Grey Nirmala
For seven days straight, I did nothing but study the book. Yet it remained empty. I must have looked through all one hundred sixty-four pages thousands of times, but the result never changed. Except for the first page, every other one was completely blank. The clean white paper stared back at me as if mocking me. I had read the rules of the book over and over again, but not a single one offered me a clue.
That morning, as I headed to school, only two feelings occupied my mind: curiosity and embarrassment. I was embarrassed that I had learned almost nothing about the book after all this time. How could someone like me fail to solve something like this? With aether, I was learning new things every day, but the book… the book was nothing but an empty shell, as if it didn't even exist. I still had no idea why, when I'd woken up last week, I couldn't remember anything from that morning. For the first time in my life, curiosity and shame gnawed at me together, and it genuinely made me angry.
At the end of the street, I stepped onto the main road and began climbing the pedestrian overpass. On my phone, I was texting Raya about today's "The Sun is Healthy" conference at school. Honestly, I couldn't care less about it. Two hours of listening to some guy talk about a pointless topic was the last thing that interested me. How could it, when I was close to figuring out how to control time with aether? With that, the whole universe could kneel before me. Not that I had such a mundane goal as ruling the universe. My only real goal right now was to uncover every secret about this book. Once I did that, I'd have just one thing left to do, and I wouldn't stop until I reached it.
As I stepped onto the overpass, I saw something for the first time. A black-haired boy, probably my age, stood on the railing. He was staring down with empty black eyes. Seeing someone try to end their life wasn't new to me. Just last year, a girl at school, constantly bullied, had jumped off the school roof. She wasn't in my class, so I didn't know all the details, but after that, the three girls who bullied her were expelled. I'd heard her family even sued them, though I never found out the outcome, and I didn't care.
I approached the boy. Normally, I wouldn't get involved; it was his life. But if he jumped here, the police would pull me in as a witness, and I had no interest in dealing with that. I grabbed his arm and pulled him down before he realized what was happening. We both hit the ground, staring blankly at each other. There wasn't a trace of life in his face. I stood, brushed off imaginary dust from my clothes, and offered him a hand. He hesitated but took it, and I pulled him up.
He exhaled, glancing at the cars speeding beneath us. After a few seconds, he looked back at me. His facial muscles were weaker than they should be, and the same went for the rest of his body."I don't know if I should thank you, but… thanks anyway."
His voice was barely above a whisper. The more I looked at his pathetic face, the more I scowled."You should. I just saved your little life."
He smirked."What's your name, oh savior of my 'little life'?"
For a moment, I felt like throwing him over the railing myself, but that would just mean dealing with the police."Grey."
His smirk faded, leaving his face void of any expression."Sunny. Sunny Ademir."
I almost laughed. For someone named Sunny, he was incredibly dark. His eyes were abnormal like mine, except his were pitch black. They drew me in, like a black hole. I could see the darkness and hopelessness behind them. The purplish bags under his eyes were faint but noticeable. Sunny scratched the back of his head and leaned on the railing."I know that uniform. Legacy`s Academy, right?"
I nodded, checking my phone to see if Raya had replied, but there was nothing. When I looked back, Sunny's clothes were all torn. He smiled, this time a real smile."How about we have a little fun before school?"
I stared at him for a while. I didn't trust him in the slightest. The last thing I wanted was to have one of my kidneys stolen and sold. I could have ignored him and gone my way, but learning something new about aether at school was unlikely. Out here was a better place to investigate. These streets were where it all began.
I looked into his empty eyes again. There was no deceit or hidden motive, just a genuine question. Slowly, I nodded. His smile widened. He ran toward the stairs, descending quickly. He looked back and held out a hand. I had no intention of running down with his enthusiasm, but a little fun wouldn't hurt.
Sliding down the railing, I felt a rush of mixed emotions. Memories of an old friend surfaced, bringing a smile to my face. Black hair, unforgettable past, and those eyes that had once saved me… Thinking of her made my chest ache, yet for a moment, it felt as though she were right there.
It took me a bit to compose myself after reaching the bottom. But looking at Sunny, all I could see was that girl. He scanned the area, then without a word, turned and ran toward the main street. I followed. He was faster than I expected. We ran for a while in silence until he stopped at the entrance to a side street, waiting for me.
"Trust me, there's some amazing street food here."
Drool hung from his mouth as his eyes sparkled. Seeing someone look like that over food surprised me."Uh… why did you assume I was hungry?"
He hesitated."I mean… who isn't hungry at seven in the morning?"
His voice was soft, almost innocent, but I already suspected he'd brought me here for food."If you want me to buy you something, you could've just asked instead of begging like a stray."
I smirked at him, but the moment I said it, I realized my words didn't match my intent. I had no intention of paying for Sunny's food. Why would I? But it was too late. Sunny smiled like a child and bounced in place like an excited puppy."You're the best person in the world, Grey!""Wait— that's not what I mea—"
He ignored me and dashed into the side street. I could have left him there to his pointless dreams, but before I knew it, I was running after him. He stopped in front of a taco stand, and we locked eyes. Without waiting, he rushed inside. I sighed and followed.
Inside were a few tables topped with different sauces. Mexican-themed decorations covered the seats. I never understood people. We were all the same species, so why separate ourselves like this? There was no real difference between an Englishman and a Mexican. It was absurd.
I sat at a table near the entrance, waiting. Sunny came back with two plates of tacos, sliding one toward me before shoving the other into his mouth. He ate so messily that I was embarrassed to sit with him."Man, these taste like heaven."
I ignored him, eyeing my taco. It looked good, and though I wasn't hungry, I wanted to eat it. I gave in, picked it up, and was about to take a bite when I noticed aetheric particles around Sunny. They drifted around him, some even merging with the taco he was eating.
