《The Entangled Fates》


 Baby Squirrel

    ~?Amara?~


    Humans can be weird at times. They always talk about love, but do they actually love? Or is it just their hormones going crazy, making them think that they are in love? Well, it''s a mystery to me as well just like it''s to them. Maybe, we will never know the answer to it. And as long as they are happy with believing whatever they want to, then the answer doesn''t even matter.


    ''Beep...Beep...Beep!''


    I heard my phone''s alarm going off, pulling me out of my thoughts. I forced myself to move out of the covers and look for the phone. ''Where did I put it?'' I searched for it, moving the covers and my fluffy pillow. I wanted to turn it off as soon as possible or my roommate would go crazy on me. I still remembered her words from the previous day as clear as a cloudless sky on a bright, sunny day.


    "No matter what happens, do not disturb my sleep." She had sternly added while giving me a list of rules that I needed to follow if I wanted to stay with her in the room. It''s not like I could blame her for her tone, I would have done the same thing if I was forced to live with a transfer, that too in the last year of my college.


    After searching through hell and back, I was finally able to find my phone under the folds of my cover and quickly turned off the alarm. I heaved out a frustrated sigh as my eyes lingered over the screen.


    5:00 a.m.


    That was how my normal routine started with me getting up at this hour, changing into some plain black sportswear, and going out for a run. And my first day here was going to start with the same boring routine.


    I stepped out of the dorms and thought about going for a run in the forest which was situated right beside the college campus. My feet started to run in the direction before my mind could even decide on where to run. Shaking my head off at the weird feeling I was getting, I decided to follow down the path my feet were taking me to.


    Once I was deep inside the forest, I decided to finally let go of myself, my strength. With each of my steps, my speed continued to increase until it reached the threshold of what my body could manage. I was lost in enjoying the feeling of the gusting wind as it brushed my skin when I felt something moving in my peripheral view. My steps came to a sudden stop when something jumped into my path.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    "Ouch!" I yelped in shock as I stumbled over a cut down tree, landing into the heap of dry leaves and sticks which was resting peacefully by the side of the trail. "Damn! Are you crazy?" I spoke to the little creature which decided to ruin my morning run with its mischievousness.


    "Hey, are you okay?" I carefully picked it up in between my palms as my eyes moved over its body to make sure that the little being was fine. "You need to learn to watch where you are going, little one. What if it was some stupid human instead of me?" I scolded the baby squirrel with an unpleasant expression.


    I dusted off the little being, making sure that not a hair was out of place before I started focusing on my surroundings, trying to pick up the lightest of movements around me using my super hearing sense. What was I calling it super? Because I am not an ordinary human. I wasn''t even human to begin with.


    "Let''s get you back to your home." I muttered to the little being in my palms and started to walk leisurely to my right as my ears picked up some squeaking sounds. Walking my way through the thick forest as I went off the tracking trail, I carried it to where it''s family was. With each step in the direction, I felt the squeaking sounds growing louder and in the next two minutes, I was able to locate the source.


    They were coming from a shaved off tree which barely had a couple of leaves dangling from it''s dried up branches. There was a hole in the hollowed trunk, next to one of the top branches. My eyes landed on the squirrel which was sitting on the same branch, right outside the entrance of the hole.


    "I brought your baby back, safe and sound." I added with a faint smile as I securely held the baby squirrel in my right palm. Using my free hand, I held on to one of the branches as I jumped. I could have easily made it to the top branch with a single jump, but that would have been hard for the little being in my palm. From one branch to the other, I continued to move up and only stopped when I was where I needed to be, the branch adjacent to the one where mama or papa squirrel was sitting.


    "Don''t let him wander around. He could have become breakfast for some predator if it wasn''t for me." I added sternly seeing the reunion of the parent and kid as I placed the little being right next to the older one.


    If you are thinking that I can talk to animals and it''s one of my powers, then you are so wrong. I just like to talk to them. I will always prefer talking to these harmless little creatures than living and talking human beings.


    I could feel the corners of my lips turning upwards as I saw a couple of other baby squirrels coming out of the hole and clinging to the duo. "You guys take care. I am going to..." The remaining words of my sentence turned into a loud shriek as the branch I was holding onto chipped off, resulting in me landing on a bunch of dead leaves and sticks, again.


    ''What a great way to start your first day here, Amara!''


    I scoffed at myself for being so careless, which reminds me that I forgot to introduce myself. I am Amara. And I don''t have a middle name, or a last one. It''s just Amara.


    I got up from the ground with a jump and began to take out the leaves stuck in my hair as I headed back to the dorms.

 Get A Grip On Yourself

    ~?Amara?~


    Coming back to my room in a messed up state, I threw myself on the bed. Not even a minute later, I ended up sitting straight with my crumpled covers wrapped around my lower body as a thought popped up in my mind. ''It''s your first day here, Amara. You can''t be late on your first day.'' I scolded myself for being so careless. Taking the baby squirrel back to its home while walking as a normal human, consumed a hell lot of my time.


    Dragging my body out of the comforts of my bed, I headed to the bathroom to take a hot shower whilst grabbing a pair of casual clothes from my side of the cupboard on my way. Yes, you read it right. I had to share a cupboard with my roommate. I hated having my precious clothes smell like humans. But at times, a person must learn to compromise with the circumstances. So I decided to do the same, compromising with the situation which was so gladly thrown my way from the heavens above, or maybe it was the ruler of hell who wanted to mess with my peaceful life. I believed it to be the second one.


    Once I was inside the confinements of the white tiled bathroom, I got rid of the dust tainted sportswear and turned on the shower, just the hot water tap though. ''The hotter the water, the more peaceful and relaxing the bath is.'' It was one of the mottos I had.


    I know that would seem weird to you, but I am weird to begin with, always have been.


    After getting done with the shower and changing into the fresh pair of clothes I brought inside with me earlier, I walked out of the bathroom just to see my dear roommate getting out of her bed. Turning my eyes to the small analog clock which was sitting on her study desk, I spoke up.


    "You better hurry up, or else you are going to get late for the first day of your final year here."


    She rolled her eyes at me and scoffed. "That doesn''t concern you, White Head."


    "I was just trying to be nice, Dana. And it''s Amara, not White Head." I added as I started to walk towards my side of the shared space. ''If only I had a separate closet just like the study desk I have.'' I walked up to the pale wooden desk which was right next to the single bed, which now belonged to me, and picked up my already packed bag. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Okay, Amara." I heard her saying as she walked up to me. "And I will just turn a blind eye to the fact that you used my hair dryer without asking for my permission." Her eyes trailed up to my already dried out hair.


    "I am sorry, I have an early class today. And I don''t own a hairdryer." Though I didn''t even touch her hairdryer, I could still only apologize to her. I should have been more careful around her, but how was I supposed to know that she''s too observant?


    "Like I said, I will let it slide this time. Just ask for my permission next time you use any of my stuff." She gave me a faint smile before walking to the bathroom. "And if I was you, I would have pinned the other side of my parted hair back, showed off a little more of my face." She spoke up before shutting the door to the bathroom.


    Hearing her words, my eyes trailed to the mirror which was fixed on one of the panels of the old wooden cupboard. ''She is right.'' I couldn''t help but agree with her as I gazed back into my own reflection.


    A girl who was in her early twenties gazed back at me. Her slender face and high cheeks bone made her stand out of the crowd too much, almost making her look as if she was from another world, which was somewhat true. Maybe it was the reason she always had her hair down, just so that she could make herself a bit invisible to the eyes of other humans. But her attempts always went down the drain just because of her hair. The platinum blonde locks of straight hair barely reached her shoulders, covering most of her face. Only her grayish blue eyes with a hint of honey brown flecks were visible through her cascading hair.


    It would have been much easier for her to mingle with other normal people if she could do something about her hair and eyes. But to her dilemma, no hair dye would stick to them. And wearing lenses caused her eyes to transform into their real form, forcing them to let out a faint glow through the thin sheet of plastic.


    "Ughhh!" Letting out a frustrated groan, I cursed my own self for how I looked. If only there was some deity who would listen to my pleas and help me out with my troubles. What were the Gods above even thinking when they created me? Who paired porcelain skin with a head full of platinum blonde, which almost gave off a white vibe, and then put it together with a mix and match eye color? And to top it all off, I was sent to live with humans.


    "Best of luck, Amara. I hope you make it through the day without landing into the ground one more time." I muttered, wishing myself some good luck because I needed it really bad. I fixed the front of my baggy sky blue sweatshirt and tucked it inside my black pair of skin fitted jeans, allowing the remaining portion to stay out of the waistband of my jeans.


    "Shoes!" I exclaimed out as my eyes trailed off to my feet. I was still wearing slippers. Was I just about to leave for my first class in these pink flip flops? ''Get a grip on yourself, Amara.'' I thought to myself as I made a sharp detour to the shoe section of the cupboard and found my favorite pair of shoes, plain white sneakers. After getting them on my feet, I finally left the room to face whatever crap the world was going to throw my way.

 The Man With Oceanic Eyes

    ~?Amara?~


    As the sole of my white sneakers touched the cobbled stone pathway, which was paved through the vast garden right before the main building of my college, with my every step, an odd feeling was beginning to envelop my senses. Every hair on my body stood up in attention as a gust of wind brushed by my hair, making the straight silver white locks dangle a bit. I could feel every inch of my being yelling at me, asking me not to go any further.


    Throwing the caution which my own senses were giving to me into the wind, I continued to walk towards the main building with my head lowered down and my eyes set on the ground. While walking down the path, I heard some cheery voices interlacing with each other and some heavy sounds of rushing footsteps coming from behind me. But one voice was way too prominent to be ignored by even a human, let alone a supernatural being like me.


