THE DRAGON QUEEN

Chapter 5 ~ Welcome to the Academy

The walls of the academy rose far bigger and more imposing than Janaeya had ever imagined.

From the outside, the entire place looked enormous, almost unreal.

Clouds drifted lazily around the towering structures, giving the campus the breathtaking appearance of heaven on earth. The flowers lining the pathways were unlike anything she had ever seen—vibrant, glowing and alive in ways ordinary blooms could never be.

Security guards stood at attention, though they looked more like fellow students. Janaeya suspected they were warriors gifted with immense strength and protective powers. It wasn’t the most fascinating ability, but it was far better than being hollow or cursed.

Towering above everything was the thirty-foot-tall gate, crafted from tightly bound ceramic and wood, intended to keep metal mages away from forcing into unauthorized areas.

As their carriage reached the main gate, the guards crossed their spears in a firm X, waiting for an introduction. Other carriages lined up behind them.

“From the Northern Division of Salsa, General Aivo Blackstone,” the coachman announced, handing over the acceptance letter.

The guards examined it briefly, then pulled their spears apart and granted entry. The carriage rolled forward toward the second gate.

The coachman glanced back at Janaeya. She sat rigid, tense and uneasy, completely lost in her thoughts. He shook his head with a slight smile.

“You should calm down, Young Mistress," he teased gently "You might get a heart attack before you even step inside.”

“Is it that bad?” Janaeya asked, her voice low.

“I think it’s normal, especially on your first day,” he replied. “You’ve been through worse living with your family all these years. You’ll be just fine, trust me.”

Janaeya took a deep breath. The cold academy air cooled her nerves and steadied her racing heart.

Not far from the entrance, several students her age were casually displaying their powers like seasoned experts.

One boy transformed a simple rock into a bouquet of blooming flowers. Another summoned a fireball from his palms and turned it into molten lava. Janaeya was still stunned when a girl arched her back gracefully. In seconds, glittering wings of feathers burst forth. She lifted into the air, struggling to fly. Then BOOM!, She made herself tiny, almost invisible.

She can fly with those wings and change her size at will? Janaeya thought in awe.

“That’s a fairy,” the coachman interrupted, observing the scene with her.

“A fairy?” Janaeya echoed.

“A very rare and incredible gift,” he explained further. “She doesn’t just fly and change sizes at will. You see those glittering feathers? Their shimmer can put you to sleep in seconds.”

“Really?” Janaeya breathed, completely amazed. She wished she possessed such powers, maybe then she could make her bully brothers sleep for as long as she wanted.

“This is as far as I go,” the coachman said, pulling the carriage to a smooth stop before the second gate. “The academy prohibits outside transportation beyond this point. You’ll have to walk from here.”

“So... this is the part where we say goodbye,” Janaeya murmured. She climbed down slowly and grabbed her luggage.

As she took a few steps forward, the coachman called out again.

“Young Mistress?”

Janaeya turned.

“Don’t let those peasants get to you,” he said with an encouraging nod.

Janaeya offered a small, teary smile and continued walking. She passed through the second gate and approached the registrar’s table.

“Name?” the registrar asked, her voice flat and bored.

Janaeya cleared her throat and straightened her posture. “Janaeya Blackstone,” she said gently.

The registrar flipped through her files, then looked up. “The General’s daughter?”

Janaeya felt the sudden urge to dig a hole in the ground and bury herself inside, because she already knew what was coming next.

“The cursed heiress?” the registrar added.

As expected. Janaeya didn’t know whether to acknowledge that name or not, so she simply stayed silent, staring back at the woman.

“I’m... sorry, you don’t need to answer that,” the registrar said quickly.

Janaeya rolled her eyes in slight annoyance. She had no plans of answering them anyway.

“Your tuition for the whole year has been paid in full. Please make your way to the girls dormitory and find the block assigned to you.” The registrar handed her a file and scribbled something down.

“You’re in the Shadow Block, Miss Janaeya Blackstone. All rules and regulations are in the documents given to you, but I’ll highlight the most important ones... No littering. No snooping in unauthorized areas, especially at night. And most importantly, no fighting.”

“The Shadow Block?” Janaeya asked, shocked. That was the only part that truly hit her.

“Yes, the Shadow Block. For uh... you know, delayed cases like yours. You got a problem with that?” the registrar asked.

Delayed cases? More like failed cases. Or better yet, cursed cases. Janaeya thought bitterly, but she forced a fake smile on her face.

“No, of course not,” she said, shaking her head.

Without asking any more questions, she grabbed her luggage and headed toward the girls dormitory.

The dorm was huge and beautiful, split into two distinct halves. The first half was perfectly decorated, freshly painted, with polished marble floors that gleamed under the light.

The other half, however, looked like a forgotten corner of the academy, more like a place where prisoners were kept than students. It wasn’t entirely ugly, but compared to the luxury Janaeya was used to, it was nothing special.

She didn’t need anyone to tell her which side was the Shadow Block. As she started toward it, a sharp voice rang out from behind.

“Well, well, well… who do we have here?”

Janaeya whipped her head around. The voice sounded familiar, and she was right.

It was Savannah. Savannah Blackstone, her cousin who unlocked her rare ice abilities during the awakening ceremony few days ago.

Beside Savannah stood two other girls. Their smirks and arrogant postures made it clear they were the academy’s mean girls.

“Janaeya, what the hell are you even doing here?” Savannah mocked. “Don’t tell me Daddy pulled strings and called in favors again.”

“This must be the cursed heiress everyone’s been talking about,” one of the girls muttered, looking Janaeya up and down.

“Oh, allow me to introduce you to my friends,” Savannah continued with a slow smirk. “This is Sasha. She’s a siren, with the ability to read minds, command you to do her bidding, and turn into a mermaid while in water. Incredible, right?”

Janaeya remained silent, though she was secretly impressed. She had heard stories about how cold sirens could be.

“And this is Rhea,” Savannah gestured to the blonde girl. “She’s a shape-shifter who can transform into your greatest nightmares.”

The three girls laughed mockingly.

“Girls, this is my cousin Janaeya,” Savannah announced dramatically. “She has no powers. She’s the cursed heiress.”

They burst into laughter again. This time, it genuinely pissed Janaeya off.

“Go away, Savannah,” Janaeya said firmly. “I don’t want any more trouble.” She tried to move past them, but the girls blocked her path completely.

“Trouble? No, darling... we’re here to give you worse than that.”

Janaeya’s mind raced. The registrar had strictly warned her against fighting, but Savannah wouldn’t stop unless someone shut her up. Before she could say another word, a new voice cut through the air.

“Stay away from her!”