"Over here!" Eragon's voice rang out from the far side of the school courtyard, his wings fluttering lightly as he hovered a few feet above the ground. Gloria's heart lifted at the sight of him.
Eragon, her fairy friend, always made her feel safe. His mere presence brought comfort, a welcome reprieve from the chaos of her day-to-day life. He wasn't just any fairy—Eragon was a super variant, a high fairy born with a dragon familiar. It was a rare and powerful combination, one that sent shivers down the spines of those who knew what it meant.Despite his strength, Eragon was never one for violence.
In fact, he shied away from fighting altogether, preferring to rely on his intellect and his dragon familiar's imposing presence to keep trouble at bay. Gloria knew that Ailson, her relentless tormentor, was particularly unsettled by Eragon. Maybe it was the fact that he came from a family of high fairies, both his parents members of the supernatural council just like hers and Ailson's.
Or maybe it was simply because Eragon's kind had a reputation for holding grudges—and for delivering swift and unforgiving revenge when wronged.Gloria hurried over to him, her feet scuffing against the pavement as she reached the small gathering. Their other friends, Anna and Jimmy, were already there, waiting by the lockers with their bags slung over their shoulders."Morning, guys," Gloria greeted them, her voice still soft with the remnants of her morning nerves."Hey, Gloria!" Anna chimed with a bright smile. Anna was human, blissfully unaware of the supernatural world swirling around her.
She was warm, easygoing, and completely untouched by the darkness Gloria and her supernatural friends were forced to contend with daily."Ready for another thrilling day of high school?" Jimmy added with a laugh, adjusting his glasses. Like Anna, Jimmy had no idea about Gloria's true nature or the otherworldly dangers that lurked around them.As they headed to class, Gloria couldn't shake the gnawing feeling that something was off. The air felt heavier than usual, tinged with a faint sense of dread. She glanced at Eragon, who had landed beside her and was now walking alongside the group. His face, usually calm and unreadable, seemed tense."You okay?" she asked him under her breath.Eragon's sharp eyes met hers, and for a moment, he hesitated.
"I don't know," he finally admitted. "Something feels… wrong."Gloria's stomach flipped. She trusted Eragon's instincts implicitly. If he thought something was wrong, it probably was. Still, she forced herself to breathe, to stay calm. They were in a mixed school, where humans and supernaturals existed side by side—though the humans remained oblivious to the magic around them. Surely nothing could happen in broad daylight, in front of so many witnesses.But Gloria couldn't shake the tension tightening around her chest. The thought of Ailson, her nemesis, lurking in the background, using the Solaris constellation as an excuse to torment her again, crept into her mind. Ailson's magic was already unstable, and the constellation only made things worse. Her powers were unpredictable now, a chaotic force that had no boundaries.What Gloria didn't know was that Ailson had invoked something far worse than any of her usual tricks.
That morning, in a fit of rage and jealousy, Ailson had summoned a dypent—a soul-stealing serpent from the underworld, a creature feared even by the most powerful supernaturals. The dypent was relentless and deadly, and Ailson had set it loose with one singular command: to steal Gloria's soul.As they entered the school building, the air grew colder, and Gloria's senses sharpened. A prickling sensation crawled up her spine, and she instinctively reached for Eragon's arm. "Something's really not right," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Before Eragon could respond, a wave of darkness surged through the hallway. The lights flickered, and a heavy, oppressive energy filled the air. Gloria's breath caught in her throat, her heart racing as the shadow of a serpent slithered across the floor, its dark form coiling and shifting as it moved toward her.
"Gloria!" Eragon shouted, his wings flaring wide as he jumped between her and the creature. His dragon familiar, a small but fierce beast with shimmering scales, appeared at his side in an instant, its eyes glowing with fiery intensity.The dypent hissed, its glowing eyes locking onto Gloria.
She felt a pull deep within her, as if something was tugging at her soul, trying to rip it from her body. She stumbled back, her heart pounding in her chest, but Eragon stood firm."Get out of here!" Eragon commanded, his voice low and dangerous as his dragon growled at the advancing serpent. "I'll hold it off.""No, I'm not leaving you!" Gloria's voice was shaky, but she stood her ground, her body trembling with the raw energy surging around them."Gloria, go!" Eragon shouted, his usual calm shattered by the gravity of the situation. His wings flared again as his magic crackled in the air around him, his dragon preparing to strike.
But before Gloria could move, the dypent lunged at her, its shadowy form stretching out to envelop her. Eragon's dragon let out a roar, unleashing a burst of flame that collided with the serpent, sending it recoiling back. The hallway erupted into chaos as students scattered, oblivious to the real danger unfolding right in front of them.Gloria's heart raced, fear gripping her as the serpent reared back for another attack.
She glanced at Eragon, his eyes glowing with power, but even with all his strength, she knew they were in serious trouble.Whatever Ailson had unleashed, it wasn't going to stop until it had her soul.