Genova stirred awake from her sleep later that evening. Beads of sweat covered her forehead, and her breathing was uneven as though she just ran a countless-kilometer marathon.
She sat up on the bed and placed her hands over her banging chest as she tried remembering her terrifying dream. She rummaged through her mind to find out what the nightmare was about, but nothing came no matter how hard she tried. Perhaps it was too horrifying, and it was best not to remember anything of it.
Sighing, Genova reached for her phone on the nightstand and pressed the lock button to check the time. The phone screen showed it was 6:45 in the evening.
"Oh, shit! I have overslept!" She cussed and quickly crawled out of bed. Her eyes were still drowsy, and her body demanding for more sleep.
She had to stand up earlier that day and prepare to leave for the airport. Moreover, she barely got a wink of sleep the night before.
Genova couldn't close her eyes last night as her heart felt too heavy to say goodbye to her parents. She tossed and turned on her simple yet cozy bed until her heavy eyelids ultimately shut closed at some point. No matter how hard she fought against the idea of moving out, it couldn't be avoided in the end.
Her family of three still had to part ways, alas.
Genova went inside the bathroom to quickly fix herself before exiting her new bedroom to meet with the others.
"You are awake! Good timing," Eva’s voice rang as Genova’s figure appeared on the stairs.
"Hi, aunt!" Genova waved awkwardly.
She felt uncomfortable sleeping all afternoon and not helping with dinner or other house chores.
As though Eva could read her mind, "Have a seat, dear. Dinner will be served in a few minutes. And don't worry about doing any house chores; Monica is responsible for those. There are enough workers at her disposal should she require any help!" Eva spoke softly.
Although she sounded so relaxed and unbothered by anything, her gaze was keen on the girl’s face, searching for anything unusual about her reaction.
Genova's lips formed into an 'O' without knowing what else to say. Quietly, she took a seat next to Eva and smiled stiffly. She could feel her aunt’s eyes on her but didn’t think much of it.
“Did anything happen while I was away, dear?” Eva probed cautiously.
Genova dipped her head down. “Nothing, aunt. Sorry I didn’t do anything else but sleep.” Her voice was barely audible as she mouthed her apology, thinking she might have misused her privilege of her aunt’s generosity to allow her in this beautiful home.
Eva sighed. “There is nothing wrong with taking rest when you are tired, Gen. I want you to see this house as your own. You are no stranger to me but my very own niece, so please be comfortable in our home,” Eva spoke warmly.
She knew it would take some time until her niece got comfortable in her new home. “Do not take my question the wrong way – I was only curious to know if you perhaps went sightseeing around the estate,” Eva added while peering intently at the girl. She didn’t want to miss the slightest change in Genova’s reaction.
Genova shook her head. “Unfortunately not, I was too tired to do so. But it is certainly on my to-do list.”
‘It seems she doesn’t remember anything,’ Eva released a silent breath of relief.
She had been wracking her head on how to explain the incident earlier to Genova whenever she woke up.
‘Thank goodness there is a natural order that immediately takes effect whenever the revelation of the mystical world is too hard or sudden for anyone to handle.’
Though quite several humans were aware of the creatures that dwell within them, many couldn’t handle the reality whenever they somehow stumbled upon this dark secret. And in order to prevent the population from going into shock, the supernatural world was urged to maintain the mystery of their existence amongst humans.
Additionally, the previous Witch and Fae Queen created a spell called ‘The Natura Order’, which messes with those whose minds were too frail to handle the truth of the hidden world by automatically erasing the knowledge from their minds. In other words, the spell is referred to as ‘The Forgetting Spell.’ This way, anyone who wasn’t meant to know about this secret remained oblivious.
Furthermore, what happened earlier was very unusual and Eva had been trying to make sense of it. There was an agreement that humans were never to be harmed under any circumstances which took place centuries ago. This law remained effective to date. Rogues were the only ones who never followed this arrangement and were common enemies to both parties. However, the creature in the woods earlier was no rogue. What’s more, its kind was scarce to come across. Such ancient and magical beings almost don’t exist anymore.
