*Chapter 2: The Summoning*
244 Words
The letter felt like a ticking bomb in Laila's pocket as she helped her dad with the diner prep 💔. It was a small place, but James had poured his heart into it, and Laila loved the smell of sizzling burgers and fresh fries 🍔. But today, her mind was elsewhere 🔮.
"Dad, can I talk to you about something?" she asked, wiping her hands on a towel.
James looked up, curious, as he flipped a burger. "Shoot, kiddo."
Laila pulled out the letter, its crimson seal gleaming 🔥. "I got summoned to the Demon Academy. The trials are tomorrow."
James's expression froze, the sizzle of the burger the only sound 💔. "You're going," he said finally, his voice firm. "You deserve a chance."
Laila's eyes stung as she packed that night 🔮. Her dad drove her to the outskirts of town, where shadows twisted like living things 😈. A black carriage waited, horses snorting smoke 🔥.
"Laila," James said, his voice cracking. "Hide who you are, okay? Humans aren't welcome there."
Laila nodded, hugging him tight 💔. As the carriage pulled away, she watched Ravenswood disappear, her heart torn 🔮. The horses took her to a forest, where dark figures waited...
The carriage stopped at the edge of a lake, its waters reflecting a towering castle 😈. Laila stepped out, her legs waky 🔥. A hooded figure approached.
"Welcome, Laila. I'm your guide, Lyra 😈. Let's see if you survive the trials 🔮."
- Writer
