Chapter Three

In a place far beyond the borders of the human world, where the colors of the sky blend with breathtaking purple hues and the sun sets behind towering black mountains like charcoal, an imposing palace rises, embodying both grandeur and mystery. Its walls are built of polished black obsidian stone that reflects the faint starlight, interspersed with mysterious raised carvings resembling silver flames. Its tall arched windows stretch upwards to touch the palace's conical ceiling, and wide balconies surround it overlooking a deep valley filled with velvety fog. On one of those elegant balconies, a man of overwhelming majesty stood, wearing royal attire pulsing with luxury and dignity. A dark black velvet suit embroidered at the collar and cuffs with delicate golden threads resembling lightning veins, and a wide black leather belt cinched around his waist with a golden buckle bearing a mysterious symbol. A heavy velvet cape the color of night flowed from his shoulders, reaching the ground with the arrogance befitting a king. His hands held a pure magical crystal, radiating a faint blue light, displaying in its depths the details of what was happening to Lilian in that crowded cafeteria on the other side of the worlds. He contemplated the scene with focus, seeing how the girls ganged up on her, a mysterious smile forming on his lips, calm but hiding much meaning in its folds. He muttered to himself in a low, deep voice echoing lightly across the balcony: "It seems my little one has gotten into trouble on her very first day..." At that moment, the silence was broken by the sound of steady, heavy knocks on the massive bronze-studded wooden door of the wing. The handle turned slowly, and a strange creature entered, inspiring both awe and wonder. It was neither human nor did it resemble any familiar being, but had a tall, lithe build, and unique skin that seemed molded from dark, polished volcanic glass. Flowing beneath its surface were glowing, thin lines resembling dormant lava pulsing with a faint golden light with every breath. It had wide, deep-set eyes radiating a crystalline gleam, and strands of flexible, silky metallic hair surrounded its head, shimmering silver. Its sharp, stern features reflected absolute loyalty and a majesty belonging to a refined fantasy world. The strange creature bowed its body in a dignified greeting befitting its master, and said in a tone filled with respect and reverence: "We have prepared for the meeting, my lord... and all the ministers are now present in the Grand Hall awaiting your honor." The mysterious man slowly withdrew his gaze from the crystal and turned to the creature with his head raised and eyes bearing an undeniable commanding look, then said succinctly with a charming calmness: "Very well... go on, I am coming behind you." The creature bowed once more and withdrew with quiet steps to close the door behind him, leaving the mysterious master to return his gaze for one last look at the crystal before moving. And in the human world, Lilian turned with extreme shock towards the source of the voice, while Emily and Sasha took a step back, expressions of surprise and confusion on their faces. Standing there was Lily, in all her majesty and strength of character. She advanced, her eyes burning with anger, and began to roll up her jacket sleeves with great determination, as if preparing to fight a real battle to defend her friend, not just a verbal altercation. Lily dashed forward with bravery, standing like an impregnable dam in the gap between Emily and Sasha on one side, and Lilian and her friends on the other. Meanwhile, Nana approached with theatrical steps, pointing her mobile phone camera at them, and said in an audible, mocking voice: "Look here, guys... an exclusive live stream of these two bullies taking turns harassing a poor girl on her first day at university! Let's see what the university administration will have to say about this sophisticated behavior." While Nana was launching her attack on the two girls, Emilia approached quietly from the stunned Lilian and her friends' reaction, reaching out her hand to gently lift the remaining drink from her friend's clothes. Emilia began helping her dust off and clean the spilled drink from her clothes, then looked at her and said, laughing lightly to ease the tension: "Oh, you poor thing! Your clothes are completely dirty on your first day at university... it seems trouble follows you wherever you go!" The signs of victory completely vanished from Emily and Sasha's faces after finding themselves cornered by a strong girl like Lily, Nana's threat, and the friends' solidarity. But Emily did not give up; instead, she looked at them with indifference. And she said mockingly, distributing her contemptuous looks among them: "Who are you anyway? And how dare you interrupt my discussion with this fool?!" At that moment, Lily reached her breaking point. A spark of anger flew from her eyes, and with a speed no one in the cafeteria expected, she took an aggressive step towards Emily and grabbed her collar tightly, then pulled her towards her with force that made Emily's head snap forward, and said in a low, hissing tone full of threat: "What did you just say?! Repeat what you said if you dare!" The blood froze in Emily's veins, and the tone of arrogance instantly vanished from her face, replaced