Eva recalled the hostility it exuded. She shuddered at the thought of what would have happened should she have been any second late.
Returning her focus on her niece, “You mentioned having a ‘to do’ list. Other than getting a view around the estate, would you mind sharing what more you have in mind?” She inquired and gently poked Genova with her index finger.
Genova blushed. “It-its nothing much. I hope to get to know new people and make some friends.”
“By ‘friends’, any chance a fine young man is included? Your prince charming like girls your age often dream about?”
Genova’s head hung even lower as her cheeks turned crimson with no idea how to respond.
Eva looked at the girl and chuckled lowly. “There’s nothing to be shy about, dear, it is a totally normal fantasy for young girls. I was no different.” She began, “In fact, I didn’t only wish for my ‘prince charming’ to come and sweep me off my feet, but I wanted one with a full package. He had to have all the right muscles in the right places—especially in a particular area where it was most needed,” Eva said casually.
Genova was rendered speechless. She lifted her head and stared at the shameless woman dumbfounded.
“Don’t give me that look. I was no saint, and I don’t expect that of you either,” Eva added with a shrug.
Genova blinked. She opened her mouth to say something but ended up closing it at a loss for words. Just then, the sounds of slippers against the marble staircase resounded, causing both women to turn their gaze in that direction.
The two people at the dining table whipped their heads in the direction to see an appealing young figure in a floral over-the-knee dress walking down the stairs. Her heavy caramel waves hung freely over her shoulders to her back, and her grey eyes were sharp.Zoe! Genova almost couldn't recognize the girl should it not have been the unmistakable resemblance the female shared with her aunt.Zoe was Eva's daughter and only child.Eva's husband, Zoe's father, died in an accident a few years back. Zoe was just a toddler at that time. As such, she never truly experienced the love of having a father in her life. Her mom had been the only parent she had.The last time both girls saw one another was over six years ago. And like her, Zoe had also grown into one dashing young lady."Hi, Zoe!" Genova beamed. In contracts, Zoe's expression turned grimly to see the last person she ever expected to be in their home.She was not at all pleased with the idea that Genova would be staying with them f
Genova spent the last two days exploring the vast estate that seemed unending. The place was its own village with many other residents, and she met quite some of them during her expeditor.Initially, Genova felt crept out to being stared at whenever she passed by any of the estate’s co-inhabitants. But that odd feeling disappeared when she bumped into familiar faces again. She had almost forgotten how she had made a few friends, ones she had always looked forward to seeing after her last visit six years ago. However, this longing gradually faded as she aged and focused on building her life in her hometown. Genova was ecstatic to see the twins, Kaden and Karla, her favorite child playmates. Kaden had grown so tall and well-built with a cold personality that she almost didn’t recognize him at first. Karla was no different. The girl was nearly as tall as her brother with unmistakable feistiness. Genova was not at all hoping the twins would remember her because they had been kids the l
The Black Maybach transporting Eva and Genova pulled over at the school parking lot a few minutes later.Due to the side of town Eva’s mansion was located in, everything was far out of reach. Even going to the supermarket outside the estate wasn't a walkable distance."We have arrived!" Eva announced once the car was fully parked and the ignition was turned off.The driver got down and hurried to open the back passenger seat first for Eva and then intended to do the same for the other passenger. However, Genova was already out before the man could move around the vehicle."Thank you, Wilson. I will show my niece to the Dean's office; we will head to the office afterward," Eva said. Turning to the girl beside her whose mouth was agape in utter fascination, Eva chuckled lowly. "Come on, Gen. You are going to make me late for the office!"Genova closed her mouth and then opened it again like a fish, but no words came out. One could tell she was in awe of the sight that welcomed her. Thus
