A Wicked Game [The Crown Saga II] (Under Editing)

Beyond a Home

"Are you ready to leave, Miss Aldwyn?" a familiar voice asked me by the entrance to my room.

"Give me a minute, Keagan," I said and zipped the blue suitcase I'd been given for the things I would need to make it through the weekend. "Now I'm ready, but Keagan, please call me Willow."

It was one of my numerous attempts to get Keagan to lose his hardcore facade so I could get a closer look behind the curtains. I was convinced that beneath the tough exterior lurked a gentler soul, and I hoped that this short vacation would allow me to see him for who he truly was.

"Shall I take your baggage, Miss Aldwyn?" he offered as I passed him with the case rolling behind me, but I kept walking, too excited to slow down.

"I'm good, but thanks," I replied, turning my head with a smile to shortly acknowledge his offer.

My polite dismissal of his proposal appeared to catch him off guard, and he shortly stopped moving. I continued without waiting, my smile widening as I skipped closer to the path home.

I rounded one corner before the next and hurried down a few stairs where I had to lift the suitcase so its fragile wheels wouldn't break.

The halls felt longer than usual — endless even. I felt like I was moving forward only an inch at a time. Then the giant wooden door bearing the Water Iridis' mark finally came into view. I picked up the pace, despite my breathless lungs.

My shoes clicking against the marble floors as I sprinted toward the door was like a sweet melody before my ears. Even better was the steaming hiss of the air train as I pushed open the doors.

It was just as magnificent as I remembered it, but much to Keagan's delight, I didn't stop to examine the mechanical marvel like I had the first time. Instead, I jumped right to the first entrance.

However, just as I was about to board the train, Keagan's hand wrapped around my wrist, holding me back. "Miss Aldwyn," he said to make my eyes meet his. "I understand that you are eager to see your family, but I must insist on taking your baggage. We have a specific procedure for traveling by this train and a designated place for all baggage."

"Oh," I said, surprised by the apparent trouble of bringing my luggage with me in an empty wagon.

I handed him the bag and proceeded to the seat with my name on it as if I couldn't choose between the countless available seats around me.

When the train finally began moving, I relaxed. There was nothing more I could do to get to the Bronze Region faster than to lean back and enjoy the view of life beneath the surface. However, just as we rounded the pillar and I expected to see the first figure of the elemental animals, the train took a turn I wasn't prepared for.

"Keagan," I said, rising from my seat to see him sitting a few tables over. "Aren't we supposed to head towards the tunnel for the car?"

"We're going exactly where we need to go according to the coordinates, Miss Aldwyn," Keagan answered without even offering me the decency of a glance. Instead, his eyes were fixed on the darkness outside as if he was trapped in his own mind.

He was a tough nut to crack and didn't seem eager to let down his guard for the time being. I could've asked him where the coordinates would take us, but honestly, I'd rather be surprised than deal with Keagan's everlasting bad mood and ruin my joyful spirit.

The craziest year of my life was coming to an end, and I was going to spend the remaining hours with my family, carrying out our customary traditions on this same night as always.

We finally breached the surface, and the dim daylight poured through the windows, not waiting for my eyes to readjust to the intense brightness. After a short while, I could make sense of our new surroundings, and it didn't look like we had even left the city.