Embers to Inferno the novel - Chapter 2

I struggled A LOT with this chapter. 😭 Somehow making it all flow nicely was nearly impossible! I'm still not 100% happy with it, but I think I have to accept that I'll never be happy with my own work, bahaha. I guess it's also interesting for you guys to read the very first version, unedited by anyone else. When the time comes that this gets edited and hopefully published one day, we can all see how much has changed over time :))

This chapter introduces Aurelia, the red-headed fairy who will be the main character of this story. 👀

Please let me know what you think about all the new lore and the new names for all the characters! 🥰

Aurelia never felt more grateful for the magically expanded dorm room. Clothes, shoes, handbags, and accessories littered the floors and furniture; some were magically enchanted to fly through the air towards one of the many open suitcases that lined the walls. She was barely able to dodge a particularly bulky handbag flying towards her head, barely missing her fiery copper locks.

"Calista! Watch out!" Aurelia yelled.

A blonde head peeked around the corner of a golden, embellished bedroom door. "Maybe if you helped me, this would go a lot faster!"

Aurelia could feel her irritation growing. "We're only going to Lumina for your birthday! We'll only be there for a week; why do you need this many outfits?" She loved her friend, truly, but this was ridiculous.

Calista appeared in the spacious common room of their dorm, her sun-kissed arms crossed over her chest. She huffed and tossed her long, shining hair, as golden as the sun, over her shoulder. "May I remind you we're going to Lumina for my royal coming-of-age ceremony! Not some common birthday party." She scoffed. "All the most important nobles of the magical dimension will be there. I need to make sure I leave an impression. What if one of them thinks I'm some poor commoner because my top doesn't match my shoes?!" The horror on her friend's face almost tricked Aurelia into feeling some sympathy. "There's simply no other choice; I need my entire closet with me, Aurelia!"

Aurelia rolled her eyes and sighed, knowing this was a battle she couldn't win. "Fine, I'll help. But you'd better figure out how you're going to carry all this!"

The exasperated fairy marched to Calista's room; unsurprisingly, the mess was even worse there. A pile of clothes completely obscured the sunset, silken covers of the princess's bed. As for the floors, there was barely any space for Aurelia to move through the room, every inch covered by an infinite number of shoes. Boots, sandals, heels, mules—in every color imaginable—were strewn around the dorm room.

Where did it all keep coming from? How could one person possibly need this many clothes?

After two years of living in the same dorm as the princess of Lumina, she was still able to render Aurelia speechless.

Not that rendering Aurelia speechless was a difficult task; she had only been in the magical dimension for a short time. Every new bit of magic, every new piece of information about this world, could still make her eyes light up with wonder. It was to be expected, as she had lived on Earth for most of her life—a planet far away from the magical dimension with no magic or extravagant princesses with shopping addictions.

Aurelia was raised on Earth by two wonderful adoptive parents, Rosalind and Joe. Neither of them expected the baby Joe found in a burning building during his job as a fireman to be a powerful fairy from another world, either.

In hindsight, maybe they should have asked more questions when no one knew where the redheaded baby came from.

When Aurelia graduated from high school, she felt lost. She didn't know which path to take, which college she wanted to apply to, or what she wanted out of life. She decided to take a gap year and help her mother in her flower shop while focusing on her art. She always loved to draw, especially magical creatures and fairy tale worlds she read about in books. Drawing made her feel at peace—putting her emotions, dreams, and ideas on paper gave her time to work through her thoughts.

Aurelia often went sketching in her hometown's local park—it was always a quiet place where she could find solitude. In an unexpected turn of events, on a regular afternoon of sketching, she stumbled across Calista in the park—a transformed Calista. Complete with fairy wings sprouting from her back. Fighting something that Aurelia had decided looked and smelled like she'd imagine an ogre would.

A transportation spell gone wrong, and the princess of Lumina found herself stranded on Earth, together with a creature Aurelia had only ever read about in fantasy books.