A soft smile spread across Jack's lips. "Welcome to our institute, Miss Bourn!" He said casually. "Please hand me your official transfer documents from your previous school. And do take your seats.""Of course. Here you go, sir." Genova mouthed and quickly trotted forward to hand him her papers before crouching on the seat next to her aunt across from Jack.Silence reigned inside the vast office subsequently.Eva also remained silent. Her posture was now relaxed as she awaited the fellow's comment while Genova felt slightly anxious.Until they arrived at the school premises a couple of minutes ago, Genova firmly believed her grades were good enough to get admitted into (BRASVIAN INSTITUTE). However, seeing the college's high-quality standards firsthand, she couldn't ignore the insecurity that suddenly enveloped her. The establishment she attended back home in Roseville always praised her talent, and she never failed any of her exams. But [ROSEVILLE ACADEMICS and BRASVIAN INSTITUTE] w
Returning her gaze to Genova, "Please follow me." Jasmine's voice was soft, but her dubious glint spoke otherwise.Genova quickly got up and was hot on Jasmine's tail with no clue of the event that was to unfold. Silence reigned between both girls as they walked toward a destination she was unfamiliar with.Then again, she was unfamiliar with the whole place. After all, today was her first day in this school.She decided to speak up and clear things between them. "About earlier…," Genova began, "I didn't mean it that way. I am not into girls. I mean, I don't know-""Why are you making yourself so worked up? It is totally cool with me – I am used to getting this particular reaction from people. Trust me; it will pass in a few days," Jasmine stated flatly, tugging a strand lock behind her ears.Genova's eyes narrowed. "Do you mean you get this reaction from everyone?" She drilled to make sure she heard that right."Pretty much so!" Jasmine's eyes flickered mischievously for a split seco
David hummed. “Do you wish to change your current desk to a more comfortable one?” Genova went stiff upon hearing the professor’s harmless question. Did she wish to be apart from Jasmine? Moreover, why the sudden question though? Genova felt confused and had no straightforward answer to the professor’s question! Deep down within, there was this notion she couldn’t shake off. It was like an alarm ringing in her head that it would be in her best interest if she stayed away from this girl. Far, far away if possible. However, she couldn’t bring herself to do that because of the invisible clutch the latter had on her soul. Thus, her desire to please the villainess outweighed the danger signs she was getting. “I-I…” Genova bit her lip and glanced sideways at the lady deposited beside her. “I-I…” again, she trailed off when she couldn’t form any words or come to a decision. It was as though the cat suddenly got her tongue. “I think the new girl is perfect where she is, Mr. Johnsons.
Genova dashed out of the school building, running toward the exit with quickened steps, and her heart was not having it either. She felt like she was on the predator’s premises and needed to escape at once before being served on a golden platter. Her head was jumbled in fright and her sight blurry as she made haste to disappear from this place without paying the slightest attention to her surrounding until she bumped into a soft wall. No, it wasn’t a wall but someone. They both found themselves on the hard ground with Genova on top of the latter. “Oh my God, I am so sorry.” She muttered an apology as she quickly got back to her feet and intended to proceed with her escape. But before that could happen, she felt a firm grip that retained her from getting away on her right arm. “Girl. Are you doing all right?” A soft female voice sounded. “No, not at all. I mean, y-yes, thank you. I am sorry for bumping into you,” Genova apologized again, making sure her voice was calm as she could
Genova ran as much as her feet could carry her. Unfortunately, she couldn’t outrun the carnivores because their speed and agility were much superior to hers.“Ahh…” A loud shriek tore from her mouth when a sharp claw ripped through her skin just before she was tackled to the ground by one of the beasts. Her vision blurred due to the impact of colliding with the rough surface from the attack. She felt blood dripping from the gash on her left shoulder blade, wetting the ground as the animal loomed over her body, preparing to tear her into shreds. Dread gripped Genova to stare death in the face. Automatic tears she had no control over began pouring down the corner of her eyes. Her heartbeat accelerated like never before and she shut her eyes, knowing there was no escape in this kind of situation. She was cornered from all angles and her attempt to survive earlier had proven to her how fast these assailants were. Genova couldn’t stop the tremor that blanketed her as she lay still and