Chapter 5:
Chapter 5: Alana's visit
Demons and Dragons vol 1
What the hell just happened?Ugh… my head is pounding. Slowly, I blinked my eyes open, trying to make sense of my surroundings as the radiant morning light blinded me. I was… in my bed? How did I even get here?
I carefully pushed myself upright, wincing as the room tilted in a dizzying blur. To my left, my mother—Alicia—sat in a chair by the bedside. Her crimson-red eyes were closed, her breathing shallow and rhythmic. She looked peaceful, a sharp contrast to the chaos I remembered. How long had I been out? Hours? Days?
I struggled to stand, my body still screaming with the phantom aches of the past events. Suddenly, a flood of memories hit me like a physical blow. I gasped, falling to my knees as my breath became ragged and short. Beads of sweat rolled from my forehead, splashing onto the cold stone floor. I stood up slowly despite the rhythmic pulsing at my temples.
And then… my gaze fell on my hand.“What the hell is this ring doing on my finger?” I whispered.
The skull-shaped ring pulsed with an eerie, rhythmic light, its black crystal glowing faintly like a dying ember. It was the same one she had used to unlock my power. I could feel the magical energy humming beneath the surface, a cold, static-like tingling against my skin. I’d have to ask her about it later—assuming I survived the day. I collapsed back onto the bed, waiting for the vertigo to pass. For a few moments, the pain subsided, replaced by the deceptive peace of the morning—the birds chirping and singing a beautiful, indifferent song.
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
A loud, demanding rapping at the door shattered the silence. Who could that be? Po? Jax? They usually announced themselves with enough shouting to wake the dead, but this… this felt deliberate.I hurried to the door, swinging it open—and froze.
Standing there, perfectly composed in her pristine uniform, was the Student Body President. Alana.
“What… what a pleasure, Pres,” I stuttered, my brain scrambling to process her presence. “What do I owe for such a visit?”“Nothing, Justin. I just came to see you,” she said casually. Before I could offer a seat, she pushed past me into the room, her eyes scanning the modest living quarters with clinical curiosity.
Alicia appeared in the doorway, stretching and yawning. “Oh, Justin, you haven’t told me your friend came to visit today. And before I forget—Po and Jax stopped by yesterday to check on you,” she added, rubbing her back as if she’d been lounging for hours.
“Well… it’s a bit compli—” I started, but Alana interrupted with a mischievous, sharp-edged smile.
“Nice to meet you, ma’am. I’m Justin’s girlfriend.”
My jaw dropped. A literal chill ran down my spine.
“Oh, Justin! You haven't told me you had a girlfriend,” Alicia said, her eyes twinkling with a teasing grin.
“Mom, it’s not what it looks like!” I blurted out, my face heating up.
“Ohhh, Justin,” she gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest. “After you declared your love for me, you simply say it’s not? That breaks my heart.” She tilted her head, her crimson eyes flashing with a playful malice that only added to my confusion.
Oh, come on, I thought, grit my teeth. Pulling the guilt-trip card the second I wake up? Really classy.
“It’s only been a day since I declared my love for you!” I shouted, utterly bewildered.Alana’s expression shifted, her eyebrows knitting together. “What are you talking about, Justin? You haven’t been to school in three days.”
Three days? My mind reeled. I remembered only a single night passing. The timeline was fractured.
“And… what happened to your hair?” Alicia’s eyes scanned me critically, her playfulness vanishing. “It’s revoltingly white. That doesn’t suit you at all.”
White? I stumbled to the mirror in the living room. My reflection stared back—the person in the glass looked like a stranger. My once-black locks were now a stark, ghostly white. My heart sank. Could dye even fix this? Did hair dye even exist in this realm? Everything I'd seen so far was so… medieval.
“Nothing magic can’t fix, my darling,” my mother said, her voice dropping to a serious, low register. She took my hand and guided me back to the bedroom, sitting me on the edge of the bed. Her face was suddenly a mask of gravity.
“Justin… you must not tell anyone about what happened three days ago. It stays between us. And if you remember anything while you were asleep… do not speak of it,” she commanded.
