Stillness in the Storm - Chapter One
Reed’s first day at Tusk Valley University is supposed to be uneventful—blending in, staying quiet, keeping his secret buried. But a strange emotional flicker in the hallway and an even stranger student in class threaten to derail that plan before it even begins. With Nova in his ear and instincts on edge, Reed starts to realize: some things you can’t pretend away.
Chapter One.
Walking the halls of Tusk Valley University feels like navigating a maze. The signs make no sense. Everyone’s yelling over each other just to be heard. And the few who are paying attention? They look at me with confusion, concern… even pity.
Dragons aren’t exactly common around here—especially not one without wings. Most assume I lost them in an accident. Others don’t even believe we exist at all. Makes blending in damn near impossible.
My name is Reed. I’m what was once known as an Etherian Dragon.
Now? I’m a myth. A story. Maybe even a legend, depending on who you ask—though most don’t believe I ever existed at all.
My kind is gone. Extinct. Forgotten. Well… except for me.
I don’t know why I’m still here. I don’t have some divine purpose. I’m not special. At least… I didn’t used to be. Recently, I've discovered I have a bit of a knack for reading people. I can sort of… feel their emotion and what they’re thinking. Although not exactly what they’re thinking—just how they feel about it. Some might say I’m a bit of an empath.
You might be wondering: What would a 700-year-old dragon be doing in college?
Honestly? I needed something to do.
Eternal loneliness is… boring, for lack of a better word. It drags. It wears on you.
I don’t need this place. I already know everything they teach—I’ve kept up with every field of study for centuries. But at least here, surrounded by noise and strangers… I can pretend. Pretend I’m just another face in the crowd. Pretend I’m not the last of a forgotten species. Pretend I’m not alone.
"God… this place is beyond confusing," I say to myself, still trying to find my way to the first class on the schedule.
Just then, someone brushed past me in the hallway—quickly, unintentionally. They didn't look back, just kept walking, headphones in, tail swaying lazily behind them.
But for a moment… something flickered.
Not in the air. Not visibly. Just a feeling. Like my empathy caught a pulse that didn’t belong to the chaos around me.
I turned my head slightly, watching their figure disappear into the crowd.
They didn’t notice me, I suppose. I didn’t exactly get a good look at them, but for a second I could’ve sworn they looked canine… though that tail was shaped oddly feline.
"Weird…" I mutter, trying to remain unfazed. "Ah! Here we are! Room 319, Mr. Hilton. Supposedly a class on ancient civilizations and forgotten cultures. Great. Just what I needed—a lecture on history written by people who lived centuries after the shit actually happened."
I open the door and slip inside, keeping to the back row. The room smells like dry-erase markers and too much recycled air. Mr. Hilton hasn't arrived yet, but a few students are already chatting about last week's reading material like it's gospel.
"I give it three minutes before someone confidently misquotes the Cradle War. If I had blood pressure, it’d be spiking," Nova grumbled in my ear, already preparing to be disappointed.
I stifle a laugh.
If only they knew how off they were. The so-called "Dawn of the Obsidian Age?" It didn’t dawn—it stumbled face-first into existence after a wine-fueled trade dispute between two idiot kings. I was there. It wasn’t profound. It was embarrassing.
Nova would've had a field day with that one.
I really need to find a way to correct this absolute insult to history. For the meantime, I think I'll just keep to myself and try to focus on the bits they get wrong so I don’t look like a psycho when my answers come back “too accurate.”
Just then, the bell rings and everyone stops talking almost at the exact same time. A few awkward seconds of numbing silence later, a door opens and out walks a tall, sharply dressed arctic fox with white fur so well-groomed it nearly glows under the fluorescents.
Almost completely contrary to what his form would suggest, a deep, rumbling voice fills the room.
"Good afternoon, class. Today we have a new student joining us—Reed. Reed, would you mind introducing yourself?"
No. This can't be happening.
I knew I should’ve waited until next year to start school. Dammit, Nova and your persistent nagging. I just wanted to be a shadow in the back of the room—unnoticed. But here we are.
"Uh… bear with me here. My sinuses waited until today to start acting up and it kinda hurts to speak. I’m going to try to keep this short," I say, fully bullshitting my way through this.
"Good morning, everyone. My name is Reed and I just transferred from Duskvale University. I’m, uh… 22 years old, and I look forward to meeting and studying with you all."
"You said you wanted to stay under the radar, then proceeded to hit the crowd with a voice crack and a fake sinus infection," Nova said through my earpiece. "Brilliant stealth, Reed. Just brilliant."
"What a fucking nightmare. That was just embarrassing. Oh, and shut up, Nova," I muttered just loud enough for him to hear, but no one else. What a start to my school year.
"Correction," Nova chimed with zero remorse. "This whole thing was my idea. Your execution, however, was entirely your own tragic doing."
The door clicked shut behind someone else. I looked over, casually at first—then did a double take.
Crimson fur with bold, vivid purple stripes. Makes a tiger look like one solid color. His tail swayed behind him. But wait… that tail. That doesn’t look like a normal canine’s tail. Not canine--It was too fluid. Feline maybe?
The late student spoke, "I apologize I'm late, Mr. Hilton. Administration kept me with them longer than intended. I don't have a note from them unfortunately though."
Mr. Hilton nodded politely. "Have a seat. Zale, please stay after for a few moments at the end of class."
I looked around and saw at least seven open seats, all equally distant from everyone else. I chose the one that seemed the least exposed—and then it happened.
He walked toward me without hesitation and sat right next to me, despite all those empty seats.
"Did you really have to sit here, dude?" I thought to myself.
As soon as he sat down, I felt a strange calm settle over me. Not the kind that came from comfort—this was unnatural. Subtle, but off. The anxiety I’d been drowning in just seconds ago didn’t vanish… it softened. Like something had pressed a blanket over it.
"Okay… that wasn’t you, right?"
I didn’t answer. My eyes were still locked on Zale, but he was already looking ahead like I didn’t exist. The pressure in my chest eased with every breath — not from calming down, but like something external had taken hold and decided I didn’t need to spiral anymore.
"Reed, you’re freaking me out. I know your resting panic face. That’s not what this is."
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, curling my tail tighter around my leg.
Could he have something like me? Was that even possible?
Zale didn’t say anything. He just pulled out a notebook, tapped a pen against it twice, and started writing as if he hadn’t just walked in like a walking highlighter and short-circuited my entire nervous system.
Whatever that was… it definitely wasn’t normal.
And just as Mr. Hilton began to speak, Zale glanced at me again—only for a second—and smiled.
Like he knew.
End of Chapter One.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading Chapter One of Stillness in the Storm! This story has been such a passion project, and I’m beyond excited to finally start sharing it. Reed and Nova have lived in my head for a while now, and there’s so much more coming—mystery, emotion, maybe even a little chaos. I’d love to hear your thoughts, theories, or favorite moments. Chapter Two is in the works, so stay tuned!
- Vaporesso