“Help him get those wet clothes off; I need to go see Lilly.” I said to Alex.“Are you planning on telling her anything?” He asked.“Not really, but I'm about to make some promises. I can't leave her thinking we don't trust her.” Alex sighed out as he gave me a little nod.“Okay.”I left the room, leaving Eric in Alex's hands. I'm sure he can handle it. I need to speak with Lilly; having her angry at me will affect me.I have successfully made a female friend since I came to the human realm, and I'm not ready to let her go. I'm also tired of being stuck in the same space with Eric and Alex.Thank God for Lilly, or I would have been bored out of my mind recently. When I got to her door, I gave it a little knock.I waited for her to open the door, but she didn't. She was avoiding me; there is no way she would be sleeping. From what I know about her, she tends to stay awake when she is bothered by something."Lilly, I know you are awake; please open the door!” I called out to her, hoping
I woke up when I heard someone's voice. Where am I? Oh God, I'm in Eric's room. How on earth did I fall asleep when the idea was to stay up all night?The voice came again; it was coming from Eric. I pushed myself off the couch on the left side of his room and rushed over to his side.He was still asleep, but a frown was on his face.“No, I didn't do it. Mum, please, you need to believe me; I didn't do it," he said as he twisted and turned. Is he having a nightmare?“I didn't kill them. Mum, I'm sorry," he said again, but this time with a painful expression on his face.Then I remembered Alex’s words to me about Eric believing that he killed his parents. I climbed up on the bed and sat beside him, not knowing what to do.I reached out and touched his face. I wasn't expecting him to wake up, but he opened his eyes and stared at me. Just like before, his crystal-green eyes were glowing.I immediately took my hand away from his face and backed away from him. Why does he look so scary whe
I was beginning to feel awkward in the position we had both maintained for about twenty minutes. We were both kneeling on the bed with our arms wrapped around each other.It was supposed to be a hug, but a few minutes later, I felt his weight on me increase. I think he fell asleep. I never knew that hugging and patting him could get this big guy to calm down.But my leg was beginning to hurt, and I couldn't maintain this position for too long."Eric, wake up and use the bed; you are so heavy," I said as I attempted to wake him up, but he pushed me back, causing me to fall, which left him on top of me.His hands were still tightly wrapped around my waist, his head resting on my shoulder. I managed to straighten my legs since I could hardly feel them anymore.How on earth should I get away from him? I tried removing his hands from my waist, but his grip was too tight. Are you kidding me? Am I really going to stay like this all night?I let out a sigh when I realized I wouldn't be gettin
“How did it go with Mr. Philip?” I asked Alex.“I wasn't able to get him to sign those files, but he wants to sell the company.”“What?”“Yep, he wants to sell the company and maybe relocate with the money; I don't know.”“Do you think he knows about our plan or maybe about Lilly’s presence in Oak City?”“I don't know, Eric; I'm as confused as you are.”Something is totally off; why would he want to sell the company all of a sudden? “This doesn't make any sense. Something is off, and I'm already having a bad feeling about it.” I said, pondering about the whole thing in my head.“Me too; we need to get that company back from him. We cannot allow him to sell it off.” Alex added.But then it crossed my mind: if Mr. Philip has the documents of that company under his name, then they must be fake. Lilly's father can never leave Mr. Philip’s name on those documents when his children own the legal rights to his properties.“I think I have an idea,” I said to Alex, who was pacing around the r
I saw the shocked expression on Alex's face. I know I should have told them from the beginning that I had those documents, but I was scared that they weren't the right people to trust.“If you had those documents, why didn't you sue Mr. Philip? You could have easily done that with the help of a lawyer and even the police.” He said, his gaze never leaving mine.When I turned eighteen, I thought about running away from my foster home and going to the police to seek help, but I didn't know who to trust. Even the police didn't show up the night my parents were attacked. I couldn't do it, so I chose to hide like a coward. I looked up at Alex and opened my mouth to answer his question, but I realized I had nothing to say.I couldn't tell him that the lady who attacked my parents wasn't human. I was confused and left in my own confusion.“Can we talk about this later? I really need to be alone,” I said to him and started heading upstairs. The last time I cried my eyes out was on the street t
I took a cab to the restaurant. When I arrived, I paid the cabdriver and thanked him before rushing inside. How on earth did I get myself into this mess?I was trying to hasten my steps, but my heels wouldn't let me. I struggled to maintain my balance to avoid falling. I can't believe I'm doing this just because of that brat.I was so distracted, complaining about why I had to meet Vivian, that I mistakenly bumped into someone, knocking me off balance as I fell."Ouch," I let out in pain as I landed on the ground. I could swear I heard the sound of my own bones screaming from the pain."I'm so sorry, are you okay?" My eyes were still closed, anticipating the pain."Yeah, I'm fine. I just need to find my way up on my feet," I replied, finally opening my eyes to see who I had bumped into."Let me help you with that," the guy in front of me said, reaching out his hand to help me up. But I was too distracted by staring at him.The face I'm looking at is the face I have missed for eleven y
