The Dragon's Soul. Unveiling the Truth

Chapter 28

“For what? Apologize for what? Are you insane? ‘Daughter of the Supreme’? Is that all you are?”

“How dare you—!”

Her hand struck my face hard.

The scorpion on my neck stirred. Power surged through me, but anger shattered my focus. I lunged at her, grabbing her hair too.

She fought back, scratching, striking.

Everyone was watching.

No one intervened.

They just watched — curious, entertained, waiting to see how it would end.

“You’ll regret being born!” Eleanor screamed. “I’ll make you kiss the ground I walk on!”

“You’re a sick psychopath!” I shouted back. “The ground deserves better than you!”

“That’s enough! Have you lost your mind?” Noah Aquaris’s voice cut through as he pulled me away from her.

“Eleanor, Eli, are you okay?” girls from her circle rushed to her.

“She hit me! You all saw it!” Eleanor cried out to the crowd. “Report this to the rector immediately. Get this lunatic expelled!”

“I’m the lunatic? You’re the one attacking me! What is wrong with you?”

“That’s enough, Ariel,” Noah said firmly, gripping my shoulders. “Eli, ignore her. She’ll apologize.”

“Exactly, let her ignore me and stay out of my life. Maybe then she won’t disgrace her precious Supreme father.”

“I’ll kill you!” Eleanor lunged at me again.

“Try it!” I snapped.

Only Noah standing between us kept it from turning deadly.

The scorpion on my chest lifted its tail.

I felt its power.

And I was ready to kill her.

Rage consumed me.

“What is that?!” Eleanor shrieked. “What’s on your neck?! You pathetic thief, give it back! Do you even know what that is?”

All eyes turned to the black scorpion pendant.

“Ariel… what is that? Where did you get it?” Noah asked, alarmed.

“None of your business. I don’t owe you explanations.”

“Give it back!” Eleanor screamed.

“Ariel, give it to me,” Noah repeated.

“Have you all lost your minds? I’m not giving anything to anyone.”

Noah tried to tear the pendant from my neck but the Androctonus flared into flames against my skin.

“This isn’t something you can just take or steal,” I said coldly. “And if you come near me again, Supreme’s daughter… you’ll regret it. I am unstable. I won’t hold back.”

I ran outside.

The fire inside me was clawing for release. I rushed into the park, barely aware of where I was going. I needed to be alone, because if I wasn’t, I would unleash it like a fire-breathing dragon, burning everything in my path.

“Ari, calm down. Take off the pendant. The fire inside you is hard to control. Be careful with the scorpion.”

I couldn’t answer her.

Silently, obediently, I pulled the chain from my neck and sank beneath a large tree. My breath came in ragged bursts and then the tears came.

“Better?” Aria asked after a while.

“Yes… better. What was that?”

“That was the scorpion. Fire isn’t your dominant element. You’re not ready to control it.”

“But I thought it accepted me.”

“It did. You can use it. But fire isn’t your true element. And if you’re not careful, you won’t even notice when it starts consuming you from the inside.”

“Then what is my element, Aria? Do you know?”

“Not yet. An hour ago, I would have said fire — you handled it too well.”

“What am I supposed to do? You realize that insane daughter of the Supreme won’t leave me alone. Maybe I should just leave the Academy… before she kills me or I kill her.”

“Ari, don’t be foolish. You’re not capable of killing anyone. And she will pay for her sins — sooner or later. Life moves in cycles. What you set in motion… always comes back.”

I smiled faintly.

The corner of my lip stung—a small cut left from the fight.

“I’ll give the scorpion back to him.”

“Don’t rush.”

“I don’t want to wear it. It doesn’t suit me. I’m afraid of it. I’m afraid of myself. If it weren’t you… I don’t know what would’ve happened. It was stronger than me.”

“It takes time. Power demands knowledge and control. You’ll get there. I believe in you.”

“Thank you,” I whispered.