The Elemental

Eight-Year-Old Serena's POV

Eight-year-old Serena was being put to bed by her mother. As usual, she requested a bedtime story.

"Mommy, can you tell me a story?" she asked with a yawn.

"Of course, baby, you know I always will. Which one do you want to hear?" her mother asked.

"The one about the lost princess."

Her mother laughed softly. "Why do you love listening to that one so much?"

"I don't know, I just love it," Serena replied, her voice tired.

"Okay, let's get into it."

Once upon a time, in the Golden Palace of Aeternum, preparations for the birth of the newborn princess were in full swing. The king and queen wanted this celebration to be remembered as the grandest in history. Staff members hurried about, tying up last-minute preparations. Meanwhile, the beautiful princess cooed happily in her nursery, undisturbed by the hustle and bustle.

But the peace was short-lived. As the celebrations began and aristocratic families filled the great hall, all eager to catch a glimpse of the royal heir, disaster struck. The music slowed to signal the princess's grand entrance-but instead of the princess, her hysterical governess burst into the hall, her dress drenched in blood.

"Your Royal Highnesses, she's gone!" she wailed, collapsing to her knees, staining the marble floors with her bloody palms.

"What are you talking about?" the queen demanded, as guards rushed to restrain the trembling woman.

"The princess... she's gone," the governess choked out. "I stained my dress and went to change, leaving the other nurses in charge. When I returned, the princess was gone-and the maids were dead."

The king and queen paled visibly before racing from the hall, presumably toward the nursery. Murmurs erupted among the guests, but the queen's piercing screams silenced them all.

"Where is my baby? Where is my baby?" she cried over and over. In the background, the king barked rapid orders at the guards.

"Dispatch every available soldier! Lock down the castle! Search the forest! The princess must be found!"

The guards' hurried footsteps echoed throughout the palace as they moved into action. Meanwhile, the doors to the great hall were sealed, preventing anyone from leaving.

Hours later, the guests were finally released, but the princess remained missing. Though her parents clung to hope, the princess of Aeternum was never found.

Serena wiped at her watery eyes. "Mommy, I pray they find their baby."

Her mother leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Okay, baby. But remember, it's just a story. Time to sleep."

She turned off the light, leaving Serena to dream of lost princesses and broken hearts.

---

Twelve Years Later

"Argh," I groaned as the force of their blows connected again and again with my body. Sharp cracks echoed with every hit to my ribs, and the metallic tang of blood coated my mouth.

"This is my problem with you," a voice sneered, almost unrecognizable through my haze of pain. "You never beg. You're too proud. But I'll break you."

The hits kept coming, but I refused to utter a sound. I wouldn't give them that satisfaction. I refused to lose my self-respect by begging these vile, heartless humans.

Eventually, they tired of their cruelty and left. Summoning all the strength I had, I forced myself to my feet and staggered home.

Every step was brutal. The exhaustion clung to me like chains, and it was a miracle I even made it back. Once there, I slipped into the warm water of the bathtub. The stinging pain from my bruises was sharp, but the water's embrace felt almost like comfort.

I couldn't help but feel relieved. Thoughts of my impending move filled my mind.

"Haven College... you might really become my haven."

From childhood to adulthood in this godforsaken town, I had known nothing but bullying, pain, and abandonment. Finally, a door to escape had opened.

Food was the last thing on my mind; the pain was too overwhelming. Thankfully, my mother wouldn't be home tonight to see the sorry state I was in.

I remembered the day I almost ended it all. I'd filled the bathtub and tried to drown myself. But I couldn't do it. Some stubborn flicker inside refused to give up. That same night, when I emerged, shivering and defeated, I checked my phone-and there it was. A notification from Haven College: Scholarship Accepted.

It became my reason to hold on.

---

Departure Day

A few weeks later, after successfully avoiding everyone, the day I'd been waiting for finally arrived.

I carried my last box to the car, the bright, clear sky mirroring my emotions perfectly. I had never felt so much hope.

Pushing the box into the trunk, I moved to the porch to grab my bag. I turned once to stare at the miserable house that had been my prison for years.

"Good riddance."

"Serena, what are you waiting for?" my mother called.

"Nothing, Ma. Just grabbing my bag," I said, quickly moving towards the car.

We drove off with the radio cranked up. I couldn't help but wonder why I, Serena Stone-the girl cursed with misfortune-had been given a scholarship to one of the most prestigious schools in the country.