“What do you mean ‘while I was asleep’? I remember the chamber. Those figures…”“We used them as catalysts for your power,” Alicia explained, her voice heavy with authority. “Strong demons like you often need a catalyst to awaken fully. The raw power is too volatile for one body to contain without assistance.”
She turned to my dressing table and picked up a silver cup. From her pocket, she withdrew a small black stone and dropped it in. It clinked against the metal. She held her hand over it; a light-green magic circle manifested, swirling with intricate runes. The stone didn't just melt; it liquefied under the intense magical heat.
She reached for a small brush, dipping it into the obsidian liquid, and began applying it to my hair. I watched in the mirror as the white strands turned back to a deep, familiar black—but my eyes remained a piercing, permanent crimson. A brand of my transformation. Or perhaps… a curse.“That’s… a lot to take in,” I muttered. “But today, I need to test these limits. And I know… I won’t remove the ring.
” I glanced at the skull-ring, which felt heavier now.Suddenly, Alana’s voice cut through the heavy atmosphere from the other room.
“Justin! Hurry up! We’re going to be late!”“School?! I have school today?!” Panic set in.
I rushed to the window, throwing the curtains wide. The sun blinded me again, but I ignored it, scrambling toward my desk. I found the clock. 7:50 AM.
“Oh, shit!” I scrambled to the closet, throwing the doors open. There it was: my uniform, hung with mocking neatness. Black formal shoes, white trousers, a black undershirt, and the white blazer with its distinctive black lining. I threw the clothes on, my fingers fumbling with the buttons, looking disheveled and frantic.
“Come on, Justin. Into the carriage!” Alana called, her tone impatient yet strangely playful as she headed outside.
I followed her out to the waiting horse-drawn carriage, trying to smooth down my hair. “I’ve been absent for three days,” I said, trying to sound casual despite the adrenaline. “I was… held up. Don’t ask.”
Alana gave me a long, appraising look, her eyes searching mine for the truth I wasn't allowed to tell. I took a deep breath, looking down at the ring and then toward the horizon. Between the missing days, the "girlfriend" lie, and the pulsing power in my veins, today was going to be an exhausting disaster.
I carefully pushed myself upright, wincing as the room tilted in a dizzying blur. To my left, my mother—Alicia—sat in a chair by the bedside. Her crimson-red eyes were closed, her breathing shallow and rhythmic. She looked peaceful, a sharp contrast to the chaos I remembered. How long had I been out? Hours? Days?
I struggled to stand, my body still screaming with the phantom aches of the past events. Suddenly, a flood of memories hit me like a physical blow. I gasped, falling to my knees as my breath became ragged and short. Beads of sweat rolled from my forehead, splashing onto the cold stone floor. I stood up slowly despite the rhythmic pulsing at my temples.
And then… my gaze fell on my hand.“What the hell is this ring doing on my finger?” I whispered.
The skull-shaped ring pulsed with an eerie, rhythmic light, its black crystal glowing faintly like a dying ember. It was the same one she had used to unlock my power. I could feel the magical energy humming beneath the surface, a cold, static-like tingling against my skin. I’d have to ask her about it later—assuming I survived the day. I collapsed back onto the bed, waiting for the vertigo to pass. For a few moments, the pain subsided, replaced by the deceptive peace of the morning—the birds chirping and singing a beautiful, indifferent song.
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
A loud, demanding rapping at the door shattered the silence. Who could that be? Po? Jax? They usually announced themselves with enough shouting to wake the dead, but this… this felt deliberate.I hurried to the door, swinging it open—and froze.
Standing there, perfectly composed in her pristine uniform, was the Student Body President. Alana.
“What… what a pleasure, Pres,” I stuttered, my brain scrambling to process her presence. “What do I owe for such a visit?”“Nothing, Justin. I just came to see you,” she said casually. Before I could offer a seat, she pushed past me into the room, her eyes scanning the modest living quarters with clinical curiosity.
