Chapter 4
1992 Words
I slipped into the room, my heart still pounding. The guitar, resting quietly in the corner, felt like a key to this unfolding mystery, a conduit to the strange energy weaving itself into my life. It got me wondering if it was a gift or curse.
I sank onto the edge of the bed, trying to shake off the unease, when a voice broke the silence. It was soft, almost gentle, but carried a sharpness that reminded me of a predator toying with its prey. “That was quite a lot of bravery back there, Aurora,” the voice murmured.
I froze, rigid as marble. Slowly, I turned, fear gripping every inch of me, but this time I forced myself to face him. “What?” I blurted out, standing shakily. “I’m not Aurora.”
He stared at me, his expression impassive. “Oh? Who are you, if I may ask?” His tone was calm, curious.
“I should be asking you that,” I snapped. “You appeared out of nowhere, in my room. You’re ruining my sanity. What do you want from me?”
He looked at me with unsettling self-possession, his eyes empty yet piercing, as if he could see straight through my soul. There was surprise in his gaze too, as though something had just clicked. His expression shifted from stunned to knowing.
“My apologies,” he said smoothly. “Where are my manners? I’m not some dark god, as you seem to think. My name is Harvey.”
“You’re not a ghost?” I asked, my voice trembling.
“No.”
“My name is Elizabeth, not Aurora,” I blurted out, standing shakily.
“Elizabeth?” he repeated under his breath. “How is that possible?”
“What?” I breathed, confused by the lost look in his eyes. “Back there... Did you do that?”
“You mean the wind and the whole dramatic stunt?” His tone was casual. “Yes, I did.” His gaze sharpened, though his voice remained even.
I gasped, torn between fear and disbelief. So it was not Edgar after all. The thought struck me like lightning.
“Why?” I demanded.
He hesitated. For a brief moment, something glimmered in his eyes, a sadness buried deep but visible enough to sting. Then his mask of composure slipped back into place.
“Well,” he said quietly, “because you have lots of questions to answer, Miss Elizabeth.”
“What do you want from me? I swear I’ll call the police!”
A flicker of amusement touched his lips. “You’ll call the police on someone you thought was a ghost? How interesting.”
Something in his voice stirred a strange pull inside me, a connection I could not explain. “What are you?” I asked softly.
He met my gaze. “I’m a dragon. The King of Eldoria. A King of a forgotten world, also known as the Dragon King.”
My mind spun. “Dragon King?”
He did not flinch. I stared at him, then burst out laughing. “You’re kidding, right? You expect me to believe that?”
The image of the Dragon King from my grandfather’s bedtime stories flashed through my head, the terrifying beast of legend. How could this impossibly good-looking man claim to be that?
“Nice logic,” I muttered, forgetting for a moment that I was supposed to be afraid.
He studied me carefully, curiosity flickering in his eyes. “The real question is, what are you, Miss Elizabeth? For over five hundred years, I’ve lived on Earth. No one has ever been able to summon me. It’s impossible, but you did.”
“You’re not real!” I shouted.
“Oh, I’m very real,” he said calmly. “I only appear when I choose to. But somehow, you always manage to see even when I wish to remain unseen.”
“I don’t know what’s happening,” I stammered. “I swear I don’t.” Every word from him felt impossible. “How did I even summon you?”
His gaze shifted to the guitar. “Where did you get that?” His tone carried both fury and curiosity.
“My grandfather gave it to me when I was young as a birthday gift,” I said cautiously.
He studied the guitar, his expression softening with recognition. Countless thoughts crowded my mind, including asking him for help to escape the dreadful wedding I did not want. But I could not risk being pulled deeper into this madness. Little did I know, I already was.
“I don’t know what this is about,” I said, my voice shaking. “But you need to leave me alone.
“Look,” I added, trying to sound firm, “it seems like you’re mistaking me for someone else too so just leave me alone.”
“All right, Miss Elizabeth. I’ll leave for now. But tell me where the grimoire is?”
“I don’t have any grimoire. Where would I even get that?”
He tilted his head. “The only person who could know where it is, is the one who summoned me, and that person is you.” He sighed, his tone lowering. “It’s been five hundred years. I lost hope of reclaiming my kingdom. I searched endlessly, until you.”
My pulse raced. “So if I find this grimoire and give it to you, you’ll leave me alone?”
He hesitated. “I can’t promise that.”
“What? Why not?”
“If I said yes, it would be with the intention of never leaving you. But if that’s truly what you want, I’ll respect it.”
He looked at me one last time, his eyes opaque. “I’ll respect your privacy now, Miss Elizabeth.”
In a shimmer of light, he vanished.
