I sat at the table reserved for Mr. Sarton and me, my gaze fixed on my wristwatch. I had arrived ten minutes early, hoping to gather my thoughts before he arrived. Now, with only two minutes left until six, I felt an uneasy restlessness creep in.The restaurant was eerily empty, devoid of the usual bustle. It was only when the waiter flipped the "Open" sign to "Closed Temporarily" that I realized the entire place had been booked. Rumors about Mr. Sarton's preference for privacy were evidently true.I took a slow sip of my drink, my eyes returning to my wristwatch. The hands aligned perfectly—6:00 p.m. sharp. Yet, there was no sign of him. I thought he was a man who valued punctuality. Just as doubt began to fester, the bell above the door chimed, signaling someone’s entrance. My eyes darted to the door, and there he was—Mr. Sarton.He stood tall, exuding the composed demeanor I had seen countless times in his photographs online. But something was different—he was wearing sunglasses. O
The setting sun cast its warm glow through the open window, the horizon in shades of gold and crimson. I let out a weary sigh, my gaze lingering on Alex as he focused on driving. Though he kept his eyes on the road, I could tell he was deep in thought, burdened by something he wasn’t ready to share.“Alex,” I called, breaking the silence.He glanced my way briefly before returning his attention to the road. “Yes, Lily?”“There’s something you’re not telling me, isn’t there?” My voice was calm, though my heart felt anything but.“Something like what?” he replied, his tone too casual, an obvious attempt to deflect.“Never mind.” I shook my head, frustration simmering beneath the surface. “I’ve just been feeling off all day—like everything’s spiraling out of control. First, I find out Eric was with Vivian while I was waiting for him alone, and then this woman, who’s supposedly my aunt and responsible for my parents’ deaths, injures Jess. All because of this stupid necklace around my neck
I was furious. How could he do that to Lily? I knew he was supposed to tell her the truth, but why did he lie to hurt her? Why did he say such hurtful things to her?I angrily marched towards his room to confront him after I watched Lily’s brother literally drag a weak and messed-up Lily out. On getting to Eric’s door, I could hear his groans. Knocking on the door, he didn't seem to be responding, so I tried opening the door and realized it was locked.I didn’t hesitate, kicking the door open as I was met with Eric, his back turned to me as he stood close to the window.“Why on earth would you say that to her? You obviously care about her, but you said all those hurtful things to her. Answer me right now, Eric!” I demanded, feeling my own anger boiling.And then he turned to face me, his crystal green eyes giving off a light as they met mine. “What on earth are you talking about?” he asked, his voice deep, cold, with a mixture of something unfamiliar.“Eric? Are you okay?” I asked whe
I cried until there were no tears left for me to cry. I was drained, both physically and emotionally. I couldn't feel anything—it was as if my heart had stopped beating. Finally, I pushed myself off the bed and let my wandering eyes take in the room I was in. I was too stunned by everything to realize when we arrived at Michael's house. All I knew was that I shut the door, wanting to be left alone.How long would all this continue? My parents were killed because of that stupid key. I lost Michael and endured the most painful years of my life with my stepmother and her children—all because of that same key.Just when I thought I could finally breathe, when I thought I had found people who cared about me, it turned out they were using me all along.I pushed myself to my feet and headed straight for the door. I needed some air, and staying here wasn’t helping. Without thinking much about it, I stepped out and took in the unfamiliarity of the house I was in.“Don’t you think you should ch
Michael's POVHer words cut deep as my grip around her tightened. She loves him. My little Lily… she fell in love. The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth. As I held her, I felt her body grow heavy against me.“Lily. Lily, wake up.” My voice trembled, but there was no response. Panic surged through me as I gently tried to push her up, but her knees buckled, and she nearly collapsed. I caught her just in time, pulling her close to stop her from falling.I couldn’t believe it—she had passed out. My hand instinctively pressed against her forehead, and the heat radiating from her skin confirmed it. She was burning up.Without wasting another second, I carried her back to her room. My heart raced as I tried to bring her fever down, but my mind kept replaying the sorrow etched on her face. It was a new kind of pain—one I couldn’t shake, no matter how hard I tried.“I’m sorry, Michael,” Jenny’s voice broke the tense silence. She had been quiet for a while, but now her words felt like dag
I gasped, my eyes snapping open as shock coursed through me. My heart raced as I found myself back in Michael's house. The throbbing headache from the nightmare lingered, but I knew this was more than just a bad dream.It was a message.She had told me all those things for a reason—so I would go to Terranovae. But did Terranovae even exist? A world ruled by demons? What was I even saying? Could I be like them? If what that woman said was true, and Mum was a demon, then I might be one too.Panic clawed at my chest, my thoughts spiraling into chaos. Eric was in danger. Everything she said echoed in my mind, threatening to drown me. But it was her last words that haunted me the most.Could Mum and Dad truly be alive? Had they been held captive all these years?“Lily!”A gentle tap on my shoulder jolted me, and I turned sharply, my heart pounding, only to find Michael’s worried face staring back at me.“You scared me,” I muttered, my voice trembling as I struggled to steady my racing hear
“What? Lily, are you insane? There’s no way I’m letting you leave!” Michael’s voice cracked with panic, his wide eyes brimming with disbelief. The mention of Terranovae sent a visible wave of unease through him, making me wonder if he recognized the name.“I’m sorry, Michael, but I’m going,” I said, my tone firm despite the trembling in my chest. “Nothing you say will make me change my mind. I can’t just sit here, waiting for her to end his life. I need to warn them about what’s coming.”Michael’s jaw tightened, and the lines of his face deepened with worry. “But why, Lily? Why would you even want to go there?” His voice softened, but I could still hear the tremor of fear beneath it.“Because she threatened me, Michael.” My voice broke slightly, but I pushed on. “She used Eric’s life to lure me in, and… she said Mom and Dad might still be alive.” My words hung heavy in the air, and I watched as Michael’s expression crumbled, shock and pain etching across his face.“What?” His voice wa
Lily's POVHe dragged me to his room, shutting the door behind him with a decisive click as he locked it. Yet, I wasn’t scared. This wasn’t my first encounter with Eric’s dragon side, but the absence of his usual glowing eyes told me that Eric was more present this time—or at least a part of him was. I just couldn’t understand why his dragon side was fully using Eric’s body while keeping him locked away.Once the door was closed, it took him a moment to face me. When he finally did, his crystal-green eyes were back, their glowing light burning into mine.“What’s your deal? Were you pretending to be Eric? Jess and Alex don’t seem to know that something’s off about you.” His words dripped with amusement as he began closing the distance between us, a smirk playing on his lips. If he thought he could use that face to intimidate me, he was sorely mistaken.“You’re here, my mate,” he said, dragging the word ‘mate’ out deliberately, as though daring me to notice. His hand reached for my chee
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