"I'm home," Thalia muttered as she stepped through the door, closing it with a soft click behind her. She walked toward the living room, where her mother was already sitting at the dining table, waiting like she'd been expecting Thalia's return for hours.
"Look who's finally back," her mother said with a warm smile, a little too bright. "It's rare for you to hang out with your friends."
Thalia shrugged off her coat and went straight to the kitchen, already wearing an apron and flipping the gas on to start cooking. "They weren't my friends," she said, chopping onions with the precision of someone who's done it a million times. "They were Kaia's... college mates."
"I see," her mother replied, eyeing her with curiosity. "Are they close to Kaia?"
Thalia hesitated, her knife hovering over the tomatoes. "Yeah, they're nice people," she said quickly, but without looking up. "I just went along to spend time with them."
Her mother's eyes softened as she leaned back in her chair. "That's good. Was Kaia with you?"
"Yeah," Thalia lied, not hesitating, still focused on the chopping board, trying not to make eye contact.
Her mother let out a long, relieved sigh, her shoulders sagging slightly. "That's really nice. It's been so long since Kaia called anyone her friend…" Her voice trailed off, almost as if a weight had been lifted from her chest. "Invite them over sometime. I'd like to meet them."
Thalia didn't respond, too lost in thought as she sliced through the tomatoes.
"Thalia!" Her mother's voice snapped her back to reality. She had been staring off into space, dangerously close to slicing her finger off. "Watch it!"
Thalia blinked, barely managing to pull her knife away just in time. "Wha—?" She looked down at her hand, the knife still hovering near her skin, her pulse racing.
Her mother rushed over, checking her hands frantically. "Oh, thank God. You scared me half to death!" She exhaled in relief. "You need to rest. You've been off today. This hasn't happened before."
Thalia didn't argue. She pulled off her apron and gave a quiet nod. "I'll rest." Without another word, she headed to her room, her steps slow and heavy.
Her mother watched her go, her face creased with worry. As the door to Thalia's room clicked shut, her smile faded, replaced by a deep, concerned frown.
Thalia closed the door behind her as she stepped into her room. Her gaze wandered to the mirror on her dressing table. And there it was again—the strange, unsettling eye. The one she had seen before, the one Kai had somehow made disappear.
It moved, its pupil swirling aimlessly, murmuring, "My child… my child…"
Thalia sighed, her eyes flicking over to the mirror without any real interest. She walked to her desk, sat down, and opened her book. The surface of the desk was covered with that slimy texture again, creeping toward her hand in slow, almost deliberate movements.
She didn't acknowledge it.
She had learned by now that the best way to deal with this... was to pretend it wasn't there.
I've been seeing this for a while now, Thalia thought, her fingers brushing over the pages. Ever since that day. The first time I saw it, it was right behind us when Kai left. She'd convinced herself it was just a trick of her mind, but it hadn't gone away. It kept showing up, in different places, at different times.
And every time, she tried her best to ignore it.
I was planning to tell Zero when we went out, but...
Her mind wandered back to that day.
She remembered sitting on the bench with Kiaan and Zero, ready to speak up. But then, her eyes widened when she saw it—the eye, behind Zero, not just hovering but... tearing up.
Her heart skipped a beat. That was new.
She felt a wave of panic, but quickly squashed it. The eye's voice came again, low and unsettling:
"I will… hurt them."
Thalia froze. Kiaan and Zero didn't see it. There was no way to warn them if it decided to do something. She tried to push the thought away, squeezing her eyes shut in the hope that it would all disappear.
I'm so tired these days… she thought, pressing her hand to her forehead. Her mind felt foggy. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, but at the same time, she didn't want to make it worse by acknowledging it.
Should I talk to it?
The thought lingered for a moment, but she quickly dismissed it. No, she couldn't risk it. Her mom was the only one home, and the idea of it hurting her... No. I can't let that happen.
She glanced at her phone, then at the clock. Kaia… She wondered what she was doing right now.
The infirmary was quiet, the lights dimmed to a soft glow. Kaia sat on a stool next to the bed, her eyes glued to Yona, who was out cold, snoozing away like she hadn't nearly died five minutes ago.
Kaia wasn't sleeping. She was… well, nervous.
Her fingers were locked together in an anxious grip, and she stared at Yona like she was trying to figure out how to put a broken puzzle back together. Her usual reckless confidence? Nowhere to be found. Instead, there was just... anger.
Her phone buzzed next to her, vibrating like it was trying to escape the chaos of her thoughts. It was Thalia calling. Again. Of course.
Kaia ignored it, shoving the phone back down on the table. She wasn't in the mood for Thalia's calm, collected voice right now. Not when her insides were bubbling with frustration and guilt.
I couldn't do anything. I was too late. The thought cut through her like a blade.
She turned her gaze back to Yona, her chest tightening. "You better wake up soon, or I'm going to start talking to myself," she muttered under her breath.
It was finally morning,
Yona blinked her eyes open, the world fuzzy around the edges. Slowly, things came into focus. Infirmary? Her brain hadn't quite caught up yet. She tried to rub her head, but—what the hell?
She froze, her hand caught by something warm. And by something, she meant Kaia—who was currently drooling like a faucet on the stool next to her.
Seriously?! Yona muttered, staring at the mess. I wasn't dying, idiot.
She raised her hand to smack her head, but Kaia's reflexes—somehow faster than a caffeine-charged squirrel—snatched her wrist in a vice grip. Yona blinked. What the—?
"I know you weren't dying," Kaia mumbled, eyes half-lidded as she yawned and stretched like she owned the whole place. "But hey, my house got destroyed. This was the best place to crash. Not my fault you were snoring like a dying rhino."
Yona blinked again. What?
"And if I wanted," Kaia continued, completely unfazed, "I could've shoved you off the bed and slept like a queen. But," she paused dramatically, "I'm a good person."
Yona opened her mouth, but Kaia was already bouncing up and heading for the door, like a hyperactive child on sugar. "Doctor says you're all good, so! We're going to the amusement park today. Don't fall behind, slowpoke!" She tossed a playful smack to Yona's head, and with that, she was off, disappearing down the hallway.
Yona just blinked at the spot where she'd been. "What the hell... did she just read my mind?" Her hand subconsciously rubbed her temple. How?
She tried to mumble a quick spell, just a little spark of magic, but—nothing. Great.
Her heart sank, and she stared at her hands. What did Meryt do to me?
But then, with a deep breath, she stood up and straightened her back. Magic or not, Kaia was right about one thing.
Amusement park, it is then.