Grey Nirmala
Raya was watching us with curious eyes. Her showing up now would only make things more complicated for me. The last thing I wanted was to argue with Klein while also having to answer Raya's questions.
She leaned forward slightly, tilted her head, and let out a small chuckle.
"When two guys head to the bathroom together, it never ends well."
I didn't respond to her strange remark. She was a girl after all, girls liked to tease boys. And considering it was Raya standing in front of me, I saw no reason to argue with her. Why would I start a fight with the girl I liked?
I glanced at Klein, and from the look on his face, I knew he was about to say something stupid to her. Sure enough, he did.
"You know, Raya, sometimes I really wonder what goes on in that head of yours.
Raya laughed, resting one hand on his shoulder. At first, I thought it was just a friendly gesture. Then her other hand curled into a fist, and she drove it straight into Klein's stomach.
The hit was so sudden that he staggered back, clutching his abdomen with both hands before slumping against the wall in pain. Raya smiled like an angel, looking at him as if nothing had happened.
"Sorry, Klein. Guess my hand slipped." She laughed innocently before turning to me. "I think we should get to class before the lesson starts, no, Grey?"
For Raya to hit him like that, there had to be something monstrous beneath that sweet smile. I looked back at Klein. I still felt a flicker of pity for the guy. She must have hit hard if he still needed the wall to stay standing.
Turning back to Raya, I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of pride that the girl I liked was capable of that. Wait, what the fuck? I am not her father, why would I be proud of that?
"Eh, it's nothing important anyway. Klein and I were just leaving."
That was a complete lie. I still had no idea what had happened to the book, and it was eating away at me inside. Now that I knew supernatural things truly existed in this world, I had to protect it. At the very least, I could keep it safe, hide these strange things, and even use them. The Endless Greatness of the Five would do the same.
But the fact that Klein could see the particles was a question for me to ponder How? How many others in this world could see them or more? I couldn't trust anyone as much as I trusted myself. I was certain I was more responsible than any of them.
I nodded my head at Raya and the girl`s smile grew wider. She leaned towards me, her hands on my chest. She sniffed me like I was some kind of food. I made a weird sound and tried to pull back, but Raya didn`t seem to be on the same boat with me. She giggled and pinched my chest.
"Aw!" I barked "What was that for?"
Raya pulled back and looked away.
"I was just testing something. Maybe."
I arched a brow.
"Uhh," I looked at Klein. "Was he also on a test?"
Raya lifted her shoulders.
"Nah, I just wanted to punch him."
I bit my lip.
"Fair enough."
Raya tilted her body to look at Klein.
"Oh, the Moonriders on the Citadel had a better time than him."
Klein rolled his eyes.
"The Moonriders are idiots for even going inside that mine."
Raya bit the inside of her cheek.
"Don`t say that, the Moonriders helped us learn the past of Earth much easier." I could sense the mockery on her voice quite well, she did not try to even hide it. "The Endless Greatness of the Five grace us with their regards. They are great leaders."
"Dictators." Klein muttered under his breath.
I furrowed my eyes.
"The Five are just a bunch of children playing as gods." I hissed. Clenching my teeth I spewed the one percent of the hate I held for them: "I wish those idiots were the ones who got lost in the mines."
Something flickered inside Raya`s calm blue eyes. Something that I couldn`t label as anything perceptible. But the most I could gaze was hurt, or no, maybe it was fear.
Raya clicked her tongue and furrowed her brows.
"The Five Crest should dome their crown."
Klein standeth next to me, still clutching his belly.
"I like the Volaris Crest the most," he said. "At least they are honest about their actions."
Both I and Raya shrugged distantly.
"None of them are honest," I argued. "Especially Astaryn Crest." The next words that came out of my mouth were spoken in a hiss: "Those sons of bitches are just gaining order by ruining Pronica City and Zelyana City."
Raya blew air out of her mouth in pure boredom.
"At least they rule those two better. Moonveil Crest does not give a shit about us." Her voice layered over hatred and anger. "The reshaping of Lineage City is just propaganda. They don`t give a damn about us." Her tone itched with something more different than fury, it was fear. "I don`t want them to destroy our memories."
Raya poked me with her shoulder. I smiled gently at her jest.
"Don`t be so dramatic. The Five have no chance in doing that."
Her brows lifted up. You should promise, you know." Her eyes lighten up. "Or will you leave this pretty girl alone in this dirty world?"
I opened my mouth to talk but the words came as stutters.
"I-I… Raya!"
The girl giggled mirthfully. Klein snorted and crossed his arms.
"Don`t tease him, Raya."
My face reddened and a long, pressured sigh or growl, whatever it was came out bashfully.
"Both of you are odd." I said with a frown.
Raya clutched her chest and gasped dramatically.
"Oh, no, Mr. Grey 'I always frown' Nirmala said we are grotesque."
