Someone's calling me!?
In a sparsely decorated room set up for video games, with a desk holding a few books, a young boy struggled to wake up, as if trapped in an endless dream; he was slightly sweating.
With a jerk, he opened his eyes, his hair a mess and his gaze unfocused. Although he had just woken up, there was no trace of a dream; it was more like he had completely forgotten it.
Nevertheless, he felt unusually heavy, and after a quick glance around, the reason was clear: he had forgotten about his sister, who had the bad habit of sleeping beside him; she often snuggled under the sheets.
"Theos."
"Louise."
"Theos."
Simultaneously, a voice called out—his mother's voice, addressing him by his name, Theos, while the girl clinging to him was his younger sister, Louise.
Theos gently shook his sister, hoping to wake her without rushing her.
"It's really a bad habit she should try to break; at her age, it's a real handicap," were some of the thoughts that crossed Theos's mind whenever this situation occurred.
This wasn't the first time. As far back as he could remember, Louise had suffered from nightmares, and sleeping with her brother was the only thing that provided her comfort through the night.
The common belief was that she would eventually grow out of it as she aged. They had even sought consultation, but only their mother knew the results of the diagnosis, which apparently revealed nothing serious, just speculation about the causes.
The outcome was a 15-year-old girl who still clung to her brother, although fortunately, the frequency of her nightmares had decreased over time.
Upon hearing his sister's cute groan of not wanting to wake up, he smiled before getting up himself.
"We have to get up sometime."
"We're coming!"
Theos was accustomed to this routine; he cherished his sister and often wondered about the nightmares that plagued her, as well as the dreams she might have when she slept beside him.
He left his still half-asleep sister, confident she would wake once she noticed he had moved.
Theos walked to the bathroom, handled his morning routine, and then prepared a bath for his sister, considering her needs thoughtfully.
"Louise, your bath is ready."
Theos and his family lived in a ten-story building, and while they did not occupy an entire floor for personal reasons, their apartment on the sixth floor was spacious. The dining room extended into an open kitchen, and Theos pulled out a chair. Breakfast was already prepared, and he could see his mother busy in the kitchen.
"Good morning, Theos."
A beautiful day seemed to be taking shape in Theos's heart—can you predict the weather based on someone's mood?
Theos wondered, and in his heart, the answer was yes; his mother, the most beautiful woman in the world, greeted him cheerfully, and he adored her gentle morning tone.
"Good morning, Mom."
Her straight black hair was tied back, her pink apron adorned with a crudely drawn rabbit and the logo "ykc," and she turned to smile at him.
"Did you sleep well, Theos?"
Theos Martin—his full name—had an unusual first name, but it didn't bother him much.
"Yes, although waking up was rather heavy."
Of course, he was referring to his little sister, and thankfully, she wasn't there at the moment.
She approached the dining table and took a seat across from Theos, observing him eat his breakfast.
"Louise," she began, with Louise being their family name, "seems like the nightmares are acting up again."
It seemed natural to consult a specialist in such situations, but everyone had their own opinions on the matter, and the cause was becoming increasingly obscure—what about her unusual bond with her brother?
She waved away her thoughts, focusing instead on her son.
"Eat up or you'll be late."
Theos's mother smiled, and he returned the smile.
"I almost forgot I'm running a bit late." After finishing his breakfast, he returned to his room to gather his things. Louise had awakened by then and presumably taken her bath, as her slightly damp hair indicated. She was heading towards the living room.
In the hallway, she stopped in front of Theos, who did the same. Louise seemed a bit agitated; she had something to ask me, he thought?
As her older brother, Theos always endeavored to fulfill her requests. Their bond was strong and unusual; Louise's requests were always reasonable, and even when they bordered on the impossible, Theos would consider them seriously.
"Well, I didn't want to bother Mom about it, but I need some money!"
Theos understood what his sister needed without her having to say more. "Well, you know, I'm not just a walking wallet," he joked silently to himself.
He couldn't refuse his sister anything, especially not such a reasonable request.
"Do what you always do, but don't bankrupt me, Louise."
He didn't inquire about the money's purpose—Louise surely had her reasons—or how much she required. Theos was frugal and always had savings, managing his finances prudently.
"Sure thing, big brother," replied the girl cheerfully.
"Say it again."
She smiled at him again, and Theos wondered if she possessed the ability to read his mind.
He patted Louise's head.
Yet, he thought, perhaps she should remain a child forever. Reflecting on his sister's psychological state, Theos experienced a complex mix of emotions. "Am I to blame for her not outgrowing some of her habits?"
Seeing her looking embarrassed, he realized he was running late. "I better get going." He grabbed his bag and left.
Exiting the apartment, he took the elevator and exchanged greetings with a few people disembarking at the same time as him.
His high school wasn't far, so he could walk there comfortably, though his tardiness bothered him somewhat.
He began walking at a steady pace. "I won't run either, to avoid breaking into a sweat."
***
Zi Yun Esiah, a girl from a dominant class family, her father being the owner of AITech Industries. Currently in her senior year at the mixed Genius Matter high school, contrary to what one might believe, it was not a particularly elitist structure; the "genius" in the name stemmed from a pronounced marketing strategy, and it wasn't a dump either.
Genius Matter maintained its accreditation over the years and was ranked among the best learning environments in the country.
This was enough to ensure that the elite, like Zi Yun Esiah, would not squander their future.
Her presence at Genius Matter was by her own choice; she pursued her dreams and goals. Zi Yun Esiah usually drove to school in a car, escorted by a private driver from a security agency, but as everything went smoothly, she grew tired of this little attention; she wanted to change her routine.
With this in mind, she tricked the vigilance of poor Sébastien, who could be considered her caretaker. It wasn't as if he risked losing his job; she was not that reckless.
