The next morning, the world felt different. Even sunlight seemed muted, as though a shadow lingered just beyond the edges of the day. I couldn't shake the feeling that the museum, the crown, and Lucas had left a mark on me—one that wouldn't fade.
James noticed it immediately. "You've been… distant," he said during breakfast, frowning. "Are you sure you're okay?"
I forced a smile. "I'm fine. Just… tired." But deep down, I knew it wasn't just fatigue. The crown's whisper still echoed in my mind, soft and seductive: "You are chosen… embrace it…"
School was unbearable. Every time I looked at Lucas, I felt a mix of fear and fascination. He moved like a shadow himself, quiet and deliberate, always watching, always waiting. That day, he didn't sit at the back as usual. He walked straight up to my desk and slid into the seat beside me, his gray eyes now burning silver with an intensity I couldn't ignore.
"You felt it last night," he said softly, as if reading my thoughts.
I blinked. "What? Felt what?"
"The crown," he replied, almost too calmly. "It's calling to you. I can feel it. And so can they." He gestured vaguely toward the classroom, but when I looked around, nothing seemed out of place. Yet a shiver ran down my spine.
Before I could respond, Mr. Hamel's voice broke the tension. "Eyes on your work, Laina."
But I couldn't focus. Every sound, every shadow seemed amplified, and the crown's pull grew stronger in my chest.
After school, I found myself walking toward the museum, almost on autopilot. James followed, worry etched on his face. "Laina, wait! You're scaring me!"
"I have to," I whispered, barely audible. "I can't explain it."
When we arrived, the museum was empty, the halls echoing with the faint scent of dust and old wood. And there it was—the crown, lying on a velvet cushion as if nothing had happened. Its dark metal twisted, the red gems glowing faintly like embers in the dark.
I stepped closer, hand trembling. "Take me…" The whisper came again, more insistent this time.
"Laina, don't," James said, grabbing my arm. "It's dangerous!"
I looked at him, really looked, and felt a pang of guilt. He was the only person in my life who made everything feel normal. I wanted to tell him everything, but I couldn't explain what I felt—or what I had seen in the forest.
Suddenly, the air thickened. The temperature dropped sharply. Shadows moved independently of their sources, creeping along the walls like living things. And then he appeared.
Lucas.
Not just standing, but emerging from the shadows, as if the darkness itself had molded him. His silver eyes glowed brighter now, and for the first time, his expression was serious. "You can't deny it anymore, Laina. The crown has chosen you. And so have I."
"What do you mean 'so have you'?" I asked, backing away.
He stepped closer, the shadows curling around him like protective armor. "I am bound to the crown, as you are. I was its guardian… until it chose you. And now, you must decide. Will you accept it, or will the darkness consume everything you love?"
I felt panic rising. "What happens if I refuse?"
He paused, his gaze piercing. "Refusal means loss. Loss of everything, everyone. The crown is patient—but relentless. It will wait… and take what it wants anyway."
My chest tightened. James gripped my hand. "We'll face it together, Laina. Whatever this is, we can fight it."
But deep inside, I felt the crown calling stronger than ever. I stepped forward, trembling. The whispers became a roar, voices of long-dead kings, queens, and warriors filling my mind. "Claim your power… embrace the darkness… or be nothing…"
The crown floated toward me, suspended in midair. When I touched it, my vision blurred. I was back in the forest, the shadows pressing close, Lucas waiting at the edge of the clearing.
"I warned you," he said, his voice both calm and terrible. "You've felt the pull. Now, you see the truth."
"What truth?" I asked, fear and anger intertwining.
"The crown is not just a relic," he explained, his silver eyes reflecting countless horrors. "It is a gate. A gate to a world of power… and of suffering. It feeds on fear, but it also grants strength. Those it chooses… they become more than human. But they also lose… a part of themselves."
I felt a shiver run through me. "And you… you were chosen?"
"Yes," he said, looking away briefly. "I was bound to it to protect the world from what it hides. Until you arrived. Now, the choice is yours."
The shadows surged, whispering, clawing at my mind. I could feel the pull inside me, a strange warmth and power that made my blood race. Part of me wanted to step back, to run to James and escape forever. But another part… a darker, thrilling part… wanted to reach out and claim it.
I looked at Lucas. "If I take it… what happens to you?"
He smiled faintly, almost sadly. "Then I am free… and you are the guardian. But remember, nothing comes without cost."
The forest faded. I was back in the museum, James by my side, trembling. The crown floated toward me. I swallowed hard, my heart pounding. I reached out, and the moment my fingers brushed the dark metal, a shock ran through me.
The crown's whispers turned into a voice I recognized—my own. "You are mine. You are everything."
And then the world shifted. Shadows curled around me, wrapping me in darkness, yet I felt… powerful. Stronger than ever. I could feel the crown merging with me, its energy becoming my own.
James gasped. "Laina…?"
I opened my eyes. The crown floated above my head, black and red, yet now it felt like it belonged to me. And in the corner of my vision, Lucas was smiling, stepping back into the shadows, fading away.
"You've done it," he whispered, almost like a ghost. "But remember… power always has a price."
And with that, he vanished.
I was alone, holding a secret no one could understand. The crown had chosen me, and in that moment, I realized: my ordinary life was over. I was no longer just Laina, the adopted girl. I was something more… something dangerous… something unstoppable.
The shadows in the glass had spoken. And I had listened.