Maya's POV
"Maya, drink it all." Master Frost pushed the hot cup toward me, his voice as cold as ice. "Every last drop."
I gazed at the bitter tea I was holding. It tasted worse and smelled like old socks. However, Master Frost waited for me to finish it while watching me with those piercing eyes.
"What happened last night with my egg?" Trying to sound brave, I asked. "I heard—"
"It was warm."
"You didn't hear anything." My words were cut like a knife by his voice. "Dragon eggs are quiet. You had a dream."
I wasn't dreaming, though. I was aware of what I had heard. My name had been called by my dragon.
"Drink," said Master Frost once more.
I swallowed the bad tea after raising the cup to my lips. It burned as it went down, and I immediately started to feel drowsy, which is a familiar sensation. As if someone were encircling my brain with thick blankets.
Master Frost said, "Good girl," but his smile was cruel. "Go to class now. Maya, too? Don't tell anyone about your ridiculous ideas. People may believe you're going crazy."
With my head spinning, I stumbled out of his office. I always felt weird after drinking the tea, but today it was even worse. Much worse. I was having trouble thinking clearly.
Just as the bell rang, I arrived at Flight Theory class. When I approached Aria and Tom, who were seated in our usual seats, they both turned away.
I sat down beside Aria and said, "Hey." "May I have your notes from yesterday, please? I was too tired to—"
Aria blurted out, "I need them," without looking at me. "I'm sorry."
It was strange. I was always the receiver of Aria's notes. Always.
"Tom?" My other best friend was my next port of call. "Can I—"
Tom claimed, "I didn't take notes yesterday," but I could see that he had a lot of writing in his notebook.
There was a problem. Totally wrong.
I was unable to concentrate when Professor Wind started the lesson on dragon flying patterns. My friends dodged my gaze and whispered to one another whenever I looked at them.
"Maya," said Professor Wind. "Can you explain to us how to mount a dragon properly?"
I tried to remember, but it felt like cotton was jammed into my brain. "Um... you climb on?"
Everyone in the class laughed. Tom and Aria both laughed.
Professor Wind shook his head and said, "That's not an answer." "Perhaps you should stop daydreaming and pay attention."
I was so ashamed that my face burned. I was aware of the answer. I had read it a hundred times. However, the words would not come.
I met Aria and Tom in the hallway after class.
"What's wrong?" I inquired. "Are you guys upset with me?"
Aria said, "Nothing's wrong," but she refused to give me a look. "We're just... busy."
"Busy with what?"
"Advanced dragon training," Tom stated. "For those whose dragons truly hatched, you know."
I felt as though I had been punched in the stomach by his words. I had never experienced such hatred from Tom. Never.
"Tom!" Aria growled. "Don't be—"
"What? " I'm simply being truthful," Tom shrugged. You've been here for three months, Maya. Admit it. Your dragon will not hatch."
My eyes stung with tears. "You're unaware of that."
"Everyone knows that," Tom stated. "Dead eggs remain dead."
"It's not dead!" I yelled. "It spoke to me and glowed last night!"
Aria and Tom exchanged looks. Then Tom burst out laughing.
"Are you now hearing voices? That's crazy, Maya. Perhaps you ought to consult the school physician."
"I'm not crazy!"
"Are you sure?" Quietly, Aria asked. "Because you've been acting really weird lately. Talking to your egg, dozing off in class, and failing all of your tests..."
"I'm not losing because I'm insane! I'm failing due to—" I paused. I was unable to tell them that the tea was making me feel strange. I had been warned not to by Master Frost.
"Because what?" asked Tom.
"Nothin'. Nothing at all."
Before they could watch my tears, I fled. I cried until my chest ached while hiding in an empty classroom. My closest pals thought I was insane. My dragon egg stayed silent and cold. And I never felt more alone.
But I needed to put in more work. I needed to show that I wasn't useless. I snuck into the practice room during lunch. Perhaps my friends would believe in me once more if I could just make a small spark or flame.
I stretched my hand and focused as intently as I could. "Fire," I muttered. "Just a little fire, please."
Nothing took place. I gave it another go. "Wind, lightning. "Anything!"
Nothing has changed.
I didn't hear the door behind me open because I was too concerned with trying to work magic.
I heard Aria say, "This is so sad." "She's spent an hour in here."
"Perhaps we ought to inform a teacher," Tom offered. "This isn't typical."
"No," a voice I didn't recognize said. Allow her to make a fool of herself. This makes it funnier."
I turned around. Three older kids I didn't know were standing in the doorway with Aria and Tom.
"Maya!" Aria looked taken aback. "We were just—"
I said, "You were just watching me fail." "As if it were a joke."
One of the older pupils stated, "It's not a joke." It's simply sad. The image of the entire school is being damaged by you."
"Stop talking!" I shouted. "You have no knowledge of me!"
The student laughed and said, "I know you're the girl who can't do magic." "Everyone is aware of you. You're well known for being useless."
"I'm not useless!"
"Prove it," said the pupil. "Start a fire. Create wind. Create anything."
I extended my hand once more while focusing so intensely that my head ached. I mumbled, "Please," to whatever magic was inside of me. "Please work."
Nothing.
The older kids burst out laughing. "You see? useless."
Then, however, an odd thing happened. I experienced a brief feeling of warmth in my chest. Something else, not the tea's drowsy warmth. There was a feeling of... power.
"Did you feel that?" I asked Tom and Aria. "Did you sense the enchantment?"
They shared anxious glances.
Aria said softly, "Maya, there was no magic." "You simply stood there."
However, I felt it! "I felt powerful!"
"You felt nothing," Tom stated. "Because you have nothing."
The senior pupils left, still giggling. Tom shook his head and followed them. Aria, however, stayed.
Tears filled her eyes as she approached me. She said, "Maya, I'm worried about you." "You're talking voices and the perception of unreal magic. Perhaps you ought to return home. before a negative event happens."
"A bad thing? "What do you mean?"
Aria looked frightened. "I heard some educators talking. They claimed that pupils who are incapable of using magic occasionally lose their heads. They begin to see and hear unreal things."
"I'm not crazy!"
"Then prove it," Aria said. "Teach me true magic. At this moment."
I gave it another go. I focused until my entire body shook. However, nothing took place.
Aria mumbled, "I'm sorry, Maya." "A person who is going insane is not someone I can be friends with."
I was left alone in the practice room when she left. I lowered myself to the ground and hugged my knees. My closest pals had left me. I was viewed by everyone as either insane, useless, or both. However, I was aware of my thoughts. I had power within. I simply couldn't get to it.
I took my dragon egg from my bag and clutched it. "Please," I muttered. "Help me if you're actually in there. This cannot be done by me alone."
The egg stayed silent and cold.
Then I heard footsteps in the hallway. Many footsteps. as well as sounds.
Someone said, "She's in there." "The crazy girl."
Another voice said, "Master Frost wants to see her." "He says it's time."
"Time for what?"
"Time to send her away."
My blood froze. They were chasing me. I was going to be removed from Sky Wing Academy. I clambered to my feet and scanned the space. There was nowhere to hide. Not a place to run.
Master Frost and three other educators came through the open door.
"Maya Chen," he said, grinning icily. "We need to talk."