Chapter 9

The distant chime of the school bell and the hum of morning announcements drifted to their ears. As they stepped out of the house, the Watsons exchanged glances, knowing that reaching Stellaerio in another twenty seconds was simply impossible. 

Well, mortals definitely wouldn't make it on time.

But none of them were.

Two TinXi. One dragon. Good enough.

With a deep breath, they lifted their legs to a perfect ninety-degree angle and sprang forward. Their movements were swift, leaving behind only a blur as they sliced through the air.

The security guard had just given the rusty gate one last tug before he headed back to the guardhouse to enjoy his freshly brewed mocha latte. In fact, his hand was still on the lock when the Watsons leapt over the barrier, landing on the opposite side.

A sudden gust of wind swept through, snatching the guard's black cap and revealing the messy strands atop his half-bald head. Shocked, he turned around to check the time, only to see the minute hand move to 7:30 a.m. a few seconds later.

They were right on time.

"Huh... That was very... very close." Kingsley rested a hand on his knee and wiped the sweat dangling down his chin with the other. 

"Yes... We don't usually run this fast, not even when chasing those Mynheex." Lyn chuckled, her breath coming in quick gasps as she headed toward the hall.

To their surprise, assembly was canceled, and the students were told to return to their respective classes. When they went back to 5 Lilium, Miracle's hand hovered over the doorknob, momentarily taken aback to find the seat beside hers empty.

'Rex is absent?'

Was he angry at her for missing their meet-up last night? 

An anonymous wave of guilt churned in her, thinking about all sorts of danger he might be exposed to.

Kingsley stepped forward and held the door open. He lowered his hazel-brown eyes to meet hers, wondering what was wrong. Rather than saying anything, Miracle shook her head and faked a smile.

Just as Miracle was about to ask someone in the class about Rex, she heard steady, thudding steps approaching from not far away. She dropped her bag on the floor and rested her chin on her palm, pretending to prepare for the lesson like any student was supposed to.

Nancy entered, holding a stack of books with terms like chemical reactions and chemistry equations printed on the covers. Though she always tried to make the class interesting, it just didn't work out as she expected. Miracle never managed to listen to her lessons. Now, with this "Rex-thing" going on inside her mind, the more she couldn't concentrate.

'Rex, please be okay,' she prayed.

For two periods, Miracle stared at the board, at those symbols that certainly made no sense to her. It felt like an eternity. So lost in her thoughts, she could hardly keep up with the lesson. When she finally snapped back to reality, she realized that she had missed the discussion about the four beakers Nancy had sketched on the board, leaving her completely out of sync with the class.

She stretched her neck in Jessamine's direction to catch a glimpse of the correct page number.

Jessamine noticed it and slid her book nearer to the edge.

'49. Got it.' Miracle flashed her an OK gesture. 

The same friend winked and arched her tattooed brow when she saw the empty spot beside her. 'Rex?' her gaze asked.

Miracle shrugged and glanced away a bit too quickly—not to offend anyone, but to stave off the unease that was rising within her once more.

As soon as the second period ended, Miracle walked away. The class felt suffocated. She needed to breathe, and the rooftop was the only place in school where she could take a break from her life as a human. Of course, she couldn't transform into a dragon. All she could do was lie on the ground and stare up above, into the world where she belonged.

Sometimes, this was more than enough.

"Maybe Rex just isn't feeling well today. It'll be fine. Didn't I save a victim last night?" she comforted herself, outstretching her hand to stroke the wide sky.

Lumpy clouds dotted the sky, painting a distinct difference between the arctic blue and the pristine white. It was as beautiful as ever.

While she was absorbed in the tranquil sight above, something slipped out of her pocket—the half-magnolia jade. Holding it up high, she watched the weight slide to the middle of the blue yarn, shimmering under the sun. Her lips quivered, parted, and shut. Before she could react, tears once again welled up in her eyes as the agonizing scene flashed across the back of her mind...

"Myn... Mynheex is evolving..." He coughed up blood. "H-Humans wouldn't believe us..." As he struggled to speak, his bloody hand weakly traced down her trembling cheek.

"Xiao Xun! No, you're gonna be okay... You're gonna be okay!" She caught his wrist and pressed onto his chest, trying hard to cover the disappearance of his pearl.

"You know I'm not... Xue'er."

"Xun, please..." she wept. "You will be okay," she added, the latter half of her words barely escaping her lips, betraying the truth she was trying to hide.

"I'm s-sorry..." His voice was barely a whisper, filled with despair. "Sorry that I... I lost..."

"No, you didn't! Hang in there. I'll get Master to do something!" She stood to leave but Xun held her back.

"It's useless... My pearl is gone," he said, horns protruding from his forehead, melting away his remaining disguise. "Fallen angels took it away."

"I'll get it back for you." She grabbed his scaly palm and muffled against it, "I'm going to get it back for you. So, please... Don't..."

He flashed a weak smile at her, and the next second, the hand in her grasp fell to the ground, sealing the fate of his thousand years of immortality in a heartbreaking silence.

"XUN! XUNN!"

She shook his lifeless body drenched in a pool of red, watching the human figure slowly dissolve into the blue dragon she cared about deeply. "XIAO XUN!! No... D-Don't go. I... I promise I'll get it back for you! Come back!"

She waited.

And waited.

But there wasn't any response.

Because there wasn't going to be any.

Her childhood friend was dead.