𝑫𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑴 . . . drēm
༢ ͎۪۫ ༊ ❛ 𝗆𝗈𝗏𝗂𝖾 𝗈𝗇𝖾 ﾉ 𝖽𝖾𝗌𝖼𝖾𝗇𝖽𝖺𝗇𝗍𝗌. ❜
▇ ¨. ༢ ͎۪۫ ༊*·˚ ╱ 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 ❜
. . . ➾ ˗ˏˋ enchantments , night skies , kisses ࿐ྂ

      𝐌𝐀𝐋 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐈𝐓. She'd enchanted Ben, making him fall in love with her, and even gone on a date with him. With every step, the VKs were inching closer to stealing Fairy Godmother's wand and fulfilling their parents' wishes.

      The whole plan was coming together, but the pressure had grown heavier each day. Beneath their determination was a nagging anxiety they all tried to ignore. They wanted their parents' pride — needed it, really — and that's why they'd come to Auradon in the first place.

      "Okay, we all know what this looks like," Mal said, leaning over a blueprint laid out on the dorm's table, her eyes intense as she gestured to the layout. "So, we'll be on the dais under the Beast's spell jar, and we'll enter here." She pointed to an entry point. "I'll be at the front. You guys will be up on the balcony."

      Elizabeth nodded, trying to appear confident. "Okay," she whispered, glancing at the others for support.

     "Carlos?" Mal looked over at him next, waiting for him to confirm his part.

      Carlos's eyes lingered on the blueprint before he nodded. "Right. I'll find our limo and make sure we have a way back to the Isle once we get the wand."

      "Perfect." Mal handed two small spray bottles to Evie and Elizabeth. "Evie, you and Lizzie will handle the driver. Two sprays, and they'll be out like a light. Lizzie, you'll also keep watch. If anyone interferes. . . you know what to do."

      Elizabeth took the bottle, her fingers brushing over its cool glass. It felt foreign and heavy in her grip, like the weight of her choices, and a pang of doubt thudded in her chest. She knew they needed to do this, but a part of her questioned the path they were on.

     Her whole life, she'd wanted her mother's approval, to hear her mother say she was proud — even if it was just words.

      Elizabeth idolized her mother, even though deep down, she didn't want to be evil. Her mother knew that, too, which only made her feel like more of a disappointment. Still, the plan had to go on. She lifted her gaze, trying to muster some resolve.

      Evie was studying Mal with a look of concern. "Wait, you want to break Ben's love spell?" Evie asked, brows furrowing.

      "Yeah, for after," Mal replied, her voice tinged with a strange guilt. "I've been thinking... when the villains finally do invade Auradon and begin to loot and kick everyone out of their castles and imprison their leaders and destroy all that is good and beautiful, Ben still being in love with me just seems a little extra. . . cruel."

      Mal snapped the spell book shut and left the dorm without another word. Evie called after her, "M?" but Mal didn't look back. The room fell silent, leaving everyone with lingering questions and heavy hearts.

      Elizabeth glanced around at Carlos and Evie, her gaze eventually landing on Jay, who gave her a slight nod. She smiled awkwardly, feeling the tension thick in the air. "Well. . . I'm just gonna. . . head to bed," she said, forcing a polite smile before making her exit.

      Out in the hallway, she sighed in relief. She never handled awkward situations well, and with everything riding on this mission, her nerves felt stretched thin.

     Once in her dorm, she shut the door quietly behind her and found Ashlynn sound asleep, wrapped up in her silky pink sheets. Elizabeth sank down on her bed, surrounded by reminders of the life she'd come to love.

      She looked around at her room — the little touches she'd added, the friends she'd made, the feeling of belonging she'd never felt on the Isle. Her eyes drifted to her nightstand, where a delicate card castle sat, a gift from Ashlynn, and beside it was a small music box Ben had given her.

     A bittersweet smile crossed her lips as she ran her fingers over the lid, lost in thought.

      After a few minutes, she sighed and sat up, deciding maybe some air would clear her mind. She slipped quietly out of bed and padded down the hall. As she turned a corner, she nearly bumped into someone — Jay. He looked equally surprised but didn't step back.

      "Couldn't sleep either?" he asked, his voice hushed in the stillness of the night.

      She shook her head, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "No. . . I just needed to clear my head. Too much to think about."

      He nodded, understanding, and after a moment, he motioned for her to follow him outside. They slipped quietly out a side door and found themselves under the stars, the night cool and peaceful around them.

     They walked in silence to a quiet spot in the gardens, where they could see the moon reflecting off a small pond.

      "Elizabeth, if you're having second thoughts. . . I get it. I won't let anything happen to you," Jay said, his gaze serious as he turned to face her.

      She looked at him, her heart catching in her throat. "It's not that I don't want to help our friends. . . I just —" She hesitated, searching for the right words. "Sometimes, it feels like I'm finally finding myself here. Like, for the first time, I'm allowed to choose who I want to be."

     Jay's eyes softened as he listened, and he took a step closer, his face inches from hers. "You're braver than you think, you know that?" His voice was barely a whisper, and his hand moved up to brush a stray hair from her cheek. "You have a big heart, Lizzie. That's what makes you different from the rest of us. You. . . you actually care."

     Elizabeth felt her breath hitch, his fingers lingering just barely against her cheek, the warmth of his skin sending a shiver down her spine. She could feel the distance between them disappearing, her heart beating louder as he gazed at her, eyes dark and intense.

     "Jay. . ." she murmured, her voice faltering. She could barely speak over the emotions tightening in her chest.

     He looked down at her lips, and for a second, it felt like time stood still. Slowly, he leaned in, his hand resting on her cheek as his thumb brushed gently against her skin. The world around them faded away as his lips finally met hers, soft and tentative at first.

     The kiss was gentle, almost as if they were both testing this new, unspoken feeling between them. But as Elizabeth closed her eyes and leaned into him, the kiss deepened, becoming something neither of them could hold back.

     His hand moved to her waist, pulling her closer as her fingers found their way into his hair. She felt the warmth of his body against hers, grounding her in a way she'd never experienced before. Her worries, the mission, her mother's expectations — all of it melted away in his arms.

     In that moment, all she could feel was him and the fire between them.

     When they finally pulled back, Jay's eyes searched hers, a mixture of wonder and surprise there, as though he hadn't expected this any more than she had. Elizabeth's face flushed as she looked down, suddenly shy.

     He lifted her chin gently, a grin tugging at his lips. "Guess we should've done that sooner," he whispered, his voice playful yet full of warmth.

     Elizabeth chuckled, still feeling a bit dazed. "Yeah. . . maybe we should have."

     For a long moment, they just stood there, the stars above them and the quiet night stretching around them like a secret they'd just uncovered. In his eyes, she felt a sense of peace, of belonging. Whatever happened next, she knew that he was by her side.

     "C'mon," he said softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as they began to walk back. "We'll get through tomorrow. Together."

     And with him there beside her, she actually believed it.