„How can people fall in love
In one second
Or never?"
- E. E. B.
EMA's pov
Last two days I've spend mostly with my brother or playing games on phone. I've also figured how I'm not the only one that randomly shares what I'm thinking about. Even Malia, who trained her powers almost to perfection, shares random thoughts with link to us. She told us that sharing is normal especially if we're thinking deeply about something. I've gotten better at holding my thoughts to myself in there two days since Connor visited me then how I held them to myself when he visited.
We talked through link a bit both days about getting to know each other. I found little details about everyone. Like how Yuko insanely likes hamburgers even if he eats fancy food all the time back at home or how Zack really loves to cuddle for a serious guy. Connor is actually trying to get rid of his addiction to drugs by abstaining from then. He told us how hard can it be and how he randomly feels sick and his head gets messed up. But he knows he is not alone with his head. He knows how Zack and Astra will always have his back even when he can't ignore his needs anymore and breaks everything he worked for. When he told us that, I felt strange freedom in my chest that I believe is connection he and I have. Feeling of freedom was what he was feeling and I was so happy for him.
Fran was awfully silent whole two days. Only yesterday she told us she wasn't feeling the best because she had a fight with her mom. She said how her mom wasn't the happiest about Fran's team staying in hotel owned by her ex-husband, Fran's dad. Fran loves her dad and staying away from him wasn't easy to her. She opened up to all of us easily. Again, I believe our bond made us trust each other more then we usually trust people we barely know. After Fran's confession, Connor took Malia to her so she could help her calm down.
This is us. Meeting them made me understand better who I am. Meeting them made open up more to who I really am. Our existence means we have greater cause then other people. Something greedy in me spoke up.
You are worth more – it said.
But I silenced it. No, I just got something that probably a lot of other people have too and keep it secret. I was thinking what that greedy voice can be, but I couldn't figure it out. I asked Malia, but she didn't know anything about it either. Maybe I became more selfish now that I have people similar to me? I don't know...
So today was the day I'll see my six friends again. I took my phone and called my dad, asked him can I go to library, and went out. Library was pretty small and cozy. I found a corner surrounded by shelfs and sat there waiting for Connor. He was currently picking everyone up and talking them to his home. While waiting, I took a manga from one shelf and started to read it.
"So you are a manga fan. You look more like a book fan to me.", Connor said. He stood in front of me while I sat on the floor. His t-shirt was too big for him and it hanged on his body, over his jeans. His longer hair covered his face as he looked down where I sat. and then again his eyes shining green. How can a boy be this pretty?
"You are beautiful.", I said without thinking.
He looked at me with a bit of confusion and smiled softly. That smile made my view even more mesmerizing.
"Come up now. Or do you want me to pick you up?" Connor asked smiling even brighter.
Ella snap out of it. He is just a pretty boy. You saw a lot of pretty boys. Especially those Asian boys. They are complete cuties. So don't droll over a boy that looks like soaked spaghetti with green eyes.
I got up and opened my arms to hug him just like last time he transferred me. This made him chuckle. Did I do something wrong?
"You look like a kid waiting for a hug.", he said and I blushed from shame. It's not my fault he is much taller than me!
He didn't wait anymore and took only my hand. He led me to toilets and went inside men toilet room. I felt even worse now that we had to hug in men restroom.
"I couldn't transfer us there. I need shadow, remember?" he explained. He even didn't finish his sentence as complete new surroundings came to view. Air completely changed. It felt more fresh and clean.
I let go of him and looked around. We were in some kind of room that reminded me a lot of a hotel I was in few days ago. Unlike that hotel, it had far more wood. Like everything was wooden. There was one huge table you see in movies when generals discuss techniques for war in the middle of big room. Ceiling was just breathtaking. Few extraordinary lamps had hanging glass decors on them and they were shaped like diamonds. I was absolutely stunned.
"Big, I know.", Connor said as he led me out of a shadow that we stood in. "The rest is waiting for us in dining room. Come.", he added and without letting go of my hand he took me out of that room.
