The cafeteria buzzed with worried energy as students picked at their lunch, all talking about the Queen's warning.
Sam sat hunched over their tray, trying to become invisible while their torn coat hung loosely around their shoulders.
"I heard the scouts saw wings turning gray at the borders," whispered Marcus, a boy with bright orange wings.
"What if it spreads?"
"My cousin lives on the outer islands," added Zara, her purple wings shaking.
"She hasn't sent a message in days." Sam's hidden wings tingled with worry. Every word of the dark magic made the rainbow colors harder to control.
They pressed their arms against their sides, trying to keep the glow from showing through the cloth.
"Hey, Sam!" Sam's head snapped up. Kade Griffin strutted over with his usual gang of followers, their wing colors making a rainbow of meanness - red, orange, yellow, all puffed up with pride.
"Rough flying practice today?" Kade smirked, his red wings spread wide to show off.
"I saw you crash-land like a baby bird."
"Leave them alone, Kade," Riley said sharply, her silver wings sparkling with magical energy.
"Oh, look who's defending their little pet," Kade's friend Vera laughed, her yellow wings fluttering with fake sweetness.
"Tell me, Sam, why do you always wear that ratty old cloak? What are you hiding under there?" Sam's throat went dry.
"Nothing. I'm not hiding anything."
"Come on," Kade pushed, circling Sam like a vulture.
"Everyone shows their wings. It's weird that you don't. Unless..." His eyes lit up with cruel pleasure.
"Unless you're embarrassed about them."
"Maybe they're brown," Vera giggled.
"Muddy brown for cleaning toilets!"
"Or maybe they're so tiny they look like baby wings," added another boy. Sam's face burned with shame. The lies felt like poison in their mouth, but the truth was so much worse.
"I have a skin problem, okay? My wings are... they're scarred."
The word hung in the air like a dark cloud. Several students gasped, and even Kade looked slightly uncomfortable.
"Scarred?" Vera's voice dropped to a whisper.
"From what?" Sam's mind raced. They had to make this believable.
"A flying accident when I was little. The scars are... they're ugly. I don't want people looking."
Riley's silver wings glowed brighter, and Sam could see the pain in their best friend's eyes. Riley hated watching Sam lie, but she understood why they had to.
"That's terrible," said a girl with blue wings.
"I'm sorry, Sam." But Kade wasn't happy. "Prove it," he asked. "Show us." "No," Sam said strongly.
"I don't have to prove anything to you."
"Because you're lying," Kade snarled.
"I bet there's nothing wrong with your wings. You're just attention-seeking."
"Back off, Kade," a new voice cut through the tension. Everyone turned to see Alex Storm approaching, their golden wings gleaming with power. The cafeteria fell silent - when the future king spoke, people listened.
"This conversation is over," Alex said, their voice calm but deadly serious. Kade's red wings drooped slightly.
"We were just "
"You were being cruel," Alex interrupted.
"And I don't tolerate cruelty in my kingdom." The way Alex said 'my kingdom' sent shivers through the room. Everyone remembered that one day, Alex would rule them all.
"Whatever," Kade grumbled, but his gang was already backing away.
"Come on, guys." As the bullies left, Alex sat down across from Sam.
"You okay?" Sam nodded, but their hands shook as they reached for their water cup.
"Thanks. You didn't have to do that."
"Yes, I did," Alex answered.
"Friends protect each other." Friends. The word made Sam's heart skip, but it also made their secret wings pulse with dangerous light. They quickly pulled their cloak tighter. Riley sat down beside Sam, her silver wings still glowing with leftover magic.
"Those jerks don't know what they're talking about."
"Actually," Alex said softly, "I wanted to ask you something, Sam." Sam's gut dropped.
"What?"
"Earlier, during flying practice..." Alex paused, picking their words carefully. "I could have sworn I saw something. A flash of light from your wings."
"You're imagining things," Sam said too quickly.
"Maybe," Alex agreed, but their golden eyes studied Sam's face.
"But if you ever want to talk about it, I'm here. No judgment." Before Sam could reply, a commotion erupted near the cafeteria windows. Students pressed against the glass, pointing and moaning.
"What's happening?" Riley asked, standing up. Through the sparkling windows, they could see the sky darkening. But this wasn't normal storm clouds - this was something else entirely.
Shadows moved within the darkness, forms that looked almost like wings. "Everyone stay calm!" Professor Windham's voice boomed through the diner.
"Return to your dormitories immediately!" But it was too late for peace. The shadows in the sky grew bigger, and suddenly the temperature in the room dropped by twenty degrees. Several students' wings started to flicker, their colors fading at the edges.
"It's happening," someone screamed. "The dark magic is here!" Panic erupted. Students ran in all directions, their wings creating a jumble of color and motion.
In the chaos, Sam's cloak came loose, and brilliant rainbow light spilled out. Riley gasped.
"Sam, your wings"
"I know!" Sam cried, furiously trying to cover the light. But Alex saw everything.
The rainbow colors, the way they flashed with power, the way the light seemed to push back against the growing darkness outside.
"Impossible," Alex whispered.
"You're..." A terrible shriek echoed through the cafeteria as something huge crashed against the windows. The crystal cracked, and through the breaks, they could see a creature with torn, shadow-colored wings.
"Shadow creatures," Riley breathed, her face pale.
"They're real." The creature's eyes glowed like burning coals as it stared directly at Sam. When it spoke, its voice was like grinding stone.
"Rainbow Guardian," it hissed.
"The Master has been waiting for you." Sam's wings burst into full rainbow light, so bright it illuminated the entire restaurant. Every student turned to stare in amazement and fear.
"Run," Sam whispered to their friends.
"Everyone needs to run." But as they tried to flee, more shadow things appeared outside every window.
The school was surrounded, and there was nowhere to go.
"Well," Alex said, their golden wings spreading wide,
"I guess we're about to find out what those legends really mean." Riley grabbed Sam's hand, her silver wings glowing with protection magic.
"Whatever happens, we're in this together." As the shadow creatures started breaking through the windows, Sam realized their secret was out. The lie about damaged wings was over. Now everyone would know the truth.
The question was: would they live long enough for it to matter? The first shadow thing crashed through the glass, its claws reaching for Sam with hungry darkness.
And in that moment, Sam's rainbow wings burst with power unlike anything they'd ever felt before. The real battle was just starting.