Episode 3

*NEXT MORNING*

The doors to Esmeralda's room swung open.

"Good morning, Princess. I hope you slept well. I am your handmaiden," greeted the maid.

"Get out," Esmeralda coldly replied.

"Sorry, but your father instructed me to get you ready. He wishes to have breakfast with you," the maid persisted.

"Not interested," Esmeralda dismissed her.

Undeterred, the maid proceeded to open the curtains, allowing the sunlight to flood the room. Esmeralda groaned and buried her face into the pillows, letting out a frustrated scream.

"Ugh!!!" she exclaimed.

The maid hurried into the bathroom, and Esmeralda could hear the sound of running water. Soon, the maid returned to the room.

Esmeralda reluctantly got up, and the maid greeted her with a smile.

"Your bath is ready, Princess. I've added lavender essential oils to aid in a relaxing and calming bath. What would you like to wear to breakfast with His Highness?"

"All black," Esmeralda replied, causing the maid's smile to fade into a frown.

As Esmeralda got up from her bed and checked her phone, she noticed it was already 10:35 am.

"That breakfast better be delicious for you to wake me up this early," she muttered.

Selecting a song, she gathered her wild, gravity-defying afro into a bun. Her hair was a fiery color, wild coils that commanded attention. Meanwhile, the maid opened her wardrobe, searching for the dark and gloomy attire Esmeralda had requested.

"Hurry up, Lily. The train leaves soon. You don't want to miss the train to Esteria," Lily's mother urged.

"Give me a second, Mom," Lily responded, rushing downstairs while struggling to keep her glasses in place.

"What am I ever going to do with you? You've been granted an amazing opportunity, and yet you're running late," her mother scolded.

"Enough, Mom. Let's go," Lily said, carrying her bags as she and her mother entered the car and drove off.

They arrived at what appeared to be an abandoned house.

"Mom? This house doesn't look like a train station," Lily remarked.

"Of course, it doesn't look that way, silly. The house is a decoy to conceal the magical realm, and the train station is inside," Rhea explained with a smile.

They stepped out of the car, and Lily's mother helped her retrieve her bags from the trunk.

"My love, this is an amazing opportunity for our family. Make us proud and bring honor to our name," her mother encouraged.

"I will, Mom. I promise. I'll miss you," Lily replied.

"Aww, I'll miss you too, my beautiful Lily," her mother said, hugging her and kissing her forehead.

"Go on, go, go," her mother urged as Lily hurried into the abandoned house with her bags.

Lily's glasses slipped from her face and fell to the floor as her mouth hung open. She was awe-struck by what she saw. Various creatures and people rushed around, boarding different trains.

"Excuse me, coming through," a winged creature called out, running towards her. Lily quickly moved out of its way, allowing it to pass.

"You're welcome," Lily whispered, but the creature gave her a strange look as it boarded its train.

She retrieved her ticket from her purse and examined it. She was supposed to board the "E" train. Looking around, she spotted a train labeled "E." She boarded the train, reluctantly handing her bag to the coachman. A seat was assigned to her, and she took out her phone to browse the web. However, she noticed that her phone's system was completely different. Instead of the usual Instagram and other familiar human apps, she found "Witch-a-gram" and "Fairy-chats" on her phone.

"Okay... that's weird," Lily remarked.

She eventually turned off her phone after exploring the unfamiliar apps and placed it back in her purse.

"You don't even know the half of it," .

She looked up and saw a guy standing over her. He was handsome, with blonde hair and purple eyes. Lily had never met anyone with purple eyes before, and she found herself intrigued.

"Hi, I'm Aiden," he introduced himself.

"Hi, I'm Lily," she replied, returning the smile. He sat in the seat opposite her just as the train began to move.

"Hello, Lily. Heading to Esteria? We haven't had a human in Esteria in a while," Aiden remarked.

Lily was puzzled by his statement. "Human? Wait, aren't you human?"

Aiden chuckled. "Nope, I'm a changeling, a shapeshifter."

"I see. I should have figured that out with the purple eyes and all," Lily responded with a hint of amusement.

"Yeah, the eyes are a dead giveaway, aren't they?" Aiden quipped playfully. Suddenly, his eyes shifted from purple to ocean blue, then to brown, and back to purple.

"Wow," Lily whispered in awe as Aiden smiled.

"You have beautiful blue eyes as well, Lily," he complimented.

"Thank you," Lily replied, blushing slightly. She then remembered that she had dropped her eyeglasses.

"Oh no," she exclaimed.

"What's the problem?" Aiden asked, concerned.

"I dropped my glasses. I can't see properly without them."

"Come here," Aiden said, reaching out and taking her hands.

Lily felt a bit unsure. "Uhm, what are you doing?"

"Trust me. Close your eyes, Lily," Aiden reassured her with a warm smile.

Lily hesitated for a moment, then decided to go along with it. "Okay."

She closed her eyes, and suddenly she felt waves of energy coursing through her body. After a while, she sensed Aiden releasing her hands.

"Open them now," he instructed.

Lily obeyed, and to her surprise, her vision was no longer as blurry.

"Wow, what did you do?" she asked in amazement.

Aiden smiled. "You can see better now?"

"Yes, but how did you do that?"

"Magic, Lily. It flows in my veins and yours. I've sensed your powers, and you possess great potential," Aiden explained.

"That's so cool! I can't wait to learn to do such remarkable things," Lily exclaimed, her excitement growing as she realized the possibilities that lay before her.

Lily recalled everything her mother had told her about changelings and shapeshifters. They were the most powerful creatures in the magical realm and ruled over Esteria. The great King Nebaken had reigned for over ten thousand years after defeating his evil brother, Ariton. Now, as the old king prepared to join the ancestors and pass on his magic, his son was about to ascend the throne. Lily's arrival coincided with the prince's impending coronation.

"So, you're a half-breed?" Aiden remarked, causing Lily to bristle at his words. She despised being referred to as a half-breed.

"Excuse you? I'm not a half-breed; I'm a hybrid witch and human," she corrected him, her tone laced with irritation.

Realizing his mistake, Aiden quickly apologized, sensing her offense. "Forgive me. I see I offended you. Interestingly, I've never met a hybrid before. I didn't even know it was possible. I came across a book five thousand years ago that mentioned Esterians being able to mate and procreate with humans, but I never imagined it to be a reality."

"You... you were alive five thousand years ago?" Lily asked, astonishment evident in her voice.

"Yes, what? You don't think I look my age?" Aiden chuckled. "I am ten thousand years old, love. I owe it all to my immortal changeling powers and good looks, of course."

He winked at her, causing her cheeks to flush with embarrassment. Lily nervously brushed her long brown hair behind her ear and glanced out the window. All she could see was darkness, making it impossible to discern whether it was day or night.

"Are you also going to study in Esteria?" Lily inquired, trying to shift the focus of the conversation.

"Yes, I suppose we'll be seeing a lot of each other," Aiden replied with a warm smile. Lily couldn't help but blush at the thought.

As time passed, exhaustion finally took its toll on Lily, and she succumbed to sleep, her dreams filled with anticipation for the magical journey that awaited her in Esteria.

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