Rhian smiled as he walked toward his dorm building. The campus was quieter than usual, which made sense.
Everyone had just returned from the portals—some were still resting, others probably too hungry or tired to be out.
He stretched, wearing only a tank top now, already planning to hit the showers.
His dark, tattoo-like scales ran across his shoulders and arms, catching light with every movement.
Paired with his eyes and hair, it made him stand out more than he liked, but he was getting used to the attention.
His gaze dropped to his left hand. It was still paler than the other, but for the first time in years, it didn't bother him.
Compared to the rest of him—the scales, the eyes—it didn't seem so strange anymore.
That was probably why he hadn't rushed to cover it with a glove like he used to after his parents died.
He also understood and agreed with what Liane had told him before they were sent into the portals. If he couldn't accept himself, who would?