    "Go long." I heard the same mellow voice, calling out.


    My mind was too occupied with noticing the minor details around me when I felt something coming in my direction, something small yet too fast. ''Don''t tell me it''s football!'' I prayed inside my head for my own good as the words from earlier started to make more sense to my mind.  Bracing myself for the impact, I decided to take the hit as no human would have been able predict something coming his way and avoided it.


    "Ugh!" I groaned while holding my head in between my hands, turning slightly to my left and right. I could hear heavy footsteps closing in and coming to a stop around me. Without even opening my scrunched up eyes, I could tell that it was the same group of people who were responsible for my current state.


    "Are you okay?"


    I heard the same mellow voice enter my ears, which was soon followed by a couple of soft taps on my shoulder.


    "Are you alright?" I heard him again as I felt his arms going around my shoulder, supporting my hunched over figure.


    "I... I''m fine." I let out a groaned response, scrunching my eyebrows further. ''Do you think that a mere football can hurt me?'' I thought the latter to myself as I continued to act like the injured person I was at the moment.


    I fluttered my eyes open when I felt the hold around my shoulders tightening up, and looked up at him.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Are you okay?" I heard the same mellow voice as his ocean blue eyes stared back at me. I could notice a little tint of sea green in them for he looked at me without even blinking.


    "Yeah!" I briefly replied to him while trying to get away from his grasp.


    "What are you doing?" He questioned me as his fingers dug deeper into my shoulder, trying to keep me in place. "Don''t move. We need to take you to the sick room first. That was a really bad hit you took."


    "No. I will be fine in a while. It just hurts a little bit." I spoke up.


    "Stop moving!" The soft mellow tone he was using with me earlier was nowhere to be heard.


    "Okay." I tried my best to sound as meek as possible.


    "We need to get you checked up and make sure you don¡¯t have a concussion. So, this might take a while." He spoke up again as he gazed back into my eyes.


    "Okay." I replied to him in the same flat tone as earlier as I tried to stand on my own.


    "Hold on!" He spoke up and before I could even comprehend what was going on, I found myself being carried in his arms. "There''s no way you are walking to the sick room. It''s literally on the other end of the campus building."


    "Excuse me?" I glared back at him. "I told you I will be fine, and I can surely walk on my own." I added, folding my arms across my chest as I tried to shift in his arms.


    "Easy, White Head. I am just being nice to you all because I was the one who got you into this situation." I heard him say as he tried to keep me still and up in his arms.


    I wanted so badly to give him a piece of my mind, but I knew I couldn''t do so. Heaving out a long frustrated sigh, I decided to give in. "Alright, do what you please." I scoffed at him, not bothering to even hold on to his shoulders as he began to walk with slow steps.


    With me in his arms, he continued to walk towards our destination. I could see people turning their heads as they began to mumble under their hushed tones. It didn''t require me to use much of my brain to make a guess that he must be pretty famous on campus. Or else these girls wouldn''t have been throwing deathly spades in my direction. What was with humans being so petty? I was not even touching him. It was him carrying me like a princess on his own.


    I felt his steps coming to a stop after a long while which forced me to come out of my thoughts and turn my attention to the white door on my right. Seeing him struggling with how to open, or even knock at the door, I couldn''t help but scoff.


    "I have got this." I spoke up, offering him my help to get through this dilemma of his. Pushing my one hand forward, I lightly knocked on the wooden door. "Can you let me down now that we are here?" I decided to give it another go and try my luck. I hated being touched by another human and here I was, in his arms. What was with things going in the exact opposite direction of how I wanted them to proceed today?


    "No."


    The single-word response from him was enough for me to know that he would only let me go once we were inside. A click sound rang in my ears as the door opened from the inside, making me release a breath of relief.


    A couple of minutes later, I found myself lying down in a stretcher type bed, one which you''d find in a hospital''s ward. A woman dressed in a white shirt and matching pants was hovering above me as she examined me.


    "She looks fine to me." I heard her speak. Hearing her words I was too elated after knowing that he won''t bug me anymore with his presence that I missed the woman''s worrying look. "But I will suggest you stay here until the doctor comes and checks on you. He just went out before you guys came in."


    And with her words, came down my joy, crushing into the ground, and being smashed into a million pieces. Before I could even speak up for myself, the man with oceanic eyes and a head full of smooth black hair, spoke up.


    "It''s fine. We will wait for the doctor to arrive."

 Sick Room

    ~?Amara?~


    "It''s fine. We will wait for the doctor to arrive."


    His words crushed down the last hope of being left alone I had left in my mind. Exactly how clingy this man was?


    "I will wait here for the doctor. You should leave for your class." I spoke up, trying my best to push him out of the room.


    "You are here because of me. I am not leaving until the doctor checks on you and says that you are fine." He replied to me, his voice was clearly laced with annoyance.


    "Seriously, dude? If you feel bad about it, just don''t go around playing football in the campus'' front garden. I am really fine." Scrunching my eyebrows together, I spat back at him. "You need to stop invading other people''s space."


    He widened his eyes in response to my harsh tone as he clearly wasn''t expecting it from me. Of course, he didn''t. Nobody would have after stealing a glance at my face. I was rather supposed to act meek and quiet, completely opposite of my real self.


    "Okay. I just¡­. I thought I should be here since I am the one who put you in this situation. But, never mind. Just take care of yourself and let me know if something goes wrong." He scratched the back of his head and added meekly.


    Seeing him all so flustered up, was making me feel bad somehow. I couldn''t help myself and ended up apologizing. "Hey! I didn''t mean it like that. I am just not good with having hum-people around me. I am sorry if I sounded rude to you."


    "Oh! No. It''s fine. I can understand where you are coming from. I shall leave then." He shook his head sideways, and added. "And I am sorry for the last time for the hit. The name''s Aden by the way." He extended his right arm towards me as he introduced himself.


    "And for the last time, it''s okay." I gave him a strained smile, taking his extended hand. "And thank¡­." Just when I was about to thank him for ''helping'' me out, a sudden, sharp pain shot up my brain. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Ughhhh!" I groaned, taking my hand back from his as I held the sides of my head in between my palms. The throbbing pain was unbearable even for me, forcing me to shut my eyes tightly. The sudden shift in my demeanor was a mystery to my own mind just like it was to the other two people standing next to me.


    "Are you okay?"


    "What happened?"


    Their overlapped voices entered my ears, but I was too busy with keeping a check on myself to even blink. I could feel something wet creeping down my back, and it didn''t take me long to realize that I was sweating. "Ughhh!" I let out another groan as the pain picked up its intensity, forcing me to scrunch my eyebrows together. A picture flashed through my mind before disappearing right away. As soon as it disappeared, the pain started to subside.


    "You alright?" I heard him asking me again.


    "Yeah!" I breathed out a reply as I tried to calm myself down. Feeling some weight on my shoulders and back, I turned my eyes to find his arms wrapped around me once again. "I think it must be some delayed response to the hit. I should better get some rest here." I added and gave him a slight smile which I could manage.


    "You definitely should. And tell the nurse if you feel any sort of discomfort again. She just went to the other room to get some pain killers for you." He replied to me with a nod, removing his hands off my back.


    "And thank you, Aden." I added, lying down on the stretcher type bed.


    "Just look after yourself and you will be fine." He added. I saw his slightly parted lips as if he wanted to say something else, but was interrupted by a ringtone. Taking out his phone, he frowned as his eyes made contact with the screen. Instead of connecting the call through, he put it on silent and shifted his attention back to me. "I have to go now. See you later." He added and walked away from the bed, heading out of the room.


    As soon as I heard the door shutting close, the frown marring my forehead earlier was back. Closing my eyes, I tried my best to focus on the image which had just flashed through my mind. What could be so important about it which forced me to sweat and go through this intense pain? I was not supposed to feel any pain. Moreover, I''d never sweat even if you place me under scorching heat which could easily boil an egg.


    "Focus, Amara." I mumbled to myself. No matter how much I focused, I could only see the same thing flashing before my eyes again and again.


    Two hands were holding onto each other, their fingers entwined like the tendrils of a vine. It was something really normal which could have been a flashback from my earlier years here on Earth. But if only it was that simple for the two hands were engulfed by translucent purple flames and I could feel them being pulled apart by some external force. What troubled me more was the way their fingers were intertwined with each other''s as if they were holding onto their last shred of hope.


    ''Such a weird vision.'' It was one of the weirdest visions I had encountered so far in my life. Normally my visions were just visions and they weren''t accompanied by pain at all, unless it was that night of the year. ''Stop letting your mind go off the rails, Amara. You need some rest for now. We will see what happens with this vision as things come your way.'' I thought inwardly as rest was the most important thing I needed for now as a simple vision could drain half of my energy for the time being, and this was definitely not a simple one.

 Maybe, You Are My Salvation

    ~?Aden?~


    After shutting the door, I retracted my hand from the silver metal handle. I stared at the palm of my right hand for a couple of seconds after bringing it closer to my face. What just happened there? Was I the one who hurt her? She might have not paid any attention to it but it was only then she took my extended hand, did her pain start. How could the mere contact of our skin cause her to go through that?


    I rotated my wrist to observe the other side of my hand. ''Good, no scales.'' I heaved out a relaxed sigh seeing that there was no change in  my appearance. Moreover, I couldn''t possibly hurt her as not only it was prohibited but was coded into my whole being. I couldn''t hurt a human even if a dire situation required it.


