Chapter 125: Earthquake

The murmurs of teachers finally reached Lira’s ears: "Earthquake! Rocks are falling from the mountains!"

Her heart skipped. From the distant peaks, massive boulders had begun tumbling down, rolling faster with each moment toward the academy’s rear grounds. The shaking underfoot intensified, and dust billowed from the slopes. Teachers barked orders:

"Students with lower elemental control, move to the front of the academy! Stronger students and dragons, defend the academy!"

Lira didn’t hesitate. Her mind raced. Her training room... at the back. If the rocks hit, it could be crushed, her hard-won fire and earth practice lost forever. She knew she had to act.

She hurried behind the groups forming at the rear doors, dodging panicked younger students rushing forward. As they stepped outside, the sight stole her breath. Rocks of all sizes rolled down the mountainside, smaller ones slowing with grass and roots, but enormous boulders barreled relentlessly toward the stone walls of the academy.

Dragons took flight immediately, wings beating powerful gusts to redirect the smaller rocks. Older students raised their hands, directing their elements—water sprays to soften some falls, earth barriers to split others. The air was thick with tension and the scent of displaced soil and dust.

Lira positioned herself in the lines of other strong students. Her vines twitched instinctively, sensing the ground’s tremors.

The first large boulder hit the ground near the academy, bouncing dangerously. Lira surged forward, grounding herself. Thick, thorny vines erupted from the earth beneath her, wrapping tightly around the rock’s base. She strained, pulling with all her strength as cracks spread across its surface.

Beside her, other students were doing the same: splitting rocks with earth blasts, redirecting rolling debris, and guiding smaller boulders safely away.

The second boulder, much larger, thundered closer. Lira’s vines wrapped around it, wrapping multiple times, trying to slow it. Her muscles burned from exertion, but the rock creaked and groaned under her grip. Dust and pebbles rained around her as it cracked and crumbled under the combined pressure of earth magic and sheer determination.

Her heart pounded with fear and exhilaration. Every rock she stopped, every chunk she crushed, meant her training room and academy remained safe. She felt the raw power of her element, the strength of her control growing with each struggle.

From the corners of her vision, Lira saw dragons and older students coordinating in perfect unison, redirecting smaller rocks with gusts of wind, streams of water, or rapid earth spikes. Even the tiniest students, guided to the front, were safe under shields and elemental walls.

Still, the mountains were not done. More rocks tumbled, larger, heavier, testing every ounce of strength and coordination the students and teachers could muster. Lira’s hands ached, her vines stretched taut, yet she did not falter. The academy depended on them.

Lira felt truly part of the defense, not just an observer or learner. Every boulder stopped, every vine stretched to the limit, was proof of what she and her peers could accomplish together.

The mountains did not relent. More rocks tumbled down, bouncing and rolling faster than ever. The rumble of falling stone shook the ground, echoing through the academy walls. Students, teachers, and dragons worked in unison, their elements weaving a delicate but fragile defense.

Lira had been at the front for minutes, her vines straining beyond what she’d thought possible. Each vine she sent out wrapped around a boulder, twisted to split it, or anchored it to the ground. Her arms ached, sweat dripped down her face, and dust clung to her hair.

Yet the incoming rocks only grew larger, heavier, faster. One massive boulder, jagged and rolling like a small mountain, surged toward her line. Lira’s vines shot out instinctively, wrapping around the stone, but the sheer weight and speed tore them apart, snapping with a sound like dry branches.

Her chest heaved. Panic clawed at her throat. She felt the fire element stir within her, a sudden heat blazing in her palms. She tried to reign it in, gripping the vines tightly, willing herself to hold only the earth, but the flames surged, whispering to break free, to defend, to erupt.

The rock was too close. Every instinct screamed danger. Lira stretched her vines again, desperation lending strength—but the stone cracked them once more, coming nearer with terrifying speed.

Then, almost impossibly, a figure leapt into view before her. Time seemed to slow as the shape materialized, landing firmly between Lira and the rock.

The girl was breathtaking. Muscles rippled beneath her special attire, a combination of flexible armor, dragon scales, and patches of fur. Her horns curved upward, black with deep crimson highlights that glimmered even in the smoky dust. Flames flickered faintly around her hands as she extended them toward the incoming boulder.

Without a moment’s hesitation, the girl’s fire erupted from her palms, striking the rock with a searing blast. Smoke and sparks filled the air as the stone melted, crumbling to nothing before it could reach Lira. The heat scorched the ground, and the acrid scent of molten stone filled her nose.

Lira blinked, frozen, awe-struck. Her vines quivered, her palms still tingling from the fire she had nearly unleashed, but all focus was on the girl who had just saved her from certain disaster.

