Aylin was skipping with her feet and had completely forgotten about the cold. She kept telling me to hurry up, and once we reached the room our club would be in, she ushered me to put in the key.
Once I turned the door and peered in, the room was in complete disarray. The blinds were broken, and the tables were broken and old. The chairs that were draped were covered in a thick layer of dust. It was clear that this room had not been in use for years, maybe decades.
Even so, Aylin looked eager to get to work to kickstart our little club together. We spent the entire day cleaning and refurbishing the room. With our allowance, we were able to buy some furniture and decorations. Aylin was sitting on the floor of the club, holding a brush with a bottle of ink next to her.
"Vivshi, you write too!"
She handed me the brush after she had finished writing the AA. I wrote down a fancy C that did not match her As at all, and she hit my chest for ruining it. But she calmed herself and said that maybe it was what made it extra special. The Aeon Association Club banner was hammered above the door.
Aylin and I stood proudly in front of the once disheveled and unmanaged room that we had transformed. It was getting late. There was still a week left until school started again.
"Let's fill the room with stories of Aeons tomorrow!" Aylin said, with both of her hands curled up in excitement.
I nodded and saw that expression that I loved so much on her face. Her eyes that glittered like gems, the softness of her cheeks, the smoothness of her hair. My hand moved on its own and reached out to her head. Her head was so incredibly addicting to touch. The warmth, the sensation, it was like touching warm golden silk. She leaned into my hand and nudged her head against it before hugging me.
My hand could not stop. I could not pull away, and Aylin continued to rub against me like a cat marking its territory. But then we heard an ahem from behind and quickly pulled away from each other. It was none other than Rentry, who had been searching for us. Our monthly allowance was here, and he could not find us in our rooms, so he was searching for us. He handed us the envelopes, and we thanked him. Rentry's eyes wandered to our banner.
"Aeon Association Club. You managed to get your club approved by the school?"
"After pulling a few strings, yeah."
"Impressive," he said, with both of his arms crossed.
He opened the door and peered inside.
"Oooooo, this is quite nice actually. It has a cozy vibe to it."
We had actually bought a sofa that was on sale. He sat down, spread out his legs, and let out a sigh of relief.
"So what is this Aeon Association Club going to be about?" he asked, with his head scanning around the room.
"We are going to research and store documentation of Aeons."
"Interesting. Say, Vivshi, Aylin, do you want an Aeon story to add to your collection?"
"Well sure." We sat down at the table and listened to Rentry's story.
There was once an area south of Nautilus known as the Coagulation of Corrosion, known for its highly corrosive and acidic nature. Basically, it was an uninhabited hellscape that even animals would avoid. But from the wastelands, creatures created from impure loxes are born. Their bodies are made out of purely negative energy, and their minds are corrupted with the thought of solely devouring other creatures. When there is nothing to feast on, they consume each other. These monsters are called Faraways.
But according to the legends, the Coagulation of Corrosion came to be when all the pure loxes of an area came together into a singularity. Because of how pure this singularity was, the surrounding area became corrupted and could not take in anything good. Something so good that everything around it becomes blighted. In the mythology of Aeons, the singularity that was created was an Aeon, an Aeon so pure that everything around it was destroyed.
"Does the Aeon know that it is the cause of the destruction?"
Rentry shrugged.
"Who knows what goes through an Aeon's head. They might be more human than we think."
"So does this Coagulation of Corrosion area still exist?" Aylin asked.
"It actually does. I have been there once for research. It is truly a wasteland, as they say. Luckily, we did not run into any Faraways."
Rentry stood up and told us that he would be departing now. His sister would be mad at him if he did not arrive home before the food went cold.
"I would totally join your club, but sadly, I am already in a club."
It was not surprising that Rentry, an extreme extrovert, was in a club.
Aylin was quick to ask and questioned him about what club he was in.
He smiled and said that he was a part of the knights' club. He then waved us goodbye and left the room.
Aylin and I walked to our dorms together, wondering what stories we wanted to write down first. The next day, when we arrived at our club room, we saw a small blue-haired girl standing in front of our door, staring at the banner.
Her blue eyes were shining as if she had struck gold. She had short blue hair and wore a comfy white hoodie instead of the typical uniform you would usually see on campus.
When we reached the door and unlocked it, she asked us if we were the ones in charge of the room. When I told her that we were, she asked us if she could join our club.
We invited her into the room to talk for a bit. Aylin poured some hot chocolate and put it in front of the little girl. She was actually in the same grade as us, but we never saw each other because we were in different classes. She explained that she had been interested in Aeonic mythologies ever since she was a kid. But in the middle of talking, she started to cough violently. With every cough, things got worse until she could not breathe and started wheezing. Aylin stood behind her and gave her cold water to drink.
"Sorry, sorry."
She explained that she was diagnosed with an incurable disease that made her lungs extremely sensitive and her body incredibly frail. Trying to reassure us, she continued with her explanation of why she was so interested. Her mother had told her stories of the Aeons. The epics of the Aeon of Ember, the sorrows of Guilt, the adventures of Serenity, and the painful stories of Remembrance captivated her. She always wanted to meet an Aeon. It was one of her life missions before dying from her disease.
Aylin nodded, and a gentle smile formed on my face.
"I think you would be a great fit for this club. I welcome you into our club."
"Nice to meet you. My name is Fiviana Fivindius."
"My name is Vivshi, and her name is Aylin." I pointed at Aylin, who was sipping hot cocoa by the window.