Elena
As we followed the boy named Jinx up to the surface, Noel got quiet, so I assumed he was having an inner monologue with Nori. Evelyn had been quiet the last few minutes, giving me time to come to terms with everything, I figured, and I really appreciated that. She was very understanding of what I was going through. I didn't think i could have gone through with the bonding otherwise.
Just thinking back to the bonding made me blush. I hadn't been that intimate with anyone before. It was such a thrill. I tugged at the color of my shirt suddenly very hot.
Do you have any questions I can answer for you, Elena? Evelyn asked after a few moments. She sounds tentative.
I thought for a second. I had tons of questions. But which ones were the most pertinent? Well, if we are going to be stuck together like this, I think it'd be a good idea to get to know each other a little more. I was so intrigued by her. She seemed to be everything I had ever wanted to be.
She chuckled lightly, and I loved the sound of it. Very well. Do you have any family?
I nodded my head before realizing she couldn't really see that. I glanced around to see if anyone saw me, but everyone was probably talking to their demon that no one was paying any attention to me, thankfully. My grandma is the only family I have left. What about you? Family?
She was quiet for so long I wasn't sure she was going to answer. I was about to ask a different question when she suddenly replied, My parents. I'm not super close with them, but I do live with them. They will... not be happy by this bonding. She was very articulate, taking time to choose each word. Elena, I am of noble birth, a poor noble birth, but I am royal nonetheless. I will be honest with you and tell you right now my parents were trying to forth an arranged marriage onto me with another noble family in hopes of strengthening our standing. I did not wish for this to be so, so I went to the bonding in hopes that I could break the arrangement. My family will not be happy.
Was your betrothed really so horrible? I asked her. I knew arranged marriages still existed, but I didn't know anyone personally who had to do such a thing. I tried to imagine my grandmother making me marry someone. But the idea was a little absurd to me.
I don't even know his name. But I am tired of doing everything my parents wanted me to do. I am my own person, and I can make my own decisions. If you could keep my family name between us, I would greatly appreciate it. The fewer people who knew of my bonding at the moment, the better. This request seemed important to her, so I agreed to keep her name a secret.
Familial discussions can happen further at a later date. I have lived for over 300 years. I could take up too much of your time discussing my family and history. Tell me more about you. Have you met your roommate yet? I wondered if the topic of her family was touchy. I decided not to push it, but I made a mental note to question her about her age later. 300 years was a long time.
Yes, her name is Alexa, and she's a bookworm, but really nice.
What is your major?
Premed.
So you will have a full semester of classes. luckily, I know a thing or two about medicine. I can help you study. What we do may cut away time to study.
That comment made me nervous. Being a doctor was my dream. I didn't want to give that up for a whim I hadn't even signed up for. Sure, I had agreed, but mainly because I still did not realize what that all entailed as of yet. Sighing, I kept walking, catching up with Noel. I had fallen behind in my talk with Evelyn.
As we reached the surface, I gasped. I couldn't believe all things I was able to see. spirits, ghosts, demons everywhere. Noel had been so right about the other worldly things floating around. I could scarcely believe it.
Eevie
I could see everything Elena could see. But it wasn't like I was living it. It was like watching TV. I experienced everything, but not in the same way she experienced them. I could feel how her heart was racing at finally seeing all the creatures that existed in the same plane of existence as humans.
Crazy, isn't it? I remarked.
Unreal. She had stopped walking and was just turning in circles, getting a hang of everything around her.
Noel came into her field of vision, and she hurried over to his side. "Crazy, isn't it?" she asked, repeating my words back to him.
He nodded. "Y-yes. I can't believe how many spirits are roaming around."
"I know. Hard to believe we were never able to notice them before," Elena pulled Noel's arm to keep him walking next to her.
Noel was quiet a moment before he spoke again, "Nori says that humans used to be able to see spirits, but that somehow they lost the sight."
Yes, humans have an interesting ability to be so very ignorant. Because spirits were a part of their every day life, they forgot to keep looking at them as spirits and soon quit paying any mind to them at all, and over time their eyes would just look over them, unconsciously overlooking them. Before long, their brains turned off the part that was used to really see the world. And they never realized they had even lost the sight. OR that was what an old shaman had told me.
Elena repeated my story back to the boys. Noel nodded his head. "That m-makes sense."
WE were in front of the dorms now. Jinx turned to address us all one final time. "Remember what the demon council told you all. Keep this a secret from your roommates. For now, I shall bid you all ado. I'm sure we'll see each other again real soon."
Elena took a deep breath. "It's going to be hard lying to Alexa." Together the two headed into the building but stopped near the stairs.
"Austin, too," Noel agreed.
"What's our cover story for them? We need to have the same story since they both know we left together."
Couldn't you just say it was an informative meeting about some sort of activity? I suggested.
What activity? Elena asked. But she repeated my suggestion to Noel and Nori.
"N-Nori thought we could say a c-club was trying to recruit us but we had to turn them down. Like the ch-chess club because they found out about how smart me are."
The chess club is nerdy enough where it would make sense why you turned them down. I admitted.
"That sounds like that would be a good cover then for us. Let's go with it," Elena agreed. "I'll find you tomorrow, okay? Maybe we can get lunch together?"
Noel blushed and looked down at his feet, "L-lunch s-sounds good. See you th-then."
"Great! Bye!" she waved at Noel before disappearing up the stairwell to the third floor.
Opening the door to her room, Elena slipped inside. The room was dark, Alexa was already asleep. Glancing at the clock, Elena saw that it was really late. Past midnight. Stifling a yawn, Elena took her keys and phone out of her pocket and set it all quietly on her desk.
You should get to sleep. You need the rest. It was a long day, and a bonding can take a lot out of you.
Elena did as I suggested and crawled into bed. She fell asleep before her head even hit the pillow.