The girl turned slightly toward Lira, crimson eyes sharp and commanding, voice steady and strong despite the chaos.

"Get up," she said, her tone both firm and protective. "Don’t just stare. If you’re tired, stay a bit behind the line. I will be in front. Be careful."

Lira’s knees shook, but she scrambled to her feet, heart hammering. The girl’s presence radiated confidence and power, and for the first time since the rocks began falling, Lira felt hope instead of pure fear.

The dragon-shifter girl pivoted seamlessly back toward the incoming debris, sending a volley of fireballs, precise and devastating, toward several tumbling boulders. Each one disintegrated before touching the ground, leaving streaks of smoke and the scent of scorching stone in the air.

Lira watched, stunned and grateful. She had been moments away from disaster, yet now she stood unharmed, her training and quick thinking supplemented by this incredible ally. She clenched her fists, determination mingling with awe.

I have to thank her later... Lira thought, eyes still fixed on the girl, who moved like a living inferno, protecting the line with skill and raw power. The rock had been too close, and without her, Lira knew she would have been crushed.

As more rocks tumbled down the mountains, Lira felt a surge of courage. With the strong girl in front, she could try again, push her vines farther, and contribute without letting fear paralyze her.

The line held, the students pressed forward, and Lira realized something important: strength could come from more than her own element, sometimes, it came from those brave enough to stand in front of you.

The chaos of tumbling rocks continued, each boulder larger and faster than the last. Lira gritted her teeth, hands steadying her vines as she lunged, twisted, and stretched them toward several rolling stones. Her heart pounded, every nerve alive with tension. The air was thick with dust, the acrid scent of scorched earth, and the low rumble of boulders hitting smaller barriers.

Beside her, the dragon-shifter girl with crimson-tinted horns moved like a force of nature. Fireballs erupted from her hands, obliterating the largest stones, while smaller rocks were crushed or redirected by older students and dragons. Lira felt a surge of both fear and admiration, following her lead, pushing her vines farther, wrapping, twisting, and cracking boulders.

Some rocks were enormous, jagged mountains in miniature, threatening to smash the academy walls or crush the students. Lira’s vines strained, splitting and snapping under the sheer weight, but she refused to retreat. Every second counted. Sweat and dirt streaked her face; her palms tingled as the fire within her surged, barely contained, a warning she tried to ignore.

A boulder, massive enough to bury a small building, rolled directly toward her line. Lira lashed out with all her vines, wrapping and coiling them around the stone. They held, for a heartbeat. Then the rock shifted, tearing the vines apart. Panic flared, and instinct took over.

The fire inside her erupted uncontrollably. She had tried to hold it back, but the surge was too strong. Flames burst from her hands, twisting into arcs of molten heat, smashing against the boulder. Sparks flew, smoke curled, and with a deafening crack, the rock exploded into pieces, the debris scattered harmlessly across the ground.

For a moment, silence fell. Students and dragons froze mid-action, eyes wide at the sheer display. Lira’s chest heaved, smoke curling from her hair and hands, vines still trembling. Her heart raced, and panic threatened to overwhelm her, she had lost control, and the intensity of the fire startled even herself.

Then came the applause. Students cheered, dragons gave loud, approving cries, and even some of the older teachers nodded in stunned respect. Lira’s knees wobbled as adrenaline and relief collided, and she realized she had helped save the academy in a way no one expected.

Sagirus and other teachers approached, their expressions serious yet impressed. The dragon-shifter girl gave her a quick nod of acknowledgment before stepping back, her eyes full of pride and caution.

From the crowd, a familiar, calm voice rose: "Lira." Lady Thalyris, her dragon horns catching the last rays of sun, strode forward. Her gaze was sharp, but not unkind. "We cannot hide this for long. What you just did... it was powerful, uncontrolled, and visible to many. We will need to debate this later."

She paused, eyes sweeping over the students still buzzing with excitement. "Once we finish handling these rocks, come to my office. We need to discuss your fire element, and how we can guide it safely before anyone else notices its true strength."

Lira nodded, hands still shaking from the surge of power. Her chest heaved, and for a moment, she felt both exhilaration and fear. She had done it, she had defended the academy, but the realization of how strong her fire could be, and how little she could sometimes control it, made her stomach twist with nerves.

Still, as she looked at the cheering students and the scorched but intact academy grounds, she felt a flicker of pride. She had faced something enormous, put everything into the fight, and survived, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.

The line of students slowly reorganized, and the teachers resumed directing defenses, but Lira stayed slightly apart, catching her breath, feeling the heat of the fire fade from her hands. Lady Thalyris’s words lingered in her mind: this power could no longer be a secret forever, and the future would demand mastery, focus, and guidance.

And Lira knew that despite the fear, despite the nerves, she was ready to face it.