DARKSTALKER

Darkstalker was lounging beneath a large tree, his eyes half-lidded as he rested in the soft sunlight. Whiteout was curled up near his tail, her delicate white scales nearly blending with the ground beneath her. "Aren't we going in?" she asked, her voice light but laced with curiosity as she stretched out a wing.

Darkstalker sighed, letting his gaze linger on the horizon for a moment. "I want to meet her out here," he replied, his voice carrying a mix of anticipation and calm. His heart beat a little faster at the thought of meeting her. The world seemed to hum with the promise of something big.

Whiteout hummed thoughtfully, but didn't press further. She stood up and brushed his wing with hers, a comforting touch. "I'll go inside then. See you," she said, her voice warmer than usual, and she swept into the school with a graceful flick of her tail.

Darkstalker stood and shook himself, wings stretching wide as he glanced around. The school grounds were busy, students milling about, but his focus sharpened when a flash of red caught his eye. His heart skipped a beat, and a smile tugged at his lips as he stood and began making his way toward the source of the color.

As he neared, he didn't realize how quickly he had closed the distance until—bump—he collided softly with a form he hadn't expected. He looked down, meeting the eyes of a SkyWing dragonet. She was smaller than him, her red-copper scales glinting like fire in the sun. For a moment, the world around him seemed to pause.

"Do I know you?" he asked, his voice calm, though a spark of recognition flickered in the back of his mind.

The SkyWing dragonet smiled, her amber eyes glowing with a playful light. "No, no you don't." She paused, her gaze lingering on him, and Darkstalker could feel her studying him, just as he studied her. "I don't know you either—" she hesitated, as though something shifted, and then, with a soft laugh, she added, "Well, maybe I do."

Darkstalker's smile widened, a quiet triumph settling in his chest. He could feel the connection, the undeniable pull that was starting to form between them. It's happening, he thought, a smirk curling on his face. The moment he'd been waiting for was finally unfolding before him.

"So..." he prompted, unable to resist pushing for more.

Luminara laughed again, the sound so light and sweet it made his heart race. "Oh fine, you goober, I do know you." She stepped closer, wrapping her wings around him in a hug. Darkstalker embraced her tightly, his mind spinning with joy and excitement. This is it, he thought. I'm embracing my soulmate.

But then, as they pulled apart, Darkstalker caught something out of the corner of his eye—a subtle shift in the atmosphere. He turned his head, his smile faltering for just a moment. He saw her—Clearsight—standing just behind Luminara, her posture stiff and her head slightly ducked, her presence so much like a quiet storm.

Luminara, ever perceptive, noticed Darkstalker's shift in focus and immediately pulled back, her expression flickering with uncertainty before she spoke. "Oh, right, I should introduce you. Darkstalker, this is my friend Clearsight," she said, her voice a mix of friendly warmth and a trace of something Darkstalker couldn't quite place.

Clearsight didn't say anything, but there was something in her eyes—a quiet challenge, a flicker of something unspoken—that made Darkstalker's heart stumble for a moment. He was aware of her gaze, of how she stood just behind Luminara, watching him with a level of scrutiny that made him feel strangely uncomfortable.

He smiled at Clearsight, though it didn't reach his eyes. "It's nice to meet you," he said, the words sounding a little too hollow, a little too forced.

Luminara looked between them, her brow furrowing in confusion. She knows—Darkstalker couldn't help but think. She feels it, too.

The air between them suddenly seemed thicker, charged with something that neither of them could quite put into words.

"So," Luminara said, her voice cutting through the tension that hung thick in the air, "are you going to attend this school?"

Darkstalker smiled, a knowing glint in his eyes. "I am," he replied smoothly, brushing his wing against hers in a gesture that felt almost instinctual. "And I'm delighted about it now that I have you to look out for me."

Luminara laughed, her laughter light and carefree, a sound that seemed to lift the heavy mood that had settled between them. Clearsight's lips twitched in what could almost be called a smile, though it was small and hesitant, as if she were unsure whether or not to let the moment pass. Darkstalker noticed, his gaze lingering on her for a split second, but then he turned back to Luminara.

He took a small step forward, his large, dark frame lowering slightly as he brushed his snout against Luminara's head with a gentle nudge. It was a simple, intimate gesture, but it felt like an unspoken confirmation of something deeper—something undeniable.

"Let's go inside," Darkstalker suggested, his voice soft yet firm, as though making a decision for the both of them.

Luminara nodded, her long neck curving elegantly as she tilted her head with a smile that could only be described as radiant. Darkstalker couldn't help but admire the grace in her movements, the way her scales shimmered in the light. There was a beauty in her poise that took his breath away.

With that, the two of them began walking away from Clearsight, their steps in sync. Luminara's wings fluttered slightly as they moved together, a unity that Darkstalker couldn't ignore, though part of his attention lingered behind them.

Clearsight stood still, her gaze locked on them as they left. The weight of the moment settled in her chest, but she said nothing. She just watched as they walked away, a mixture of confusion and something else—something she wasn't ready to name—stirring within her.

And so, Darkstalker and Luminara disappeared inside, leaving Clearsight to stand alone in the quiet of the school grounds, the world around her carrying on as if nothing had changed.