(Our Realm)
Phraan and Galen perched on Alethia's bed, observing as she rummaged through her wardrobe. Her hair was still damp, and she wore a loose housecoat. It was six in the morning, the dawn of tenth grade. "If you two are just going to watch, you might as well leave, or you can lend a hand in choosing my attire," she quipped.
Galen's smile widened. "Had you selected your outfit last night, you wouldn't be facing this predicament."
Phraan shook his head as Alethia spun around to face Galen. "For your information, Galen, I was out all night with Chris, devising strategies to deal with the White Doves and Slade."
Galen retreated behind Phraan, realizing that this was not the moment to pester her.
Phraan approached Alethia, gently squeezing her shoulder. She still found it surreal that they could touch her in this realm.
"I believe you should wear the black pants and the dark blue swashbuckler top."
Alethia looked puzzled. "Swashbuckler top? Oh, you mean the dark blue top with the pointed sleeves?"
Phraan nodded. "Yes, exactly that one."
Alethia nodded, swiftly grabbing her clothes and heading into the bathroom to continue getting ready. Twenty minutes later, she emerged with dried hair framing her face, violet eyeshadow accentuating her features. She wore the black form-fitting pants and the dark blue long-sleeved shirt with flowing pointed sleeves. She adorned her ears with crescent moon and star earrings. "So, what do you think?"
Both Phraan and Galen beamed. "As beautiful as ever."
Alethia rolled her eyes, grabbing her bag. "Well, I must go, or I'll be late to meet everyone."
Phraan nodded. "Good luck and enjoy yourself."
Alethia smiled. "That's the plan."
Galen grinned mischievously. "We'll check on you later to see how things are going."
"Sounds good. See you both later." With that, she grabbed her keys and headed out the door, walking down the street to the designated meeting spot where everyone would gather to walk to school. Jen and David were already waiting, sharing laughter. As Alethia approached, she greeted them. "Hey, guys." Corie would join them at school, along with Chris and Russell.
Jen smiled. "So, where are we supposed to meet Corie?"
Alethia watched as Zepher and Sarah approached. "In the cafeteria."
Jen grinned as Zepher drew nearer. "Perfect. We won't have to search the entire school for her."
Alethia nodded. "Chris and Russell will meet us there too."
Zepher wrapped his arms around Sarah's waist, resting his head on her shoulder. "Why isn't he walking with us?"
"He's driving up with Clara and her older brother today."
Zepher smiled, planting a kiss on Sarah's cheek as a black SUV pulled up, honking and catching David's attention. David walked up to the vehicle as the window rolled down. "Need a ride, little brother?"
"Yeah, that would be great." He turned to the group. "Hey, we've got a ride, everyone."
Zepher grinned, holding the door open for Jen, Sarah, and Alethia as David climbed into the passenger seat. Zepher slid in next to Alethia, shutting the door. David's brother turned back and smiled. "Hey, Jen, good to see you again."
Jen smiled in return. "Nice to see you too, Bobby."
Bobby smiled, addressing Alethia and Zepher. "So, you guys must be Alethia and Zepher, and Sarah. Pleasure to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."
Alethia smiled. "Likewise, Bobby. Thanks for giving us a ride."
Zepher smiled. "Nice to meet you too. Thanks a lot."
Bobby grinned. "No problem at all." He turned back to the wheel, pulling onto the road. Ten minutes later, he stopped outside the high school, allowing them to disembark. "Have a great day, guys. I'll be back around four, if that's alright?"
They all nodded, expressing their gratitude before heading towards the entrance. "We still have an hour before classes start, so we should have plenty of time to find our rooms and hang out," Jen suggested, her eyes scanning the list of names on the wall, searching for her first class.
"Hey, Alethia, we have English together in room 212."
"According to the map, room 212 is upstairs. It shouldn't be too hard to find. Let's head to the cafeteria and see if Corie is already there." Everyone nodded, following Alethia to the cafeteria, scanning the room. However, Corie was nowhere in sight, so they settled at a table near the entrance, granting them a view of the entire cafeteria.
Corie entered through the opposite door of the cafeteria, her eyes scanning the room until she spotted Alethia and the others making their way towards the table. She smiled. "How did you guys beat me here?"
David grinned. "My brother offered to drive us in every day."
Corie dropped her bag onto the table. "Lucky you. So, what class do you all have first?" "Jen and I have English in room 212."
"I have the same class. That's great; we have homeroom together."
Alethia hugged Corie excitedly. "Yay! At least we have one class together." Corie laughed. "Let's hope for more."
Alethia nodded as Chris entered, looking as if he hadn't slept in days. Alethia observed his fatigued aura as he slowly made his way to the table and took a seat. "Hey, you don't look so good."
Chris raised his gaze, his nod deliberate and measured. "Yeah, just have a lot on my mind."
Alethia's nod was equally measured, her eyes scanning the room as the chatter about high school grew louder. Alethia's attention was fixed on Chris, her nods mirroring the conversation, but her intuition sensed his detachment, his gaze lost in the void of his thoughts.
A deep sigh escaped her lips, for she knew there was much he kept hidden, and the question of how long it would take to unravel his secrets weighed heavily upon her.