We walked through hall that looked like those castle halls in movies. Windows covered one side of hall and they were from floor to ceiling. I took a glance of what's outside and boy we were high. Like very high on some kind of a hill, surrounded by forest. No wonder why air was fresh. We passed few big wooden doors decorated with all kinds of drawings carved in them. Connor seemed to be pleased with my reaction to everything.
Then we heard Fran's voice from behind one door.
"How is this place even real? Is this a castle?" she said. Connor opened that door for me and we walked inside. It was even more stunning then room I was in before.
This room had huge fireplace surrounded with sofa and chairs that looked too fancy to be just chairs. On wall placed close to fireplace, it had very big TV that looked almost alien like to everything old fashioned in room. It also had a bit smaller table next to another wall with few chairs around it. In the corner there was mini fridge. What was this place?
Fran was standing and looking around while everyone else sat at sofa. Except Yuko, he was sitting on chairs next to table.
"Well yes. A castle. It belonged to Zack's grandpa but since he left to see the world, it belongs to Zack.", Astra said while shifting himself on Zack's lap to look at us. "I'm glad you like it!" he added.
I couldn't really collect my words so Connor did it for me.
"I can take you to look around if you want to."
Instead of answering I tugged on his arm as I walked back to the door we came from. From whole excitement, I forgot we still held hands but I quickly remembered when we moved his hand so our fingers intertwined. As soon as I came back from cloud nine and noticed him shifting his hand, I looked at our hands. His hand was thinner and bigger while mine was much smaller.
"I don't want you to get lost, now do I?" he explained himself. Unfamiliar warmth washed over me. I felt content and overall happy.
We walked a lot around and I saw a lot of other rooms. My favorite is probably cuddle room in attic. Whole attic was that so called cuddle room. Floor was covered in fluffy carpet, there were no chairs or beds. Just big, comfy pillows in all sorts of colors. There was another, even bigger TV, a lot of board games and console games on floor. Walls were in pastel green color and it had only LED lights that changed color. Honestly, I wanted to stay there even more but Malia called us and said we have a lot to discuss. Connor took me back to dining room. He was right, I would get lost on my own.
We walked in dining room and now everyone was on sofa and music came from somewhere.
"Ella, Connor, sit down.", Astra offered us and we both did as he asked. "So Ella...Connor told me that you made a little discovery about numbers assigned to us. Can you tell us more about that?"
I took a second to think how will I really say it.
"Well... Connor and I feel more connected then with the rest of us. Then Connor told me same goes to you and Zack. And since you and Zack are numbers one and two, Connor and I are five and six, that leaves three, four and seven. I thought that maybe three and four were connected. But that leaves seven, Yuko, alone which doesn't make sense."
"It perfectly makes sense actually.", Yuko said. "I don't feel romantic attraction to anyone. It wouldn't make any sense if I did have a soulmate."
"And Fran and I did notice how I can calm her down almost instantly when she felt upset because of her mother.", Malia added.
I felt good for putting pieces together. So this was how it was supposed to be.
"Good job for finding purpose of numbers darling.", Yuko praised me.
"There is also one more thing I wanted to talk about.", Astra said.
He sounded more serious then what he usually is so that really made all of our attention focus on him.
"Until summer is over... why don't you all move here? There is plenty of empty rooms and being closer will only do good for us.", he explained.
Move in? Here? But that is so far away from dad and Luka. How do I even tell them that I want to go to England?
"Don't worry too much about excuse to your family.", Connor whispered to me. "Astra and I already have a plan for that."
"We can't just come here!" Fran said.
"Why not? Connor helped me to plan out excuses you can use for leaving home until summer ends.", Astra, this time happily, said. "We printed out a list of good excuses for everyone so take a look."
Astra gave me who papers with many possible reasons why should we leave for summer. Stuff like school projects, camping trips, clubs that we 'joined' for summer... To me, school project seemed like the one my dad might even feel proud for so I picked that one.