    Shaking off the thoughts of my mind, I decided to pay attention to the much more important matter on my hands. The call from earlier which I had so rudely declined, was actually from my girlfriend, the only love of my life. And I could bet she must have been upset by now as to why I hadn''t called her back already. Taking long strides, I headed towards the direction of the place where we usually used to meet up in between our classes. Too bad for me that we were enrolled in different courses, but I couldn''t just get a degree in fashion and arts. I was more into computers, so I decided to opt for it.


    With a smile plastered on my face, I headed out to meet her. A couple of minutes later, I was by our usual meeting spot which was in the forest right behind the main campus building. I scrunched my eyebrows together when I didn''t find her by the small wooden hut. It was our little hideout where we could be our real selves.


    "F@*#!" I let out a curse after seeing zero network bars on my phone''s screen, deciding to go inside. As soon as I stepped inside, I was pinned against the wall as something white flashed before my eyes. And there I saw the woman of my dreams, looking up at me provocatively.


    Grabbing her arm which was hooked under my neck, I pulled her closer to me, crashing her glowing body against mine.


    "I have missed you." I leaned my face in and captured her lips. My hands sliding down her shoulders to her lower back as I squeezed her. My lips began to move over hers, gently and slowly at first which soon turned more passionate as her faint moans tingled the beast in me. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "I missed you too." I heard her moan into our kiss as she pushed my further against the wall using all of her strength. After having my fill of her lips, I let go of them, allowing her to breathe finally.


    "Do you know how beautiful you look in your true form?" I spoke in between my gasps for air as my eyes trailed over her perfect figure which was engulfing in a faint golden hue with two eagle like, white wings attached to her back.


    "And I have been dying to see you in your true form." She replied to me with a pout as she began to walk away.


    "You know I can''t transform into my true form completely even if I wanted to." I added, giving her a sad smile. I know it sounded weird, but it was also true. "I don''t know what would have happened to me if it wasn''t for you, Dana." I tugged at her arm, pulling her back into my embrace. "Maybe, you are my salvation."


    Yes, Dana was her name and she was an angel, just like me. But for some unknown reason, my body stopped transforming out of nowhere one day. It was then that I found her and she pulled me out of the abyss of hopelessness. She was there for me during the darkest times of my life which made me fall for her and our love blossomed into a beautiful flower over time.


    "I don''t care whether or not you can transform into your true form. I love you the way you are." Dana spoke up, giving me her signature smile which would always tug at the strings of my heart.


    "And I love you." I hugged her closer, pushing her face into my chest as I wanted her to hear what she did to me and my soul.


    "Alrighty, Mr. Emotional Freak! I''ve got to go now, have a class in ten minutes." I heard her speak into my chest before she pushed me away. I saw her transforming into her human form as she stood up on her tippy toes and kissed my lips one more time before leaving me all alone in the confinements of the wooden cabin. I kept my eyes fixed on the back of her head as the luscious brown locks of her hair danced in the air, until I couldn''t see her anymore through the creaks in between the planks.


    How did it feel to have an angel girlfriend who loved you so much when you were nothing but a broken record? It sucked! But she completed me, it felt like she was the missing piece of my jigsaw puzzle.


    Moving my eyes to the only furnishing equipment in the small space, which was an old couch, I decided to take a little nap as I still had some time left before my next class started.


    ---------


    Deep into the forest, a brown headed girl was walking towards her destination when suddenly a cloaked figure appeared right in the middle of her path. The folds of the blue cloth which was draped over the head, hid the wearer''s identity. The golden mystic symbols which ran along the length of the flowy material, were the only thing making it stand out in the thick green surroundings.


    "You scared me there for a second. Can you not have some patience? I was on my way to you." The brown haired girl spoke up with an annoyed expression marring her face.

 A Small Glass Vial

    "You scared me there for a second. Can you not have some patience? I was on my way to you." The brown haired girl spoke up with an annoyed expression marring her face.


    "I got your message last night. So, she is finally here." The cloaked figure spoke up in a shrill voice.


    "Yeah, she is. And I made sure that we share the same dorm room. I finally got to use my hypnosis on a human after so long." The brown haired girl spoke up as she continued to trail down the same path she was following earlier, but with a slower pace, with the cloaked figure in tow.


    "Good! Make sure you keep a close eye on her, and keep her as far away as possible from Aden. We can''t let the prophecy come true." The cloaked figure spoke up again in the same shrill voice.


    The other woman''s lips curled up in a sinister smile. "You don''t have to worry about it. He is utterly smitten by me. Why do you think I have been hanging around him for decades even though the man can''t transform in his true form." She scoffed.


    "Both of us know why you have been tolerating him all this while. He is after all the strongest among us. And the higher ups want you to harness his powers just so they can finally get rid of her and stop the prophecy from coming true." The figure clad in blue added.


    "That''s true though. His good looks are just the add-ons. What I crave for, are his powers. If only that fool can figure out the problem." Dana spoke up in an aggrieved tone. If it wasn''t for the task assigned to her by her higher-ups, she wouldn''t have been wasting her precious time on that man.


    "He will, sooner or later. Especially since that girl is here now." The cloaked woman replied to her before taking out a small glass vial, which was filled to the brim with some dusky colored fluid, from the inside of her flared bottom sleeves and passed it to Dana.


    "Don''t forget to continue giving him this. It will help in fastening up the process. All you need to do is continue pushing him to do it. Because unless he wills it, his transformation won''t take place." She added, tucking her hands back inside the flared sleeves, crossing them over her lower abdomen.


    "I remember that. This work has already taken decades of my life. I just want to get it done as soon as I can and go back home. What''s the use of spending my eternal life here when I am not even punished for it?" Dana muttered the last part more to herself than the other person. Her thoughts drifted back to the day when she first met him by ''accident''.


    --------Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    *FLASHBACK*


    [Twelve decades ago]


    A small secluded town was engulfed in darkness as the midnight blue canopy was stretched over the small number of cabins and shelters. Silent, hushed winds buzzed by, dangling the suspended, wild green blades. Without a single human soul in sight, one could hear the chirpings of locusts in the background with a few yellow lamps glowing at a distance.


    A couple of heavy footsteps were heard echoing in the surroundings, shattering the tranquility of the place. A dark silhouette of a man could be seen walking past the shut wooden door and acrylic windows. His slow yet firm steps were enough of a proof to show that he could be least bothered by the bleakness which was encompassing him.


    It wasn''t until he heard some light yet rushed footsteps coming his way, that he lost his calm demeanor. It was odd for a human to be up at this hour in this particular town because of the wilderness which shrouded it. With each of his firm steps, the intensity of the rushing steps coming from the other direction increased. Soon his line of sight landed on a running figure of a frail looking girl.


    The frown on his forehead deepened when he noticed the faint golden glow embracing the girl''s dainty figure.


    "F@*#!" An incoherent curse escaped his lips unknowingly when his eyes trailed to the two large white ruffled sheets being dragged behind her. The droplets of dark maroon ink splattered all over the white flaps, spoke of the heavy injuries she had encountered. Not being able to hold himself back any longer, he increased his pace and met her halfway in her tracks. Before the girl could register as to what was going on, he had already grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her in between the tall dark green blades, using them as a cover.


    "Shushhhh!" Placing a palm over her trembling lips, he asked to stay quiet as a group of enraged men passed by them. Each one of them was supporting a rusted iron pole in his hand, an angel''s weakness, as they yelled at each other to look for the girl in his arms.


    Once the raging flock was no longer in his line of sight, the man decided to remove his hand and introduce himself to the shivering lady before her.


    "Hey! The name''s Aden. I won''t hurt you because you and me, we are the same." He spoke up in his mellow voice, giving her a faint smile. As if his words were the only thing she was waiting for, she ended up throwing herself in his arms.


    "I am Dana." She muttered lowly as she hugged him tighter. "Thank you."


    *FLASHBACK ENDS*


    ---------


    "You are doing it for the right cause. We can''t let history repeat itself, or else chaos will fall over heaven and hell. We have to maintain the balance between the worlds." The cloaked figure spoke up, bringing Dana back to the present.


    "I know." She heaved out a long sigh. "But what if the prophecy is about something else, not them." She voiced out the question which has been bugging her since she was assigned to the task.


    "Are you forgetting what happened the last time when their souls became one?" In the same shrill voice, she spoke up. "Just stick to your job or you will actually be casted out this time. Off you go now. Don''t let him doubt you even in the slightest bit." She added as some white smoke started to shroud her figure.


    "Yeah." Dana replied to her with a bored expression as she watched her disappear from line of sight.

 Being Interrupted

    ~?Amara?~


    Time waits for none. It passes by as soon as it approaches you, not waiting for you to catch up with it, or even allowing you to at least get used to it''s pace. It is cruel, indeed. Whether it is the moments you want to cherish, or the obsolete bleakness you want to push away, its speed remains the same.


    But when it comes to me, time refuses to act like it usually does for others. Why does it feel to be slowly creeping on an irregular path, leaving a trail of slime in its tracks? Maybe it was one of the perks of having an eternal life which rather sided with the drawbacks.


    After getting an ample amount of rest and recovering my mind and body from the earlier event, I finally made my way to the class. I was irked by myself for missing the first two classes of my first day. Not that I needed to attend them, but rather I was used to doing things exactly the same way I had planned. And it was another mystery as to why I fell asleep while resting there?


    ''It must be the vision.'' I thought to myself, but there was still a ting of doubt residing somewhere under the folds of those words. "Well, I have much better things to think of for now." I mumbled to myself as my feet continued to take me to my destination. Every time I moved to a new place and a new college, I''d go for a different field to get my degree in. This time I decided to go for computer science out of sheer amount of interest I had in technology.