My mother assured me it was fate. She had even found a job at Haven College, paying far better than her last. Things, for once, were looking up.

I slowly drifted off into a dreamless sleep as Haven Town grew closer.

---

Arrival at Haven

A few hours later, we drove into Haven. My heart thudded with a mix of excitement and nerves.

When we passed the "Welcome to Haven Town" sign, I couldn't help but gape at everything.

"Honey, calm down," my mother laughed. "You'll have plenty of time to explore."

"I know, Mum. I just can't help it," I said.

"Well, we're nearing a diner. Why don't we stop for dinner?"

At the mention of food, my stomach loudly agreed.

We entered the diner and were immediately assaulted by the mouthwatering smell of food.

As Mum placed our order, I felt eyes boring into my back. I turned to find a group of teens my age staring at me.

My first thought wasn't annoyance or fear-it was: They're beautiful.

I turned back to my mum and asked, "Is the water in Haven different?"

She looked at me like I had lost my mind. "What are you talking about?"

"Look around you," I whispered. "Everyone here is ridiculously beautiful."

She finally looked and her eyes widened.

"Well," she said, smiling, "seems like the people of Haven have been blessed with both looks and money. Now stop staring and order your food."

I grinned and placed my order: chicken nuggets and fries.

We chose to wait for our food at the counter instead of sitting. Once it was ready, we paid and headed off to what would be our new home.

All thoughts of the unnaturally beautiful people faded as excitement for the life ahead consumed me.

DOMINIC'S POV

"Rosie, pass the salt, please," I ask my sister.

"Okay, bro," she replies, passing me the salt. I shake it over my fries. "I don't know why they never salt the fries properly."

"It's just your fries, and it's because you complain no matter how much salt they add. It would be better if you just start bringing your own," my sister sassily remarks, and the group joins her in laughter at my expense.

"Nice one, guys. I don't like too much salt; they just don't add the right quantity," I defend myself.

"Sure," they all chime in unison before sharing a glance and bursting into laughter.

"Ha-ha, so funny. You guys crack me up." Realizing I can't defend myself anymore, I focus on my fries until I smell the most delicious scent. I look around and spot two females entering the diner. They go straight to the counter to order, and I stare at them. It seems like a mother-and-daughter duo, as one appears relatively younger than the other.

Taking a look at the younger one, I stop breathing. She's so beautiful. With her back facing me, I can only see her short wavy hair with ginger highlights. I guess she can feel me staring because she turns, allowing me to catch a glimpse of her ocean-blue eyes. I breathe in her scent and find myself disappointed. She's human, which makes her off-limits. As werewolves and the heir to the Haven pack, I cannot be caught mingling with lowly humans. We only have them in the town and school to avoid suspicion from the nosy government.

"Seems like there are new people in town," Zayn remarks. I turn toward him, only to notice that he, Rosie, and Liam are fixated on the new girl. The four of us are clearly curious.

"Seriously! We didn't know that, Captain," I tell him sarcastically. He moves to pinch me, and I quickly dodge him while laughing.

"It's one of the members of the Haven's council work, I'm sure," I say before continuing, "Pretty sure it's another scholarship student, though. At least this one looks good enough to... you know, unlike the others."

"Ewwww, Dominic, you're disgusting. If you want to be disgusting, don't do it in front of me. I'm your sister."

"Sorry," I say before laughing. Liam and Zayn join me, cracking lewd jokes about the new girl.

I quickly forget about her as the conversation shifts to something else, and I don't notice when she and her mum leave.

---

SERENA'S POV

It doesn't take long for us to reach our house- a small, quaint little cabin with two bedrooms and three bathrooms, surrounded by a lush forest.

This will be our home for the foreseeable future.

In no time, we unload the car with our belongings, as we have very little, and most of our furniture was moved earlier. We immediately choose our rooms and start basic cleaning. In about two hours, we finish and dive into our meal.

"Fudge, I'm starving," I tell my mum with a mouthful.

"Stop talking with your mouth full, it's disgusting," she cautions, her face twisted in disgust.

This cracks me up, and I start laughing before we slip into a comfortable silence. We eat in relative quiet before heading to our bedrooms to organize. I remember that my curtains aren't hung up and decide to do that. As I'm doing so, I spot a blurry movement and decide to investigate. Squinting my eyes at the thick forest surrounding my bedroom, I begin to hear growling.

I ignore the sounds and the goosebumps on my skin, figuring it's just my imagination. And if it's not, I read somewhere that Haven is a sanctuary for wolves and other animals.

