Vivian

(Four days later)

It’s been four days since the attack on Luminous Town. Noah seems better now. That’s a relief.

A day after our successful mission, a distressing change had come upon Noah. He stayed holed up in his (and Amel’s) room the entire day. He didn’t step foot out of the room, not even for a meal.

When Amel approached him, he flinched a slight but noticeable degree. It was tricky holding a conversation with him as he’d reply in almost inaudible monosyllables. We decided to give him some space.

The second day was the same, more or less. Noah cooped up in his bed all day long. But he did eat the meal we offered him at a ravenous pace. Some progress.

Yesterday was delightful. Around eight minutes past twelve in the afternoon, Noah emerged from his hermitage. He looked shaggy and drawn, so I asked him to wash his face and offered to make him a nice cup of tea. He agreed.

We sat underneath one of the gazebos in the boarding school’s garden, surrounded by lush, vivid scenery.

“Where’re the others?” Noah inquired.

“They’ve gone to collect firewood at the Medow Hills. Probably gonna return around 3:00 p.m. Dalia loves playing in the hills. Honestly, she can have a fun time anywhere. She’s a blithe girl,” I replied.

“Oh” Noah said, displeased.

“Anything the matter?”

“I just wanted to apologize to Amel and Dalia and you. And the other people I’ve troubled. Why am I such a bother?” Noah rambled, digging his head into his hands.

“Everyone has their bad days. Besides, I like taking care of troublesome people like you and Dalia.” I jested and got a whiff out of him.

Our lighthearted exchange took a serious turn when Noah brought up the touchy topic of the possibility of Amel being a *half-breed. I didn’t respond in the positive, and I didn’t deny the suggestion either; after all, he himself had seen what Amel could do. I was treading on a delicate line.

“Being a half-breed isn’t a person’s choice. And having so-called impure blood doesn’t make someone any less of a person, a human. In the end, we’re simply desperate people trying to survive in this world; it’s this common strife that connects us.” I sighed.

My last line was an unintended slip and I stopped myself from sharing anymore.

On hearing my words, Noah frowned for a split second, fleeting yet perceptible, raised his brows, then looked away.

I don’t think he holds any concrete disdain towards us; just a matter of prejudiced upbringing that engendered hate.

I asked him if he would like another cup of tea. He agreed and I went to the kitchen to refill our cups. My tensed body lightened.

[*Half-breeds: People with latent Bestial Insania, thought to be the descendants of an ancient civilization that contracted Bestial Insania but retained their humanity.

Half-breeds are now spread all over the world of Azistére.

Because of prejudice, half-breeds have been the subject of discrimination for a long time.

The injustice against half-breeds are now being mitigated by the efforts of Half-breed Rights Organization (HbRO) and other such organizations, the people of Azistére are gradually becoming open-minded and tolerant towards half-breeds, and liberal nations are starting to grant more freedom and rights to them.

However, there are still parts of Azistére that are intolerant of half-breeds, with some nations going to the extent of meting out inhumane treatment.

The nation of Eirenai is part receptive and part unreceptive of half-breeds, some regions having higher population of half-breeds owing to high acceptability.]

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Amel

It’s 8:30 in the morning. Been almost two weeks since Noah arrived. Pleasant weather, sun dazzling bright, a light breeze makes the garden flowers sway in bliss, the fresh fragrance of the Dorm Master’s perfume fills the air with an aromatic ambiance.

I look around for Noah but he’s not here. He woke up early today, an alteration from his habitual timing but a welcome one.

Vivian tells me he went to the hills for a short walk. As I expected, she’s with Dalia. I find myself envying their intimacy sometimes.

I’m plodding uphill, drenched in sweat. How far did Noah go for his ‘short walk’ ?

I can see the unguarded back of a lad observing a pond. He’s crouched, his attention preoccupied by something floating in the pond.

My advances go unnoticed despite my palpable footfall.

“Boo!” I vocalized.

Noah springs, loses balance and plunges into the pond.

Unable to hold back, I guffaw.

“A hello or hi or morning would have been preferred,” A deadpan Noah suggests.

“I didn’t expect you to have such an adverse reaction. Serious!” I blurt out , “C’mon, let me help you out as an apology.”

I reach out my hand. Noah grabs my wrist and pulls me in. Both of us are now soaked.

“Now we’re even,” Noah remarks.

“You got me there,” I retort, splashing water on his face. His facial features are more prominent in this weather; his eyes are mesmerizing – deep cerulean.

We make our way to a shady tree nearby, hoping to get some relief from the heat.

Noah takes off his soggy shirt and starts to squeeze the water out of it. He’s not wearing anything underneath.

The bright sunlight falls on his bare frame and I get a lucid view of his physique.

My face is burning up. Must be the heat.

I wipe my sweat with my hands but it’s too hot, my body won’t stop perspiring.

Noah walks up to me and we converse about inconsequential things – the weather, our likes and dislikes, hobbies, anything we can think of.

His body language looks a lot more open now. He still keeps a distance though.

Noah pauses for a moment.

“Thank you… for saving me back then, at the outskirts of the town,” a flushed Noah mutters.

“No problem! Can’t have you dying in your first mission!” I japed.

An unreadable expression on his face. I think I shouldn’t have joked about that.

“Also, sorry for burdening you for the past week. Really sorry.”

“You’re not a burden, I’m serious.” I assure him with a warm smile and give him a soft pat on the back. He recoils a subtle degree.

Silence follows for a brief moment and we sit under the shade, reveling in the calm.

The quiet is broken by Noah who asks me whether I would have enlisted for the boarding school if it wasn’t compulsory.

“Of course, compulsion is one of the reasons I’m here but there’s another. That’s a story for some other day though.”

I stand up and stretch.

“We’re gonna be late for history lessons. Let’s head back.”

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