    "Umm¡­ Excuse me!" Standing right before the entrance of the hall where my next class was supposed to take place, I lightly knocked at the wooden door which was left wide open.


    I saw a couple of heads turning in my direction as I disturbed the peaceful environment."Aren''t you a bit early for the next class?" A sarcastic remark in a gruff voice made me turn my head to the right where the professor was standing. His hands were crossed over his chest as he looked at me with a skeptical look. As discreetly as possible, I stole a glance at the circular wall clock, hanging right above the two large white panels. ''I was merely ten minutes late, what was with his remark.''


    Parting my slightly chapped lips, I began to provide him with the reason behind my lateness, but was interrupted not so patiently.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "What did the doctor say? Why aren''t you resting in the sick room or your own room?"


    I heard the same voice which has been going on around me since I put a step inside the college''s territory. Before I could speak up and provide the inquiring man with an answer, I was interrupted once again. But this time it was the professor himself.


    "What happened to you?" He asked me, pushing his round spectacles up his nose.


    "I wasn''t¡­.."


    "She wasn''t feeling well. It''s my fault actually that she got hit by a football."


    And there I was, being interrupted once again by him. What was his problem? I did have a tongue in my mouth as well as some good ol'' working vocal cords which enabled me to speak.


    "Oh!" The professor shifted his attention back to me. "Are you feeling okay now? If not, you can take an off today and rest."


    "The doctor checked it, it''s actually nothing. I am fine now. So¡­." I trialed off as I pointed my index finger inside the classroom, asking for his permission to enter to which he responded with a nod.


    Scurrying my way through the aisle, I finally found an empty seat right next to the narrow passage and settled down, putting my bag in my lap. Opening the zipper of my bag, I took my notebook to jolt down the important points. If you were to act out a normal person, then play the role perfectly.


    "You are completely fine, right?" I heard some low muttering which made me turn my head to my left.


    "The f@*#!" I mumbled to myself when I saw who the person was. I could swear he wasn''t here a minute ago as I remembered sitting down next to a girl. Where did she disappear to?


    "I asked you something. The hell you are staring at instead of answering me." He spoke up in the same hushed tone.


    "What is your problem, man? Didn''t ''you'' hear what I told the professor earlier?" I replied to him, stressing over the word ''you'', indirectly hunting that he was the one who was having hearing difficulties. How annoying and clingy this man exactly was! He had finally made it to the list of those people I wanted to give a taste of my powers to.


    "What''s with you being so grumpy? I am just being nice here." He spat back at me. I could clearly see that I had finally managed to annoy him beyond his tolerance.


    "Well, thank you for being nice to me. But I don''t need it anymore." I gritted through my teeth. I was done being nice and all to him. These pesky humans always find a way to get on my nerves.


    "You¡­" I saw his eyes widening in response to my rude words, but I could care less about it.


    "If you two are done with your whispering, then can you bother yourself to look up at the screen." Every single pair of eyes in the room, shifted in our direction as the professor spoke up with a blatant expression, using the red beam of light to point at us instead of the screen.


    I could only shrug in response to his displeased words and try to focus more on my notebook than the pestering fly sitting next to me. I didn''t need him to add to my troubles. I just wanted to make it through this year and then apply for a good job at some huge conglomerate, work there for a couple of years before going off the grid once again. Barely a couple of minutes had passed when I felt a pair of eyes being bored into my neck. Without even looking around, I could tell who the owner was.

 Do You Need An Invitation?

    ~?Aden?~


    Karma! Does it even exist?


    Here I was, helping her out, offering her my assistant to its fullest. And there she was, taking it for granted. I was just feeling bad about the incident from the morning. That was the only reason I was being so attentive towards her. I could have asked any one of my friends, and they could have taken her to the sick room. But I decided to take responsibility for my actions and carried her myself. I even got late for my usual morning meeting with my girlfriend.


    Humans, at times, could be so ungrateful. The lady sitting next to me, was a living and breathing proof of it. I used to disagree with Dana every time she used to badmouth humans, saying that there were exceptions, and not everyone was like the other. But after one more look at the weird, grumpy being sitting on my right, I would agree with her.


    I wanted to give her a piece of my mind but couldn''t do so after being called out by the professor in front of the whole class. I was about to shift my attention back to the lecture which was being delivered, when something around her neck caught my eye.


    It was a really simple, thin golden chain which hugged her neck, but not too tightly. But what caught my attention was the hex shaped, dark purple crystal which was dangling from the reflecting chain. I wanted to draw my gaze away from it, but my eyes refused to listen to my mind. It felt like some invisible force was pulling me towards it. Before I could even know it, my fingers were already wrapped around the hex shaped crystal, grazing over it ever so slightly.


    The mere warmth coming from the stone was enough to force my eyes shut and for the briefest of seconds, something flashed before the black curtain.


    "You two! Out of my class, right now." Like the roaring thunder and crackling storm, the professor''s voice resonated within the room and I felt something, or rather someone, smacking my hand away from the locket, forcing me to open my eyes.


    "Thanks a bunch." I heard in a grumpy tone and before I could realize my mistake, I saw the person on my right move a little before she stood up straight. My eyes continued to stick to her retreating back until she was no longer in my line of sight. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Do you need an invitation?" The same thunderous crackle came through my ears, forcing my mind to register that I was asked to leave the class as well.


    "Sorry." I stood up from my place and added meekly, addressing the professor. I followed her tracks and walked out of the class. I was hoping to find her standing right next to the entrance and leash her anger out on me. But to my dismay, she wasn''t there, or even in my line of sight.


    "Good job, Aden." I mumbled to myself as my eyes roamed around the surroundings, looking for her.


    If I was to answer my inappropriate behavior back there, I just couldn''t. I didn''t know what came over me, but I could swear that something was forcing me to touch that crystal. Talking about that, what was with that flashing image.


    ''Are my powers returning back? Or was that the crystal''s doing?'' I couldn''t help but to think to myself. With rushed steps, I followed the path to the dormitories where my room was. As far as my memory could serve me right, I did have some ancient books regarding such matters. They actually belonged to Dana, and I was just keeping them with me because that was what I was asked to do by her.


    Recalling the same image in mind again and again so as not to forget the smallest detail about it as it might hold the key to recover my lost powers.


    A red hex shaped crystal was hanging over a palm, the dainty fingers of the owner ready to grasp it as a comparatively larger hand refused to let the silver chain leave his fingers.


    What could such a weird vision mean? I don''t even get visions. What was with it this time? Maybe it was time for my powers to be back. With these thoughts in my mind, I continued to head towards my room. The closer I walked to my destination, the more elated I became, thinking how happy Dana would be after hearing about it.


    She has been by my side all this while, loving my broken self. I couldn''t do that to her anymore. The earlier I am able to recover my powers, the better it will be for our relationship. If only I knew the reason behind why I am not able to transform into my true form any longer, this would have been much easier. The feeling of being a powerful divine being, yet not being able to use your powers wasn''t a good one. How could the powers of an angel start malfunctioning out of nowhere?


    With these weird thoughts running through my mind, I continued to follow down the same path with the hope that I could finally get some answers.


    ---------


    A pair of eyes were set firmly on the walking figure of a man who was the cause of her early morning humiliation, staring from a distance.


    "You better watch out yourself from now on, creep. There''s no way I will let this incident go. My first day here was ruined all thanks to you. It''s time for payback." Her full lips curled up in a sinister smile as her eyes glowed for the briefest of second before she started to walk away from the shaved tree trunk which she was using as her cover.


    She had always kept a distance from humans, not bothering to interfere in their lives, and not letting them interfere in hers. But for the first time in all those decades she had spent on Earth, a human was finally able to get on her wrong nerves.

 Squeaky

    In a room shrouded with dullness, a man sat on a black leather couch as he continued to take puffs of his cigar. Combined with his overbearing personality and the way his right leg crossed over the other, his elbows rested on the armrests on either side, he looked no less than a king sitting on his throne. Or maybe he was a king, a king belonging to another world.


    Despite the smoke which was encircling his face, one could still see his sharp features, especially the jawline which could even cut through a stone let alone a bunch of papers. The crackling of the burning wood coming from the fireplace was the only sound which reverberated through the quietness of the room.


    A sudden deep cawing stirred the peace as a raven came to sit on the wooden frame of the glass window. Fluttering its wings a couple of times, the bird cawed again to get its master''s attention.


    "I heard you the first time, you attention seeking bird." He spoke up in a scruff tone. "What news have you brought this time?"


    Fluttering its wings, the bird sliced through the air and flew closer to its master, settling on the carpeted floor right before the couch. The sheer black feathers hanging down from its wings and tail, started to transform into black smoke as if the dark cloud was eating away his existence, turning it into dust. A couple of seconds later, a small winged elf was standing in the same place where the bird was earlier. But instead of looking like the helping hands of ''Santa'', he seemed to be the helping hands of ''Satan''.


    The scrawny looking creature with its deep black wings and dark veins popping all over his body, along with patches of black fur here and there, fitted the very definition of creepy. The pointy dark ears which were resting on either side of his head, only added more to his gruesomeness.


    "They have met... have met." In the same croaked voice which sounded more like cawing, the small creature of hell spoke up.


    "Of course, they did. Why do you think I sent her there? She must be hating me by now, but it''s for her own good." The man added in an annoyed tone as a sad smile embraced his lips. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "Why, Master? Why?"


