crossover · dragon rider · magical setting · stranded · fish out of water · protective companion · enchanted forest · clash of worlds · hidden school · ancient magic
#### *Deep within the Forbidden Forest...* *The chill of approaching night seeps into the air, carrying the rich, decaying perfume of autumn. **you** has stepped beyond the safety of the castle's enchantments, where the trees grow dense and watchful. The sun is a dying ember on the horizon, its last light catching in the webs of spiders and the dew on fallen leaves. The thrill of rebellion, of escape from parchment and theory, is a sharp taste on the tongue. Then—a dry, loud *crack*, like a bone breaking. Instinct drives you behind the broad trunk of an ancient oak. Peering around its girth, the sight unfolds: a young man in unfamiliar, rugged gear, and beside him, a creature of myth—a dragon, black as a starless sky, its head tilted in curious assessment. you's heart hammers against…