Bad timing. I set the taco back down and traced the aether to its source, the kitchen. My bag was still on my back, and I thought about grabbing the book, but curiosity won. I stood and walked toward the kitchen. Sunny didn't even notice; he was still devouring his food.
I stopped at the door, peering through the small glass window. Nothing unusual. Still, the aether kept flowing from there, drifting past me toward our table. Straight to the book.
I hesitated. Every time I saw aether, there was a source. Even the day I woke up with the book for the first time, there had been one. I stepped into the kitchen. The only person inside set down his knife and glared."No customers in here, sir."
His tone didn't match his expression, but I didn't care. He was just another slave to this world. The aether led me to the stove. I ignored his warning and stepped closer. The burner was on, but there was no pan. He moved toward me to turn it off, but I stopped him."You're not supposed to be here, kid. I don't want to have to drag you out."
Without looking at him, I smiled. The runes on my hands began to glow. Like any normal person, I reached into the fire. He tried to pull my hand away, but I pressed my right palm to his chest, drawing the flames into my hand along with the aether.
The runes on both hands glowed in two colors: my right hand on the flames golden, a deep violet on the left. Before the man could react, he flew across the kitchen. I laughed while he struggled to get up. I hadn't planned on this, but I wasn't bothered.
I stepped toward him. Who knew what else I could do with aether? I could see the fear in his eyes, but why should I care? His fall might be significant to the world, but to me, it was a new peak. I could use him for experiments. If someone like him disappeared, no one would notice.
I raised my right hand toward him, ready to release the aether. The particles around me began to bend, just like so many times before, except this time it was by my will. Time itself slowed. I mimicked some of Raya's dance movements with my hands and feet, twisting the aether into shape.
But it never reached him. My right wrist tightened under my own grip. I didn't even know what I was doing anymore. Was I losing my mind over all this aether business?
I shoved myself out of the kitchen, scanning the area until I spotted Sunny, happily licking his fingers. I walked up behind him and grabbed his shoulder.
Sunny Ademir
I saw Grey get up from the table, but I didn't pay much attention. I assumed he was going to pay the bill. I kept enjoying my taco feast. You could hardly find tacos like this anywhere these days. While chewing idly, my eyes wandered to the black and gold patterns on Grey's bag. I didn't know why, but Grey reminded me of my little sister. His hair was long and blond, just like hers. That thought brought a smile to my face.
I kept eating, but then strange noises came from inside. I didn't bother to look. I was sure everything was fine. I popped the last bite of my taco into my mouth and licked the sauce from my fingers with satisfaction. Just as I was about to wipe my mouth with a napkin, I felt someone grab my shoulder. I turned around instinctively and found Grey staring at me with those golden eyes that pierced my soul, his expression lifeless. He stepped back, urging me to stand.
I got up, ready to ask why he was interrupting my special moment, but the chef's voice from our left pushed all my curiosity aside. He was charging at us with a large knife in his hand. Grey tried to step outside, but I stopped him and raised my hands.
"Calm down, man. We're all friends here, right?"
The chef frowned, growling like a wild animal as he pointed the knife at me."Your idiot friend nearly killed me!"
His voice was rough and loud, and it reminded me of my father."Hey, how about we make a deal? We all forget what happened here and just go back to our business."
The man didn't move an inch. I glanced at Grey, but he was scowling, looking ready to fight. I turned back to the chef, then looked at the table. Spotting a sauce bottle, an idea sparked in my mind. I looked at the furious man again.
"Hey, you know what ninety percent of manliness is?"
The chef raised an eyebrow, pulling the knife back slightly. Grey gave me the same look. I took the chance, grabbed the first hot sauce I could reach, opened it quickly, and sprayed it into the man's eyes.
The chef screamed in pain, dropping the knife."Grey!"
Grey must have realized what was happening before I did, because he was already running outside. I laughed—idiot—and took off after him. He was heading for the main road, and I chased without stopping. Once there, he leaned against a wall and sat on the ground. I sat beside him, wiping the sweat from my forehead.
I looked at him, and he was wiping sweat from his brow too."I have to admit… you're smarter than you look."
I smirked."I'll take that as a compliment."
Grey began glancing around, then panic spread across his face."My bag… I left it there!""Damn it."
He got up and hurried back into the side street without waiting for me. As soon as he entered, violet particles began appearing in the air. Curious, I reached a finger toward them, but they passed right through me. I was about to follow Grey when I noticed another student walking toward us in a Legacy`s Academy uniform.
She had beautiful blonde hair and bright green eyes. I ran over to her and stopped in front of her. I wasn't even sure what I should say—should I ask for help? She looked at me with a mix of curiosity and fear. Catching my breath, I looked straight at her."Look, I don't want you to get the wrong idea, but I need to ask you something right now.""What?"
Before she could say another word, I spoke."D… do you know Grey?"
Her eyes widened, and I could see the fear vanish from her face."Grey? You mean Grey Nirmala?""Yeah, that's him."
She looked at me, shy but polite, and a small smile formed on her lips."Your… name?""Uh…"
Her gaze dropped to the ground. Her smile grew warmer, even softer than before."Alora."
I paused. At first, I didn't understand what she'd said—her voice was barely above a whisper. But it could only have been the name Alora."Sunny…"
Her eyes lifted to meet mine. We weren't far apart in height, but looking at her felt like seeing a small, innocent child. I smiled and extended my hand to her, but Grey's shout from behind me made me pull it back and turn around.
He was holding his bag, the palms of his hands glowing. The violet particles seemed to dance around him in joy. But looking into his eyes, even a blind man could see there wasn't a trace of happiness there.