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
“Do not mess this up,” Alex said, and I glared at him.“Don't you think you should be the one trying not to mess things up? We have successfully gathered enough information on how to set up a meeting with him, so don't mess it up.” I said and pointed my lips.“Oh boy, I am so tasty.”“Then find water and drink.”“But I don't want to get off the car just in case he sees and recognises me.”“We followed Mr. Philip up here to know what he was up to, but that doesn't mean we can't go ahead and pretend like we are two lovely couples in love who came to have fun at a club.”Alex and I never planned on following Mr. Philip, but after wasting most of Alex’s time, he later decided to give him a listening ear. Just as we planned, we offered him an offer he couldn't resist.Alex was able to schedule a meeting for me with Mr. Philip, but just as we were about to leave, that lady appeared. The way she commanded Mr. Philip has me curious about what their relationship could be.I had to drag Alex wi
When Alex and I got back, we found the house empty. I was worried because it was already getting late, but there wasn't any sign of Eric or Lilly.“Are you sure you are not supposed to call Eric and know if everything is okay?”"Relax, Jess; they are both practically fine, so let's just eat and wait up for them. I am starving.” I shook my head at how hopeless Alex looked. He only said that so he could eat. I glared at him before I started setting the table.I kept looking at the door every second, waiting for the doorbell, and when it finally came, I quickly rushed to the door, ready to question Lilly.My words seized in my mouth as I saw how she looked. A frown was sitting on her face, and the way she walked past me showed that she was pissed about something.“Lilly, are you okay?” I called after her.“I'm fine; I'm just tired, so I will be going to sleep. See you in the morning.”“But what about dinner?” I asked, but she was already storming upstairs. What on earth happened? What go
Lilly? What on earth is she doing here, and did she just pass out? Walking up to her, I reached out and brushed her hair away from her face. She really passed out.“Lilly, wake up.” I said, shaking her slightly. I really don't think she will be waking up sooner. I carried her and headed back to the house.When I walked in, I found Jess in the sitting room. She came rushing towards me immediately when she saw the passed-out Lilly in my arms.“Oh my God, what happened to her?”“I don't know; I think she followed me into the house.” I said, and Lilly's eyes widened in shock. I understand why she was surprised; she thought I might have attached her without knowing.“I didn't touch her, Jess, I promise, and besides, I think I'm beginning to be able to control myself lately.”“How?”“Can I at least take her to her room?” I didn't blame her for acting with suspicion. I nearly killed Jess the last time she walked in on me when I was in between my dragon form and my human form.Once I'm in tha
It took me a while to locate my old street, but when I did, I couldn't help feeling so happy. As much as my life has turned upside down here, I still have memories that are sweet enough to remember.When I located my house, I stood at the front gate as I remembered the happy family I used to have. My memories all came rushing back to me. It seems I threw them all away eleven years ago.“Miss, are you looking for someone?” I turned when I heard someone’s voice behind me. I was too distracted to notice her earlier. The woman standing in front of me should be in her late fifties or early sixties. She had a hat on with her glasses resting on top of her nose. Her brown eyes looked warm and shone with kindness. Why does she look so familiar?“Yes, I mean no; I was just passing by.”“If you are looking for the family that once lived here, then you are not going to find them. A tragedy befell them years ago. They were such lovely couples with their beautiful children. It's really sad that bad
I have no idea how long I stood in front of the crime-fighting firm that used to belong to my dad. But now that monster has taken it all away. How much further is he going to break me up?First it was my parents, then Michael, and most of all, my life. The wonderful life I had going on for me was ruined by him.How much more is he planning on doing? I was angry, pissed, and furious, but I just couldn't get myself to walk in there. Approaching him is ruining every plan I have with Eric and the others.I stood there like it was the end of the world. The sound of my phone ringing snapped me out of the little wall I built while standing in front of Mr. Philip’s office like a lost puppy.I took out my phone, and it was Eric, so I picked it up.“Lilly, where are you? How come you are not home? Jess just told me that she couldn't find you at home.”“I went to see Mr. Philip.” I plainly replied.“What? Lilly, where are you now?” I heard the panic in his voice.“Standing in front of his office
When we arrived at the party, the security guy stopped us to ask for an invitation, which Jess showed him, and he let us pass. We stepped into the big, beautiful mansion, and I gasped at the beauty of the house on the inside.Even though the outside was cool, the inside was way cooler. The lower floor of the house was packed with ladies; each had their own dress code. And their dresses were beautiful; maybe this was why Jess got me a dress, or else none of my dresses would have met their standards.This looks like a ladies party. I couldn't find a single man around here, except for the waiters.“I can see you like what you see,” Jess said, calling for my attention."Yes, this place is beautiful. What did you say the gathering was about again?” I asked her as I kept admiring the beauty of the environment.“Vivian is going to be modelling a particular dress this night for a brand, and the plan is to ruin the dress or perhaps let her ruin her dress.” My mouth went open as I stared at Jes
She was way too quiet on our ride home. I know she was angry back then, but what she did was cool. I decided to let her cool off before giving her some credit for a job well done.Vivian is going to get a dose of her own medicine. Now she will understand how it feels.“Lilly, Lilly, we're home." But she didn't respond to my calls. I got off the driver's seat and went over to open her door for her. It was only then that I discovered that she had fallen asleep.So that's why she wasn't responding to me all this time. It seems the drink she took has taken over. How on earth am I supposed to get her inside?Maybe I should get Eric; I'm sure he wouldn't mind carrying her to her room.“Any problem?”“Oh my God, Eric, are you trying to scare the hell out of me?” How on earth did I not hear him approaching? I can't believe I have the power to hear sounds that are metres away from me, but I can never hear Eric approaching.“What happened to Lilly?”“She had a lot to drink, so can you help me t
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