The Crimson Throne - A Grimdark Tale

Elaine never thought she'd be in this position. But, one month shy of graduation and two months from beginning her first professional job, she would wind up in the hospital's emergency ward, struggling for life.

The day started as usual. Elaine sat at the back of a small coffee shop near the school building, finishing her final reports. Her afternoon classes would begin in an hour, and she preferred to wait nearby, either relaxing or working on class projects rather than returning to her studio apartment.

Beside her laptop lay a small leather-bound book. The book's cover appeared ancient and worn out, marked by time. Yet, she could still decipher the embroiled title.

The Crimson Throne,

A year had passed, but Elaine still vividly remembered her encounter with the book. While strolling through a quaint shopping district near her college, she became curious and entered an antique shop. The shop was small but cozy, and a customer could tour the entire space within thirty steps or fewer. However, it contained a wide selection of items on display, from furniture to clothes to even collector stamps. The shop owner, a friendly, plump older gentleman dressed in an immaculate brown suit, offered to show Elaine around.

He introduced her to the treasure trove he had collected over the years. While the owner continued to gloat over his rare antiques for several minutes, something in the far corner caught her attention. She waited for him to finish his introduction and politely asked if she could look around herself. He readily agreed, and Elaine dashed toward the curious object. It was a small leather-bound book with an elaborate illustration of two golden dragons circling its edges, enveloping a beautiful, embellished title in the center. Her hand glided over the cover. The book seemed cool to the touch.

Elaine opened the first page. A small engraving appeared.

"To the rightful owner." She read the lone sentence on the page. It amused her.

How can an old book, presumably exchanged through many hands, recognize its rightful owner?

Inquisitive, she purchased it. Happy with her recent acquisition, Elaine did not notice the older man's peculiar expression as she exited the shop.

Of all the antiques she could have bought, why would she buy a blank, dirty old book? He did not even remember having such an item available in the store.

Elaine hurried home, changed into comfortable pajamas, flopped onto the couch, and snuggled inside a warm blanket. Then, reaching for the book in her bag, she started reading and soon couldn't stop. Elaine found the story particularly engaging, with several unpredictable twists and turns. A medieval romance entwined with intrigue and politics.

She began reading incessantly, sparing no time to eat or sleep. As night turned into day and the blinding sunlight peeked through the blind, Elaine finished the last page.

She closed the book and exhaled in satisfaction. Even without an ounce of sleep, Elaine was far from tired. Quite the contrary, she was elated.

How long had it been since she was this engrossed in a story? Elaine did not know the answer. Though one thing became certain, this book would become her constant companion for a long while.

"Buzz....buzz,"

The phone alarm reminded Elaine of the time. She looked at the digital clock flashing on the screen. It was a quarter before one, twenty-five minutes before her first afternoon class. She chugged down the last bit of coffee and packed her belongings into a mahogany-colored backpack—everything except the book. Elaine planned to reread it while walking to class.

The campus was more crowded than usual because of exam season, with the sidewalk full of students scurrying back and forth. Out of safety precaution, Elaine tried remaining close to the sidewalk's inner portion. She walked past the construction site, a school building in the process of demolition and redevelopment for new purposes. Crane trucks moving materials, machines drilling through concrete, and workers laughing and arguing. With a cacophony of sounds vying for her attention, Elaine ignored them all. Her sole focus was on the book and the road ahead. She noticed nothing wrong until the sound of footsteps running toward her and several horrifying screams in the background.

"Watch out!!!"

One crane lost control of its steel pillars, dropping them straight in her direction. Elaine did not have time to react, and in a split second followed, she knew her fate.

"Somebody calls the ambulance!!" she heard a person yell.

Deep red blood stained the white pavement, concocted into a frightening scene. Tension and panic filled the air. People surrounded her, screaming and crying, but Elaine was too weak to discern their words. Then, before losing consciousness, the last thing she saw were the two golden dragons flying out from the cover, leaving the small book in her hand slowly turned into dust.