**Student and Teacher relationship is highly forbidden**

My name is Carol Davis and here's my story. Unlike many other female leads where they're always being assaulted by their vicious aunt and uncles, adopted parents, step sis and step brother, mine is pretty different. Not entirely, but I guess I have no other option than to live like this anyway.

I just graduated from highschool and applied to crown university. A big and promising institution for people who desired to achieve the best in the nearest future. It is the number one university in this country, with a rating of 5+ stars.

My brother, Axel attended the university and is now graduating. He, along with many others pushed me to apply to Crown, because it's good and if I succeeded in graduating, which I will as a matter of fact, I'll be able to land a good job in a big organisation.

He's the pride of the family, and hopefully I will be like him, or even better, attain greater heights.

Whilst waiting for Crown to admit me, I spent my time reading at the bookstore just below our apartment. I borrow books from there sometimes and bring them home to read.

My brother sometimes remain at home with me while doing some online works, and at times goes to school for whatever reason he has.

My mom is a full time house wife, she stays at home to look after the house while my dad goes to work in a company. We're not exactly rich, but doing well. I eat three times a day, something that many do not have the privilege.

Our family might come off as easy going, and a role model to others, all until recently.

My dad has been nothing but a great disappointment to this family ever since he had been promoted to being the manager. He has a secretary which he fucks around with, and when their secret was revealed, he had suffered the consequences- He lost his job at the company( Office romance was forbidden) and the new job he got wasn't paying well.

He would direct his anger at us, coming home every night and heavily drunk. He would beat me and mom. When Axel tries to stop him from killing us every time, they would get into a huge brawl until the neighbors would come to separate them.

I do not quite understand why mother doesn't want to leave him. He gives her plenty of black eye but she still believed he could change. She still believed that he was the man she once loved. Flynn Davis.

Axel has been working twice as hard to support me and mom, since the 'bread-winner' of the house spends all his money in the bar. Enjoying women and drinking his life away.

There's no redemption for him at all.

It was evening already, and right now, I'm walking down the stair case, heading towards the bookstore downstairs to borrow a book I can read. I could buy them, but I would like to save my money for the future. I might need them when I get admitted into Crown.

The sky had transformed into beautiful shades of pink and orange, birds flew in unison and gentle breeze blew across my face. I wore my sweater because it was chilly, with a flare skirt and a comfortable sneaker. I pulled my hair into a messy bun, allowing tendrils to fall across my face.

I soon got downstairs and could see the familiar door. I arrived at the door and pulled, only to realize that it wouldn't budge. I pushed the door and eventually, it was open. I turned to the left where I could see the bookkeeper. Her name is Sarah and she's just a few years older than me.

She lifted her gaze to look at me and a smile broke through those thin lips, "I was wondering who it was"

"Did you know I had trouble with the door, Again! Seriously, this push and pull thing isn't for me" I whined, my face twisting in disapproval as I neared the table.

Sarah leaned forward, "Me too, including lots of customers. Everyone gets confused" She admitted with a wave of her hand.

My eyes narrowed thoughtfully, "You know you could help us. Put a sign up there indicating when to pull and push" I said with a small chuckle.

"I'll try" Sarah said. She then tilted her head at me. "Are you here for romance novels? Billionaire again?"

I bobbed my head. "Of course, That's my core"

I figured out that things would be better for me and my future if I got married, or got entangled with a billionaire like those women in novels do. I'd rather cry in a private jet and wipe my tears with a cheque, while sipping red wine than settle for a man whom financial success is running away from. I'd not settle for a man like my dad either, who likes to beat women and drink till he could no longer drink again. I needed a rich understanding, caring young man who would love me for who I was. I doubted if there was any, but these novels filled my mind with fantasies, and hope that I would find one.

"I'm sorry, Carol," Sarah's voice pulled me out of trance and my brow raised questioningly at her, wondering what she was sorry for. "The man who's supposed to deliver the books to the store did not come, hence there's no new arrival and you have finished reading everything in here"

I was rendered speechless. "Wow" I could only breathe out, placing my hands on my hips, my lips set into a thin line.

What am I supposed to do with my time now? I do not want to spend time on my phone as I had already planned to save this night for reading. I sighed, my shoulder slumping down in defeat.

"You can try other genres as well. There's a particular one that would leave you yearning for more" Sarah continued as she walked out from behind the table and began to walk around the store, around the sections.

I stood still, debating whether I should follow her and see what she was talking about about. If Sarah thought I would find a fantasy novel interesting, then she was wrong. They're nothing but imaginations of people that can never happen which was why I'd steer clear away from that genre, and others as well.

