Leaning against a cold stone pillar near the exit of the building stood Tomáš. As soon as he saw her, he peeled himself off the wall and took a few steps toward her. "So?" he asked, studying her expression. "What did Tenzor Hradil want with you?"
Ema stopped next to him and let out a deep breath. "He offered me individual lessons," she answered straightforwardly as they walked together through the heavy oak doors of the Konvikt out onto the busy street. The afternoon sun immediately welcomed them with its pleasant warmth. "He said that if I learn to grasp my power correctly, I could supposedly become a Vector relatively soon."
Tomáš didn't pause at those words, nor did any surprise sound in his voice. He just smiled slightly. "That doesn't surprise me at all, Ema. Honestly, I'd be surprised if he didn't. After what you showed in the stadium, it makes perfect sense. The potential inside you... is massive. It just needs boundaries."
Ema was silent for a moment, fixing her gaze ahead on the cobbled street. Then she stopped and looked at him. "I have a lot of things in my head, Tomáš," she began quietly, but her voice sounded unexpectedly steady. "Most of it is terrible memories. Losses, disappointments, people who hurt me... or situations where I was the disappointment. For a long time, it dragged me down, making me feel like I was going to drown in it at any moment. But... I don't want to just be a victim of what happens to me anymore. I don't want to run away." She took a deep breath and looked him right in the eyes. "If others see potential in me, I want to use it. I want to work on myself, I want to gain control. And most importantly... I want to start building new memories. Better memories. Ones that won't be weighed down by fear and pain."
Tomáš's expression softened. He listened to her with a quiet, deep respect that wasn't at all common for guys his age. He didn't interrupt her, didn't try to downplay her feelings, nor did he try to protectively save her. He saw her as an equal partner. "That's the best approach you could have chosen," he said sincerely. "And if you want... I'd be happy to help you with that. At least with the building of better memories part." He paused and shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. "How about we start with dinner?"
Ema felt her heart skip a tiny beat, but she immediately reined the feeling in. "I'd love to go," she answered honestly, but then hesitated slightly and looked into his eyes. "Just... I want to be completely honest with you from the start so we understand each other. Please, don't expect anything from this right now."
She took a deep breath, searching for the right words. "Exactly because of everything I just told you, I'm pretty armored and closed off inside right now. I want to build new memories, but I'm not ready to let anyone close to my heart yet, Tomáš." She paused for a split second, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly. "But at the same time... I guess it's true that if someone had a really great deal of patience, those walls might not be there forever."
Tomáš just nodded calmly, understandingly. No disappointment, no bruised ego. His smile deepened a bit.
"Patience happens to be my strong suit," he said with absolute calm. "I'm not pushing you, Ema. I want to be here for you. Whether as a study buddy or just someone you can sit down with for a good meal and forget for a while that there's any power, the Order, and Architects. Consider it an evening where you don't have to be on guard." He smiled. "Do you have time right now? I just got a massive craving for ice cream."
Ema couldn't fight back a relieved smile. "I do. But my treat."
They ducked into a narrow cobbled alley a short walk from the Upper Square. There was a small, inconspicuous shop called At the Frozen Tomcat with a few wrought-iron chairs and tables in a cozy outdoor seating area in the shadow of an old burgher house.
Ema ordered a huge scoop of punchy, tart raspberry with mango, while Tomáš stuck to the classic—rich dark chocolate. They sat out on the patio and talked about absolute nonsense for a while. It was incredibly liberating.
When Tomáš was telling some story about Libor and accidentally leaned into his cone a bit too much, a smudge of chocolate ice cream got stuck right on the tip of his nose. Ema stopped mid-sentence and burst out laughing. She laughed so genuinely she had to grab the table.
Tomáš blinked in confusion, and when he realized what she was laughing at, he gave a mischievous smirk. He reached out, and before Ema could flinch away, he smeared a tiny bit of his chocolate ice cream onto her nose with his finger. "There. So we match," he declared with a completely straight face.
Ema gasped, but kept laughing. She handed him a paper napkin and started wiping her own nose with another. For a brief moment, she felt that soft, warm tingling in her stomach. It was nice. It was safe. Deep in her chest, she still felt the heavy weight of her wild feelings for Viktor, but Tomáš's quiet presence gave her the feeling that maybe she could manage to breathe without him, too.
They parted ways at the corner of the square, agreeing that Tomáš would pick her up at the dorms at seven in the evening.
Ema pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed Beata. "Where are you?" "Krystal Shopping Gallery, second floor, currently trying to squeeze into a skirt that was clearly sewn for a baby doll," Beata's breathless voice echoed. "Wanna join?" "I'll be there in five."
The mall was full of people, lights, and loud music. Ema found Beata fairly easily by her loud sigh at a rack of violently colorful sweaters. When Ema looked at what Beata had picked out—a neon yellow top and pants with a wild floral pattern—she innocently pulled an elegant, dark burgundy blouse and a black faux-leather jacket from the next rack and handed them to her.
Beata shot the items a look of feigned disgust. "What is this? Are you trying to infect me with your darkness, Scalar? Don't forget, I'm a walking ray of love. Black will suck out my soul!" Ema laughed and put the jacket back. "I just thought that for once you could look like you don't belong in a circus."
"For the record, they'd love me in a circus," Beata retorted proudly, but then she cast a critical eye over Ema's baggy jeans and oversized flannel shirt. "Speaking of which... your closet could use an exorcism. Let's do this."
To Ema's own surprise, she didn't resist. She wanted a change. Flannels and dark hoodies had always acted as armor for her, a place to hide from the world. But if she wanted to build this new, stronger Ema and leave her dark past behind, she had to start from the outside, too.
Beata hauled a pile of clothes into the fitting room for her. Unerringly, she discarded everything purely black and oversized. Instead, she picked out an emerald green top that perfectly accentuated her eyes, well-fitting jeans, and a light, pale jacket that radiated a soft femininity. When Ema looked in the mirror, she had to admit that the girl staring back at her looked much more alive.
They finished their shopping in a glass-walled cafe on the top floor of the mall. Both had a glass of iced homemade mint lemonade and steaming coffee in front of them. They talked about school, discussed Vector Šimr's harsh approach, and looked forward to the big concert happening the very next day.
"I'm so excited," Beata chatted, stirring her lemonade with a long straw. "We're finally gonna blow off some steam and party like totally normal, basic college girls. By the way..." she winked meaningfully at Ema. "What are you doing tonight? Shall we go discover the mysteries of dorm parties?"
Ema took a sip of her coffee and tried to look completely casual. "I can't tonight. I'm going out for dinner." "Dinner? With who?" "With Tomáš."
Beata froze with her straw halfway to her mouth. Her eyes widened. "With Tomáš? Like, Tomáš of the Přemyslids? TheTomáš who makes his suitors in Olomouc cry into their pillows because he doesn't even glance their way?" She put on the face of a master conspirator and smirked mischievously. "Ah. So this is how we're playing it."
"He's just a friend, Beata," Ema defended herself quickly, feeling her cheeks flush just a little. "We know our boundaries. I'm really not looking for a relationship right now."
Beata winked at her so conspicuously it bordered on comedy. "Right, right. Just friends. I totally buy that." She raised her lemonade glass as if offering a toast. "Just make sure you really enjoy it, Scalar."