She still remembered the day so vividly—how beautiful Calista looked, glowing with her magic swirling around her in tendrils of light; how incredibly strong she was, fighting that beast without even a hint of fear or hesitation.

Granted, Aurelia did question her own mental sanity for a good moment and nearly pretended she hadn't seen anything—but something inside her told her to stay, to help this girl in whatever way she could.

Aurelia's powers awakened that day. As the monster charged at Calista, Aurelia's instincts kicked in; she jumped in front of her, and a blazing barrier of fire hurled the ogre back.

She and Calista quickly became friends, and Aurelia decided to follow her to the magical dimension, determined to find out who she was and where she came from.

It's been two years since that fateful day, and so much has happened in that short time… too much.

The two fairies packed in comfortable silence. Aurelia focused on tackling the mountain of clothes on the bed. Calista would have 20 full suitcases by the end of this, she was sure.

"So…" the blonde princess broke the silence. "How's it going between you and Callum lately?"

Aurelia halted in the middle of folding a sparkly turquoise top. "It's been…fine," she answered vaguely.

Calista raised a single eyebrow. "Just 'fine'? Are you guys still fighting?"

"No, we're alright. But, after everything that happened last year..." Aurelia swallowed heavily as her chest tightened like a vice. "Things just haven't been the same."

"Is he at least coming to the ball with you?"

"Yes, he told me he'd be there. But I don't know whether to feel happy or start preparing myself for the worst. Whenever we're together, all we do is argue and fight." Her fingers clenched around the glittery fabric. "We didn't use to be like this, but lately I've been questioning if we're truly meant for each other." She paused before adding with a slump of her shoulders, "Even his parents dislike me."

"Oh, don't let the king and queen of Aresius get to you. The woman is a miserable shrew, and King Radan has always been a grouch. Even my dad says he's impossible, and my dad gets along with everyone." Calista gently placed a hand on Aurelia's shoulder. "You're an amazing person, Lia. Screw those two old bats for not being able to see that." She grinned.

Aurelia smiled back at her best friend. The golden-haired fairy always had a way to make her feel better; her sunny personality infectious. Without her, she didn't know if she'd be able to manage this world.

A knock at the door startled the two girls out of their conversation. Aurelia quickly maneuvered through the piles of clothes to the main door in the common room. "Yes?" she answered as she opened the door and peeked into the hallway.

"Good afternoon, Aurelia dear. My apologies for showing up unannounced, but I am afraid it's of utmost importance that I speak to you immediately." Standing in the hallway was a beautiful older woman, her gray hair pulled into an elegant twist at the back of her head. Her posture exuded elegance and a confidence that came with maturity—it was Headmistress Tatiana. The headmistress of Renella Faerie Academy, a school for the most prestigious fairies in the dimension, such as Princess Calista of Lumina and Princess Aurelia of Ardentia.

Aurelia's hands fidgeted in her lap, the seat she was currently occupying all too familiar. Whenever she was called to the headmistress's office, either some part of her past was about to be revealed—adding another dead relative to her growing list—or she was needed to fight. Either way, it was never good news.

"I'm going to get straight to business, Aurelia." The headmistress hesitated, seemingly searching for the right words. "I'm afraid we received word that Isabella, Amara, and Sabrina have escaped their imprisonment."

The world around Aurelia came to a stop; the soothing sound of birdsong morphed into a deafening silence. Adrenaline started pumping through her veins, her heartbeat thumping wildly in her chest as her magic flared at the sound of those three names.

"H-how…"

"We don't know exactly how they managed it, but we believe they got help from another inmate." Tatiana paused. Her expression shifted slightly, worry etched into her features. "Aurelia, the reason I called you here is not because of the three sisters. They don't concern me nearly as much as the other inmate who escaped with them. I know you and the sisters have… history. But I don't think they'll risk coming out of hiding to come after you. The chances that they'll be recaptured and sent back to The Pit are too high even for them."