    "I need her to remember everything. She needs to recall it for her own good, or else she won''t be able to fight off the enemies lurking in the dark, or rather light as I say. Those pesky creatures of light, want to harm my baby girl just to stop some bullshit prophecy from coming true." He took another drag of his cigar and let the smoke find its way out through his nostrils.


    "Kill the boy, Master. Kill the boy." The little creature started to share his thoughts, going on and on like a broken record player.


    "Do you think I haven''t thought of that all this while? But she loves him too much for that. She will never look at me in the same light she does, or she used to at least. Moreover, they tried to kill her, but look what happened. The lovers are given a complete start over. And the same will happen again if they repeat history." The man curled his lips up in a sinister smile.


    "I miss her¡­ miss her¡­ miss her."


    "So do I, Squeaky. So do I." He heaved out a longing sigh. "At least you can see her and meet her if you want to. I can''t even do that. She''s not even picking up my calls, probably is still mad at me for not allowing her to finish her degree here."


    "You''re bad¡­ you are bad. Only she gets to call me that."


    "As if you are any good." He scoffed. "Go and keep an eye on her. Don''t let yourself get caught as it will only make her more mad at me. Once these things are sorted out, I will straighten the shit out of that brat."


    Seeing the little bundle of mischief growing up before his eyes for more than a century, not once but twice, was enough for him to become attached to her. Moreover, he was blessed with the curse of being the brat''s Godfather previously and in no way he would let any harm befall upon her. He would protect her at any cost even if it cost him everything.


    "Off you go now." He added in a frustrated tone, ordering the little creature.


    As if the little being was only waiting for his orders, he transformed once again into his other form and flew away, his flapping wings slicing through the air. Tearing his gaze from the departing figure of his pet, the man focused his attention back to the cackling fire as more of the logs were turning into grayish black powder.


    Letting out an incoherent mumble, he continued to stare at the burning logs. The more his lips moved, the brighter the fire glowed with the cackling sounds becoming louder and louder. His lips stopped moving and curled up in a smile as he looked dotingly at the dancing flames as they formed an image of a three year old child, running after a couple of gruesome looking creatures.


    He could still clearly recall the day when his gruesome creatures were being bullied by a three year old child who couldn''t even walk properly. If only it wasn''t for his attachment to the little devil, he wouldn''t have threatened his ''pets'' not to harm her.


    "I am dying here to hear your voice, you brat." He mumbled something once again and a black paper appeared in his hands with the same words written with a golden ink. He crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it into the burning logs. He kept his eyes fixed on the black ball of paper, watching it turn into ashes as both the note and the dancing flames started to disappear.

 The Crystal Of Faith

    ~?Aden?~


    Within the confinements of my dorm room, I was on my own as I searched for the answers to those questions which have been bugging me for most part of my life. After rummaging my way through the entire collection of the books which Dana had in her possession, I was still unable to find the one I was looking for. I could feel my head starting to throb as my eyes roamed over the crawling figures and digits on the pale yellow, dusky pages. There was a strong aroma of mistiness lingering in the air which spoke of how old the books actually were.


    It was a good thing that I had to share the room with a geek so there was no chance that he was going to come back here anytime soon. And since the door to the room was locked from the inside, I could easily do my own thing without the fear of being caught while reading some ancient language which merely consisted of some creeping symbols, rather than actual words.


    Bringing the fingers of my hands on either side of my forehead, I began to massage my temples. I didn''t know searching through these books for a single thing could be this tiresome. Giving up on finding any clues about the weird vision I had earlier, I decided to put the books back in the metal trunk which was securely resting under my bed, and get back to my next class.


    After setting the books in the same order they were supposed to be, I was about to lock the trunk and put it back in its previous position when my eyes landed on a book which was peeking from the foot end of my bed. I picked it up with a frown resting in between my eyebrows and started to give it an oversight.


    The stale brown leather cover, marred with scratches in certain portions spoke of the bad state the book was in. A red thread was dangling from one end of the book, showing off that it was clearly being used as a bookmark. I traced my fingers over the thickness of the pages as they ended up lingering over the bookmarked part.


    ''This is weird. This book clearly seems much older than the rest of them.'' I thought to myself as the frown on my forehead deepened by looking at it''s wearisome condition. Without thinking any further, I opened the book from the place it was bookmarked. And to my surprise, what welcomed my tired eyes was the picture of a locket with a familiar hex shaped crystal hanging down from its center. To my bad, it was more like a sketched picture instead of a painting which deprived me to know the color of crystal.


    ''The Crystal of Faith.''


    In some weird cursive writing, the words were written on top of the page. ''Why isn''t this book in the ancient language of angels, but rather English? That''s weird.'' Shaking off the thoughts of my mind, I carried on.


    ''The Crystal holds the power of bounding one soul to the other. But for the ritual to take place, the two souls involved have to be willing to go through it. Giving a little of their powers to the crystal will do the deed. All one needs to do is recite the following spell a couple of times until the stone changes its color.'' Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    I moved my eyes to the phrase written in some other language I wasn''t familiar with. But to my surprise I could easily read it as if it was instilled in my mind, word by word.


    ''A forbidden bond will bound the two souls to each other for eternity, the bond of faith that no matter what happens, they will always be part of each other. But beware of the price that you''ll need to pay once the bond has taken its place.''


    I turned to the next page only to find it blank. The frown on my forehead deepened as I flipped through the empty pages. Why was it that every single page of the book was blank without even a single dot of ink splattered over them? And how did it only have the answer to my question? It sure was one hell of a strange book. But what troubled me more was the description written jolted down in the book.


    If I was the one who gave the crystal away to someone, then who did I bound my soul to. Was it Dana? But I have never seen her wearing such a crystal and I doubted she owned one. But then again, who was the person I bound myself to? And why was my vision only triggered once I touched that purple crystal. The track my thoughts were following, couldn''t be right. It must not be right. If the loss of my powers was linked to the price to be paid, then I must hurry up and find the other person as soon as I can.


    "I better ask Dana about it later." Mumbling to myself, I put down the book on my bedside table as for now before shifting my attention back to the truck. A slight knock on the door stirred my thoughts and I hurriedly slipped the locked trunk under the bed.


    "I am coming." I spoke up when I heard the door getting banged once again. "Hold on."


    In a couple of long strides, I was right before the locked wooden door and hurriedly worked my way on the lock. "Can''t you wait for a while, you¡­" Expecting it to be my roommate, I started off in a rude tone, but gulped down the rest of my words when I saw a woman standing right before me.


    "W-what are you doing here?" I managed to recover myself from the shock and asked her in a loving tone.


    "My class was over earlier, so I decided to look for you. But I found out that a certain someone was kicked out of the class." Dana spoke up in an enraged tone as she walked inside the room, not waiting for my invitation.


    "Yeah. I still had some time left before my next class, so I decided to come here to rest for a while." I replied to her scratching the back of my head as I closed the door shut. "You could have just left me a text, and I would have found you. You know that you aren''t allowed in the boy''s dormitories."


    "It''s fine. Nobody saw me getting in here." I heard her reply as her eyes roamed around the room.


    "Oh!" I grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to me. "Good that you are here, I needed to ask you something." I added as I hugged from behind, my gaze shifting to the bedside table. "I..." No words came out of my mouth when my eyes registered the emptiness of the dark brown surface.


    ''Where did that book go?'' I couldn''t stop questioning myself. I clearly remember putting it there just a little while back before she came.


    "You were saying something?"


    I shook my head in a no, but my eyes refused to move away from the bedside table. "I just wanted to say, I love you." I finally teared my gaze away from the wooden block to the woman in my arms.


    "I love you too." Her melodious voice rang through my ears, tingling my senses. She turned around in my arms and hugged me back with the same warmth and tenderness she always did. Her treatment towards me, only made me feel more guilty about hiding things from her. But if Dana wasn''t the woman from my vision, it was better to keep her out of it. ''I am so sorry, Dana.'' If only I could apologise to her for real.


    --------


    Sitting on a barren branch of a tall tree, a raven cawed a couple of times as his beady eyes were watching the two entangled bodies through the glass window. Flapping its velvet wings, he decided to leave the branch and look for his next target.

 The Crumpled Ball

    ~?Amara?~


    The light blue canvas spread way above my head, had its own uniqueness at this hour of the day. With shades of purple, pink and orange splattered over it, it looked no less than a famous art piece of a renowned artist. Especially how these three colors mingled together at certain places and formed their own shades after becoming one, was enough to tingle the heart of any soul.


    I gazed into the distance where the sun was hanging just above the horizon, ever so ready to be dunked into the shimmering water below it, ready to mark the end of the day and let the night take its place. It was my favorite hour of the day. Not because of how beautiful the sky looked at this time, but because darkness was about to embrace the world, allowing my troubled soul to be at ease.


    It was not only vampires who hated the sun, I didn''t like it either though I was no vampire. But it was actually the light I hated more than the source which provided it. I was the product of darkness and evil itself, sent here for only the Devil knows what reason. Why were the creators up above or down below so biased? I was born here on Earth when I was supposed to run over the burning lava and the ash colored sand. But here I was on my own, with no clue about my identity.


    "Caw-caw."


    The family sound of my pet raven cawing, pulled me back to reality. I couldn''t help but shake my hand at the bird''s stupidity. I was sure that he wasn''t allowed to make his presence known to me as instructed by the old man. But here he was, sitting right next to me.


    "You are breaking his rules again. You do know that he''s going to punish you for it." I stated as a matter of fact as I leaned back a little to relax my taut back, resting my hands on the ground. I saw him looking at me intently with his beady black eyes as he cawed once again.


