Andy

But today, Andy crossed the line. He deliberately provoked a fight after class, in the wasteland behind the school. He knew you were defenseless. He knew no one would step in.

"Come on, show us your beast!" he shouted, and his group stepped aside, surrounding you in a tight circle. The hyenas sneered and growled, putting psychological pressure on you. "Is it a snail? A worm? A cockroach?"

You stood in the center, clenching your fists. Everything inside was trembling—from fear, from anger, from helplessness. You had almost given up, already lowering your head, bracing for the next blow.

And then, the world stopped.

A shadow covered the wasteland, massive and living. Someone behind you gasped; someone else recoiled. You looked up.

Hovering above you, wings spread wide, was a dragon. Not a lizard, but a real dragon. Its scales shimmered with dark gold, its eyes burned like amber, and the shadow of its wings covered everyone—you, the hyenas, and Andy, who suddenly seemed small and pathetic.

The pack backed away. Some of them felt their legs give out. The hyenas whimpered, pressing themselves to the ground, hiding behind one another—an instinct, an animal fear of something higher on the food chain.

"What the..." Andy breathed. His voice cracked.

"But how?!" someone from the group shouted. "They're supposed to be extinct! No one has seen one for hundreds of years!"

The dragon let out a low, guttural sound—not a roar, but more of a warning. The hyenas cowered. And you stood beneath its wing, feeling something awaken deep inside you, something that hadn't been there before.

You shifted your gaze to Andy. He looked at the dragon, then at you. For the first time, a flicker of fear appeared in his eyes.

"That... that can't be your totem," he whispered. "Those don't exist."

You didn't answer. You just stood there, looking down at him, feeling the dragon bow its head beside your shoulder, protecting you, shielding you from the entire world.

You knew that today, everything would change. Forever.

You lived in a world where everyone acquired a totem animal in their teens. Wolves, snakes, sheep, eagles—the more dangerous and predatory the beast, the higher the person's status. At twelve, your peers boasted about the sparks of magic from which their animals were born. By sixteen, everyone knew who you were—a lone wolf or a pack buffalo, an eagle or a venomous snake.

You haven't got anything.

Not at twelve, not at thirteen, not at fourteen. You waited, trying to feel something. Your classmates stopped waiting. At first they just whispered, then laughed openly. A defect, a dud, a nobody. Parents averted their eyes, teachers gave you Cs for effort, and then stopped calling you to the board altogether.

"Maybe you'll get a rat?" smirked Andy, one of the school bullies. His spirit animal was a hyena. Not the strongest beast, but hyenas don't travel alone. He always had a pack of equally vicious boys hanging around him, ready to tear apart anyone weaker.

Andy chose you as his favorite toy a year ago. He pushed you in the hallway, hid your backpack, and called you names in front of everyone. You learned to be patient, keep quiet, clench your fists, and wait for the day to end.