As the page came to life and words began to appear in red ink, which seemed more like Elara's blood, they exchanged an amused and happy look.
"We never thought it would actually work with blood!" Rayna exclaimed, picking up the book. Elara's injured hand was momentarily forgotten as they leaned in to read.
Anya frowned as the letters stopped forming. "But look… only half a page is written. Does that mean we have to pour in more blood or what?"
Rayna hummed and sat down with Elara and Anya on either side.
"First, let's read what's already here," Elara suggested. Both nodded, and Rayna began to read aloud:
The southern corner of the castle, the Southern Wing. It was named Wing because the princess of the Valoria was like a bird, always open-minded and a ray of life in this critical royal family.
Rayna paused, and they looked at each other. Elara nodded, encouraging her to read as Rayna continued,
"Princess Ariana."
Anya placed a hand on Rayna's. "Professor… is this the name of..."
Elara's breath caught in her throat, while Rayna had no idea if this was the soul they had been searching for or something else entirely.
Rayna said nothing, caught between hope and uncertainty. She continued reading:
Her wisdom and fighting skills outshone even the king's. Her beloved Southern Wing, once rich with gold and silver, was stripped bare at her command when the kingdom faced ruin. She commanded every precious piece stripped and melted to save her people.
Rayna paused as her lips stilled. "If this princess is the soul now… then I wonder what worse happened that she..."
Elara whispered almost to herself, but both Rayna and Anya turned to her. "It's always like this, Professor… Karma never hits bad people. It never did. The good ones… they keep suffering, no matter what."
Her words stung, but it was nothing compared to the ache in her heart for Arin. Anya leaned back in her chair, a sigh escaping her lips. "If this was the princess, then she should have been the King…"
Both Rayna and Elara gave her a side-eye. Anya scowled. "What? You see, they said she was wiser than the king."
Rayna rubbed her head, "Geez, Anya. She was a woman. She would be queen, not some king." Elara hummed and crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed.
Anya chuckled and nodded. "Read the rest, come on." Rayna gave a small nod and continued reading.
But everything changed, and our happy princess began to fade. We never understood why, but we were sure it was because of Prince Adrian. She stopped smiling the day she was sentenced to marry him. We all knew he wasn't worthy of her, but the king had promised the prince's father and could not break his word.
Elara slammed her palm on the table, making Rayna flinch. "Was that man a fool?" Elara hissed, "His promise mattered more than his daughter?" Her frustration was clear, and her hands were trembling with anger.
Rayna sighed and glanced at Anya, who was glaring at the book like she wanted to burn it. "Honestly, he needed to touch some grass. If I could, I'd give him a piece of my mind," she hissed, making Rayna swallow hard.
"Girls, relax. This was the past, not the present," Rayna said, though she could barely hide her own irritation. "Okay… that's it. Nothing more is written."
Elara exhaled, trying not to do something reckless, while Anya walked off to splash water on her face. Maybe that would cool her temper.
Rayna looked at Elara. "I guess you should bandage your hand first." Her eyes flicked to the injured fingers Elara was cradling. "Let me try my blood on the book, okay?"
Elara hesitated but didn't argue, walking over to wrap the wound. Meanwhile, Rayna fetched a small pin, pricked her finger, and let a drop of blood fall onto the book.
She waited a few minutes, but nothing appeared. She tried again, but still, it wasn't working.
With a huff, she sat down, and her eyes fell on the dusk. She remembered how, earlier, Elara's blood had mixed with it… maybe that was the key.
She mixed her own blood with the Dusk and let a few drops fall onto the page, but still nothing appeared.
"What is wrong with you?" she snapped at the book. "Do you have some personal problem with me?"
Elara and Anya rushed in at the sound of her snap and exchanged a wary glance. Elara stepped closer, brow furrowed. "Professor? What happened?"
Anya trailed behind and leaned over the book. "Maybe the professor's blood isn't working," she teased, only to meet a sharp glare from Rayna.
"Shut up. This book has some serious problems with me." Rayna grabbed a tissue and pressed it against her still-bleeding finger.
Anya slipped past Elara to stand beside the professor. She plucked the pin from Rayna's hand and pricked her own finger with an exaggerated whine, as if she were losing a limb.
Elara rolled her eyes, arms folded. "You're not cutting your whole finger. Stop the drama."
Anya narrowed her eyes and let a drop of her blood fall onto the page. Instantly, the book slammed shut. She gasped, looking insulted, while Rayna bit her lip to keep from laughing.
Elara clenched her jaw and cleared her throat as a laugh threatened to escape. "What do you think, Professor?" she asked, genuinely puzzled.
Rayna hummed, staring up at the ceiling. "When your blood fell, the words appeared. Mine did nothing. And Anya…" She shot Anya a smirk. "Let's just say the book didn't like her."
Anya huffed and dropped into a chair. "Maybe because I was angry, the book got angry too," she muttered, making Elara chuckle.
But her words sparked something in Rayna. She looked at Elara, lips parted in sudden thought. Elara frowned, noticing the shift on Rayna's face.
"You okay, Professor?" Anya asked, laying a hand on her shoulder.
Rayna nodded slowly, eyes still on Elara. "Elara…" She hesitated, choosing her words. "What were you thinking when your blood hit the page?"
Elara opened her mouth, closed it again, then bit her lip. Her fists tightened before she drew a sharp breath and spoke honestly.
"I… I was scared. Scared that if the book burned, I'd lose Elara forever," she whispered, looking away. She hated showing her vulnerability, but she needed to be honest now.
Rayna leaned back in her chair. "Hmm… I was only thinking that somehow I had to read the book so Elara could be treated…"
Anya's eyes widened as it clicked. "We weren't scared of losing her. We just wanted to read the book to fix her."
Rayna nodded, her gaze fixed on the closed book. Elara's head snapped up. "Wait… are you saying this book reacts to feelings?"
Rayna shook her head and met her eyes. "Not feelings… intentions."