Chapter 9: What Happened Yesterday?
The wind blew, gently moving the flowers, and the beautiful sunset illuminated the meadow. Bianca wore a white dress that covered her body, her bare feet touching the grass, a small smile appeared on her face.
She lay down in the grass to enjoy the moment.
Bianca felt calm in this place, a place full of peace to soothe her.
A fun laugh caught her attention, and she turned to see where it came from. Bianca saw a little girl playing near a tree, her black hair with pink highlights, her bright pink eyes, and the smile on her face.
It was when she was a child.
Suddenly, everything changed. The sky darkened, the wind blew violently, and the flowers in the meadow withered.
Bianca looked around in confusion at the sudden change.
The laughter of the little girl distorted, and Bianca turned to look at her, but she wasn't there anymore.
—Miss– Bianca heard a familiar voice from behind her. A blonde girl hiding her face behind her hair.
—Alice?!– Bianca asked, seeing the little girl there.
Shadows started to appear and take the form of a giant monster with tentacles, sharp teeth, and claws, materializing in front of her, its eyes fixed on the little girl, starting to run towards her.
Bianca tried to run towards Alice but couldn't move, dark shadows held her legs. She tried to speak, warning her of the danger, but her lips were closed. The shadow covered her mouth, her eyes filled with desperation as every second passed, and the beast got closer to Alice, who still didn't reveal her face.
—Why don't you do something?– Alice asked Bianca as the beast approached her faster.
Bianca was desperate to do something, but her body wouldn't move. She tried to scream with all her might, but it was useless. She felt heavy, the ground began to sink like quicksand, and Bianca's vision was obscured. The last thing she could see was the monster's expression and the feelings of the little girl.
—Pathetic.– Bianca could only hear this phrase from an unknown voice followed by a loud scream, breaking the darkness like glass.
Bianca woke up abruptly, letting out a startled scream. Cold sweat dripped like a waterfall, her breathing was irregular, and her heart was racing.
—…It was just a dream…– Bianca said to herself, trying to calm her breath. Her eyes scanned around her. To her right, there was a window with curtains letting in a faint light. In front of her, the door was closed, her uniform hanging in the open closet, and a shelf full of magic and fantasy books to her left. Bianca knew where she was.
It was her room.
A constant sound reached her ears.
Bianca looked at the nightstand beside her bed, a small lamp she always used to read her books on nights when she couldn't sleep.
Next to it, a small alarm clock that had started ringing, signaling it was time to get up.
Today was a school day.
Bianca let out a sigh, turning off the alarm with reluctance. She got up slowly from the bed; her energy was drained. She really didn't want to go, but she couldn't skip it.
Bianca began getting ready for school. When she got to the bathroom, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was messy, like she had just come out of a jungle.
Bianca had a bad feeling about this day.
She didn't pay it much attention and continued with her daily routine.
Ready to start the day, Bianca left her house heading toward school, wearing her usual school uniform.
The sun shone brightly, birds were singing, and people walked peacefully enjoying the weather on the streets of the city.
Bianca looked around in surprise.
Unlike yesterday, which had been a cold and gloomy day, today was a cheerful, sunny day.
It was incredible how much things had changed from one day to the next. The news had said it would rain all week, but it didn't seem true.
Bianca walked near the place where she had faced that monster. The street was blocked off with yellow tape. At this time in the morning, adults passing by on their way to work and students heading to school were watching the scene, amazed by the damage that had been done. They gathered behind the tape that prevented them from passing. Bianca had a hard time seeing the aftermath from the other side of so many people.
For Bianca, this was unbelievable.
Had she done all that?
The answer was yes. It was surprising when, in an attempt to protect Alice, she unleashed a mysterious power that allowed her to face a beast strong enough to destroy a building.
Bianca looked seriously at her hand, which wore the ring that reflected the daylight. Though she had been confused before, now she wanted to know more about the truth.
She remembered the conversation she had with that boy named Lux yesterday. It had really been strange.
Flashback.
We see a boy standing in front of Alice and Bianca, smiling.
—Do you remember this afternoon when I talked to you about magic... and miracles?– Lux asked, his smile contagious, his eyes full of excitement.
Bianca nodded slowly. She couldn't forget that conversation, although she had ignored it at the time.
—Would you like to know more about it?– Lux asked, extending his hand toward her.
Bianca was hesitant. After everything that had happened, she wanted to know the truth behind it all.
