I'm back in my apartment, standing in the middle of what was once my life. The walls feel too close now, the air too thick with the smell of stale vodka. I throw open the closet door and pull out clothes, shoes—anything and everything I can stuff into a suitcase.
It's been three days already since Anto told me about Mattie cheating. I don't blame her, you know. Zeus has an erectile dysfunction. I'm just surprised she cheated barely weeks after they became official.
Good thing her fling chose to leave the city rather than engage in a duel over a lady he probably has no feelings for. I was scared for a minute that the fight would end badly.
Anto is leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching me with a mix of concern and frustration.
"You still thinking about leaving?" he asks, his voice low, like he's afraid of pushing me too far.
I nod, the decision firm in my mind.
"You can't be serious." Anto crosses the room, tossing himself onto the bed, which, I swear, looks like it's been waiting for a dramatic collapse ever since I moved in. "You're not gonna get away from your problems by running."
I pause, the zipper of my suitcase halfway closed, my fingers hovering over it.
"I'm not running away. I'm just… getting out of here. It's too much. The pack, Zeus, everything. I need to breathe." I pull the zipper closed with a little more force than necessary.
Anto doesn't look convinced. "You think you'll find peace out there? Out in the middle of nowhere, without anyone you trust?"
"Peace is definitely the right word," I mutter, tossing a shirt into the suitcase.
"Where are you even going?" he asks, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"I don't know, but it'll be far away from here." I glance at him, then at the suitcase. "This place, this life… it's suffocating."
Anto sits up, pushing his hair back. "Melissa, don't make this about escaping. You've been through hell, but running isn't the answer. You need to face—"
My phone rings, interrupting him.
"Saved by the ring," I mutter as I glance at the screen. It's an unknown number. I swipe to answer, hoping it's a telemarketer. But no such luck.
"Hello?"
The voice on the other end is frantic, breathless. "Turn on the news. Right now. You need to see this."
"Who is this?" I ask, annoyed. If this is one of those scam calls, I swear…
"I don't have time to explain. Just do it."
Before I can respond, the line goes dead.
I look at Anto, who's now eyeing me suspiciously.
"What was that about?"
"Some random person," I say, holding up the phone. "Told me to watch the news. I'm guessing they want me to tune into some new reality TV show or something. God, they're getting bold these days."
I shrug, but Anto's gaze doesn't leave me. He's watching me like I'm some kind of ticking time bomb.
"Just put the damn TV on," I mutter, pushing past him and walking over to the TV, not really expecting anything but some bad local drama. I click on the remote and flip to the news channel.
A frail-looking reporter is onscreen. Her voice is shaky, but there's a serious edge to it.
"Breaking news from the outskirts of New York City," she says, glancing nervously at her notes. "Authorities have reported the release of an ancient creature. Some say it's a dragon, one that hasn't been seen for centuries. Details are scarce, but what we know is… it's causing real chaos."
I freeze, my heart skipping a beat.
A clip suddenly flashes across the screen, showing a massive, terrifying dragon—its scales glistening dark and fiery. It's breathing fire across a field, incinerating crops, sending plumes of smoke into the air. The camera shakes, but there's no mistaking it.
The dragon roars, sending the cameraman scrambling.
I can't breathe. The land—it's the same place near Zeus's apartment. The crops are burned to ash, and everyone around is running for their lives.
"This can't be real," I mutter, clutching the edge of the TV stand. "It's gotta be a joke. It's April 2nd, april Fools and all that. They're just playing with us."
But the dragon in the video doesn't look like it's in on the joke.
Anto walks over, glancing at the screen, then looking back at me. "Melissa, do you think this is real ?"
I can't tear my eyes away. Something about it… I feel like I know this dragon. The way it moves. The fire it breathes. My pulse quickens.
I don't know why, but I feel this—this pull. Like I need to go after it.
"I need to see this up close," I say, barely believing the words as they leave my mouth.
Anto stares at me, blinking as though I've lost my mind. He laughs but the laughter dies off when he sees I am damn serious.
"Melissa, are you seriously considering going after that thing?" His voice raises, incredulous. "You just watched a dragon burn a field to the ground, and you think it's a good idea to get close to it?"
I nod, still unable to shake the pull I feel. "I have to."
"You've gone insane," Anto mutters, pacing the room. "You've been through hell, and now you're gonna throw yourself at a fire-breathing monster? That's your perfect suicide plan?"
"I don't know what it is," I whisper, ignoring his rants, "But it's calling me."
Anto glares at me, exasperated. "That's it. I'm calling you a taxi to the nearest mental institution."
I turn on him, my voice sharp. "You don't get it, Anto. This isn't about looking for an escape plan. This is about something bigger. I can feel it."
"You're going to get yourself killed," he says, exhaling sharply. "You're already a walking tragedy, and now you want to tango with a damn dragon? What's next? A werewolf army?"
I try to ignore his sarcasm, my eyes fixed on the screen. The reporter is talking about evacuation warnings, but all I can hear is the pounding of my heart, urging me to go.
I'm already halfway to the door when Anto grabs my arm.
"Don't do this, Melissa," he pleads, voice thick with fear. "Please. You don't even know what that thing is."
"I have to," I repeat, the words tasting like fate. "And like the reporter said, that's a dragon."
I push open the door, but just as I'm about to step outside, a chilling roar cuts through the air.
I gasp.
It's here. It's right outside, waiting for me.