by real tension and fear of Lily's terrifying demeanor and her strong grip that made her unable to move amidst the astonishment of the surrounding students. Sasha saw her friend in this severe predicament and hurried to intervene and save her, but before she could take a single step, she was surprised by "Nana," who had been filming with her phone a moment ago, grabbing her arm with sudden force and pinning her in place. Sasha turned in terror towards Nana, finding her looking at her with a cold smile and deep cunning, saying: "Where are you going, my dear? Let's not interfere... I see the two girls are enjoying their time right now, aren't they?" While the situation was extremely tense in the middle of the cafeteria, the university dean suddenly entered after noticing the large crowd of students gathered around something and the noise surrounding them. He advanced with dignified steps and looked around at everyone, asking in a firm tone: "What is happening here? What is this gathering?" At that moment, movement froze and the girls and students stopped talking. With lightning speed, Lily changed her grip on Emily's collar. Instead of letting go, she pulled her closer gently and artificially, placing her hand on her shoulder as if befriending her, then turned to the dean with a calm smile and said: "Nothing, Dean... we were just performing a small theatrical scene to raise awareness about the dangers of bullying on the first day." And while she spoke, she glared at Emily with a sharp, clear look sending a veiled threat: *If you dare utter a single word, your fate will be in my hands!* And in the same fraction of a second, with a quick and sudden movement, Nana advanced towards Sasha and hugged her to her side forcefully as if they were close friends, silencing her breaths and completely preventing her from letting out any cry for help or saying anything that might reveal the truth to the dean. The dean looked at the girls suspiciously for a few seconds, then examined the calm that had settled over the place, and demanded everyone in a commanding tone: "Alright then, disperse. Everyone go to their lectures, or study quietly in their place." The students dispersed and normal movement returned to the cafeteria. As soon as the dean walked away, Lily let go of Emily, who turned to her, her eyes flying with sparks of anger, and said in a threatening tone: "We're not done yet!" Lily smiled mockingly and very coldly, then took a step closer and whispered confidently: "Show me what you've got, I'm waiting." Emily was filled with rage, casting one last hateful look at the girls before turning her back and leaving the cafeteria with stormy steps, followed immediately by Sasha as she pulled herself together. The four friends finally breathed a sigh of relief. Emilia approached fearfully, saying: "Lilian, what happened? And how did this fight start in the first place?" Before Lilian could utter a single word, she was surprised by a light but strong hit to the back of her head, and she let out a cry of pain and surprise. When she turned around, she found Lily standing there, with clear signs of reproach on her face, saying: "You've started trouble way too early! Couldn't you find time for troublemakers except in your first hour at university?" Before Lilian could say anything to defend herself, a faint, mocking laugh was heard from behind her. When she looked, she was surprised to see "Nana" holding her phone and laughing, saying: "Girl, you've gotten yourself into trouble with Emily and Sasha from the 'Felicia' gang... they are the most famous and trouble-causing clique in the entire university!" Lilian puffed out her cheeks in extreme annoyance and frustration, saying complainingly: "And what's my fault? It seems trouble doesn't see anyone else in this universe except me, as if I'm a magnet attracting it!" Before she could say another word, her drama was interrupted by the sound of a clear, loud rumble from her hungry stomach, because she hadn't eaten anything since her terrifying awakening. All the girls burst out laughing, and Liliana's cheeks burned with shame and redness. Here, Emilia smiled and said, trying to stifle her laugh: "Come on, let's go eat... we haven't had anything since morning either because of worrying and searching for you." The four friends headed together towards the food ordering window in the cafeteria, and joy returned to fill their hearts after they forgot the tension and began choosing their meals. The girls ordered the food they loved from the cafeteria and sat together around the table, the atmosphere filled with happiness, as they laughed entertainingly about the details of the fight and Lilian's appearance and her clothes stained from the fall. Lilian complained with childish annoyance as she tried to wipe the remaining juice stains, saying angrily: "Is there any other topic you can talk about besides my appearance right now?" Lily laughed lightly and patted her shoulder comfortingly: "Alright, alright... that's enough, girls, let's change the subject and talk about something else." And indeed, each of them began to tell with great passion about her new college, her first impression after the first lecture, how the atmosphere was, and the professors. They exchanged stories and laughs until they completely finished eating. Lily placed her hand on the table and asked