The morning sun spilled across Rivergroown, painting the rooftops gold and warming the cobblestone paths that wound between the houses. Kaida Rayne—just Kaida, as far as anyone knew—pushed open her bedroom window and inhaled the pine-scented air. The town was waking up, birds chattering in the maples, and somewhere down the street, a screen door slammed as Mr. Holloway left for work.

Kaida’s room was small but cozy, with a pile of library books stacked beside her bed and a faint, lingering scent of caramel sea salt cookies from last night’s snack. She ran her fingers over the newest singe mark on her pillowcase—just another reminder that her dreams were anything but ordinary. She sighed and tucked it under her pillow before her mom could notice.

Downstairs, her mother, Liana, hummed a soft tune as she packed lunches for the day. Kaida watched her for a moment, feeling the familiar pang of guilt. Liana had no idea what her daughter really was—no idea about the fire that sometimes sparked from Kaida’s lips while she slept, or the strange dreams of dragons and glowing rivers. To Liana, Kaida was just a quiet, bookish girl who loved cookies and stories. That was the way it had to stay.

After breakfast, Kaida grabbed her backpack and headed out the door. The walk to Rivergroown Junior High was short, but Kaida always took her time, savoring the quiet moments before the bustle of school. She waved to a neighbor, Mrs. Hightower, who smiled and asked if she was excited for the Mystic Fall Festival next month. Kaida nodded, even though the thought of crowds and noise made her uneasy. She was already dreading the rumors that would swirl if another fire incident happened.

As she crossed through Twin Pines Park, Kaida paused by the six dragon-shaped stones that circled the swampy clearing. Most kids ignored them, but Kaida always felt a strange pull. Sometimes, in the corner of her eye, she thought she saw the stones shimmer, as if they were waiting for something—or someone.

Just before reaching school, Kaida spotted her friends waiting by the entrance. Jax waved, Mei Lin was already buried in a book, Trey cracked a joke, Alina sketched something in her notebook, and Noah looked up from his debate notes, giving her a half-smile. They were her people, even if they didn’t know the real Kaida.

But as she joined them, she felt the familiar weight of her secret pressing down. No one could ever know about her fire breath, the strange dreams, or the whispers in the wind that sometimes called her name. If they found out, she’d become a headline. Worse, she might draw the attention of something ancient and dangerous—something that had been waiting for a girl like her for three thousand years.

Kaida took a deep breath and stepped into school, ready to face another day as the most ordinary girl in Rivergroown. But beneath her feet, beneath the town itself, the hidden world of the Dragon Shapers stirred, sensing that change was coming.

The bell rang, and the hallway of Rivergroown Junior High erupted into a cacophony of slamming lockers and shouted greetings. Kaida shouldered her backpack, her gaze flickering to the singed corner of her science notebook. She’d nearly set it on fire last night during one of her dream episodes, but luckily, she’d woken up in time. The incident had left her shaken, and she’d spent the rest of the night staring at the ceiling, wondering if tonight would be the night she’d finally lose control.

Jax nudged her elbow as they headed toward homeroom. “You okay, Kaida? You look like you didn’t sleep much.”

Kaida forced a smile. “Just stayed up too late reading. You know me.”

Jax grinned. “Yeah, I do. Bet it was some crazy fantasy book, right?”