"You can tell your dad that your school holds big trip for students for whole summer and that you'll explore nature.", Connor said. "We will print down fake papers for a trip you need and list all Zack's contacts like contacts of school."
I looked around and saw how everyone already picked what excuse they can get out with. Yuko seemed to have some problems but after Astra explained to him how he can fake papers, Yuko felt more sure of their plan.
So this was it. Everything just fell into its place and I'll live here for next two months. That sounded so strange in my head but at the same time, it sounded right. How it was supposed to be.
"Let me show you your rooms.", Astra said enthusiastically. We got up and followed him to a hall I didn't see earlier with Connor. Hall had a lot of doors and next to every door there was printed a name. I walked to find one with my name and it was right in-between Connor's and Yuko's room. I noticed that no room had Zack's or Astra's name.
"That's because those loud bastards have whole floor for themselves. It's better that way if you want to actually sleep at night.", Connor explained.
I got into my room and it was just so pretty. Weirdly, it was similar to my room, but bigger. Connor probably heard what I thought and said:" That's because Astra and I tried to make rooms here like rooms you have back at home. We did that to every room. We didn't have all stuff you have at home but- ", he went inside my room and sat on the bed "-we did a damn good job with what we had."
I giggled a bit as he flopped on soft bed. This was my room. It had my name.
"Look around and if you need something, I'm your next door neighbor.", was last thing he said and walked out. I took few minutes to make myself comfortable and then I flopped to bed just like Connor did not even few minutes ago. This was home now.
"I have something else I would like to talk about.", Malia said through link. I got up from my bed and went to a room with Malia's name on it.
Room was very bright. Almost everything inside was white. I wonder how Malia doesn't go crazy in a room like this. Soon everyone gathered so she started speaking.
"I already told Ella, but you all need to know where our powers come from."
We stayed silent and let her speak.
"Prometheus, man that lived with Greek gods and was punished by them, gifted us with powers. He told me when and how we will meet through a link he created with me. It all happened just few days before we actually met. He also told me that before us, he had three other attempts in giving powers to humans. One of them is his wife Helena. Helena is also the only one that still has powers between those attempts.", Malia took a big breath and continued. "Other two attempts failed. First one became too thirsty for more power and it was just one person with many powers. Next one was three people with just one power but Prometheus thought that three people is too little so he took his powers back."
"Was it Jesus?" Fran said without any thinking at all. Or too many thinking. At her comment, Malia laughed a bit.
"Could be. I don't know.", Malia admit to us all.
No wonder he could turn water into wine. That was the power of Dionysus, Greek god of wine and partying.
Then something clicked.
"What is Prometheus took powers from other gods? No, what if he killed them all?" I asked.
"I was thinking the same thing. He had to take powers somehow. And if gods did exist now, they would be worshiped.", Malia said.
Are we gods now?
"I should take Ella back to library now or else her dad will worry.", Connor said and got up from Malia's bed. I went with him out of the room and he took my hand again. We walked into his room. Now this room was like complete opposite of Malia's room. Everything was dark and black. I think it's because he wants to be able to travel from here anytime.
"Don't think so hard about everything. It will only trouble you more.", Connor advised me.
"How can I not? There is so much we still don't know."
"But we'll find out over time. So wait for it with me.", he said. His words calmed me down and made all worries fade away.
He just stood there in dark room, less than one step away from me. If I wanted, I could touch him just by moving my hand a bit. And he was silent.
He was just there. I could feel his warmth around me.
So he made a step closer to me. Just one was enough for our hands to touch. So he took my one hand.
I kept telling myself to snap out of it. I barely know him. But he is my soulmate. He will always be here.
His other hand touched my chin and raised my head so our eyes met. Even in this dark room his green eyes looked so clear.
"Can I?" he asked.
Yes.
So he connected our lips. It was soft, it was warm and it was perfect. Kiss was short, only few seconds until his lips left mine, but it just felt right. When I opened my eyes, I was back in the restroom in library. Connor's hand left mine and before I noticed, my soulmate was gone.
He was only a breath away, yet so far.