Pulling my curtains closed, I go to my bed and make it. Afterward, I decide any other cleaning can wait until tomorrow.

Jumping on my bed, I close my eyes and drift into a dream.

I'm walking to a pond where a beautiful woman with black hair waits for me. She looks up as I approach her feet, grabs my hand, and says,

"Be formless. Shapeless. Like water. Now, you put water into a cup, and it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, and it becomes the bottle. You put water into a teapot, and it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow, or it can crash. Be water, my friend."

"Who are you?" I ask.

"I am you, you are me, you are us, we are one, we are water." She turns and walks into the pond.

"Hey! Stop! I'm confused!"

Instead of responding to my calls, she continues walking into the pond.

I wake up startled. "It's just my first night, and I'm already having strange dreams." Tiredness overwhelms me, and I'm starting to drift off again when I feel a cold breeze on my body. I look around trying to figure out where it's coming from and see my windows open with my curtains flying.

"I'm sure I closed the curtains earlier," I murmur. I stand up to close them when I begin to hear twigs snapping. My heart pounds faster as I peer outside to check. I hear the sounds getting closer, but before I can back away, my eyes lock with a pair of red ones. Time seems to stand still as the body of the unknown creature hurls itself at me.

Fear grips me, holding me in place as I'm unable to move. Black smoke flows in through the windows and stains my floor, slowly rising into a shapeless figure. My legs finally move, and I fall while trying to run from what is now a four-legged creature with red eyes. A scream escapes my mouth as the creature advances toward me.

I close my eyes and say one last prayer before the creature can finish me off. A few seconds pass, and the sound of my bedroom door opening forces me to open my eyes.

"Serena, my god, are you okay?" Mum's voice shakes me from my panic. I turn toward her, still trembling, and raise my hand to point at the creature, only to realize it's no longer there."Th-there was something there," I tell her hysterically, still pointing at the window.

My body trembles as I search my room for the creature, wondering where it went. Mum looks at the window in confusion before staring at me. Her eyes soften with concern.

Feeling overwhelmed, she speaks in a soothing tone, "Calm down and explain the situation clearly so I can understand." With gentle care, she guides me back to my bed and wraps me in a warm blanket before embracing me with her comforting arms.

With a deep breath, I explain everything. "I had a bad dream, so I woke up. I tried to go back to sleep when I noticed my curtains were open. I stood up to close them when I started hearing growling sounds, and a shadow came in through my windows. It formed the shape of a dog and had red eyes."

"Honey, I'm so sorry. Let me get you some tea to calm your nerves." I stand up to follow her, but she gently pushes me back down. "Don't worry, whatever that was has already left, and I doubt it will be coming back." I anxiously wait for her return, looking around my room to ensure it doesn't come back.

She swiftly returns with a steaming cup of tea. The warmth and soothing aroma envelop me as I take a sip. Before long, I find myself drifting into a peaceful, dreamless sleep, comforted by my mother's embrace.

The troubling events of the night fade away, becoming nothing more than a distant memory, easily overshadowed by the sense of security and warmth I feel in that moment.

My alarm rings at the same time every morning-by six a.m. I wake up rejuvenated, the memories of last night a blurry haze. Excitement gets the better of me, and I quickly rush to get ready. I take a bath, dress in a pink sundress and brown sandals, put on light makeup, and style my hair in a half-up, half-down hairstyle. If I must say so myself, I look good for the first day.

I go to the sitting room when I'm done and see that breakfast has already been served, with Mum already munching on hers. "Thank you, Mum, for this."

"Don't mention it, baby." She made my favorite breakfast: blueberry pancakes and omelettes. As I sit down to eat, she stands up to prepare my tea. I need it to calm my nerves.

"Thank you, Mum." I finish my breakfast and tea in record time before clearing the table. Before long, we get into the car so Mum can drop me off at Haven College.

"Bye, sweetie," my mum calls out as she speeds off after dropping me at school. I linger in the same spot, looking at the countless luxury cars parked, overwhelmed with nerves. Since I'm early and I don't know anyone, I decide to wander around for a while to find my first class. Eventually, I find the class, which is a really huge hall. I sit down at the back and listen to the professor introduce herself. She seems really nice, and I start to feel a little better.

