"A New World Ignites"

The air was thick with tension as I lay in bed, trying to make sense of the muffled voices coming from the next room. My parents, Josh and Annie Maxwell Gates, were arguing about something, and I could tell it had been going on for a while. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, my medium curly/wavy brown hair sticking up in every direction. My mom, a beautiful blonde with bright green eyes, had always been tight-lipped about her past, and I had started to notice that my dad was growing suspicious. As I listened, I couldn't help but wonder what secrets my mom was keeping from my dad. She had always been vague about her work as a historian and veterinarian, but I had caught glimpses of a more...exciting life. A life that she seemed to be hiding from my dad. I threw off the covers and got out of bed, padding softly to the door to listen in on their conversation. "...I don't know why you're pushing me to tell you, Josh," my mom said, her voice low and frustrated. "It's not like it's going to change anything." "Annie, come on," my dad replied, his voice laced with exasperation. "I know there's something you're not telling me. You're hiding something, and I want to know what it is." I sighed and leaned against the door, feeling a pang of worry. My mom had always been so secretive, and I was starting to think that my dad was onto her. Just then, a loud crack of lightening boomed outside, followed by a brilliant flash of light that illuminated my hotel room. I stumbled backward, disoriented, as the sound of shouting and the scent of smoke wafted through the air. As the light faded, I saw something that made my heart skip a beat: a small, blue dragon egg sat on my nightstand, glowing softly. I reached out a trembling hand to touch it, and as I did, I felt a sudden surge of energy. Back in the world of Alagaësia, Arya stumbled backward, desperately trying to escape the Urgals closing in on her. Durza, the Shade, sneered at her from his perch high above, his hand raised to cast another spell. But before he could, Arya raised the dragon egg above her head, and a blinding flash of light enveloped them all. When the light faded, Arya found herself in a strange, new world. She stumbled through the unfamiliar terrain, disoriented and confused. The Urgals, however, were not so fortunate. Some had been caught in the ring of fire Durza had set, and were now nothing more than charred and smoldering husks. Others had been scattered across the globe, along with Arya and the dragon egg. As I touched the egg, I felt a sudden jolt of pain, followed by a searing sensation in my right hand. I looked down to see that it was now marked with a strange, silver symbol - the mark of a Dragon Rider. The egg began to shake and tremble, and I felt a strange, thrumming energy building inside it. Suddenly, the egg cracked open, and a small, blue dragon emerged. It looked up at me with bright, curious eyes, and I felt a deep connection to it, as if we were linked in a way that went beyond words. The dragon's eyes seemed to burn with an inner fire, and I could sense its power and magic. As I looked into its eyes, I felt my own latent magical powers awakening, like a spark igniting a flame. "Hello," I whispered, awestruck. The dragon regarded me for a moment, then nuzzled my hand. I felt a surge of joy and wonder, and I knew that my life was about to change in ways I could never have imagined. My parents' argument was forgotten, as I stared at the dragon in wonder. Who was this creature? And how had it come to be here, in my hotel room? I had a feeling that my life was about to take a dramatic turn, and that nothing would ever be the same again.