Xuanxi opened her eyes and found that her hand was still clasped with Hildegrifa’s, while Hildegrifa’s eyes were still closed, seemingly not yet awake.
Xuanxi carefully studied Xige’s sleeping face. The usual cold, standoffish aloofness was gone, replaced by a gentle defenselessness toward her beloved, with a slight smile on her lips.
A moment later, Hildegrifa’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and her eyes slowly opened. She looked at Xuanxi, then closed her eyes again and buried her face in the pillow, as if still not fully awake.
Xuanxi curved her lips. “Good morning, Xige.”
“Good morning.” Hildegrifa’s voice was muffled in the pillow, carrying the haze of just waking up.
Neither of them moved, both enjoying the last day’s sunbath.
Xuanxi let go first. If she held on any longer, her hand would go numb. She sat up from the covers, her ink-green hair a tangled mess, and there was a red mark on her right cheek from something pressing against it.
Hildegrifa also sat up in bed, her silver-white hair equally disheveled. The two met each other’s eyes and reached for the comb on the cabinet at the same time.
“You go first.”
“You go first.”
“Your hair is sticking up more.”
“So is yours.”
Both of them laughed at the same time, a very light, soft laugh. The sound echoed in the empty dormitory for a moment, then vanished completely.
Xuanxi handed the comb to Xige, who took it and began to comb her own wildly tangled hair. Her movements were practiced—starting from the ends, strand by strand, slowly untangling the knots.
Silver-white strands slipped through her fingers like a flowing Milky Way. Xuanxi watched her comb for a few seconds, then lowered her head and began to finger-comb her own ink-green mess.
“When you go home for winter break, remember to practice your spells more often.” Xige’s voice came from beside her, still in that flat tone.
“Your water blade’s condensation speed is too slow. During the battle in Echo Valley, it took you forever. Luckily we were there to help you stall the dragon lizard, or you’d have been defeated long ago.”
“Got it.”
“After awakening five heavenly marks, your perception range should have expanded. Find a quiet place at home to test it. Remember: don’t show off in front of others, except me.”
“Okay.”
“Eat your three meals on time. Don’t cut corners. Your wounds aren’t fully healed yet. If your nutrition isn’t sufficient, it’ll affect your recovery.”
“I know. Anything else?” Xuanxi raised her head.
Hildegrifa looked at her, morning light reflecting in her amethyst eyes. “Yes. When school starts, I want to see you at least five pounds heavier.”
Xuanxi was taken aback. “Five pounds?”
“That’s right. Five pounds.”
“Are you going to weigh me?”
“Mhm. There’s a scale at the entrance of the cafeteria.”
Xuanxi wanted to ask, “How do you know there’s a scale at the cafeteria entrance?” but the words died in her throat. Don’t ask. If she asked, the answer would be that Xige had noticed it from her usual observations.
“Alright,” Xuanxi said. “I promise you. At least five pounds heavier.”
Xuanxi pulled up her suitcase, and Hildegrifa shouldered her backpack. They both reached out at the same time, their fingers threading through each other’s, interlacing tightly. Neither spoke, neither let go. Together, they walked out of the dormitory.
The two arrived at the square in front of the Academy. By now, there were far fewer carriages in the square. Most students had left last night or this morning. Only a few carriages remained, along with a couple of senior dragon-race students who were transforming to take off.
Elsa stood beside the Ashen Family carriage, her short brown hair fluttering in the morning breeze. When she saw Xuanxi and Xige walking out of the Academy gates, her eyes lit up.
“Xuanxi! What took you so long! We’ve been waiting forever!”
“Why haven’t you left yet?” Xuanxi walked over.
“Waiting for you, of course,” Elsa said matter-of-factly, then lowered her voice. “And I really wanted to see if Xige would do a dragon transformation and fly you to the teleport point again.”
Hildegrifa glanced at her, and Elsa immediately shrank her neck. “I didn’t say anything.”
Reginald walked over from beside the Steel Bristle Family carriage, holding two cups of hot drinks. He handed one to Elsa and one to Xuanxi. “For you to drink on the way.”
Xuanxi took it and found it was hot cocoa, a bit too warm. The heat from the cup passed through her gloves into her palm. She took a sip. It was perfectly sweet.
“Are your wounds healed?” Reginald asked.
“They’re fine now.”
“Remember to exercise more during break,” he said, in a tone almost exactly like Xige’s. Xuanxi looked at him. The expression on his face didn’t change, but she knew it was Reginald’s way of caring.
Valeris walked over from beside the Frostmark Family carriage, her ice-blue eyes fixed on Xuanxi for a few seconds.
“Five marks now,” she said softly.
“Mm.”
“Don’t force the sixth mark during break. After all, you Easterners advocate a method called ‘when conditions are ripe, success will come naturally.’”
“The transition from the fifth to the sixth mark requires a long period of precipitation. Pushing too fast will damage your body’s foundation.”
“Understood.”
Valeris nodded, turned, and walked toward her carriage, leaving.
Elsa watched her back and muttered, “Why does she always talk so cryptically?” But before she finished, Reginald pulled her away.