them curiously: "Now, what's the next step? What are we going to do?" Lilian said with extreme enthusiasm, her eyes shining: "I heard that the university has a huge, very old library, and I really want to go see it and explore its books!" While Emilia followed her with even greater enthusiasm, saying: "As for me, I will head straight to the biology lab in the Faculty of Science. I want to take a look at the tools and experiments there before everyone else!" Nana stretched her lips with boredom and laziness while holding her phone: "As for me, I will return home immediately... I want to lie down and rest a bit after all this morning running." Lily agreed with her opinion and said while gathering her bag: "And I also have to leave now, I will go straight to my part-time job at the restaurant so I don't get late." The girls dispersed after each of them agreed on her destination, and Liliana headed with enthusiastic steps towards the corridors of the Faculty of Arts looking for the "Central Library" sign. And in the distant worlds, the massive wooden doors of the Grand Meeting Hall opened with a majestic sound, and the guards stepped back to the sides in reverence. The mysterious man stepped inside with overwhelming majesty, his confident steps and black velvet cape moving behind him like waves of the night preceding him. A suffocating silence reigned in the vast hall whose walls were covered with dark crystals. He advanced towards the judgment podium and sat on his elevated throne with strength and dignity, resting his arms on the armrests carved from gemstones. He looked at his ministers lined up before him with sharp, piercing glances, then said in a deep voice that echoed throughout the hall: "What happened in my absence?" The ministers began to advance one by one to present the reports and problems that the country had faced. The ministers represented strange and diverse creatures belonging to this fantasy world. Some had pale gray skin like rock and glowing carvings on their foreheads, while others were distinguished by extremely lithe statures and unblinking crystalline eyes reflecting wisdom and intelligence. The man listened to each of them with great focus, providing decisive and intelligent solutions to every problem and dilemma with simplicity and smoothness, demonstrating his astuteness and strength as an absolute ruler. But the atmosphere changed completely when one of the oldest ministers stepped forward. He was a dignified creature with long, flowing silver hair and eyes radiating a faint blue light. He bowed respectfully and then said: "My lord... isn't it time yet to declare a queen for this country?" At that moment, a suffocating calm settled over the hall, and the man's eyes flared with suppressed anger. He looked at the minister in a strange, breath-stopping way, and said to him in a low, terrifying tone: "What do you mean by that?" The minister swallowed his saliva nervously and felt the hesitation from his master's terrifying gaze that seemed to pierce him, but he gathered his courage and continued in a trembling voice: "My lord... you have been out of sight for more than ten full years, and you have only returned to the throne two months ago. The people are worried and want a queen to rule the country alongside you to ensure the stability of the throne, and we want to strengthen the pillars of our kingdom and protect its borders... so what do you think of marrying a princess or a queen from neighboring countries and kingdoms?" The mysterious man's features stiffened upon hearing this proposal, but his expression suddenly changed. A mysterious, incomprehensible smile formed on his lips, blending coldness with overwhelming confidence, and he looked at the minister, saying in a calm tone that shook the pillars of the hall: "And who told you I am not married?" The words fell like a thunderbolt on the heads of those present, and absolute bewilderment reigned over the Grand Meeting Hall. The ministers and close creatures exchanged shocked and amazed looks, and the guards whispered in their places; for this secret was unknown to anyone throughout the past years. Another minister advanced with hesitant steps, hesitation showing in his tone and his crystalline eyes that widened in astonishment, and said: "My lord... what do you mean by your words? How did this happen and when?" The king's smile widened to become more mysterious and profound, and he leaned his back against his luxurious throne with royal arrogance, then said in a deep and confident voice: "Exactly as you heard... I have been absent from this country for more than ten full years, and in that time when you thought I was absent, I was there... spending all those years beside my wife and queen." The shock doubled in the ministers' souls, and the silence in the hall became heavy and oppressive; for everyone was trying to grasp the fact that their majestic king had been absent from the throne for a full decade to build a secret life with a queen they had never seen before, and it never crossed their minds that she could be a girl from a completely different world. At this time Liliana arrived at the university's central library, and as soon as she pushed its heavy wooden doors, she felt as if she had stepped into another time. The library was majestically huge, its walls rising to a high ceiling where dark wooden columns