I couldn't sleep that night. The image of the dark crown in the mirror haunted me. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw it hovering above me, as if waiting for the right moment to claim me. I tried to tell myself it was just a dream, a trick of the shadows in my room—but deep down, I knew it wasn't.
The next morning, school felt heavier than usual. Lucas was already waiting outside the classroom, leaning casually against the wall. When our eyes met, I felt a jolt run through me, like electricity. He nodded slightly, and my stomach twisted. I didn't know why, but I felt drawn to him, even though part of me screamed danger.
During history class, Mr. Hamel announced a field trip to the city museum. "We'll be studying ancient artifacts," he said, smiling. "And I want everyone to pay attention; you never know what might come alive in the past."
The words made me shiver. James squeezed my hand. "It's just a museum, Laina. Don't overthink it."
But overthinking was impossible.
When we arrived, the museum was earily quiet, the kind of silence that presses against your ears. The walls were lined with glass cases holding treasures from centuries ago: crowns, swords, jewelry—and one crown in particular caught my eye.
It was almost identical to the one I had seen in the mirror. Black metal twisted with dark red gems, glowing faintly as if it had a heartbeat. My footsteps drew me closer before I realized I was moving on my own.
"Laina, wait!" James called, but I didn't hear him.
As soon as my fingers brushed the crown, everything around me shifted. The lights flickered, and shadows began to stretch unnaturally across the room. I was no longer standing in the museum; I was somewhere else entirely. A dark forest, bathed in moonlight, surrounded me. Whispering voices echoed through the trees.
"Welcome, Laina," a voice said. It wasn't Lucas's voice, yet I felt him there. The shadows formed into shapes—faces twisted in fear, mouths moving silently as if they were trying to warn me.
Then I saw him: Lucas, standing at the edge of a clearing. But his eyes were not gray anymore—they glowed silver, and his smile was... not friendly.
"You've awakened it," he said, his voice calm, but every word carried power. "The crown chooses only one, and it has chosen you."
I tried to back away, but the forest floor seemed to swallow my steps. The crown's glow grew brighter, and a voice—mine, but not mine—whispered from inside it:
"Claim your destiny, Laina. Or be lost forever."
Panic surged through me. I wanted to scream, to run—but my legs refused. I realized then that my life, my world, had changed completely. I was no longer just Laina, the ordinary adopted girl. The crown had marked me, and now I had a choice I wasn't sure I could make.
And somewhere deep in the forest, Lucas's smile widened, hiding secrets that I was not yet ready to uncover.
The forest seemed endless. Every tree was twisted, its branches clawing at the sky. The whispers grew louder, echoing in my mind. I could hear my own heartbeat, fast and erratic, but beneath it, something else pulsed—a dark rhythm, as if the crown itself was alive.
"Laina," Lucas called softly, stepping closer. His silver eyes reflected the moonlight, and I realized he wasn't entirely human—or at least, not entirely the boy I thought I knew. "Don't fight it. The crown only awakens what is already inside you."
I shook my head. "I don't understand! What do you mean? I'm just… me!"
He smiled faintly, but it was unsettling. "You're not just you. You've always been chosen. That's why it called to you."
The shadows around me moved, forming shapes that were almost human. Faces of people I didn't recognize stared at me, their eyes hollow, mouths opening as if screaming in silent agony. I felt an icy hand grip my shoulder. I spun around, but no one was there.
A voice came from the crown itself. "Laina… take me. Become the one. Embrace your power…"
I wanted to run, but the forest floor rippled beneath my feet, pulling me toward the glowing crown. Panic gripped me. "James!" I shouted. But all I heard was the wind whispering his name mockingly, twisting it into something unrecognizable.
Suddenly, Lucas reached out. "You don't have to do this alone. But you have to choose. If you refuse, the shadows will consume everything you love—including him."
My thoughts flashed to James. He was still waiting in the real world, probably thinking I disappeared. Fear clawed at my chest. Could I really let this darkness touch him?
The crown floated in front of me, spinning slowly, its red gems pulsing like tiny hearts. The whispers turned into voices now—screaming, begging, demanding. My hands trembled as I reached for it.
And then everything went black.
I woke up in the museum. My hand was still hovering above the crown, but it no longer glowed. Lucas was gone. The other students were staring at me, whispering, and James was holding my hand tightly, worry etched across his face.
"Laina! Are you okay?" he asked.
I nodded slowly, but my mind was elsewhere. The crown's whisper still lingered in my ears. And somewhere deep inside, I felt a pull, a dark invitation that I could not ignore.
That night, I couldn't sleep. The reflection in the mirror returned—this time, smiling, but the crown hovered above my head, dark and commanding. I realized the forest, Lucas, the shadows—they were all part of something far larger than me. Something I couldn't yet understand.
And I knew one terrifying truth: my life had changed forever.