magic faculty.

Even within a year at the Academy, girls from even the simplest families learned the proper manners and dances. As a result, the upper-year girls were able to accompany their proud partners without breaking any rules of etiquette.

Among the dancing pairs, I easily spotted a beaming Camilla in her dark red dress. It seemed that her meeting with Sky's parents went well, as the couple looked relaxed and content.

"You're off in your own world again, Aurora. Could it be that other partners interest you more than the handsome dragon by your side?" Maximilian whispered, catching me off guard once again.

This time, he managed to fluster me. I had indeed kept forgetting about my companion while trying to take everything in.

"It’s my first ball, Maximilian," I began to explain, but the dragon interrupted before I could finish.

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"Max," he corrected me, "You’ll have plenty of time to admire everything. But first, a dance, my curious Frosty. As a senior and heir to a great house, I’m expected to make a public appearance with my partner. Consider this my farewell dance within the Academy's walls. Afterward, you can examine every detail for as long as you like, even until morning," he said, slightly irritated, before helping me remove my coat and leaving it on a chair beside one of the statues.

During the pause between dances, Max confidently led me to the center of the ballroom and extended his hand, dramatically inviting me to dance.

Until the new melody began to play, I had to bow in reverence and freeze, as the hired teacher taught us at home.

The first chords of the traditional Winter Waltz suddenly sounded in the hall, announcing that all the representatives of the great families were in the hall and ready to watch the farewell dance within the walls of the Academy.

For my first dance, this was too much of a responsibility.

During the Winter Waltz, the young dragons weren't just dancing — they were releasing their magic, a part of which would forever remain within the Academy's walls, helping to strengthen the barrier that keeps the northern winds at bay.

Since Maximilian was an earth dragon, his magic would be the strongest. After all, the Terragon family had founded the Northern Academy and set up the invisible barrier that stops the frost from spreading south.

"Don’t worry, Frosty. My beast won’t hurt you. Just don't resist the magic, and everything will go smoothly. Ready?" Maximilian whispered, and I nodded, placing my hand in his warm one.

The moment the dragon pulled me closer, his touch practically burned my skin. We took our first steps, and a collective gasp echoed through the hall as two powerful forces intertwined in the dance.

Maximilian’s eyes turned black, like a void, and his already dark hair seemed even darker.

“Relax, Aurora, my beast senses your fear,” he whispered in an unnaturally low voice.

His dark eyes locked onto mine, peering deep, as if searching for every secret hidden inside. I could feel his elemental spirit, freed from its restraint, exploring my magic like a predator studies its prey.

My breath quickened, and it felt like the floor beneath us disappeared.

Only the intense magic and his strong grip kept me grounded, preventing me from falling into the darkness.

I wanted to look around, to see how his magic mingled with Skylar’s, how it sank into the core of the Academy. But those black eyes held me captive, making it impossible to look away or even breathe freely.

Instead of hearing the music, all I could hear was my own heartbeat, pounding in my ears.

“Breathe, Frosty. Almost done,” the dragon growled again, and only then did I realize I’d been holding my breath, too afraid to move.

The surge of magic began to ease, and I finally took a deep breath.

“You’ve forgotten my name again, dragon. I’m Aurora,” I rasped out, my voice barely audible.

Max gave me a slight smile and, at last, blinked, releasing me from the grip of those dark eyes.