The night stretched endlessly, every hour heavy with fear. By morning, I felt hollow, unwilling to face the day. Martin’s threats still echoed in my mind like a curse. Still, I had no choice. The moment I stepped through the school gates, their stares found me, sharp, waiting, as if I had wandered straight into their territory.
In class, I tried to focus, but my thoughts kept drifting. My eyes wandered to the window. “Elizabeth, this is not the time for boyfriend drama,” our homeroom teacher, Miss Jenna, teased, snapping me back to reality. The class erupted in laughter.
I forced a weak smile, wishing she knew how terrifying my life felt.
“Good morning, students,” she continued. “We have a new student among us today, please welcome Harvey.”
My heart dropped. The name hit me like a lightning strike. I stared at the door as he walked in. It was as if time itself stopped. The same guy who had appeared in my room the night before. “My name is Harvey,” he said smoothly. “Nice to meet you all.”
Miss Jenna pointed to an empty seat at the back. “You can sit there,” she said.
“No!” I shouted before I could stop myself. The class turned toward me in confusion.
“Do you have something to say, Elizabeth?”
My seatmate, Diva, grabbed my hand and whispered, “Sit down! What are you doing?”
“Umm... nothing, Miss Jenna.”
“Good. Let’s continue.”
He smiled faintly and took the seat behind me. Diva let out a quiet squeal. “Oh my God, he’s so hot.”
“You can see him?” I asked, my voice trembling.
“What are you talking about? Everyone can see him,” she said, frowning.
My skin went cold. I could feel his eyes on me. “Are you okay, Elizabeth?” Diva asked. “You look pale. Oh, I get it, you’ve already fallen for the new guy, haven’t you?”she teased.
At lunch, I walked straight to him. “What are you doing here?” My voice came out sharper than I intended. He studied me for a long moment, his eyes calm and inscrutable. “Miss Elizabeth,” he said softly.
“Drop the ‘Miss.’ It’s the twenty-first century. No need for that.”
“Who cares?” His lips curved into a teasing grin. “You’re the only gold I see in this era.”
I nearly lost my composure. He spoke as though he had known me for years, every word smooth and deliberate. It was obvious he was trying to charm me, but I forced myself to stay focused.
The entire class had their eyes on us. Everyone probably thought I was flirting with the new guy, but all I wanted were answers.
“Please answer me,” I said quietly. “What are you doing here? Yesterday you appeared out of nowhere, and now you’re at my school. How did you even get in here?”
He leaned closer, his tone light and playful. “Like any good flirt would, I’m just exploring my lady. Besides, this is a school. I’m here to study too ”
I stared at him. “Aren’t you like... five hundred years old?”
He smiled, “Yes, but do I look my age?”
He was impossible, so composed, so amused by everything that terrified me. “I told you to leave me alone,” I whispered.
“You’ll need more than that to get rid of me,” he replied easily.
“I don’t have whatever you’re looking for.”
“I heard you clearly the first time,” he said smoothly. “But perhaps we could find it together.”
“We?” I repeated, frowning.
“Yes.”
“Just leave me alone forever!” I pleaded, my voice breaking.
He turned and walked away without another word. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Camellia. She was avoiding me, moving quickly through the hallway as if hoping I would not notice.
“Camellia!” I called, hurrying after her. “You owe me an explanation, don’t you think?” Before she could protest, I grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the school terrace, away from curious eyes and listening ears.
“Eli...” she began hesitantly.
“What happened yesterday? Why were you with Martin Louis?”
“Shh! They can hear us,” she whispered urgently.
“Who can hear us?” I asked, lowering my voice.
“It’s a long story,” she said nervously, glancing around. “But you need to stop all this.”
“All what, Camellia?” My voice shook. “You don’t even know anything about me anymore. I need my best friend back. Things are happening I can’t even explain. What’s wrong with you, Camellia?”
Her eyes softened. “Elizabeth, I’m sorry.”
“No, you’re not.” The words slipped out before I could stop them. “Did you even know I’m being forced to marry Edgar Willson?”
“What?” Her face was drained of color.
“Yes, and the wedding is in four days and my best friend is hiding something from me.”
“Edgar Willson?” she whispered. “No. No, Elizabeth, whatever you do, do not marry him.”
“What? What do you mean?” My confusion drowned out my anger.
She barely got a word out before footsteps thundered behind us. Martin and his gang appeared out of nowhere, closing in until we were surrounded.
“It ends here, Elizabeth,” Martin sneered, his eyes glinting with malice. “Just like I told you yesterday. It doesn’t end there. It ends here.”
Fear clenched my chest like ice. The look in his eyes told me he meant every word. For the first time, I knew he was not lying.
- Writer