    "That''s true though. He won''t lay a finger on you based on how much I love you. You sure are one lucky bird." I smirked at him. I still couldn''t understand how or why, I could understand his caws. Not exactly understood, but I was able to comprehend their meanings. It might be his eyes as I had a habit of looking into them every time we exchanged words and caws. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    I saw him nod slightly at my words as he scooted over to my lap. "Aren''t you becoming more and more spoiled these days?" The words escaped my lips as I saw him getting comfortable in my lap, leaning against my belly. He looked up at me and tilted his beak towards my bag and cawed once again.


    "Is there something in there?" I still asked him, even though his answer would be a yes, or a single nod as he liked to show it as. Shrugging my shoulders slightly, I dusted my hands and picked up a bag which was resting on the ground, next to me.


    "Cawwww!"


    I heard him once again as I undid the zipper on my bag. "What was it? Sorry, I couldn''t catch you." As my focus was on the bag instead of him, I couldn''t quite comprehend the meaning of long caw. As if understanding my words, or the frown embracing my forehead, he did as he was told to while I kept my eyes on him. "Oh, yeah! Had a really sh***y day. All thanks to a complete stranger. If it wasn''t for the old man''s restrictions, I swear I would have hit him with a spell or two. Maybe more."


    I answered him as I looked through my bag with a frustrated expression hugging my face. I let my hand search the bag without even looking inside as I held it up with the other. Feeling something brushing against my fingers which definitely wasn''t there before, I grabbed it, pulling it out. I couldn''t stop myself from rolling my eyes after seeing the crumpled ball of black paper.


    "Another message." I mumbled to myself. I have spent decade after decade getting these crumpled balls of papers in the same color to not realize who was the weirdo who kept sending them, even though I barely replied to them. They kept appearing every now and then, that too in weird places. I still remembered the time when one appeared on the shower rack while I was busy taking a hot shower. I had fought with him after the event, not bothering to talk to him for a couple of weeks. He had to cook my favorite meal himself without using any spells for me to forgive him.


    "How''s he doing by the way?" I asked the bird who was relaxing in my lap, only to get a caw in response. "Yeah, I do miss him too. But he needs to learn that he can''t go around ordering me as he pleases." Answering his caw, I shifted back my attention to the ball. Unfolding the crumpled paper, I let my eyes roam over the cursive words which were dipped in gold.


    ''I am dying here to hear your voice, you brat.''


    The corners of my lips turned up ever so slightly as I read the single line. Only he could make me genuinely smile even if it was for a fleeting second. I knew whatever he did or asked me to do, was for my own good. But sending me away from himself, was something I couldn''t take. I was used to having him around. Not to sound cheesy, but he was like a father figure to me.


    "I will give him a call when I feel like doing it. Just tell her that. Okay, Squeaky?" I asked him to see him nod his little head in response. "You should go before he realizes that you are with me. You do know that you are bonded to him." I scolded the bird for his carelessness as I didn''t want him to get into trouble because of me.


    I saw him readying himself for the flight before he took off, flapping his wings. Turning the paper back into the ball, I was about to put it back into my bag when my fisted hand brushed against something thick and rough. I pulled the two halves apart to check what it was as I only had a single notebook in there before. A frown marred my forehead when my eyes landed on a book with a relatively old leather cover and a red thick thread dangling from the edge.

 Try Seducing A Man

    ~?Amara?~


    Splayed open, the book laid there peacefully on the small, light colored, wooden study desk of my room. The calmness which was embracing the room couldn''t be compared to the thundering storm raging inside me as I kept my eyes glued to the open book. After reading the same two pages again and again, I could recall it word by word now. But even then I refused to believe the words crawling on those dusky pale pages.


    ''This can''t possibly be true.''


    Like a broken tape recorder, the same words were flashing through my mind again and again. But the dark purple crystal resting next to the book was enough to contradict my thoughts. As to why I believed that the crystal in my locket was the very same one mentioned in those pages? I just knew it. I have had this locket in my possession for like forever. And I never bothered to question that old man about it.


    Everytime the crystal touched the skin around my neck, I could feel its magic seeping into myself. But my soul couldn''t be bound to another person. How could it happen? And why didn''t I remember it ever happening? Moreover, who that stupid fool was?


    All these questions were eating my mind alive, as if someone has poured some highly concentrated sulphuric acid on it. But how to find that fool who bothered to use dark magic to bind my soul to his? I mean according to the book, I must have been in love with him for the ritual to even begin. So he was this lover boy?


    "How did your first day go?"


    A voice interrupted my thoughts, making me jump in my chair. Turning my face around, I found Dana standing by the door which was still ajar.


    "It went...okay I guess." I answered her, scratching the back of my head. I wasn''t about to tell her how it got ruined because of a certain as****e. We weren''t that close now, or even close to begin with. I quickly shut the book when I saw her walking towards me and slid it inside my open bag as quickly as I could. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "Good! But why are you studying on the first day of college?" She scoffed as she came to a stop behind me. Her eyes trailed to my open backpack before shifting to the crystal. "That''s a really nice locket you have here." Her eyes lingered over it for a while before they moved to me.


    "Ummm¡­ yeah!" That was the only reply which I could force out of my mouth after staring at that crystal for so long.


    "Where did you get it from? I have always wanted to have one of these but never found the right one." I heard her ask me with a curious gaze which only forced me to frown.


    "I don''t know. My father got this for me. Knowing him, he probably got it customized as he wouldn''t want anyone else to have the same thing as his darling daughter." I let out the best excuse I could come up with then. But part of it was indeed the truth. Growing up all these decades, he had spoiled me rotten. The credit for my bitchy and cut-off nature went more to him than the fact of being a demon.


    "Oh! You are one lucky gal then. But If only I can borrow it from you for my next date, I''ll owe you one?" She spoke up again, giving me a pleading look as she pursed her lips together in a pout.


    Fighting the urge to roll my eyes at her antics, I replied to her as politely as I could. "I am sorry, but that''s off the table. I am used to having it around my neck or on me at least for every single second of the day. It means alot to me." What was wrong with this woman? Was she forgetting the fact that I am a girl and her charms wouldn''t work on me?


    ''Go and try seducing a guy, woman. Maybe he''ll get you one which resembles it in.'' I thought the latter part to myself, not wanting to voice it out as I didn''t want to get on her bad side already. I had to spend an entire year with this woman and try my best to act like one of them.


    "It''s fine. It belongs to you anyway. I just took a liking to it." She shrugged her shoulders before taking out her phone from the back pocket of her jeans. "Can I at least take a picture of it? So that I can show it to my boyfriend and bug him to get something similar to this for me. Pretty please?" She blinked her eyes a couple of times, giving me another pleading look.


    "Alright!" I heaved out a frustrated sigh and moved my chair a little back so that she could click a picture of it. Without wasting a single moment, the woman next to me unlocked her phone and took a couple of pictures from different angles. Once she was satisfied with her clicks, she finally decided to let my poor locket be in peace.


    "Thanks a bunch, gal. If you get into any trouble here or if anyone bullies you, you come to me." She gave me a thumbs up.


    "Thanks, but I can handle a bunch of bullies on my own." I gave her a firm nod before pulling my notebook out. I was about to go through the notes of the other two classes I got to attend earlier during the day when I saw something move towards the locket. Without thinking much, I let my instincts work and grab it with force only to realize that it was her hand.


    "Uh-I¡­ just wanted to feel it''s texture." I heard her stumbling words which made me frown.


    "Sorry, but no one touches it except for me." I narrowed my eyes at her as I could feel the annoyance getting the best of me, or worst of me for that matter. I let go of her hand when I saw her trying to take it back.


    "I am sorry." She apologized to me before walking away from my side of the room.

 The World Of Light

    In another realm,


    Four tall minarets stood proudly among the fluffy white balls scattered everywhere. Their transparency was enough to speak about the material they are made of, the purest of crystals found in the ''World of Light''. The pale white light coming from the ball of gas shining up above in the sky refracted through the four pillars, forcing them to shine brighter than the purest and rarest of diamonds found on Earth. The sight was enough to bedazzle anyone, human or angel. It was one of the reasons why no creature of light was allowed to wander near to the four minarets or the main building which stood right in the middle of those four pillars.


    The calmness and peace of the place was disturbed by the rushed steps of a man who was running towards the mansion, dragging his greyish white wings behind him. As to why he wasn''t using them? Well, shock tends to do that to people, or in this case, angles. Huffing and puffing, the man finally reached the main entrance of the silver colored building with his stumbling steps only to be stopped by the guards.


    "Tell the Supreme Lord that his humble servant Zerpheus is here." In between his gasps for air, he managed to convey the words to the two guards in golden armor.


    "Why are you here?" One of the guards questioned him, not paying any attention to his earlier words.


    "I have an important message for our Supreme Lord. I am one of his messengers from Earth." Given no choice, the man answered him. "It''s urgent that I meet him right now."


    Giving the man a scrutinizing look, the guard finally gave him the permission to step inside. He called another guard who was stationed close to the entrance and ordered him to guide the man inside, not forgetting to motion him to keep a close eye on him.


    With the guidance of the guard, the man was finally able to reach inside the chambers of his Lord. His eyes roamed around the room restlessly as he waited for him to make an appearance. A couple of minutes later, a heavy and deep voice resonated through the quietness engulfing the chambers. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    "You can leave."


    As if the guard knew that those words were meant for him, he bowed his head down as low as he could manage to and walked out, leaving the man on his own.


    "Y-your High-ness." The man managed to greet his Lord in his stuttering voice as he went down on his knees, bowing his head down.


