This time we meet in a park at night. They are standing underneath the light of a streetlight, both their hair turning into the sun underneath the synthetic yellow light, Aiden’s a fiery sunset and Erika’s the golden hour. I have time to make this observation because I am currently not fully awake. Their quiet, hushed voices woke me up from where I was sleeping in the bushes, just on the other side of the path.

    Erika is on the phone, Aiden leaning close to listen to what is going on. They look at each other nervously as they listen to whoever is on the other line.

    “She should be here,” Erika says to the receiver, “We’ve gotten better at narrowing down her trace. It’s weird, I’ve never experienced any Immortal who was this hard to track. It’s like her trace covers itself up.”

    “That's too advanced, Eri,” Aiden says. She holds her hand on his mouth, shutting him up as the person on the phone speaks.

    I should get up and leave. They know I am here, it won't be long before they start properly looking. 

    But at the same time, if I leave they could possibly hear me. I am too tired to run fast, and they might be bolder at this hour. There is no one here to raise alarm if they cause a scene. 

    “Adi, trust me,” Erika says. She steps away from Aiden, the streetlight not reaching her anymore. Her hair still stands out, as if glowing faintly on its own. I blink my eyes and try to listen, but what she is saying now is too quiet for my ears to pick up. I can see it on Aiden’s face that this must be unusual. He looks surprised, then a bit hurt.

    Erika hangs up and draws her coat further around. She says something in a language I don't know, and Aiden responds, then looks slightly in my direction. Erika hits his arm and looks away, scratching her neck.

    “We could kiss,” Aiden says, stepping closer. Erika sighs and mouths off at him in the other language. I realize what they are doing. Somehow, this guy on the phone must have found me. They know I am here, and they are stalling. I crawl backward as quietly as I can, watching them closely. One step my way and I am running directly to Italy, no looking back. This is too creepy, too much.

    I feel air instead of branches above my head and I get into a crouching position. I don't care about my stuff anymore, I just got to get away.

    “Criss,” Aiden exclaims, pointing towards the bush, “How did she leave? We saw her.”

    Of course, they saw me through the bush. This is Denmark. There are only leaves on the trees for two months, then everything dies and stays dead for the remaining ten. 

    “You have to focus on the mission,” Erika tells him, walking with determination towards the bush. I get out my knife. The park is fenced off with two exits. The fence is too high to climb quickly and the top of the thin metal poles are sharp. I’ll have to cover a lot of ground smoothly before I am out, and who knows if they have blocked the exits. They clearly aren't just the two of them.

    Then there is the magic thing. Okay, yeah, a part of me believes them. Why shouldn't I? At this point, they have somehow managed to follow me for a week. Although I haven't had other run-ins with them other than the two earlier ones, I have still seen them around, doing mundane stuff that I recognize as poor cover. Whatever they are, they are quite terrible at it.

    I could take them in a fight.

    “She’s still here,” Erika says and crouches down, “Please come out, we aren't going to hurt you.”

     Her eyes are cast slightly to the left, not quite falling on me. I get up quickly and smoothly, not showing them any weakness, and with my knife raised I look into her eyes and say: “Then why have you been stalking me for a week?”

    I am not the best talker.

    “Because we have to explain to you,” She says, her hands reaching slowly up in the air, open palms towards me, “You need to know what you are. You need the offer.”

    “You say you know what I am,” I point the knife, wave it for good measure. I am talking English, even though I know she would understand Danish. It’s just that I also want him to get it.

     Maybe I also just want to show off. My mom spoke to me in English, she didn't know Danish, so I was always the best in my class at that subject. My only academic skill.

    “But you know what I am, I am none of your business.”

    “But you are,” Erika pleads, “I have said it before, but you are one of us. It’s our code to reach out to any newborn Immortals. We offer training, company, purpose. Keyword being offer.”

    She adds the last part hastily. I had moved closer, and I am sure my face must be displaying a myriad of emotions, mostly displeased ones. 

    “Skrid,” I spit at her. Fuck off. Aiden looks confused, but Erika just takes a deep breath and tries again.

    “Magic,” She says. I can hear it in her voice, she is tired. I wonder how long they have actually been looking for me, “Is real. You can do it. You must know that you’ve been doing it all this time. With magic comes eternal life. I don't know how big a shocker that one is, I don't know if you have been close to dying.”

    “It’s not really eternal life,” Aiden buts in, “It's more like immunity to almost everything that can kill you, but only almost. You can still die, but well that's a bit more complicated.”

    “What are you even talking about,” I ask him. I feel like I am going crazy. “I don't do magic, and I don't live forever. I’m not a newborn, I’m nineteen, I am supposed to look like this. I am not some ageless vampire.”

