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
I couldn't sleep all night long. I just couldn't get Eric off my mind. When morning came, I dragged my lazy self into the bathroom to freshen up.I didn't want to go down for breakfast because I didn't know how to face Eric, but my stomach betrayed me when it started groaning. I knew I had to eat, or I would die of hunger.But why am I acting like I committed a crime? It was just a kiss, or was it a peck? Yeah, it was a peck; it wasn't technically a kiss. What is wrong with me? Why am I pacing around my room like I'm about to be arrested for some crime?I summoned the courage and left my room, heading downstairs. Upon reaching the sitting room, I peeped inside, checking to see if Eric was present.“What are you looking at?” My heart jumped out of my chest when I heard someone whisper in my ear.“Jess, you nearly scared the living hell out of me.”“Sorry, but who are you looking at? The room is empty,” Jess asked curiously.“Nothing. Let's just go to the kitchen. I'm sure you need an e
I watched as Jess dragged Alex out of the room, leaving me alone with Lilly. She was avoiding looking my way. She stood up immediately after Jess and Alex left and started heading out of the room.“Lilly, where are you going?”“To get the documents,” she replied before she left. She was acting kind of strange, and I noticed she was quieter than usual.A few minutes later, she returned with some documents, which she handed over to me. I took the documents and went through them. Everything we need is here; just wait a little bit longer, Mr. Philip, and you will get what you deserve.“I have to go; I have something I need to do,” she said to me, but I knew she was just avoiding me.“Lilly, what are you doing today?”“I haven't figured it out yet, but I will. Why do you ask?”“I want you to come with me.” I walked up to her and took her hands, leading her outside.“Eric, where are we going?”“To register our marriage,” I replied, opening the door for her.“Wait, like right now?”“Yes, we
As we made our way back to Aquoris, the last standing water demon city, I couldn't shake the unease creeping into my chest. This was where most of the leaders had chosen to remain, guarding the shattered remnants of their fallen cities. Yet, something felt off.The dragon heart in my hands continued to glow, its soft pulsation steady and unwavering. Why? That question lingered in my mind, gnawing at the edges of my thoughts.But as we drew closer to the palace, the unease deepened. Something was wrong.The moment we rode through the palace gates, I saw them—King Calyx, along with Jess’s and Alex's father, standing outside. Their expressions were unreadable, a mix of emotions swirling beneath their stoic facades.As our horses came to a stop, we dismounted and approached them cautiously.“I see you all succeeded,” King Calyx spoke first, his gaze settling on me for a long moment. “I knew you would, and I'm glad you did. But we have a guest. A guest we couldn’t let in because of the bar
Eric's POVIt didn’t take long before I finally found the Witch Queen’s chamber, but getting here required snapping the necks of more witches than I cared to count. With one swift move, I sent the chamber doors flying open, crashing loudly into the room. As expected, the Witch Queen was already aware of my presence—she stood at the far end, shielded by a legion of her minions, all ready to fight for her.“Wow, it's almost tragic how willing they are to die for you,” I remarked, my voice dripping with mockery as my gaze locked onto her piercing silver eyes. Fury burned within them, her rage barely restrained. I could tell they hadn’t expected to be attacked—at least, not like this.“So, you truly are alive,” she said, her voice smooth yet laced with an unmistakable edge. She rose gracefully from her seat and approached me with measured steps.“Yes, very much alive,” I replied, stepping forward to meet her. “I even heard you planned a little surprise party for me. So, here I am. And gue
Lily's POVHere I was, staring at the ancient castle submerged beneath the water—a place where the Water God was said to have kept the Heart. I made my way toward the gate and was taken by surprise when it pulled open on its own, as if it knew I would be here.I took a deep breath and clutched the stone I still held as I entered the castle. The eerie quietness that surrounded the structure sent shivers down my spine, yet I had seen much worse than an abandoned, ancient castle. As I swam further inside, I couldn’t help but notice the cracks along the walls. It wasn’t long before I found it: at the center of the chamber stood an obsidian altar, pulsating with molten veins as if the very core of the earth breathed through it. There, the Heart glowed—a ball of fire encased in a cocoon of golden flames and surrounded by four dragon statues reminiscent of those I’d seen in Drakemere, the spirit realm. In Drakemere, Azhadrex’s statue accompanied them; here, though he was absent, the circular
Eric’s POVThey dragged me behind their horses, the rough terrain scraping against my already battered body. My arms hung uselessly at my sides, the chains digging into my wrists, but I kept my expression impassive.The walls of their stronghold loomed ahead—tall, ancient, covered in unbreakable magic. This had better be worth it. Every bruise, every drop of blood spilled along the way.I had seen the witches on my way here, scouting the perimeter, watching like vultures. There was no way to break into their fortress undetected, so I did the next best thing—I made myself their prey.I told them I was a demon fleeing the chaos that had befallen Terranovae, that I had valuable information their queen would want to hear. They didn’t believe me at first. They tested me, casting every spell they could summon, trying to break me. When their magic failed to work against me, they decided to beat me until I was too weak to fight back.It almost worked. Almost.The only problem? The pain only s
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