—…I accept!– Bianca said, determined, taking Lux's hand. But as soon as she stood up, her legs trembled, losing her balance, and she fell face-first to the ground.
How embarrassing.
—Are you okay?– Lux asked curiously as he saw Bianca lying on the ground.
—…Yes, I'm just tired…– Bianca answered weakly. Although she was athletic, her body had reached its limit.
—I see…– Lux murmured with amusement in his voice.
—"By the way… wasn't there a little girl next to you?"– Lux asked with doubt.
Bianca reacted quickly, looking to where Alice should have been, but she was gone.
—Alice?!– Bianca asked, starting to look around desperately to find the girl.
What if that spell made Alice fly away?
Panic hit her immediately. Her chest tightened, and her mind filled with catastrophic images.
—Miss Bianca!– Bianca and Lux heard a cheerful voice from a little farther away. Turning to look, they saw little Alice smiling with an adult woman who had the same hair color as her.
It was her mother.
Bianca's heart calmed down when she saw that nothing had happened to Alice. It seemed she was in good hands.
—Goodbye, Miss Bianca! Goodbye, Mr. Mage! Goodbye, kitty!– Alice said with a smile, waving her hand from a distance.
Alice returned the gesture, saying goodbye to the girl who had protected her, the boy who had saved her, and her pet cat. Her happiness was clear to anyone who saw her face.
Watching them leave, Bianca simply collapsed on the ground, exhausted. She no longer needed to worry and could finally rest.
But there was something she couldn't get out of her mind, staring intently at the boy standing in front of her.
—…Hey… Are you really a mage? Why did you help me?– Bianca asked him.
—I thought I already told you that I am.– Lux replied simply, placing his arms behind his head.
—Changing the subject… How do you plan to get home in your state?– Lux asked curiously.
Bianca blinked. She hadn't thought about it. Her body was still weak, and even if she tried to walk, she would probably end up on the ground again.
—"I don't know… I suppose I'll manage,"– Bianca replied with a sigh as she tried to get up slowly, only to fall again to the floor. She really couldn't stand up.
—"I see it's hard for you to get up."– Lux said, laughing at Bianca's effort. She was really funny to watch.
—"…In that case… let me carry you."– Lux smiled at her calmly, his response pulling Bianca out of her thoughts.
What did he just say?
Without warning, Lux picked Bianca up in his arms.
—"Hey, what are you doing?!"– Bianca asked, surprised, feeling her cheeks flush.
—"Isn't it obvious?"– Lux asked, his smile widening.
—"I'm going to carry you home."– He said, looking her in the eyes.
—"I can walk on my own!"– Bianca exclaimed, raising her voice.
—"Sure, sure, and you didn't break your face against the pavement."– Lux teased, laughing softly. He enjoyed teasing this girl.
Bianca's response irritated her. She felt angry and embarrassed because of this boy, who had no consideration for her feelings.
Although she didn't want to admit it, she really couldn't move her legs.
It was a bit of her pride that didn't want to accept his help.
Knowing that complaining would be of no use, she gave in to the boy who was carrying her in his arms and let him take her home.
The journey was silent. Lux walked calmly, carrying Bianca in his arms, looking at the houses in the neighborhood, while the black cat with a bored expression walked beside him. Bianca, for her part, looked at the dark sky; the stars were beautiful in the night, just like the white moon, glancing sideways at the boy who had saved her.
She still couldn't believe the words he had said to her.
This boy is really a mage!
She had seen it with her own eyes, how with a single movement of his wand, he defeated a beast that had been hard for her to match, had it not been for the mysterious aura that came from her ring and surrounded her body, she would have lost.
—Is this your house?— Lux asked, pulling Bianca out of her thoughts.
Without realizing it, they were already in front of her house, a large and spacious house for a big family. The lights were off, so her father shouldn't be home.
—Can you stand up now?— Lux asked, receiving a nod from the girl.
Lux gently lowered her in front of her house.
—Well, I better go home, let's go, Todd!— Lux called to the cat, who meowed and immediately jumped onto his shoulder. Without saying anything else, he turned to leave.
—Wait!—
Lux stopped, looking at Bianca who was gazing at him with some pity.
—T-thank you for bringing me— Bianca thanked, embarrassed, her voice was low and barely audible, but Lux heard her without staring at her.
—No problem— Lux responded with his calm smile and eyes closed.
Hey, I really want to know more, tell me about yourself, who are you? Where do you come from? How did you learn to use magic?— Bianca asked several questions, needing to satisfy her curiosity, at this point, she was starting to resemble her friend Zelena.
