After Marnie and I finished unpacking and settled into our room, the soft creak of a door caught my attention. I glanced up, my pulse quickening with anticipation, and saw two more of our roommates enter. Their arrival shifted the room's atmosphere, and in that brief moment, everything felt charged, like the spark of something new and unknown. Excited greetings filled the air, and soon, the space was alive with introductions and a growing sense of camaraderie.
The first to approach me was a girl with an ethereal grace, her every movement fluid and poised, as if she was walking on air. Her striking beauty caught my attention immediately, but it was her warm, easy smile that put me at ease.
"Hey! I'm Astraea Moon, an aspiring blood pathologist," she said, extending her hand confidently. "And you are?"
I shook her hand, feeling the soft pressure of her fingers, and smiled back. "I'm Elysia. Blood Pathology sounds fascinating!"
Before I could delve further into conversation with Astraea, another girl stepped forward. Her presence was quieter, but it carried a sense of mystery, like she was someone who had a thousand stories hidden behind her eyes. She had an aura that naturally drew people in without her needing to say much.
"Reese Black," she said simply, her voice deep and steady, almost commanding. She looked at me with a sharp but curious gaze. "You're Elysia, right?"
"That's me," I replied with a nod, meeting her gaze. "Nice to meet you, Reese."
Astraea, her curiosity seemingly endless, jumped back into the conversation, as if she couldn't contain her enthusiasm. "Reese and I were just talking about our classes. What are you most excited for, Elysia?"
I hesitated for a moment, feeling a small wave of uncertainty. "Well, I'm in general studies, so I haven't really chosen a path yet. I mean, blood pathology, pixie dust... I didn't even know they were real things until I got here!" I laughed, realizing how naive I must have sounded. "So for now, I'm just looking forward to exploring everything this school has to offer—and honestly, this realm too. It's so different from mine."
Astraea nodded eagerly, clearly fascinated. "I bet! What's your realm like?"
I paused, feeling the weight of the question. "It's... quieter. More mundane, I guess. The magic there is subtle, almost hidden beneath the surface. Nothing like the wonders here."
Reese, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke up again, drawing my attention. "I'm just from a small town in Massachusetts," she said with a shrug, as if trying to downplay it. She scratched the back of her neck, a gesture that seemed more out of habit than discomfort. "Nothing too special about it."
Astraea's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Come on, Reese! There's always something special about where we come from. What's the charm of your small town?"
Reese leaned against the windowsill, staring thoughtfully out at the campus beyond. For a moment, she seemed lost in her memories. Finally, she spoke, her voice softer, almost wistful. "It's one of those places where everyone knows everyone. The kind of town where the local diner is the heart of the community. They make the best blueberry pie you've ever tasted, and the librarian knows your reading preferences better than you do. It's quiet, simple... but there's something comforting about the familiarity."
Astraea leaned in closer, her curiosity deepening. "That sounds so quaint and charming! What's the diner like? Do they have any special dishes?"
Reese's lips curved into a small smile as she reminisced. "The diner... it's small but cozy. You walk in, and the smell of freshly baked pie fills the air. The booths are worn, but comfortable, and there's always someone sitting at the counter chatting with the owner. Their specialty is the blueberry pie, though. It's so good it's practically a town secret. You have to try it if you ever visit."
I couldn't help but smile at the imagery she painted. "That sounds wonderful, Reese. Must be a tight-knit community."
Reese nodded, her eyes distant as she recalled the memories. "Yeah, it's the kind of place where everyone looks out for each other. You can't go to the grocery store without running into at least five people you know. It's simple, but... there's a beauty in that simplicity."
Astraea sighed dreamily, as if she could see it all unfold before her. "I can almost taste the pie just from your words. There's something magical about small-town traditions."
Marnie, who had been quietly arranging magical trinkets on her desk, suddenly spoke up, her curiosity piqued by the conversation. "Oh, small towns are fascinating! I've read about them in books, but hearing about them from you makes them feel so much more real. What's the most enchanting thing about your town, Reese?"
Reese considered this for a moment, clearly appreciating the interest. Her expression softened as she thought back to her hometown. "The most enchanting thing? That would have to be the annual Midsummer Festival. The entire town comes together to celebrate. There are vibrant decorations everywhere, music playing in the streets, and everyone dances. It's like the whole town is alive with this magical energy that makes even the smallest moments feel extraordinary."
Astraea's eyes widened in awe. "Midsummer Festival? That sounds amazing! Do you have any special traditions or rituals during the celebration?"
Reese's face brightened as she recounted the details. "One of the most cherished traditions is the lantern lighting at dusk. Everyone writes a wish or a hope on their lanterns, and then we release them into the night sky. It's beautiful, watching hundreds of lanterns floating up, carrying our dreams into the stars."
Marnie, her eyes wide with wonder, couldn't help but chime in. "That sounds so magical! The unity, the shared hopes—it must create such an incredible atmosphere. Do you have a favorite memory from the festival?"
Reese smiled, her gaze distant once again as she relived the memory. "One year, during the festival, there was an unexpected meteor shower. It was like the universe had joined our celebration. People were dancing under the falling stars, and it felt like the whole world was applauding our joy. That night is something I'll never forget."
Astraea sighed deeply, completely captivated by the imagery Reese had woven. "That sounds like something straight out of a dream. I'd love to experience something like that."
As the conversation began to wind down, I found myself glancing around the room, taking in the faces of the people who would be my roommates for the foreseeable future. Marnie Fae, with her wild curls and an air of faerie royalty, exuded both whimsy and quiet strength. Reese Black, the mysterious girl from a small town in Massachusetts, had an understated wisdom that made her seem older than she appeared. And then there was Astraea Moon, whose natural curiosity and determination shone through in every word she spoke, especially when she talked about blood pathology.
I sat at my desk, surrounded by the soft glow of Marnie's magical trinkets, feeling a deep sense of connection with these girls. It wasn't just the excitement of starting university that bound us together—it was something deeper, something unspoken. Each of us had our own stories, our own mysteries to uncover.
Reese's stories of small-town traditions and magical festivals lingered in my mind, making me wonder about my own past, especially the mystery surrounding my missing parents. What were their traditions? What secrets did they leave behind, waiting to be discovered? As the conversation continued, I could see that I wasn't the only one with unanswered questions. Marnie, with her faerie heritage, often had a distant look in her eyes, as though she too was searching for something. Reese, always the quiet observer, seemed to carry the weight of past experiences that begged to be uncovered. Astraea, driven by her passion for blood pathology, had a purpose beyond just academic curiosity.
We were all, in our own ways, seeking something—answers about where we came from, who we were meant to be, and what our future held. The air in the room was thick with the unspoken anticipation of unraveling those mysteries together.
As the conversation wound down, there was a shared understanding among us—a quiet acknowledgment of the paths we had walked, the stories we carried, and the hopes that intertwined our futures. We were more than just roommates; we were fellow travelers on a journey of discovery, and I had a feeling that our bond was only beginning to take shape.