The Dragon King's Heart

Her ears were ringing. As she looked all around. She was looking for Dante. But he was nowhere to be seen. When everyone's vision returned back to normal, all of them were shocked. 

Margaret was the first to rush to Laina, checking on her to make sure she was alright. The newly crowned Queen was shaking, trembling. Her eyes darted from side to side, looking for Dante. 

In the blink of an eye, the Dragon King had vanished into thin air right before their eyes. All that was left was a burnt patch on the balcony where he once stood. 

"Laina, Laina, are you alright? Can you hear me?" Margaret asked as she cupped Laina's face, trying to get her to focus on her. 

But she could not hear anything that Margaret had said. Her ears were still ringing. She tried to speak, but she could not do so. Laina furrowed her eyebrows, trying to recall what had just happened. 

Her eyes rolled back. Laina slumped into Margaret's arms, passed out.

Laina recalled what happened in those missing moments. She was wrapped in Dante's embrace when her heart sank. Both of them had been ignoring all of the signs, desperately grasping on to one another for dear life. But it was not something they could prevent. 

As soon as they heard the crash of thunder, Laina felt a shudder down her spine. Dante tightened his hug for a quick second. 

"I'm sorry Laina, I have to go," he whispered into her ear. 

Laina did not have time to react. She desperately reached out her hand, hoping to grasp on to his. But the distance between them did not allow for that to happen. Tears began to well up in her eyes, blurring her vision. 

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When it finally refocused, a bolt of lightning shot down from the sky. They made eye contact for the final time. She watched as he mouthed his final words to her before disappearing in the blinding light. 

"I will return to you as soon as I can. I love you."

Those were the final words Dante said to her. Laina's eyes flickered open. Her parched throat prevented her from speaking. Upon realizing she was in her room, Laina let out a sigh. She looked to her side and noticed a glass of water on the side table. 

"Laina, you're awake? " Margaret mumbled as she rubbed her eyes. 

After Laina fainted, she and the others brought her back to her room to rest. Despite the lightning strike, she was relatively unharmed. She did not have any physical injuries but Laina did not wake up for several days. 

Margaret helped Laina readjust the pillows as she sat up in bed. She poured her a glass of water and watched as Laina drank it all at one go. Feeling a little better, she immediately pulled off the covers to get out of bed. 

"Where do you think you're going? You are staying put," Margaret insisted as she stopped Laina from getting out.

Laina had her mind set on one thing and one thing only. She needed to find Dante. She looked up at Margaret. She did not need to say anything, Margaret already understood. 

Margaret shook her head, refusing to move, "Absolutely not. Do you know how long you were out for? All of us were worried sick!"

Laina lowered her gaze. 

"How long?"

"What?"

"How long was I out for?" she asked again. 

"3 days,"

Laina widened her eyes in shock as she echoed her words, "3 days?!" 

This renewed her determination to get out of bed. Dante left in the blink of an eye. It was clear that he must have been taken back to the Celestial Realm for the trial. Worry caused Laina to spiral a little. 

He did not have any of the potions with him, which would have helped delay the effects of the curse. Furthermore, being in the Celestial Realm would aggravate it too. They had already lost precious time. 

"I have to go, he needs me," she muttered as she got out of bed. 

As soon as she got onto her feet, a dizzy spell caused Laina to stumble forward. Margaret reached forward to break her fall but everything happened too quickly. But much to her surprise, Laina did not fall to the ground. 

Someone caught her in the nick of time. The familiar touch of her lover lit a fire in Laina's heart. This presence was all too familiar to her. But how was it possible? Dante was in a different realm, far away from her. 

Had he returned?

"Dante?...." she muttered his name in shock as she looked up at the man who held onto her hand and broke her fall. 

As soon as their eyes met, the feelings of familiarity disappeared. Although the man shared similar features with her beloved, she knew he was not him. 

"Who are you?!" Margaret questioned in shock. 

The man before her, who bore a striking resemblance to the Dragon King, had appeared out of thin air His odd dressing did not provide any clues either. Kol and Florin sensed something was amiss. 

They rushed into Laina's room, only to be shocked to see the unknown man. Kol was about to raise his weapon when Florin stopped him. Marius was the last to rush into the room. Since Dante's supposed disappearance, he chose to remain in Kinshearth for the time being. 

When he saw the man who was holding onto Laina, he immediately recalled who it was. 

"He's not a threat!" he quickly explained. 

Everyone turned to Marius, surprised by the revelation he announced. Laina turned back to look at the man. She got back up on her feet with his help. He was holding on to her as if she was a delicate flower who would crumble into dust if she fell. 

The striking resemblance between him and Dante made her feel a little uncomfortable. But the sense of familiarity drew her to him. 

"Who are you?" Laina asked.