Lux, overwhelmed, could only laugh at how multifaceted this girl could be.
Lux glanced at the sky for a second and then looked back at the expectant girl.
How impatient she was.
—You want to know more about me? Be patient because the best stories are the ones that are told little by little— Lux replied calmly, Bianca's expression seemed irritated, which was a good sign to him.
—Rest tonight, and I'll tell you tomorrow, okay?— the boy finished saying, turning around.
Bianca, anxious, clenched her fists, she didn't want to wait until tomorrow.
—Hey, don't go! I…— Bianca wanted to stop him, but a gust of wind suddenly appeared, forcing her to close her eyes. When she opened them again, she realized Lux and the cat were gone, as if they had disappeared like the wind.
End of flashback.
That was the last thing she remembered from last night.
Bianca recalled that boy, he was mysterious and always smiling, his eyes full of life that looked at her intensely like a gemstone.
Slap!
Bianca slapped herself to return to reality.
—What are you thinking, Bianca?— she asked herself, blushing.
She wasn't like this.
These were intrusive thoughts she couldn't shake off.
As she kept walking, Bianca thought about the last words he had said to her.
The best stories are told little by little.
He was right, many books she read when she was a child had that approach of answering questions after some time, to keep the viewers engaged to see how the stories developed from the little known at the beginning.
But this is not a book!
She wanted to know more about magic, why it existed, and why she knew about it now.
Before she realized it, Bianca had reached school. Some students looked at her with joy, others with longing, but Bianca was used to those looks. Since she began to smile to hide her true self, this kind of treatment from others was normal for her.
Arriving at her classroom, she greeted her classmates and sat at her desk, waiting for the usual routine.
3, 2, 1.
—Bianca!— A familiar voice called her.
A green-haired head was coming towards her quickly, and she received a hug from behind.
There she was.
—Hi, Zelena— Bianca greeted her friend.
—Hi!— Zelena responded with a cheerful greeting.
—You're really energetic, what happened?— Bianca asked the green-haired girl, this was unusual for her.
—I saw a handsome guy at the entrance!— Zelena answered with excitement.
Bianca understood everything.
—Let me guess… you fell in love again— Bianca said teasingly to her seatmate.
—He's my type, straight hair, eyes like shining diamonds— Her gaze said it all. The sparkle in her eyes was real, she had truly fallen in love at first sight.
—I don't understand this love thing, so please, let's change the topic— Bianca only hoped that Zelena wouldn't come up with any plans that involved her trying to conquer a stranger.
—Don't get upset, Bianca— Zelena said with a mischievous smile, giving her a small nudge.
—One day, you'll find your soulmate, and you'll feel like your life is changing like magic— she finished saying to Bianca.
Bianca rolled her eyes in denial.
Soulmate?
Impossible.
Those things only happen in fairy tales.
Fairy tales don't exist.
Wait…
Bianca should reconsider that phrase.
The sound of the bell reached the students' ears, and the door to the classroom opened, revealing a somewhat old man walking to the front. He had long hair and a beard, and despite it being the beginning of the day, his look was already tired, and he seemed like he might fall asleep.
It was Professor Wick.
—Alright class, sit down quietly, I have something to say— said the professor to his students.
The students murmured and wondered what it could be, waiting for their professor to tell them.
—Starting today, we'll have a new student join our class— he finished saying.
Unlike the professor who looked terrible, the students were happy.
—You can come in!— the professor exclaimed.
The classroom door opened slowly, and the students wanted to see what this person was like.
The boy slowly peeked through the doorframe.
How cute.
That was the thought of many girls as they saw the boy walking slowly to the front of the classroom. He wore the male school uniform, his hair was brown, and his eyes were yellow like beautiful gems that would captivate anyone who looked at them.
But what caught everyone's attention most was that calm smile on his face, it radiated calmness into everyone's minds.
Everyone was surprised and excited, but unlike the others, one girl stood frozen, staring in disbelief, her mouth and eyes wide open as she couldn't believe what she was seeing, because she already knew that crazy guy.
—Alright, introduce yourself to everyone— said the professor, to which the boy nodded.
—My name is Lux. Nice to meet you all!— Lux said, his gentle smile shining like a thousand suns.
All the students were thrilled to have such a cool guy.
All except Bianca, who, seeing him here at her school, had already understood one thing.
Her monotonous life had just stopped being monotonous.