Just leave me with contemporary romance, please. Billionaire at that!

Sarah came back shortly with a book in her hand. My gaze drifted from the book to her smiling face.

"I don't think so" I shook my head.

And added, "I'm going home"

But then, my legs weren't moving. The thought that I'd spend the night doing nothing was not welcoming. I had thought I would be able to borrow another novel to read but then, I thought wrong.

Sarah insisted, "Please, just give it a try. I promise you won't be disappointed"

Watching Sarah beg me like that, as if there's something in the book she desperately needed me to check out, I couldn't refuse her even though I wanted to.

"Okay" I finally agreed and she gave it to me. "Thirty minutes, and if I'm not captivated by then, I won't be borrowing it"

Sarah nodded. She returned to her post behind the wooden desk, while I swiveled on my heels, heading into the direction of a table and chair situated by the corner.

Once I sat on the chair, I placed the book down and stared at the cover. It wasn't exactly appealing- it was black in color and had red lines to it, a ruby was attached in the center and it gleamed under the ceiling light. From the cover, I could make out a dragon wing drawn on it.

It was an old book.

I soon pried it open, and was welcomed by an empty page, dark in color.

The lights in the ceiling were suddenly flickering. I raised my head to look at it, and then a gust of wind unforgivingly brushed past the windows.

That's strange, I thought inwardly.

Anyway, I decided not to let it bother me. The other readers in here were not fussing about it. I shouldn't be either.

I flipped through the empty pages and finally came across the pages I was looking for.

Chapter one-

Long time ago, the human race suffered greatly under the rule of evil. vampires, werewolves and other night creature alike were seen as the upper class, while humans were considered insignificant and their food supply. These creatures stole, raped, killed and oppressed humans the way they pleased. Until, Nexus the great dragon took it upon himself to protect the humans by saving them from the harms of the evil creatures, and in turn, humans worshipped it.

Nexus was kind to the humans,and encouraged other dragons as well to be friendly with them. Hence, Dragons were friends to humans from the beginning.

Everything was peaceful. The humans had nothing to fear as Nexus was powerful to protect them. Until... A group of humans, after studying the dragon were suddenly blinded by greed.

The dragon clan had ten crystal ball that kept the clan at bay. It was said that, if any of them were tampered with, the world would no longer be safe for humans to thrive and evil would dominate. The dragons would go beserk and the emergence of many other evil that was unknown to the human eye would arrive.

These selfish group of humans did not heed to the warning, and were successful in stealing the crystal balls. They planned to sell it and make a fortune. In the process of stealing the crystal balls, One of them had killed Nexus's child. The one and only young dragon and heir to the clan. Nexus went berserk in the process, furious and horrifying. The dragons who were once at peace with the humans turned against them and there was a long lasting war. Sorcerers from different kingdoms had seek solution to put Nexus at rest and when they found one, it was not welcoming. Once in every year, humans would be sacrificed to Nexus. Innocent ones because his child was innocent as well. Also, the ten crystals must be found, as they had been scattered across the land. Without fulfilling these conditions, It was only a matter of time before Nexus came back and caused eternal havoc to the world. And he is bringing with him other evil.

Alright. I said to myself, shutting the book as I did not intend to go further. This is the reason why I do not like anything fantasy, what kind of unrealistic fiction was this?

Nexus? Who the fuck was that?

I wasn't going to give the book a second chance. I'd rather stick stick to contemporary romance, light and soft for me. I thought inwardly with a frown on my face.

Why did I bother?

Why did I waste my time when It was nothing, nothing compared to what I like to read?

I left the book on the table and stood up to leave the bookshop. As I looked outside, I realized that it was already late. How could I have not noticed that time was flying.

Now was the time my dad would return from his work, and from the bar. He would arrive at the door and start yelling like a lunatic. I needed to leave quickly, to save my mom from the misery that man was going to put her.

"Thanks Sarah. I have to go now" I said to the girl at the end of the table. She smiled and waved at me, her brown eyes not leaving my back as I exited the bookshop and started to make my way upstairs.

Sarah glanced back at the book on the table, from where she stood and a grim expression crawled over her features. There was an eerie sound in the background as the book began to turn pages violently. The wind broke through the windows once again and the lights were flickering over and over again. Books were sent flying out of their shelves, pages torn and rotating in the air, creating some type of tornado in the shop.

Until it stopped. Everything returned to normal.

But Sarah vanished...