The Dragon King

Chapter 4 - Not a Dream

Anna May

He walked past me and walked into the garden. I hesitated for a second before following him. The garden room has the same concept as what I have seen so far in this place. Everything had a circular form to it, regardless if it was a doorway, ceiling, or room. It was a circular garden room with tan stone walkways that shot out like a shooting star from the middle where the water fountain was. In each section and between each walkway were flowers that I've never seen before. They were bright violet, scarlet, sunset, and sky blue. At the end of each walkway were gold pillars that had green vines climbing up.

I followed Prince Raiden until we reached the fountain. He turned around to look at me with his hands behind his back. His quiet regard was nerve-wracking. I couldn't meet his eyes for long, and the power that seems to roll off of him made me nervous and uncomfortable. Averting my eyes, I found solace in looking at the flowers. There was one that looked like a rosebud, tightly shut. I touched the tip of the sky-blue flower, and it opened gently. Its flower petals changed into a gold-blue hue.

I inhaled sharply, amazed at how beautiful it was.

"It's called Floretica," he spoke suddenly from behind me, and I turned to face him. The flower's name rolled off his tongue smoothly.

"It's beautiful. I have never seen anything like it," I breathed, still in awe of how beautiful it was.

"That's because it doesn't exist in your world. It only grows in my world," he explained, his expression still indecipherable.

"Your world?" I questioned, my lips pursing into a slight frown.

"This isn't a dream, Anna May," he stated with a slight shake of his head.

"How do you know my name?" I asked him, now feeling a little frightened. "God, this feels like a dream."

"I know everything about you," he replied. "Again, this isn't a dream. I can assure you that."

I frowned. "What do you mean? I have never seen a grand palace like this one before in my life. Surely, it is not real. Not to mention, the last thing I remembered was falling asleep."

His dark, brooding hazelnut eyes flashed with uncertainty. I almost didn't catch it because he blinked so quickly.

"Anna, you sleepwalked into the water again. You made it far enough for me to take you," he reasoned, but it wasn't a reasonable answer for me.

"What are you saying?" I asked, the calm leaving my body and in its place: slithering fear.

"I am saying those stories that your grandma has been telling are true. You have been taken, Anna," he said calmly with no emotions.

Taken? These are only stories. It couldn't be true. I was going to wake up any moment now.

I waited.

He watched.

Nothing happened. I didn't wake up. I pinched myself, and nothing happened.

My fear kicked into gear and doubled.

I took a step back.

His jaw twitched as if he knew what I was going to do.

"Anna..." He let go of his hands behind his back and reached out for me.

I turned around before he could grab ahold of me and ran out of the garden.

I heard him shout my name and for me to stop. I did not wait. I needed to flee. I needed to escape. This was not real. It was a nightmare that I would wake up from.