Raya chuckled enthusiastically and Klein followed her right after. My brows knit together and I bit my tongue to hold the urge to lay them in my tide of insults. I can`t just do that to my Raya, I guess at least.
Raya and I exchanged a brief nod before heading towards our classroom. I still wondered what Klein and I could have achieved, but even more than that, I was curious about the purple particles. So much in fact that I would do anything to learn what all these are. What these runes and the book are.
Yes the conversation changed quite frequently, from those purple motes or words drifted towards the Endless Greatness of the Five.
Pushing myself away from my thoughts, I followed after Raya, trying to decide what I should do next. I could feel Klein on our ass, following us like a lost puppy. When we reached our classroom, neither of us looked back before stepping inside. I frowned slightly at that. Maybe once in a lifetime, I wanted to talk with Klein.I glanced at him with the corner of my eye, Klein turned and began walking toward his own classroom. On his left, the hallway windows looked out over the school grounds. Students were probably still outside, most of us here hated lessons after all.The weather was sunny and cloudless, something most people would take as a sign of a beautiful day. Klein was lost to my gaze though, nevertheless—I still need to talk to him. But now I have to spend the rest of my time learning about the family tree of our holy monarchs.
Raya Marin
The moment Grey and I walked into the classroom, I saw Nya watching us from her desk. I had seen her leave earlier, but I hadn't realized she'd come back. Honestly, I wished she had just walked out that door and never returned. Grey and I sat down at our desks, which were back-to-back, and almost immediately he began rummaging through his bag. He was clearly looking for something, but I decided it didn't concern me and let my eyes wander around the room. On my left sat Maki, with Lulu behind her. The two of them were whispering to each other, probably gossiping. I smiled to myself. Those two really did love gossip.
When my gaze drifted again, I found Nya still sitting there with her arms crossed, scowling at the floor. Her jet-black hair was even longer than mine. For a second she lifted her head and looked at me, but just as quickly, her eyes dropped back to the floor. She was definitely at the top of my "people I'd love to punch" list.
Klein briefly crossed my mind. Maybe I had hit him harder than I meant to earlier, but I was sure he could take it.
I looked back at Grey, hoping he might glance up and talk to me, but he was still digging through his bag. I let out a quiet sigh. Sometimes, I just couldn't understand him. Seeing people like Nico bully him had always bothered me. I had never understood the kind of person who could take pleasure in hurting someone else. To me, bullies were just proof of how small, petty, and stupid a person could be. My thoughts didn't get to wander for long; the teacher had already entered the classroom.
By the end of the first lesson, I felt more relaxed, though I doubted Grey could say the same. He had spent the entire period glancing around the room and rifling through his bag, earning himself a scolding from the teacher, which he ignored completely.
When class ended, I got up. Normally I would have gone over to Maki and Lulu right away, but lately I had found myself doing something else. I walked over to Grey and tapped his shoulder. He was still so absorbed in searching his bag that I wasn't sure he even noticed. I pouted and made my way to Maki and Lulu instead. They waved at me, and I perched on Maki's desk.
"Ugh, everything's been so boring lately," I said while knitting Maki`s soft and pretty pink hair.
Lulu slouched in her chair, pouting. Maki crossed her arms and shot her a teasing look. Maki`s pink eyes were reflected on Lulu`s brown ones. These two contrasted each quite well actually. Lulu had blood red hair while Maki had a cute shade of pink.
"Don't worry, Lulu. You make our days even more boring just by being here." Maki taunted.
"Shut up!" Lulu snapped, her face turning red.
I didn't step in. Their constant bickering had always been entertaining to me.
Then came the sound of something hitting the floor. All three of us turned to see Grey's bag lying there. Lulu groaned and rested her head on her desk.
"I swear, I'll never understand that guy. Are you sure you want to like him, Raya?"
Heat rushed to my cheeks as my hands dropped Maki`s kind hair.
"Eh…?Li–like him?"
I could feel my face burning even hotter when Maki chuckled and tossed her hair back.
"You're always talking about how much you like him. Don`t tell me you have the memory of a fish."
I sighed in relief for a second, but then realized exactly what she had said. My ears became red.
"Please don't say that everywhere. I'm trying to keep up my image here."
Maki giggled again, and Lulu mumbled something into the desk that I couldn't make out. I was still flustered when Grey's voice rang out behind me.
"Finally!"
I turned to look, but before I could even see my dear`s face, the entire world around me plunged into darkness. A void of unease and uncontrol, the only things that were here to accompany me were the purple particles.
"Huh? G-Grey? Maki!? Lulu?" I looked around in a daze. "What is this? A dream? Yes it has to be a dream." A crooked laugh escaped my mouth as my legs moved uncontrolled. "This is so stupid. What a joke!" I spun around, my voice lowering.. "What a joke… He, he."