intertwined, and gigantic shelves lined up extending like a maze upwards, loaded with thousands of volumes emanating the distinctive scent of ancient paper. A massive wave of pure enthusiasm swept over Liliana, spreading like shivers through her body and causing her heartbeat to race with passion. She began to move with light, cheerful steps between the narrow aisles, her eyes widening in astonishment as she admired the accurately arranged book titles. She gently ran her fingers over the gilded spines of the volumes; she saw works by famous writers and philosophers she had long read about and wished to browse, and next to them, other massive books with strange names and mysterious titles she had never heard of before, increasing her curiosity and desire to stay here for hours. And while she was walking in a quiet, secluded aisle in a corner of the library, the silence was suddenly broken by a dry thud. A massive book fell from the top shelf to land right at her feet. She took a step back and furrowed her brows in astonishment; the place was completely still, and there was no air current or movement that could explain the book falling by itself at that moment. But her curiosity quickly took over, so she didn't pay much attention to the matter, and bent down to pick up the book from the ground. The book cover was dark velvet, very similar in texture and color to the book that had vanished from her room that morning, and written on it in a prominent, shiny font was a title that aroused her surprise: **"The Demon King"**. A smile of enthusiasm formed on her face, and she was filled with joy as she said to herself: "A fantasy novel? It's very strange to find novels like this in the academic books section of the university, but it looks very intriguing!" She grabbed the edge of the cover with a hand trembling from excitement and opened the book eagerly to read the first page. But in a fraction of a second, she didn't find words or lines to read... instead, a bright and extremely powerful red light erupted from between the open pages of the book, bursting like a hurricane to blind her vision and engulf the dark aisle completely. Lilian's heart tore from the sudden shock and terror, and she let out a resounding scream that plunged her into the depths of surprise, while she felt a mysterious force pulling her inside and the world spinning around her in mere seconds before silence reigned again. And after that bright light went out, Lilian completely vanished as if the earth had split and swallowed her, the noise receding and a suspicious silence taking over the library aisle. The book fell to the ground harshly, and within seconds, its velvet cover began to shrink upon itself and gradually diminish in size until it completely vanished from existence, leaving no trace or evidence for Lilian that she had been standing there moments ago. And on the other side of the university campus, Emilia was walking in the corridors with wide, accelerated steps, filled with overwhelming passion to reach the biology lab in the Faculty of Science. When she finally arrived and stood in front of the wide wooden door, her enthusiasm suddenly froze; she found a sign hanging clearly with the words: "The lab is closed for temporary maintenance." Emilia felt great frustration and sighed in annoyance, but this obstacle did not stop her ambition or deter her resolve. She was seized by a passionate desire to explore the place today coinciding with her university launch. She thought quickly and resolved to sneak in her own way. She turned and retraced her steps to exit the college building towards the back garden surrounding it, where she knew the lab's large windows overlooked it directly. She approached cautiously, checked the atmosphere around her, then opened one of the windows stealthily and quietly, and climbed with her agility to find herself inside. Emilia's eyes were amazed and her enthusiasm ignited anew as she contemplated the details of the lab with extreme precision. The place was spacious, with long, pristine white marble tables lined up, and on them were modern electronic microscopes, huge sets of graduated glass tubes, and conical flasks lined up on shelves. In the corners, there were precise anatomical models, detailed wall charts of the structure of cells and microorganisms, in addition to closed sample storage refrigerators. The place was dominated by the distinctive smell of scientific disinfectants and sterilizers, and Emilia felt a shiver of joy run through her body as she saw this world she had always dreamed of. And while she was moving between the tables and looking with wonder and amazement at every tool, her contemplation was suddenly interrupted by hearing the sound of firm footsteps approaching the lab's outer door, accompanied by the faint sounds of people talking seriously. Her enthusiasm instantly vanished, replaced by severe fear of being discovered and punished on her first day. She turned around in terror looking for a quick hiding place, then spotted in the corner a large wooden cabinet dedicated to storing coats and tools, its door slightly ajar. She dashed towards it at lightning speed, slipped inside, then closed the door lightly aided by the darkness, and began holding her breath and watching through the narrow crack in the door to see who had entered the lab and what they would do.