The crowd in the square grew thinner. The Ashen Family and Steel Bristle Family carriages drove out of the square one after another, followed by the Frostmark Family carriage. Only Xuanxi and Hildegrifa remained.
Hildegrifa walked to the center of the square and turned to face Xuanxi. Then her body began to change. Silver-white scales emerged from beneath her skin.
Her form expanded and elongated. Her limbs became thick dragon claws, and broad dragon wings swelled from her back.
A complete silver western dragon coiled in the center of the square, its amethyst dragon eyes looking down at Xuanxi from above.
“Come up, Xuanxi,” the dragon spoke, its voice sounding directly in her mind, low and gentle.
Xuanxi adjusted her luggage bag and climbed up. This time, she was more skilled than the previous two. Gripping the gaps between scales, stepping on the depressions of the dragon’s spine, she settled into position in no time.
The dragon spread its wings and beat them sharply. It took off, smooth as water. The winter sky was higher and bluer than the last time she flew.
Cold wind rushed past her ears, blowing her ink-green hair back into an arc behind her. In the distance, the teleport gate glowed faintly blue between the mountains, like a sapphire embedded in the earth.
Xuanxi hugged Hildegrifa’s back tightly, her cheek pressed against the silver-white mane. The faint scent of body wash seeped from the gaps between the scales, mixing with the cold winter wind.
They reached the teleport gate. Hildegrifa landed in front of it, folding her wings, landing with her hind legs first, then gently pressing her front claws onto the ground.
After Xuanxi slid down from the dragon’s spine, Hildegrifa transformed back into human form. Her silver-white hair spilled over her shoulders, and her dark gray dress looked a bit thin in the winter sunlight.
The two stood facing each other. The light of the teleport gate flickered beside them, casting a pale blue glow on both their faces. It was time to part.
“We’re here,” Hildegrifa said.
“Mm.”
Xuanxi looked into her amethyst eyes, and at those hands that would never reach out unless she spoke first.
Xuanxi curved her lips. “Xige.”
“Mm.”
“Happy New Year in advance.”
“…Happy New Year. You too.”
Xuanxi turned and walked toward the teleport gate. After two steps, she suddenly remembered something, stopped, but didn’t turn around. Instead, she raised her hand, pressed her palm to her lips, then waved it behind her, blowing a flying kiss. Xige’s body stiffened the moment she saw it.
The light of the teleport gate had already enveloped Xuanxi, and her body began to grow transparent.
In the midst of the glow, Xuanxi turned her head and took one last look at Hildegrifa—Hildegrifa stood there, one hand half-raised in the air, as if trying to grasp something, unsure whether to reach out or not. “See you when school starts!” Xuanxi shouted.
The light swallowed her. In the second before her vision went completely dark, she saw Hildegrifa’s lips move. There was no specific sound, but she could guess what it meant— “Wait for me.”
The light of the teleport array faded, and Xuanxi was standing in the Teleport Station of Border Town. Winter sunlight leaked through the cracks in the worn-out roof, falling on her shoulders.
The air smelled of rust, hay, and the smoke from distant chimneys—a world away from the academic atmosphere of the Academy.
She reached into her pocket and touched the moon-white handkerchief that Xige had given her after school started. Her fingertips traced the embroidery threads. ‘Within the seas, there are close friends; the ends of the earth are like next door.’ Her close friend was clearly Xige.
She curved her lips and walked out of the Teleport Station. By the time the moon was bright and the stars were few, she arrived at the familiar Blacksmith’s Shop.
Smoke rose from the shop’s chimney. Helasi stood at the doorway, his gray-brown scales gleaming in the moonlight, a hammer in his hand, his apron covered in iron filings.
“You’re back?” His voice was a bit hoarse.
“I’m back.” Xuanxi walked up and hugged him. Helasi froze, nearly dropping the hammer. He wasn’t used to hugs—his daughter had never willingly hugged him—but he still placed that rough, calloused hand on top of Xuanxi’s head and patted it gently.
“It’s good that you’re back. It’s good.”
Xuanxi buried her face in her foster father’s shoulder. She smelled rust, charcoal, and the lubricating oil that could never be washed out of his apron. It was completely different from the cool fragrance on Xige, but this too was the smell of home.
At the Academy gate, Hildegrifa was still standing there.
The light of the teleport gate had dissipated. Xuanxi’s figure had vanished. Her hand, still half-raised in the air, remained there for a long time.
She felt that Xuanxi’s flying kiss was like a freezing spell, locking her hand in place—unable to lift it, unable to lower it.
Finally, she lowered her hand and walked toward her family’s carriage. The driver, who had been waiting for a long time, opened the carriage door and bowed slightly.
Hildegrifa slipped into the cabin with practiced ease, sat down on the dark blue velvet seat, and pulled open the curtain.
The carriage started moving. The wheels rolled over the stone pavement, making a faint clattering sound. Hildegrifa leaned against the window, watching the scenery fly by—she recalled Xuanxi’s magical flying kiss as she left, and the New Year’s blessing she had shouted.
Thinking of this, the light in Xige’s eyes instantly softened. A hint of an unexplained smile flickered in them.
The carriage drove through the night toward the Edelstein Family’s castle. The driver, with professional dedication, did not turn around and knew nothing.