I made Alex drive his car back home while I boarded mine with Lilly. She was leaning against her chair as she stared blankly out the window. She is awfully quiet, and I really don't like it.I tried focusing on the road as I looked away from her. Something was definitely wrong with her. Those police officers better provide me with the CCTV footage of what happened between Vivian and her.I don't know why they had to arrest her just because Vivian was a recognized citizen and Lilly wasn't. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair.I drove into the compound and parked my car in the garage. Lilly helped herself out of the car and walked straight to the front door, ringing the doorbell. I went after her and grabbed her by the hand.“We need to talk.”“Tomorrow, let's talk tomorrow,” she said, finally looking up at me. Her face was flushed from probably crying for hours.“Did Vivian say anything to you?”“She called me trash and threatened me to leave you alone,” she plainly replied.“I do
I took the food upstairs and knocked on Lilly's door. I really thought it was going to take a while for her to open the door, but she actually did on my first knock.“Eric?” She asked in surprise. She peeped her head out and looked around for a while before setting her gaze on me.“What are you doing here?”“I brought you food,” I replied.“You brought me food?” She asked, twisting my answer into a question. Instead of answering her, I just nodded and headed inside her room. This would be my first time entering her room since she arrived here.“But how come Jess and Alex didn't do it?” She asked, her voice still curious.“Are you disappointed to see me?” I asked, dropping the tray of food on her bed before facing her.“Well, not really, but I never expected you to come here to bring food for me.” She said, averting her eyes from mine. She looked uncomfortable. Am I really making her feel uncomfortable?“I see. I will have Alex or Jess bring the food up next time. I never knew I would
Lily's POVIt felt like I had been swimming east for ages, every little sound sending a jolt of fear through me. The water was eerily silent, but no monstrous creatures had surfaced—yet. That didn’t mean they weren’t there, lurking beneath, waiting.I didn’t have much time. I needed to reach the Heart and return to Terranovae before it was too late.Drakemere was growing colder with every passing moment, the icy grip of the deep tightening around me. My mind had wandered, lost in anxious thoughts, when something suddenly caught my eye—a glimmering fragment of light against the dark water.A small, diamond-like stone was embedded in the jagged surface of a massive rock, its crystalline glow hypnotic, almost calling to me.Curiosity pulled me forward. I reached out, my fingers brushing against the smooth, shimmering surface, but as I shifted my gaze beyond the rock, I froze.A veil of liquid silver wavered before me, stretching across the depths like a living curtain of light.I gasped.
"Eric, this is insane! There is no way I’m letting you go to the Witch City just to seek their queen. It’s already obvious they’re planning to attack us like they did before, and you’re at your weakest moment. No, I think you should do as Tythorax said," Jess argued, her voice firm with defiance.I wasn’t surprised to find her waiting when I resurfaced from Drakemere. The moment she saw me, suspicion clouded her eyes, and she demanded to know why I had gone there. As we made our way back to the palace, I had no choice but to tell her everything.“I am not at my weakest point, Jess," I muttered, exhaling heavily. "I’m about to lose myself. That’s not weakness—it means I’m losing control over my powers. If I stay here, I become a danger to every demon in Terranovae.”Her expression hardened. “Then what about the Black Stone? What are you going to do about it?”“I don’t know,” I admitted, my gaze flickering toward the vine-covered barrier. The creeping plants had nearly sealed off the en
Before I could realize what was happening or remind myself that this wasn't real, I missed a step and slipped down the stairs. My body collided with the wooden steps, and pain shot through me like a bolt of lightning.When I finally hit the floor at the bottom of the staircase, leading into the sitting room, I couldn't move. The pain was paralyzing, making me question whether this was real or just another nightmare. I forced my eyes open, and that was when I saw it—a glimpse of a shadow standing in the darkest corner of the room, where the dim glow of light barely cast its reach.Panic surged through me as I pushed myself off the floor, backing away from the figure. My body screamed in agony, but I ignored it. A wave of cold air wrapped around me, sending chills down my spine, every hair on my body standing on end. From the size of the figure, I could tell it wasn't an adult—but a child. A girl."Who are you?" My voice came out small, unsteady, weak—barely a whisper."Me?" she echoed,
