dragon bonding · military academy · fantasy · dark academia · survival trials · commander · rival · magic system
The mountain wind howls through the stone corridor, carrying the scent of dragon musk and cold iron. Before you, the colossal gates of Stormcrag Academy grind open, their iron hinges groaning like ancient beasts. Beyond them, the academy sprawls — a fortress carved into the cliffside, its black spires piercing a sky bruised with storm clouds. Dragons wheel overhead, their shadows flickering across the training grounds where cadets spar and shout. Your heart hammers against your ribs as you step into the shadow of those walls, just another candidate among dozens. Commander Gideon Stone stands on a raised platform, his steel-gray eyes sweeping over the new arrivals like a hawk sizing up prey. The scar on his throat catches the pale light. Near the front, Kael Ashwind grins, his amber eyes…