After class, I go to the cafeteria for lunch. I meet a few people in line, and we start talking. I feel a little lost and out of place, but I'm excited to be here. I bond with a pretty girl named Candace in line, and we decide to sit together. She and most of the students here attended Haven High, the high school of Haven College, and she schools me on the hierarchy of things in Haven College. She's also been here since her first year, unlike me.

"Hey, how's your first day been?" she asks me after taking her first bite of food.

"It's been good, normal," I tell her while looking around the cafeteria. I spot some of the people I saw in the diner on the day my mum and I moved and ask Candace about them.

"Who are those guys?" I ask.

She follows the line of my gaze and quickly says, "Don't look at them for too long, they don't like it." I'm confused by her statement but decide not to question it.

"So, who are they?" I ask again.

"In Haven College, there's a hierarchy, and you must be careful not to get noticed by the top dogs. You see those people at that table? Avoid them. They're the most popular and extremely rich people here. Number one on that list is Dominic Powers. The first and only son of a billionaire, he's also extremely handsome, as you can see. Number two is his younger sister, Rosie Powers, and she's spoiled to the core. Number three is Zayn Jackson and Liam Jackson, twin brothers. They're best friends with Dominic and also have extremely rich parents. Finally, Stephanie Gates-she's the only child of her parents. This girl, in particular, has serious issues. As in, she's one hell of a crazy bitch. Like, she belongs in an asylum. It doesn't help that she's obsessed with Dominic, and he treats her like a fly on his favorite dish."

Before she can go on, I stop her and ask, "How do you know all this?"

"Honey, I've lived in this town for so long, I know lots of things, and these things aren't even a secret. Now, as I was saying, try your best to avoid them and you'll be fine. They don't like outsiders."

"Outsiders?" I question.

"Yeah, people who weren't born in this town and aren't part of their social circle. Meaning they don't like most of us in this school, and they usually stick to themselves. This also applies to most students here. Just because they're rich, they treat the rest of us like we don't exist." She sounds so pained, but I don't care. I would even love to be ignored by them. If the bullies in my former town ignored me, I would have been elated.

"Well, as long as we don't bother each other, I don't care. I'm just glad to have this opportunity to attend this school so I have a chance at a good high-paying job." I know I'm lying as I say this. I'm already captivated by these people, and I know I might not be able to stay away. Looking at Dominic again, I can't help but stare at him. He is so handsome. My stomach flutters as I stare at him, and it's only Candace's voice that snaps me out of my Dominic trance.

"I wish I could be as unbothered as you are," she replies.

We continue our lunch in comfortable silence, and afterward, we go our separate ways since we have different classes. I go to my second class. This class is smaller, therefore more intimate. I enjoy this class-History 404-it's one of my majors.

When the final bell rings, I'm so excited I could jump off a cloud.

My mum isn't picking me up, and I'm not taking the bus, so I start the tedious process of walking home since my house isn't too far from school. It doesn't take too long to get home, and I immediately go to bed to sleep off the stress of my first day. Instead of the deep, dreamless sleep I expect, I'm greeted by a dream again.

I'm walking to a pond where a beautiful woman with black hair waits for me. She looks up at me when I get to her feet, grabs my hand, and says, "Be formless. Shapeless. Like water. Now, you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow, or it can crash. Be water, my friend."

"Who are you?" I ask.

"I am you, you are me, you are us, we are one, we are water." She turns and walks into the pond.

"Hey! Stop! I'm confused." Instead of responding to my calls, she continues her way into the pond.

This time, when I wake up, I don't go back to sleep. I stay awake, wondering why I've had this dream twice. Ironically, the sound of wolves howling serves as a source of solitude as I contemplate what the dream means. It's not like I know the woman. I don't think I've ever seen her before, so why is this dream becoming a recurring one?

The tossing and turning from the dream made me hot, so I go to open my windows. Standing in front of the window, I notice something on the windowpane. Looking closer, it's a children's storybook. I wonder how this got here. I take it to my bed and get comfortable before opening it to read. Clearing my throat, I read aloud:

"Once upon a time, in the golden palace of the kingdom of Aeternum, preparations for the celebration of the birth of the princess were in order. The king and queen wanted this party to be marked in history as the greatest. All the staff moved in haste to close the chapters of the last-minute preparations. Fortunately, the beautiful princess cooed happily in her nursery, undisturbed by the hustle and bustle. Unfortunately, the princess was kidnapped, and no celebration happened. The king and queen were left hoping to one day find their child."

I vaguely remember this story from my bedtime stories with Mum. But why was it on my window? And why is it in my room? I know I didn't bring it here.