Alicia appeared in the doorway, stretching and yawning. “Oh, Justin, you haven’t told me your friend came to visit today. And before I forget—Po and Jax stopped by yesterday to check on you,” she added, rubbing her back as if she’d been lounging for hours.
“Well… it’s a bit compli—” I started, but Alana interrupted with a mischievous, sharp-edged smile.
“Nice to meet you, ma’am. I’m Justin’s girlfriend.”
My jaw dropped. A literal chill ran down my spine.
“Oh, Justin! You haven't told me you had a girlfriend,” Alicia said, her eyes twinkling with a teasing grin.
“Mom, it’s not what it looks like!” I blurted out, my face heating up.
“Ohhh, Justin,” she gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest. “After you declared your love for me, you simply say it’s not? That breaks my heart.” She tilted her head, her crimson eyes flashing with a playful malice that only added to my confusion.
Oh, come on, I thought, grit my teeth. Pulling the guilt-trip card the second I wake up? Really classy.
“It’s only been a day since I declared my love for you!” I shouted, utterly bewildered.Alana’s expression shifted, her eyebrows knitting together. “What are you talking about, Justin? You haven’t been to school in three days.”
Three days? My mind reeled. I remembered only a single night passing. The timeline was fractured.
“And… what happened to your hair?” Alicia’s eyes scanned me critically, her playfulness vanishing. “It’s revoltingly white. That doesn’t suit you at all.”
White? I stumbled to the mirror in the living room. My reflection stared back—the person in the glass looked like a stranger. My once-black locks were now a stark, ghostly white. My heart sank. Could dye even fix this? Did hair dye even exist in this realm? Everything I'd seen so far was so… medieval.
“Nothing magic can’t fix, my darling,” my mother said, her voice dropping to a serious, low register. She took my hand and guided me back to the bedroom, sitting me on the edge of the bed. Her face was suddenly a mask of gravity.
“Justin… you must not tell anyone about what happened three days ago. It stays between us. And if you remember anything while you were asleep… do not speak of it,” she commanded.
“What do you mean ‘while I was asleep’? I remember the chamber. Those figures…”“We used them as catalysts for your power,” Alicia explained, her voice heavy with authority. “Strong demons like you often need a catalyst to awaken fully. The raw power is too volatile for one body to contain without assistance.”
She turned to my dressing table and picked up a silver cup. From her pocket, she withdrew a small black stone and dropped it in. It clinked against the metal. She held her hand over it; a light-green magic circle manifested, swirling with intricate runes. The stone didn't just melt; it liquefied under the intense magical heat.
She reached for a small brush, dipping it into the obsidian liquid, and began applying it to my hair. I watched in the mirror as the white strands turned back to a deep, familiar black—but my eyes remained a piercing, permanent crimson. A brand of my transformation. Or perhaps… a curse.“That’s… a lot to take in,” I muttered. “But today, I need to test these limits. And I know… I won’t remove the ring.
” I glanced at the skull-ring, which felt heavier now.Suddenly, Alana’s voice cut through the heavy atmosphere from the other room.
“Justin! Hurry up! We’re going to be late!”“School?! I have school today?!” Panic set in.
I rushed to the window, throwing the curtains wide. The sun blinded me again, but I ignored it, scrambling toward my desk. I found the clock. 7:50 AM.
“Oh, shit!” I scrambled to the closet, throwing the doors open. There it was: my uniform, hung with mocking neatness. Black formal shoes, white trousers, a black undershirt, and the white blazer with its distinctive black lining. I threw the clothes on, my fingers fumbling with the buttons, looking disheveled and frantic.
“Come on, Justin. Into the carriage!” Alana called, her tone impatient yet strangely playful as she headed outside.
I followed her out to the waiting horse-drawn carriage, trying to smooth down my hair. “I’ve been absent for three days,” I said, trying to sound casual despite the adrenaline. “I was… held up. Don’t ask.”
Alana gave me a long, appraising look, her eyes searching mine for the truth I wasn't allowed to tell. I took a deep breath, looking down at the ring and then toward the horizon. Between the missing days, the "girlfriend" lie, and the pulsing power in my veins, today was going to be an exhausting disaster.
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