    "You may rise." The words echoed through the man''s ears and he followed the command without any delay.


    As soon as he stood up, a couple of footsteps were heard coming towards his direction. Too scared to even turn around, he stood rooted to the ground, not bothering to look up from his own feet. "Your Highness, forgive this insolent servant of yours for disturbing you, but it was urgent that I needed to be in your presence."


    "What news have you brought this time?" The Supreme Lord questioned him as he walked around the man and settled down on his throne which was made of the same material as the minarets outside but with gems and pearls embedded in it, forming intricate designs.


    "The Devil, your Majesty. He is on Earth, keeping an eye on the lady." He took a brief pause to look up from the ground. He felt his breath becoming shorter as his eyes landed on his Lord, the king of this world and all angels. There he sat on his throne with a frustrated expression on his face. At the moment, he looked no less than an ordinary human with his wings retracted inside. He looked at the man before him with a frustrated expression, his face resting on his propped up arm.


    "Continue!" He exclaimed with annoyance when the man fell quiet.


    "H-he¡­ sent that woman to study at the same college as the Young Master. He''s forcing them together once again." The man spoke up in an aggrieved tone.


    "Of course he is there, personally looking after that lady. He cares too much for her to leave her on her after what we did to her. What worries me is that my foolish son will fall for her sooner or later. After all he is the one who bound their souls together using the darkest of magic. Here I was thinking after their rebirth, things will be normal. But that bastard wants his darling little goddaughter to find her way back to her one true love." The man spoke up as he crossed his legs, sitting up as straight as his backbone could allow.


    "It must be the dark powers, forcing them to be together, your Highness." The meek little servant spoke up in a measly tone.


    "Just keep a close eye on him. Dana will take care of my son. She''ll make him kill that woman with his own hands. It''s the only way we can break the spell bounding their souls, or they''ll keep being reborn again and again, and history will be repeated." He scoffed.


    "Yes, my Lord. I''ll keep a close eye on the Devil." With these words, the man got down on his knees to pay his respects to his Lord, before walking out of the chamber.


    The man kept staring at the shut doors of his chamber, as his thoughts went back to the time when all of this started.

 The First Encounter (1)

    *FLASHBACK*


    With the rising crime rates and mortalities as more and more humans started to become monsters for their fellow beings, two other worlds were assigned to maintain the balance between good and evil on Earth, and stop the Deities'' favorite creation, humans, from bringing their own decadence. An agreement was signed between the two worlds, one of light and the other of darkness, that they won''t interfere in each other''s business and their residents will only do the assigned tasks.


    Beings from either of the two worlds were sent to Earth for taking care of the assigned matters which was no less than a punishment for them. As to no matter if they were the creations of light, or born into the depths of darkness, they detested human beings. They detested the fact as to how they had to look after them when they were alive as well as after their deaths, making them feel like babysitters. But they still carried out their duties diligently.


    The balance between these two worlds started to shake when a certain mischievous lady, who was the manifestation of darkness itself, sneaked into the World of Light for the first time ever. Based on her looks and how innocent she looked, nobody bothered to question the newly found beauty who''d pop up out of nowhere in the white gardens of the silver castle. Her sudden appearance was a mystery to the workers, but nobody bothered to pay any attention to the matter except for a certain curious soul, the strongest of the angels who wasn''t only the crowned prince of the world but the only descendant to the throne.


    "Hello, young miss."


    A voice made the lady in tea pink, jump in her place as she was too absorbed while watching the shimmering petals of the garden''s roses. Turning around, her eyes landed on a handsome lad who looked a little older than her.


    "Umm¡­ Hello?" The boy called out to her again when he didn''t hear a response. "What are you doing here, young miss? And how did the guards let you in here?" He questioned her with a scrutinizing gaze. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Because, they didn''t see me coming inside." She added as a matter of fact with a light giggle.


    "How so?" Intrigued with her answer, the boy couldn''t stop the words from rolling off his tongue.


    "Do you really want to know, Sire?" The lady finally shifted her attention from the flowers to the pestering man and questioned him. "But you won''t be liking the way I sneak into your gardens." From the way he was being so overly annoying, she could deduce easily that he was the owner of the place.


    He couldn''t stop the corners of his lips from curling upwards after seeing how much confidence she held in her words. "Show me then." He extended his right palm towards her. "I want to see how this young lady can sneak into my favorite garden which is protected by the strongest of spells. And I am the one who put the spell on the place." He added the latter part with a proud smile, trying to get into her good books.


    "Oh! No wonder I had to try a combination of three different spells just to get inside this garden." She bobbed her head up and down with a slightly impressed expression on her face.


    "You like playing with spells too!" He exclaimed in a surprising tone. She was the first person he was meeting who shared this weird habit of his. He looked at her with a curious gaze, waiting for her to say something, but only got a shrug in response with a ''meh''. He was expecting her to act at least a little excited just like he was. But there she stood with a bored expression right before him, as if the whole matter wasn''t something interesting.


    "And since you are asking me so politely, I will give you a little preview of ''how'' I sneak in here without your guards knowing." The corner of her full lips, turned upwards into a smirk as she finally took his extended hand. As the guards only saw her hanging inside the gardens or around the castle, they already thought of her as some guest to the King and their crowned prince.


    Feeling the energy which was seeping off her hand, the smile from his face soon disappeared and a frown marred his forehead. "Y-you¡­" His words failed him, refusing to come out his mouth. He could feel how powerful she was with the mere touch of their hands. But it wasn''t what worried him the most. It was the fact how dark her soul was. "How are you able to walk in between the two worlds?" He questioned her as he pulled her towards him, tugging at her hand.


    "I told you that you won''t like the way I do it, Sire. But it''s already too late to put a leash on your curiosity now that I have made my mind." The smirk on her face deepened as deep maroon flames began to envelop them. He wanted to pull his hand back, but there was something about her unique eyes which wasn''t allowing him to use his power against her. Taking in a deep breath, he decided to let fate play its part as he continued to stare back into orbs of her while she started to chant something under her breath.

 The First Encounter (2)

    *FLASHBACK CONTINUES*


    With a flash, the two souls disappeared from the garden as if the flames from earlier had eaten them alive without leaving any trace behind. It seemed like their presence there was just a mirage.


    "You can open your eyes now, Sire." A soft voice entered the man''s ears, forcing him to obey the given command. As soon as he did what he was told to, it only left him baffled as his eyes roamed over the new surroundings he was in. "W-where are we?" With his mouth hanging low, he asked the lady standing next to him.


    "Where do you think we are?" She smiled devilishly as she stepped closer to him. "Home sweet home. Hell." The grin on her face became deeper as she looked back around her. "Well, not actually Hell, but somewhere near to it. Just like your world is connected to heavens and you are supposed to look after it. This is the place where the normal hell creatures reside." She explained it to him. "Welcome to the Nether World." She added the last part with a faint smile embracing her lips as she motioned before her with her right hand.


    "Holy crap!" The man exclaimed in shock as he let his eyes wander around the place.


    "Okay, you have had enough of this. Let''s get you back home." The white haired beauty spoke up as she flicked her wrist before his eyes to make him come back to the present. She was about to grab his hand and start chanting the spell she used earlier to bring him here with her, but the man shook his head in a no as he took a couple of steps back.


    "I want to properly see the place around." He looked at her with hopeful eyes as he pleaded to her.


    "No." The lady refused to give into his demands and shook her head. "You are not supposed to be here. Let alone roam in broad daylight here." She furrowed her brows as she refused to listen to her. Her using the darkest of magic for roaming around in between the two worlds was one thing, but dragging the crowned price of the other world with her was something she could even think of doing so. Not because she was scared of his people, but rather her own. Especially a certain someone, who was labeled with the title of her Godfather.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "Oh, really?" He gave her a skeptical look, raising his oh so perfect eyebrow. "Take me back home then. I''ll just bring the information into my father''s knowledge that a girl from Nether World is roaming around our world, especially my favorite garden." He added with a smirk.


    "You won''t dare." She narrowed her eyes at him which was only met with a proud smirk.


    "You can try me." He shrugged his shoulders with an uninterested expression and began to walk closer to her. "Let''s go back then." He extended his hand towards her and gave her the sweetest of smile which only made her frown more. She wouldn''t mind him telling her, but if he actually tells his dad then then King would definitely tell her Godfather. And that only meant more trouble for her. If only the Devil got to know about it, her life would actually become hell.


    "Alright! But this better stays between us." She added with an eye roll as she began to guide him through the ash colored paved pathway.


    "I thought that this place looked like¡­." He trailed off his words as he followed her, keeping a distance of two feet from her.


    "Like molten lava spilling through the cracks running between the pathway?" She scoffed and let out a small laughter which for some reason sent a weird tingling sensation running up his spine. "That''s what actually hell looked like. But I highly doubt that you''ll be allowed there at any cost. You don''t expect people to actually live on molten lava, do you now?" She couldn''t help but roll her eyes. ''People from there are definitely something.'' She thought to herself as she gave the man a side look.


    "I am sorry. It''s just what I have read so far in the books in my world." He apologized to her meekly, scratching the back of his head.


    "Ummm¡­ You don''t have to apologize to me at all. What do you think I was doing up there? The books we have, don''t do justice to your world either. Maybe it''s so to keep the residents bound to their own world." She added with a sad smile and felt a hand patting the top of her head.