Aurelia nodded numbly, for once not daring to trust her headmistress's judgement. The three witches had made it their mission to torment the fairy from the moment she entered the magical dimension. What if they decided to come after her again? Was it arrogant of her to hope for one school year of peace? Was she too optimistic to believe that her last year at Renella would pass by without the entire magical dimension being at risk again?

Aurelia loved a challenging fight; the thrill of using her magical energy to its fullest potential was exhilarating, and Isabella had tested those abilities to the fullest. But that didn't change the fact that she was inexperienced and had been a fairy for only a short time. The weight of the entire dimension resting on her shoulders had slowly started to chip away at Aurelia—the pressure of people's expectations crushing and unrelenting.

"Who I am concerned about is the other escaped prisoner. Someone who had been imprisoned in The Pit for over 20 years—the man for whom the prison was originally created after the destruction of Ardentia. I truly hoped I would never have to speak his name again after all these years, that he'd rotten away in that cell. But it seems fate is not on our side." Her tired gaze found Aurelia's. "I prayed to our Great Dragon that there was no need to burden you with this information after you've already gone through so much, but I want you to be prepared for what is to come."

The headmistress stood up from behind her desk, facing the grand window that looked over the enchanting landscape of planet Stellaris, the capital of the magical dimension. Her hands were clasped tightly behind her back as she continued, "It's time I tell you about another part of the history of Ardentia and about your connection to the dark wizard, Valen."

Valen… Aurelia found the name awfully familiar despite never having heard it before. She felt a chill crawl over her spine, barely daring to ask, "Who is he?"

"You are by now aware of your past and where you and your powers came from. How Ardentia was destroyed by one of its previous queens in an attempt to reclaim the power passed down through generations. And how you were saved by your sister, Nimueh, and sent to Earth together with the power—the Elemental Dragon."

Aurelia nodded. After she found out she was the long-lost princess of Ardentia, she did as much research as possible—needing to know where she came from, who her family was, and why she held such power inside her.

The Elemental Dragon was the entity that gave life to the magical dimension. The embers that fell from his flaming body as he flew through the universe formed planets full of life and magic. Those planets evolved into great, prosperous civilizations, the aid of magic accelerating evolution rapidly.

The Dragon often visited his creations, taking joy in seeing the people prosper and flying over the beautiful landscapes. However, it was said that the Dragon favored one planet in particular. On one of his flights through this land, he came across a fairy. Her grace, kindness, and beauty captivated the Dragon's heart. He wanted to stay by her side forever, offering his immense power and merging his essence with hers so they would never be separated, tied to each other for eternity.

This fairy would become the first queen of Ardentia. She ruled the most breathtaking and prosperous planet of all, using the power of the Flame of Life the Dragon bestowed upon her. It is believed every daughter of the royal family is a reincarnation of her and that the Dragon chooses her in every lifetime to be its guardian once more.

The power would be passed down through generations of queens of Ardentia. Until it eventually fell into the hands of Queen Belladonna. Belladonna was not born with the kindness and grace of the fairy and her successors; rather, she saw darkness in the Flame, the potential to conquer. With her and the Dragon as eternal rulers over the entire dimension. She was eventually banished from Ardentia after the Dragon chose a new guardian, Beladonna's sister—Aurelia's ancestor.

"As you know, Queen Belladona was exiled after she became corrupted by the power the Elemental Dragon offered her. She was blinded by the possibilities of the Flame of Life, granting herself immortality and using its power to create an army of beasts whose only purpose was to destroy." The headmistress turned to look at Aurelia. "You've fought that same army after Isabella and her sisters resurrected it in their attempt to take over Stellaris."

Aurelia preferred not to think too much about the army the three witches had raised from the dead. Sometimes she could still smell the stench of rotting flesh and see the mangled bodies of civilians when she closed her eyes.

