POV: Lucian
Mr. Henderson was droning on about the Industrial Revolution, but honestly, he could have been talking about alien invasions and I wouldn't have noticed.
My focus was entirely on the glowing rectangle hidden beneath my history textbook.
My phone screen displayed the one thing that kept me sane in this concrete prison called high school.
Stats.....
[Book: The Shadow Monarch's Regret]
[Daily Views:45,200]
[Power Stones: 1,200]
[Rating: 4.8/5]
A grin tugged at the corner of my mouth.
To everyone in this dusty classroom, I was just Lucian Bright. I was the guy who sat in the third row, got B-pluses on tests, and occasionally tripped over his own shoelaces. I wasn't the jock, I wasn't the genius, and I certainly wasn't the popular guy.
But online? Online, I was a god.
I tapped on the comments section. It was like opening a vein of pure dopamine. People were losing their minds over the cliffhanger I posted last night.
"If the hero dies, I am suing you! I swear I'll find your house!" wrote one user named SlayerX.
"I stayed up until 3 AM for this? Worth it," wrote another.
I almost snorted out loud. If only they knew their favorite dark fantasy author was currently wearing a hoodie with a mustard stain on the sleeve and worrying about a history pop quiz.
The anonymity was the best part and it was my armor. Nobody expected the quiet kid in the back of the class to be writing 100,000-word epics about necromancers and blood feuds.
"Mr. Bright?"
The voice cut through my thoughts like a knife. I flinched, my knee jerking up and hitting the bottom of the desk with a hollow thud.The sound echoed in the quiet room.
I quickly slid my phone into my pocket and looked up.
Mr. Henderson was staring at me over the rim of his glasses. He looked like he hadn't slept since the 90s, the entire class had turned around to look, great.... This was exactly the kind of attention I didn't want.
"I asked if you have your permission slip for the trip," the teacher said, sounding tired. "Or are you too busy smiling at your crotch?"
A ripple of laughter went through the room. My face heated up instantly and I could feel the heat spreading to my ears.
"I have it," I mumbled, reaching into my bag.
I pulled out the crumpled piece of paper. The Annual Senior Wilderness Retreat or as I liked to call it, 'Three days of mosquitoes, bad food, and forced socialization.' I didn't even want to go.
I had a backlog of chapters to write, and my readers were demanding a double release this weekend.
"Good," Henderson said, snatching the paper from my hand as he walked by. "Make sure you pack warm clothes.The forecast says it's going to be cold up near the Blackwood Reserve."
I slumped back into my chair.
Blackwood Reserve...
The name sounded like something straight out of one of my novels. A desolate forest, middle of nowhere, probably terrible cell reception. How was I supposed to upload my daily chapter from the middle of the woods? If I missed an upload, my ranking would drop. If my ranking dropped, my paycheck dropped and I really needed that money for college.
The bell finally rang, saving me from another hour of boredom.The classroom erupted into chaos as everyone shoved books into their bags.
I felt a sharp nudge on my arm.
"Dude, you gotta stop checking your 'secret girlfriend's' texts in class," a voice whispered. "Henderson was two seconds away from confiscating your phone. Do you know how hard it is to get it back from the office?"
I turned to see Jax grinning at me. Jax was my best friend, mostly because he was the only other person who understood the importance of a good gaming PC.
His hair was a mess, sticking up in three different directions, and he was wearing a t-shirt with a pixelated sword on it.
"It's not a girlfriend," I said, hoisting my backpack onto my shoulder.
"Right. It's probably that weird game you play.The one with the anime girls," Jax teased as we walked out into the crowded hallway.
"Anyway, are you ready for the trip? I heard there's an abandoned mansion near the campsite. We are definitely breaking in."
I looked at him, one eyebrow raised. "Breaking in? We are there to hike and bond, not catch a tetanus infection."
"Come on, Lucian….live a little," Jax said, dodging a freshman who was running down the hall. "It's Halloween month. Spooky mansion in the woods? It's destiny, plus, Chloe is bringing a Ouija board."
I groaned internally. "Of course she is."
Chloe was the third member of our little group. While Jax was pure chaos, Chloe was the one who usually kept us out of jail. But she had a weird obsession with the occult. She claimed it was 'scientific curiosity,' but I was pretty sure she just liked scaring people.
We found her by the lockers, organizing her backpack with high precision.
"Hey," she said without looking up.
"Did you guys see the weather report? Heavy rain on Saturday. I hope you packed extra socks."
"Lucian doesn't care about socks," Jax said, leaning against the locker next to her. "He's too busy worrying about his secret life."
Chloe finally looked up, adjusting her glasses. "You still haven't told us what you do on your phone all day, Lucian. It's suspicious. Are you dealing crypto?"
"I wish," I muttered. "It's nothing. Just… reading."
"Reading," Jax said, making air quotes. "Sure."
"Focus, guys," Chloe said, zipping up her bag. "The Blackwood Mansion. I did some research last night. It deals with cults ."
"See?" Jax slapped my back hard enough to make me stumble. "Classic ghost story setup, we definitely have to go."
"I don't know," I said, shifting my weight. "I was planning to just…..stay in the cabin and sleep."
"Sleep when you're dead," Jax said. "If you don't come with us, I'm telling everyone you listen to polka music while you study."
"You wouldn't."
"Try me."
I sighed. I knew I wasn't getting out of this and to be honest, a small part of me…the writer part was curious.
An abandoned mansion in the woods? It was perfect reference material for my next arc.
I could take some photos, maybe get some inspiration for a setting description.
"Fine," I said. "I'll go, but if I get possessed, I'm haunting you first."
"Deal," Jax said, holding out a fist for a bump.
I bumped it half-heartedly.
We made our way to the front of the school where the buses were waiting.
The engines were idling, spewing exhaust into the cool autumn air. Kids were shouting, throwing their bags into the luggage compartments, and fighting for the back seats.
I checked my phone one last time before getting on.
One new notification from the app.
[User 'Starlight_Reader' commented on Chapter 145]
I tapped it open.
"The way you described the protagonist's loneliness…..It feels so real. Like you're waiting for someone who never comes home. Please don't give this story a sad ending. I don't think I could handle it."
I stared at the screen for a second. Most comments were just demanding more chapters or complaining about the power levels, but this one felt…quiet and personal.
I typed a quick reply: "Don't worry. I believe in happy endings."
I hit send, shoved the phone into my pocket, and climbed the steps of the bus.
I didn't know it yet, but I was about to break that promise.
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