    Erika’s hand grips my wrist. She is close. Leaning so that our eyes meet, “I was there in 1989 when they removed that wall not far from here. I was there in the ’70s when America, my country, decided to go to war with Vietnam. My first mission on this team was to try and solve the assassination of Kennedy. I have pictures and endless proof of it all. I have countless pages of a diary, I have the memories which I would show you in a heartbeat. You are a newborn, it will take ages for you to understand what this is like. Even I am new, barely even fifty, and still I understand what this offering means. Company. You must understand how serious that is, you live here!” She points at the park, the streets, the city. I understand loneliness, I understand how precious company is.

    “If you stop running for five, god be damned, minutes,” She continues, “you might be able to see what we can do. And please, every time you run, we just see a girl running from herself. We know what you are doing, we’ve all been there. That’s why they sent us. Aiden joined when he was 17, he had the choice, and for a while, he even chose the lonely road. It doesn’t last. I tried that life for longer, almost seven years. It can't last. This mess you are, it can't last. Your mind will wear down, your life will be too long. We are the only company there is for you on this entire planet."

    I can feel each breath I am taking as the silence falls upon us. Erika’s words are blinking lights, and I don't know if it’s in warning or invitation. A plead. That’s the only way to really describe it. Aiden is not saying anything, not doing anything much really. He nods along, looks around with crossed arms. Brawls to her brains. Maybe not as much brain and more tongue. Teeth to her tongue. Wars to her words. I wonder if they are a couple. If what Erika says is true about the age thing, they could have been together for many years. That would explain the whole old married couple vibe. Or maybe they just generally barely get along. 

    “You said you would show me,” I point my eyebrows instead of my knife, which I instead sheath. My gut believes them, it especially believes that they won't hurt me anymore. It’s just my brain that needs convincing.

    Erika turns to look at Aiden expectantly. He turns around, trying to see what she is looking at, then turns back to look at her.

    “You want me to do it?” He asks, pointing at himself. He is taller than her, but he still appears smaller than the both of us underneath the streetlight.

    “Yeah,” Erika points out as if it's obvious, “You are the only one of us with a flashy power.”

    “Aw, don't beat yourself down,” Aiden pats her on the shoulder, “You got that light thing. That’s pretty cool.”

    “That's a party trick,” Erika takes his hand gently and puts it away, “Show her.”

    “Alright,” Aiden breaths, shakes his shoulders, “Of course. I can be flashy.”

    He squads slightly, spreading his hands. It's dark, properly well past midnight, but as Aiden moves his hands, light appears. First sparks, then a blazing fire that consumes his hands and moves with him as he walks around in circles, leading it like a dog on a leash. He stops, gathers the flames into a fireball, and when he removes one hand a tiny piece of the fire goes with it. He shoots it off into the sky, scoops another one out, and does the same.

    “How?” I say. It’s the only word I can get out of my mouth. How. 

    Erika has repeated it a couple of times now. She says I do this too, that I know I am doing it. I can't stress this enough, I can't say this in any words that might make them believe me, but I have never done anything unnatural. Everything I do is completely normal, my skills are well earned, they are me. They aren't magic.

    “I’ve practiced,” Aiden says proudly, “I once won a fight against Val Jones using fire! And she is very old, knows a lot of tricks.”

    “I mean,” I start. I don't know what I mean, “That’s not possible, that's not real.”

    “It is,” Erika says, crossing her arms and standing beside me, watching the world from my point of view. She leans closer, pointing at the flames, “Aiden is very proficient in using fire. We all have our own specialties. I have already shown you mine, but it’s not as prominent. Remember when I spoke danish? I’ve never practiced, I just let it out. I am good with words and feelings, Aiden is good with fire. What are you good at?”

    “Nothing,” I say, looking at her eyes, “Nothing.”

    “There must be something,” She says, turning her body towards mine. We are close. I can see everything on her face, lit up by the fire, and she is studying me like I am a fascinating animal. She tilts her head, her mouth smirking slightly.

    “I don't know,” I say. I can hear it, the hurt in my words. I realize that a part of me wants this, wants to be like them. I just don't know how.

    “Oh,” Erika realizes it too, that I don't know it. She takes a step back, looking at me up and down, “We have some educated guesses, but I suppose we’ll have to test it. Do you want us to? We can take you to our home base and train with you. No strings attached, we just want to help you understand yourself.”

    “So I would be able to leave?” I ask her. A plan is forming inside my head. I go with them, I train, I learn whatever magic there is, I leave for Italy, I live forever on a farm. Simple.

    “Selvfølgelig,” Erika says. Of course.