“What do you mean? Are you saying the Water Demon Princess is alive?” I asked, waiting impatiently for his reply.“Great, so now who am I even talking to? Because I don’t understand a thing,” Tythorax complained, but I was more focused on whether Eric’s biological mother was truly alive.“Yes, she is still alive. I thought you, of all people, would know that,” Tythorax finally answered.“I never expected her to be.” I shook my head, disbelief tightening my chest. “You and I both know how devastated she was after being forced to leave her baby at the doorstep of some random humans. I don’t even know if I should say Eric and I were lucky to end up with Mr. and Mrs. Sarton.”Memories of that fateful night came rushing back, burning through me like wildfire. I could still see the agony on the princess’s face as she made her way to Drakemere, pleading for her baby’s life. Even when she was warned of the consequences, she still agreed to them.No mother willingly gives birth only to abandon
We swam as fast as we could, the icy water pressing against us like an unrelenting force. Time felt endless, every stroke stretching into eternity, but finally, after what seemed like forever, we arrived.The first thing I noticed was the storm—a raging, untamed force swirling right in front of us. The water churned violently, reacting to our presence with a low, menacing rumble. I wasn’t surprised that the sea itself seemed to resist us, but what unsettled me was why the sea god had chosen to place a storm here, turning it into the first trial to reach the heart.The sheer power of it sent a shiver down my spine, a stark reminder of the impossible task ahead."This is it," Jess murmured beside me. "The Forbidden Abyss."I exhaled, staring at the churning waters. "It looks far more terrifying now that I’m actually here. When Tythorax spoke of it, it seemed like a legend—now it feels like a death sentence." My voice wavered slightly, but I steadied myself. "I guess this is my first tri
"Does this mean the power barrier created by Drakemere won’t be enough to stop them?" Jess asked, pacing anxiously across the room."You and I both know it takes Terranovae’s full barrier power to keep the witches out. The fragment that remains here might hold back the creatures, but definitely not the witches."Jess let out a heavy sigh, frustration evident in every step she took. But my attention remained fixed on Lily. She stood still, lost in her own thoughts, the fear in her eyes something I never wanted to see. I had hoped to shield her from this truth, to spare her the weight of it, but keeping it from her wouldn’t have been right either.“This is bad,” Alex muttered under his breath."Jess, you know what to do. Make sure Lily reaches the Abyss safely—please, look after her for me," I said, my voice carrying a silent plea. Jess gave me a firm nod of assurance."Hey, Lily," I called gently, taking her hands in mine."I never wanted you to worry about this—that’s why I didn’t men
“You did a great job,” I said, taking her hand and offering an encouraging smile. She returned it, but there was a heaviness in her eyes that refused to lift.“You think? I just hope this is a new beginning for all of them,” she murmured, her voice laced with worry. It wasn’t just her voice—her entire expression carried the weight of uncertainty.“You worry too much. You just managed to get all of Terranovae’s leaders to work together—something that hasn’t happened in decades,” I reminded her. She needed to believe in herself if she was going to make it to the Abyss of Vareth. That place required strength, not doubt.“I wouldn’t have been able to pull it off without Jess,” she admitted with a heavy sigh. Then, after a brief pause, her expression shifted. “But there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”“Okay, ask me anything,” I said, giving her a small nod of encouragement.“Can you really not come with me to the Abyss of Vareth?” she asked, her eyes locking onto mine, pleading.
“Enough!” I screamed, my voice ringing through the hall, sharp and commanding. The room fell into silence as I finally drew their attention back to me.“What is wrong with all of you? Why can’t you work together for once to save our home? The chaos that has fallen upon us is the result of your petty disputes and the foolish mistakes of our forefathers—mistakes they passed down to each generation! If they hadn’t driven the dragons away, if Drakemere were still here in Terranovae, none of this would be happening! But it did. And now, instead of bickering like fools, put aside your arrogance and fight for what truly matters!"I let my gaze sweep over them, my heart pounding in my chest. “Yes, I am Princess Jessandria, the runaway princess. But at least I am better than every single one of you here. Do you know why? Because I love Terranovae! And I would give my life to ensure its safety!” My voice shook with passion, the weight of my words pressing into the heavy silence.“I left Terrano
As we approached, the sheer grandeur of the castle became even more overwhelming. The towering gates, adorned with intricate silver filigree and engraved with the ancient symbols of the four demon clans, loomed over us like silent sentinels. The air was thick with tension, an oppressive weight pressing down on the demons who lingered outside their homes. Their anxious gazes followed us, their whispers barely audible, as though they feared even the wind would carry their secrets to unwanted ears. It felt as if we carried the fate of Terranovae on our shoulders.When we reached the gate, the guards immediately stepped forward, blocking our path. Jess wasted no time; she jumped off the horse with a determined stride, her presence alone demanding attention. The moment they recognized her, they bowed deeply, a show of respect, yet not a single one of them moved aside."I need to speak to my father. Now!" Jess commanded, her voice cutting through the heavy air like a blade.“We were strictl