She was now wandering the streets of the city. This whole escapade would cause her a slight delay; she misjudged the distance to cover, but she appreciated her initiative; it was enough.
Zi Yun Esiah was the type of person to act according to her whims, but every decision was made calmly. If it weren't for her reckless side, she might not be her mother's daughter, but her stubbornness gave headaches to her father.
Zi Yun Esiah arrived at an intersection. Hmm, there was that alley she had noticed. Usually, when driving, she had seen some students from the school take a secret path at this intersection. She had heard that it was a shortcut. She took the shortcut, but her good mood was short-lived.
The shortcut was between two buildings, wide enough to let a car and a motorcycle pass at the same time. One could see some stuff lying around here and there, and as she moved forward, the place was filled with cigarette butts and empty bottles.
Zi Yun Esiah ended up having an unpleasant encounter.
— Aren't you having fun with us?
These words irritated her, but at the same time, they were frightening as she was alone, surrounded by shady types.
It was around seven-twenty when she entered the alley. "I wonder if it was a good idea to pass through here."
A bit further in this place, she saw a group of six people chatting, sitting on what seemed to be a barrel and air conditioning units.
Three wore white shirts and black pants; they must have been students, but she couldn't identify their school. Then, there was the one who was definitely over twenty, she thought. He had a muscular build, and the other two were in civilian clothes.
They definitely seemed like delinquents in Zi Yun Esiah's eyes. So, she continued on her way, but these people noticed her; one stood up. It was easy to guess the intentions of such people.
— Hey, gorgeous.
He approached her as she hadn't responded to his call at all. She was now surrounded by five strange boys. The sixth, in his school uniform, was watching the scene, sitting on the air conditioning unit. One wondered how he could see, with his hair likely blocking his view.
Usually, ignoring these people would be the right answer. That would be enough to discourage some and send a message: "I don't have time to talk to you." At least, that's what she thought, but the world is a bit more complex than that. The method didn't seem to work, and they grew increasingly persistent. It was an ugly situation for Zi Yun Esiah.
— Come on, be nice. Come on, let's have some fun; I promise it'll be entertaining.
— I'm in a hurry, and even without that, I would never accept the invitation from strangers, retorted Zi Yun Esiah.
She was doing her best to stay calm; she had put herself in a very unpleasant situation. She regretted passing through here. If she had taken the usual route, this incident wouldn't have happened.
— I have class, and I'm late.
One of them was leading the charge; the other four were merely nodding, perhaps they would serve as deterrents if she refused! The sixth hadn't made a move all this time, sitting and simply observing the scene, unlike the other three; he was still in his school uniform.
They were mostly simple people; it was enough not to offend them and to play it cool and in a hurry. So, this could translate to "maybe next time." Zi Yun Esiah was thinking of a way to apply that until one of the delinquents grabbed her wrist.
— Let go of my hand.
Esiah had lost her cool.
— What, you're not having fun with us?
— It seems you didn't quite understand!
A disgusting smile appeared on their faces, betraying their intentions. She then resigned herself to slap one of them, using the brief moment of surprise to run away.
She didn't seem like it, but Esiah had won a few trophies in athletics when she was younger.
But a saving voice rang out in the vicinity, a voice calm and fluid.
— Guys, let her go!
He walked towards them with an Olympic calm, bag in hand. His expression was calm; it was difficult to read his emotions. Zi Yun Esiah wondered if he sometimes simply thought of nothing in such situations.
Zi Yun Esiah recognized him, a friend from her class, but also the man for whom she harbored feelings: Theos Martin.
She recognized him by the sound of his voice, both empty and overflowing with life.
Zi Yun Esiah averted her gaze from the delinquents. She was so surprised that she said his name — Theos; who would have thought he would find himself in such a situation this morning? But his presence was bothersome for others, and thus they didn't share the same feeling as Zi Yun Esiah.
They all watched Theos with sharp looks.
— Dude, are you really looking for trouble? Move along!
The group didn't seem very receptive to Theos's request. The muscular guy spoke up, visibly annoyed by his colleague's sudden behavior, forgetting his place in the hierarchy.
— Hmpf, let it go.
A clear lack of cohesion among them. Zi Yun Esiah wondered internally if Theos had something to do with it. But he hadn't done anything yet. Maybe this guy knew how to avoid trouble.
— You deaf? I said we're leaving.
After a quick glance at Theos, he asked his mates to back off. Confused, they had no choice but to retreat.
— Tss.
The muscular guy probably wanted to fight; it was perhaps a matter of pride in the milieu. They all moved away from Theos, casting him a dark look as if to say, "We'll meet again soon."
Theos came towards Zi Yun Esiah as if nothing had happened.
— Are you coming? We're late!
Zi Yun Esiah managed to squeeze out a "yes" between his words. She couldn't help but smile. He noticed her and asked:
— Are you okay?
This kind of attention was just for show, given that neither of them had been hurt, but it remained a bad experience that could have gone horribly wrong. Theos's inquiry was therefore entirely legitimate.
— Thanks to you, I'm fine.
Theos smiled at Zi Yun Esiah.
— Thank God, then!
But afterward, Theos's expression was concerning. Now that the delinquents had left, for the first time, Esiah felt something was wrong with that neutral face. What could he possibly be thinking?
His eyes were looking far away; one could not read his expressions, but Esiah knew deep down in her heart, a look like that.
It was dangerous!
Having met several people in her father's business dealings, from ambitious individuals to opportunists, she sometimes could discern such things. So, she needed to return the favor.
Zi Yun Esiah asked him in turn what was wrong. She felt anxious but also responsible for the situation. He smiled as he usually did before replying:
— Don't worry, it was a bit dangerous. I was just thinking we're accumulating quite a delay.
Together, they finally headed toward school.