I walked around the void, but the utter darkness did not give at all. I couldn't even understand if I was even moving or not. This felt wrong. This felt scary. I don't like it here.
Although, my dread lasted only for a sole beat. Purple particles danced around the mad void, they danced around me. And soon they would even jump around me. These purple motes were in charge. Eventually they formed stuff. A desk and a window. They formed people and the world. The darkness vanished in the blink of an eye. And my eyes finally saw my dear`s face once more.
Grey was clutching a book to his chest. He clinged it to it so dearly that for a moment I thought it was his child. His eyes were shut as if he wasn't even aware of what was happening. I was about to call his name, to seek his heart, yet I couldn't, that thing didn't let me. When I saw them. Those things which could never be put to song. A pair of eyes hovered above him, fixed on him. The same suffocating fear I had felt in the bathroom washed over me, but this time I refused to back away. I needed to know what was happening. I wanted to know.
I started stepping toward him, but the distance between us seemed to stretch the closer I got. The eyes must have noticed me, they flicked in my direction for a heartbeat before returning to Grey. O, my dear arrogant idiot. I wish you could just open your eyes and look around for once.
From the book in his arms, the same purple particles I had seen so many times began to spill out, swirling around him as if celebrating him, praising the golden eyed boy. I couldn't take it anymore. My hope collapsed, and I dropped to my knees. Hot tears blurred my vision.
At that weary moment, I was desperate, terrified, anxious, and furious with myself. Paranoia gripped my heart. What if something happened to Grey? What will I do then? He doesn`t deserve this. He had never harmed anyone. He was just trying to live. Do not hurt him.
I tried to scream, but no sound came out. My gaze locked on the eyes above him, watching as they seemed to pull him deeper into some kind of trance. The more I despair the more the darkness reigns to my vision, covering them.
I crawled toward him, but he remained impossibly far away. Darkness pressed me, but I kept moving, hoping he might open his eyes and see me. "Damn it!" I slammed my forehead against the dark floor again and again. It didn't matter; I felt no pain, no blood. Still, I kept going, smashing my head down with all the force I could muster.
Grey Nirmala
I spent my entire lesson searching for that cursed book, but it was nowhere to be found. "At least I didn`t have to listen to teacher Lankura`s fanatics about the Endless Greatness of the Five." I thought dismissively. Nonetheless, the Eye of the Void was nowhere, I even checked the very bottom, nearly shoving my head inside, yet I couldn't find a single trace of it. Even when the lesson ended, I didn't leave the classroom. I just kept going through my bag over and over again. At some point, I even felt Raya tap my shoulder, but I didn't want any distractions. My frustration and impatience were building. Finally, in irritation, I lifted my bag and tossed it to the floor.
That was when The Eye of the Void fell out.
I froze. Was that all it took, just throwing my bag? Ridiculous. I picked the book up and, in a sudden wave of relief, hugged it tightly.
"Finally."
Closing my eyes, I let myself breathe. At last, I had found the damn thing. The weight on my chest felt lighter, as though something had been lifted from me. Still holding the book close, I suddenly remembered I was in a classroom. I didn't want anyone thinking I was some kind of obsessive book-lover, so I loosened my grip and opened my eyes. Although, I don`t really think Lena, Kara, Jamie or Maki or Lulu would care much.
I opened my eyes with a gentle smile playing on my lips. But to my right—the sight that greeted me was bizarre. Raya was on the floor, writhing, while Maki and Lulu stared at her in shock. Nya and behind her were Lena and Kara. Two girls with deep brown hair. Kara had soft, brown orbs and Lena had green, calm ones. They all started at Raya oddly. I almost dropped the Eye of the Void. My jaw split slightly.
"Raya?"
I called out to her, but she looked as if she was in some kind of trance. I quickly moved to her side and crouched in front of her. Alas, she lifted her head and looked at me, tears streaming down her face.
"Grey?" she mumbled.
I reached to place a hand on her shoulder, but before my fingers could even brush her dark and goldish uniform—Raya shot to her feet in a panic and bolted from the classroom. I glanced at Lulu and Maki, but from their confused expressions, it was clear they had no idea what was going on either. I then looked at Nya and her friends' directions but again, there was nothing I could learn.
I looked down at the enigmatic book in my hands. There was something different about it. The cover now bore a faint eye pattern, hard to notice unless you were looking for it. To make sure I wasn't imagining things, I ran my fingers across the surface. It was real. The cover was rough, the same rıughnmess I had felt before—this time it was much more perceivable. More lurid.
I immediately went after her, leaving the classroom in a rush. I looked around the hallway which was crowded with so many students, but she had already vanished into the crowd of students. I searched the hallway for her, but there was no sign of her. She was faster than I had ever anticipated.