"After she was banished and the dragon had abandoned her, Belladonna spent a long time in hiding, waiting for the chance to take back what she deemed was hers. Eons passed before she decided it was time to claim the Dragon and let Ardentia fall into ruin. She needed her army and, at the top, a powerful general to lead them."

"When she was still guardian of the Elemental Dragon, she had the foresight to transfer some of its Flame of Life into an artifact and kept it hidden. She merged the flame with dark sorcery, granting her the ability to create an intelligent, powerful being. She created a demon, born from darkness and that small spark from the Dragon. For over a thousand years, she raised him to be the most powerful wizard in the dimension, not bound by the rules of nature or elements. She named her creation Valen."

"He led the siege on Ardentia that faithful day 20 years ago. I was part of the group of wizards, witches, and fairies that fought him head-on." Tatiana's eyes glazed over as she recalled the battle. "I—It was a long and tiring fight, one I will never forget… We were eventually able to defeat him, but it took everything we had, and some of us were never the same afterward." She fell silent, allowing herself a moment of grief.

"There was no celebration that day—your birth parents, the king and queen of Ardentia, had died, taking Belladonna with them. We all assumed you and your sister had died as well and that the power of the Dragon was lost forever. It was only by Nimueh's foresight and quick thinking that you and the power were saved. She sacrificed her own life to send you and the Dragon through a portal to Earth, where neither Belladonna nor Valen would be able to find you."

No matter how many times Aurelia heard the story of her family's passing, of her sister's sacrifice, the grief and guilt never dulled. If only she had been able to help when it mattered most. She felt the familiar sting of tears behind her eyelids; she clenched her jaw and gripped her jeans, refusing to let them fall.

"Ardentia was left in ruins, a frozen wasteland; all magic seeped out of the land due to the immense destruction and clashing of magical powers. We locked Valen up in the only building left standing, which was supposed to be his eternal prison."

"I'm afraid that if he finds out you're alive, he'll come looking for you, Aurelia. You are the last heir of Ardentia. He may want to avenge his mother now that the king, queen, and your sister are no longer of this world." The headmistress's posture remained impeccable, but the slight crease between her brows betrayed her worry. Aurelia had come to see Tatiana as a mentor and maternal figure over the past two years; she had been the one to teach her how to control her magic when she first started at Renella Academy and could barely light a match. She had been the one to reassure her and comfort her when new, devastating bits of her past revealed themselves. When she found out she was the last living heir of Ardentia, it was Headmistress Tatiana who had comforted her and held her until her tears had dried up.

"If he does, I'll send him straight back to the prison he escaped from, together with the three witches. I beat them before and will beat them again if I have to." Aurelia put her fear and doubts aside as she always did—there was no place for them in battle. She was sure they'd come after her; they always did. Every year, she was a target; every year, she put her life on the line to defend the magical dimension. Because, as Guardian of the Elemental Dragon, that was her duty, her own fears be damned.

The headmistress forced a small smile. "I know you can handle yourself, but please… be careful, Aurelia. Valen is not like anything you've faced up until now. He won't just attack you…he'll break you. He takes pleasure in playing with his victims, in using his charm and honeyed words to twist and turn people against each other and do his bidding." She hesitated. "The fact that he carries a piece of your flame inside him worries me, Aurelia. I don't know what that could mean for you."

"I'm not afraid, Headmistress. If—when—he comes after me, I'll be ready. That he was created using the Dragon changes nothing; I will defeat him." Determination sparked in her bluebell eyes. She was good, the best in the entirety of Renalla Academy, some say. Even after only studying magic for two years, her potential and growth were never seen before in the history of the academy. She had no choice but to excel; people depended on her, they always did. Because if the Guardian of the Elemental Dragon couldn't do it, who could?

This time would be no different. The magical dimension would once more turn to Aurelia under this new threat. And she would have to win no matter the cost.