47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDW1cFl7vzbMs. Hollendaire led me to the staff room, and told me to sit down on one of the chairs.
Her hands were shaking, and her face looked pale.
"Ms. Hollendaire, I thought you had another class to teach?" said my maths teacher from the seat across from mine, looking up from the bundle of notebooks she was checking.
Ms. Hollendaire nodded, but she didn't answer properly. She only said, "Dravena has the Haunted Mark."
Instantly, the whole room became silent, as if it were holding its breath.
"That can't be right," murmured my science teacher, standing up and grabbing my wrist.
The moment she saw it, all the colour drained from her face, and it looked as if even her neon pink dress had gone pale.
"What... is the haunted mark?" I asked quietly.
All the teachers avoided my eyes, until finally Ms. Hollendaire cleared her throat. "The darkest people are given this mark, Dravena," she said quietly, "It means that they are destined to turn into a monster within a year."
My thoughts tangled into a knot I could no longer untangle.
"Why do people turn into monsters?" I asked, no longer caring about my fear of talking to teachers, "And how do you know this is the same mark? It could actually be a marker."
"I'm not joking," Ms. Hollendaire said darkly, "Do not make the mistake of thinking that I am."
I forced myself to take a sharp intake of breath, "So... what now?"
"We usually banish people with this mark, but... you're not like that. And the problem is that this has never happened to anyone your age before. You're only thirteen, right?"
I nodded, but my heart felt like it was going to explode.
"Banish.." the word tasted sour on my tongue, "I... don't want that."
My maths teacher rose to her feet, and whispered, "We need to let the queen decide."
"Queen? Do you mean Queen Liora, the queen of our kingdom?" I asked, feeling my stomach drop.
Ms. Hollendaire nodded—only once, but it was enough.
"There has to be a mistake..." I whispered, tears forming in my eyes.
"There isn't.." my maths teacher said quietly.
They took me to the Queen's throne room inside her palace.
The place felt too huge and perfect for how broken I was inside.
My uniform suddenly felt too clean when I compared it to my messy thoughts.
"It's okay," whispered Queen Liora gently.
She took my hand and studied the mark carefully.
After an endless minute, she looked up. "This... does not mean you'll turn into a monster. It simply means you are too stressed for your age," she whispered, "It is not a confirmation. It is a warning."
She looked at me with an eerie expression. "You need to calm yourself. Otherwise you could become one of them. The mark will slowly fade away if you remain calm. But otherwise, it will become more prominent. Just like it has now.." She placed a finger on the centre of the mark, indicating the depth, "You've been worried because of what everyone said. You should try to ease your worries."
And when I turned to leave, she quietly added, "You are not broken, Dravena. You are overwhelmed."
I didn't go back to school that day, because I decided to go back home to tell my parents about the mark and what the Queen had said.
Elara looked the most surprised, so she said that she wouldn't argue with me 'too much'.
From that day, I tried to calm myself, recorded my worries in my diary, and slowly, eventually, the mark faded away.
After reflecting, I realized that Lilith was a true friend... I had been the disloyal one.
I decided to trust her with the truth behind the mark. She looked worried when I told her, and I knew I had made the right decision.
I still remember that day, and the warning it came with. But I also remember to stay calm, because that's what healed me.
Now, I never worry about anything—and I even stay calm about exams, which was my worst anxiety in the past. And staying calm has actually improved my grades, even though I study less now to not overstress myself.
I have come to learn that a peaceful mind is one of the biggest blessings life can give,and it's always in our own hands.🪻47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGO5eBfTIB
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