When I reached the garden entrance at the end of this side of the corridor, I hesitated. If she had run this far, she must have had a reason. Did I do something to frighten her? Then again, I mocked myself, of course there would be a reason. And my heart would most certainly be shattered if she was scared of me. Nah, Raya would never be afraid of me.
Stepping into the garden, sunlight hit my face, and a handful of teenagers in the black and goldish uniform of Legacy`s Academy were running around. I only enjoyed being out here when the place was empty, which was almost never, so I usually preferred the roof.
Every step I took felt like a small test. Girls were playing volleyball with a squealing ball of energy, while a group of boys wrestled over a girl, the duty teacher struggling to break them apart. The sheer simplicity of everyone here made me laugh. They had no idea of what was going around them.
I didn't like Raya because of her beauty or intelligence. I liked her because, unlike these fools, she wasn't simple and boring. People like Klein were boring. Helping everyone? It disgusted me. I wasn't against helping people, but making it your entire life philosophy was nothing but nonsense. I mean what was the fun in that? Of course I still have a mundane respect for Klein. He helped me in the past.
A ball rolled toward me, but I ignored it and kicked it backward without looking. From behind, I heard a few idiots boasting about my action. "Come on dude!" one of them barked. Well, at least there was one thing I was the best at. I liked annoying dumb people.
Finally, I reached the entrance to the opposite corridor and felt a bit of relief. At least I was done dealing with the people behind me. I didn't even know if Raya was on this side of the academy; I had simply come here on instinct. And aside from here, only a handful of places had remained.
I looked around for her, but there was no sign. After walking a bit farther, I spotted someone else instead, Rain, a girl I'd known since childhood. How could I miss her elegant and long black hair and deep blue eyes.Her face seemed much prettier now, she even grew taller since I last saw her. Rain was as cheerful as ever, though I hadn't seen her much lately. We weren't exactly close, just constantly ending up at the same schools. Considering this city only had one other high school nearby—and Legacy`s Academy is the better choice without a doubt. Our chances of crossing paths were always high. This city may truly need a reshaping.
Rain walked right up to me, slung an arm around my neck, and started walking beside me like we were the best of friends. I wasn't exactly complaining about running into Rain, but why did it have to happen every time something important was going on? Still, maybe I was complaining a little too much.
"Rain, it's really nice to see you, but now's not the time." I said, the words almost coming out like a hiss.
She didn't look at me, but whatever was running through her head made an amused smile tug at her otherwise innocent face.
"Don't worry. I'm not wondering why Raya ran away from you."
For a second, I was caught off guard. It seemed Rain had picked up on the situation faster than I expected. Not that I had any idea where she was leading me now. Rain is smart, I always forget that part of her.
"I don't want to break your heart," she went on, "but for someone to make Raya bolt like that, you`d have to do something seriously creepy." She hesitated, as if uncertain how to phrase her next words. "But I know you're not the type. So, I guess it must be something personal between you two."
I shook my head. "Honestly, I'm not even sure what happened." I almost accidentally stared at the vortex rune. "One moment she was here, then she just ran out of the classroom."
Rain sighed. "Hmm… I can't tell if that's boring or interesting. She's probably just upset about something."
I narrowed my eyes with a long breath coming from my lungs.
"Well, no shit."
She stopped walking and pulled her arm off my shoulders, scanning the area as though searching for someone.
"Alora should be around here somewhere."
We stared at each other. I frowned.
"Who the hell is Alora? Did you drag me all this way for some girl I've never even met?"
Rain lifted her arms in mock surrender, her expression briefly turning serious, as if she were judging me. The seriousness didn't last; she broke into a laugh.
"Hey, I didn't do anything. You're the one who walked here. Don't blame me."
With a self-satisfied air, she flipped her hair back and looked at me proudly, like she'd just accomplished something important. The shy hesitation she'd shown moments ago had completely vanished, replaced with smug confidence.
"You know, Grey," she said, narrowing her eyes, "sometimes you're really rude. No wonder you don't have any friends. And yes, I'm saying that to your face."
Rain judging me wasn't new, but it wasn't something I ever really got used to. Yet, she was one of the few people in this Academy I found remotely entertaining. She held my gaze for an extended moment before walking to the wall just ahead of us and leaning against it.
"Sometimes you're just impossible to deal with."
She glanced toward the door to the music club beside her and rolled her eyes.
"Raya's probably in there. Sometimes she hangs out with Alora in the music room."
Following her gaze, I looked at the empty room to our left. I had never seen this Alora before; maybe she was a year below us. Not that it mattered. Whoever she was, if she didn't concern me, she wasn't worth my time.
I turned my back on Rain, aware she was still watching me. At the very least, I figured I owed her a small thank you. I looked over my shoulder and gave her a faint smile.
"Thanks."
She nodded and glanced up at the ceiling, she certainly looked like she was focused on something there. Maybe I had been a little rude to her, but really, who was I not rude to?