“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
“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.
"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
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
“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
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,
"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
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.
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