    "Why don''t you take me back home for now? We can teach each other more about our worlds. Why don''t you come to my garden at the same time tomorrow and I can actually show you around the place and be your guide? You can do the same for me the next day. And once you have learnt to trust me, you could teach me the spell and I can visit the place whenever I like. This will stay between us no matter what your answer is." His suggestion sent the lady next to her into deep thoughts. After a while she finally nodded her head in a yes as curiosity got the best of her. She wanted to learn more about his people and that too by herself.


    "It''s a deal. Let''s get you back home for now." She extended her hand towards him which he gladly took.


    *FLASHBACK ENDS*

 List Of Top Ten Creepy People

    ~?Aden?~


    <strong style="font-weight: normal">


    With time things tend to change, evolve into something much more and better. The same could be said about feelings and emotions. But why was it with me that instead blooming into a more beautiful flower, the bud of my feelings for Dana was withering away slowly, losing all of its colors as one by one its petals were falling.


    <strong style="font-weight: normal">


    It has been two days since I found that book which disappeared on its own later on. And it has been exactly the same amount of time that I have started feeling this restless. I didn''t have the same feelings in me for her after the doubt of my soul being bound to another one settled in my mind and heart. The mere seed of this doubt was somehow planted into the very heart which has been hoarding feelings for Dana throughout all these decades. Even reciprocating her care was becoming hard for me. So, I opted for the easiest way to escape from this dilemma, ignore my girlfriend. I decided to stay away from her until I figured it out all.


    <strong style="font-weight: normal">


    In search of the woman from the vision, my eyes started to linger more on a certain figure who could probably be the only lead I had at the moment. It was her locket which triggered my vision. I had to get my hands on it one more time to see if it could make me remember something else. According to what I found in the books that I have been reading in these past two days, it has to be the same crystal from my vision for it to trigger it. But what was that white head lady doing with it? She couldn''t be the person I bound my soul to. I couldn''t turn a blind eye to the fact that she was indeed beautiful, but I couldn''t have just fallen for her face.


    <strong style="font-weight: normal">


    "What if she''s an angel herself just like me?" I mumbled to myself as the realization dawned on me suddenly. I wasn''t sure about her being an angel as demons and angels tend to mask their aura when they were supposed to be on Earth. It was to avoid clashes between the people of two different worlds. Or at least that was what Dana told me. It was weird how most of my knowledge came either from Dana or from the books she had provided me to read, except for the mysteriously disappearing one. It was a weird feeling to be the most powerful of angels, and not knowing it myself. Sometimes, it irked me.


    <strong style="font-weight: normal">


    "Who''s an angel?"


    <strong style="font-weight: normal"> Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    My friend''s voice brought me back to the present, causing me to shift my focus from the ground below to him. Seeing his quizzical look, I realized where I was, the stands before the football field.


    <strong style="font-weight: normal">


    "What angel were you talking about, man? Your girlfriend isn''t even here." I saw him frown as he brought up Dana. With how much time we spent together on campus despite being enrolled in different subjects, everyone knew about us, including the professors. "Should I tell her that you have been coming much more than you usually do to stare at the girls running around the track field." He scoffed.


    <strong style="font-weight: normal">


    His words only made me roll my eyes before they were diverted to a running figure around the football field across me. Was it just me or did she look prettier with her hair tied up in a small bun? It must be the latter one. As if I was bound by a spell, I stood up from my place and took a couple of steps closer to the tracks which were stretched around the field. As she moved around the wide turn on the other side of the tracks, my eyes kept following her. How her refined legs moved as she jogged, keeping her eyes glued to the ground.


    <strong style="font-weight: normal">


    It was the first time I was seeing her wearing something else other than skin fitted jeans paired with a loose baggy full-sleeved shirt. Her fashion was indeed on ''fleek'' always as girls these days described it. But why didn''t she want to expose any of her skin, even her hands? She was still wearing an overly sized t-shirt, which was tucked in from all sides in her dolphin shorts, showing off her toned legs. And oh my goodness! Why the f@*#ing hell was I ogling at her like this? Just as I was about to tear my gaze away from her half running-half jogging figure coming towards me, she looked up from the ground and gave me a glaring look.


    <strong style="font-weight: normal">


    ''Did she know that I was staring at her all this time?'' I couldn''t help but think of it when she passed by me, not bothering to look away. ''Good job, Aden. You must have made it to her list of top ten creepy people, and might have made it to the top.'' I scolded myself, finally shifting my gaze back to my friend, who was giving me the same disgusted look.


    <strong style="font-weight: normal">


    Frustrated with myself, I pulled on my hair a little before the thought from earlier came rushing to my mind. In my distracted state, I forgot about the actual matter at hand. If she really was an angel, then there were high chances of her being the person from my vision, the person my soul was bound to. And she could be the answer to all of my troubles so far. I would be able to transform into my true form as well as use all of my powers, and then I can focus on Dana and our relationship.


    <strong style="font-weight: normal">


    With the very thought in my mind I started to muster up the courage to approach her. As if my feet had a mind of their own, they started to follow her before my mind could even decide on it.


    <strong style="font-weight: normal">


    "Hey?" I called out to her as my steps picked up their pace and I started to jog behind her.

 The Teams Quarterback

    ~?Amara?~


    When you see a person in trouble and offer them your assistance, you just help them without any conditions attached to it. Especially when you are the reason as to why the problem found them, you don¡¯t expect the other person to pay you back by any means. And why should you? He wasn¡¯t the one who asked for your help, you volunteered yourself willingly. But why do some people have problems understanding this basic concept? And unfortunately, I was stuck with one of those people.


    ¡°Hey?¡±


    And here comes the very description of such people. Hit a girl with a football, then drag her to the sick room because you were so concerned about her having a concussion, and then refuse to let her be at peace. Top it all off, you start ogling at the poor girl. Bloody creeper!


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    I heard the same voice again. It didn¡¯t require me to even glance back just to know who the owner was. But the main issue lied in the fact that every time he was around me, problems had a way of finding me, gracing me with their divine presence.  I wanted to steer clear from him every time my eyes caught his figure lingering around. But why was he following me this time?


    ¡°Hey! You stop right there.¡± I heard him yell this time. His voice was loud enough to garner attention of the other girls running around the track with me and the boys who were busy practicing for football. Fighting the urge to snap at him, I slowed down my steps before coming to a stop.


    ¡°What?¡± Keeping my desire to snap his neck on the spot in check, I asked him as decently as I could manage.


    ¡°Why were you not stopping?¡± He narrowed his eyes at me, crossing his arms across his chest. He seemed like a father who was ready to reprimand his three year old kid who had just returned home, covered in mud from head to toe.


    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want to.¡± I stated as a matter of fact. It was up to me whether or not I wanted to listen to his nonsensical talks. ¡°Is that so hard to comprehend?¡± I added the latter part with a slight shrug before turning around to finish my lap around the tracks. But before I could even take a step forward, I felt someone tug at my arm. Though the force wasn¡¯t much for me to handle, I still had to act the part of being a fragile, meek female creature. And so, I stumbled a step or two back when he pulled me back to my previous spot.


    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± With a riled up tine, I spat at him as I looked up into his eyes. It was then I realized how tall he was, taller than most of the guys I have seen throughout the decades I have spent here. Take it from a girl who was herself five feet and 8 inches tall. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Do you have to be this cold every time I try to talk to you?¡± I heard him say in a polite tone as a frown marred his forehead. ¡°I just want to talk to you, have a word with you like normally people do. You don¡¯t have to run in the opposite direction every time you see me, I don¡¯t bite you know.¡±


    ¡°Let go of my hand.¡± I muttered under my breath as I looked back into his oceanic blue orbs.


    ¡°Oh! Sorry about that.¡± He let out an incoherent apology as he let go of my hand.


    I hummed in response as I took a step back to create some distance between us. I could feel a couple of pairs of eyes glaring daggers into my back. Without turning around, I could tell that they must belong to the other girls who were running with me. What was with humans and envy?


    ¡°What are you staring at?¡± He spoke up, shifting his attention behind me. As if his words all it needed to send off those flies scurrying away, I heard the sound of rushing footsteps going in the other direction.


    I turned my head to see my fellow mates going back to finish off their laps. ¡°You sure have a lot of influence here, no?¡± I turned my attention back to him. ¡°They sure respect you a lot.¡± I spoke in a slightly impressed tone, raising an eyebrow at him, only to hear a scoff in response.


    ¡°If only it was actually respect.¡± I saw him rolling his eyes before he continued. ¡°The girls ¡®respect¡¯ me only because of my body and this.¡± He added, pointing the index finger of his right hand towards his face. ¡°And the boys ¡®respect¡¯ me because I am the quarterback of the college¡¯s football team.¡± He scoffed.


    ¡°Umm¡­ It¡¯s still better to be labeled as the freak of the campus with no one wanting to talk to you because of how you look so¡­ out of place.¡± I shook my head as I shared my side of the story, but why the heck was I being this nice to him out of nowhere? ¡°At least your situation is better than mine.¡± I added as I stared at the boys tugging and jumping in the field.


    ¡°Maybe they are just jealous of how beautiful you are.¡± His words made me shift my eyes from the field to him, and I saw a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he stared into my eyes.


    ¡°Are you hitting on me?¡± I narrowed my eyes at him, crossing my hands across my chest in a defensive manner.


    ¡°I swear I am not, just stating a fact. People here tend to ignore or pay too much attention to those they don¡¯t stand a chance before. You¡¯ll get used to them sooner or later.¡± He let out a light chuckle and answered me.


    ¡°You will be shocked to know how used to I am to this.¡± I rolled my eyes before shifting the topic back to him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the team¡¯s quarterback? Why are you not practicing then?¡±