“Aria.”

 

Mmmm, five more minutes. Wait? Five more minutes?

 

“Did you sleep well?”

 

“Huh. That was weird. Yes I actually did sleep.”

 

I turn my head and see Lumi snuggling close to me at my side. Her blue eyes looking into mine, I give her a smile as I feel the warmth of her emotions roll over me. Only to have the realisation of what I have to do hit me like a truck.

 

“No, Aria. You have to. You heard yourself.”

 

Ughhhh, I knoooow.

 

“I will be right here, okay?”

 

I give Lumi a quick kiss on her forehead. There is a lot to talk about, but first.

 

I dive down deep into myself. Finding my emotional registry. My mindscape turning it into an electrical board with switches. I read the labels for my different emotions and traits, before finding the only one that is off, that has been off for a few years, due to...no. Don’t think about it.

 

Finding the switch for sexual attraction, I reach out to it but hesitate. Will this change everything? How will I react? How will I behave? Will I be able to control myself?

 

Before I can hesitate any more, I flip the switch as a few sensations wash over my mind.

 

Opening my eyes I can see my beautiful Lumi lie besides me. I can already tell there will be changes, that I am already thinking differently.

 

I take in the visage of my friend, my accepted one, the one who accepts me. My *******.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

I shake my head. “No, this will take some time getting used to, I can already….” Not wanting to finish that sentence, I avert my gaze from Lumi.

 

“Aria, look at me.”

 

Reluctantly I turn by head back and look at her, she is, smiling. A proper smile, something I haven’t seen except for a few times in our lives.

 

“I will be right here besides you, every step of the way. You already know how I feel.”

 

I know. Previously I was just scared of acting on impulses, not being able to reign in my urges. Afraid of our relationship changing. Now? There is so much more. The conversation I had with Lumi yesterday. My new knowledge. I still do not know everything I said to Lumi, but at least now I know the reason. Lumi knows, she knows what I have to do, but I have to figure it out, as I know she won’t tell me.

 

Closing my eyes to calm my mind. I focus on the waves of emotions rolling off Lumi, before opening my eyes and giving her a kiss on the lips. The sensation is different. The feel of her soft and slightly springy lips setting off chemical reactions in my body. Chemical reactions I didn’t know I had since I died.

 

I can feel my core heat up, and previously dulled thoughts start rapid firing into my brain, different scenarios, different situations.

 

“Aria. Focus on the now. Not what could have been, what could be. We will take one step at a time, until you figure out what you have to do, okay?”

 

Lumi’s smile is now so radiant. Different from Megan’s. Hers is one stemming from her personality, while Lumi’s radiance stems from feelings, understanding, trust.

 

Sighing in contentment, I rest my head on Lumi’s shoulder as she brings a hand and uses it to comb my hair. The feel of her hand running through my hair, the feeling of Lumi calming me down and bringing a sense of safety and home.

 

Megan.

 

I already know, I’ve just ignored it due to me turning off the relevant emotions and reactions.

 

“Do not worry, Aria. I will talk to her.”

 

I raise an eyebrow and look into Lumi’s eyes. Shouldn’t it be my job?

 

“No. Leave it to me.”

 

“But you hate talking to other people?”

 

“Yes, I do. I still do not like it, but I have to. It is my job as *******.”

 

Haah. There it is again. I hate that I don’t know what it means. You would think you could use context to figure out what it means, but there is something stopping me from doing so, stopping me from thinking too deeply about it and unraveling the meaning.

 

“Aria?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“You’re hungry.”

 

I am. It’s like she can tell better than me, but I’ve already fed on Lumi two days in a row. I can’t take too much blood from her, there is a reason blood donation is only done in intervals.

 

“Not anymore. It is one of the traits of a *******. You left me with certain knowledge, and it is safe. Do you not realise what you are doing when you use the language?”

 

My eyes blinking in confusion, my mouth opening and closing. Did Lumi just speak?

 

“Aria.” Hearing my name in the language is different, but it feels right. It resonates with me.

 

“Lumi.”

 

Lumi let’s out a giggle, no doubt feeling the same I did. I don’t understand why, but apparently she does. I wonder what I left her with.

 

“Aria, it is magic. This language? I do not know where it comes from, but it is something your Goddess left you with. You gifted me with the knowledge and understanding, but I can not use it yet, not until I become a proper *******.”

 

I feel giddy. I can feel my lips arching into a grin. We can speak. It feels wonderful, right, amazing. It doesn’t matter if I can’t understand everything yet, both me and Lumi tells me I will, in time.

 

“When you made me into a *******, it changed the composition of my body, I think. You will need to feed every day, and so my body changed to accommodate.”

 

I changed Lumi? No, I don’t want her to become like me. Yes, I love my abilities, but the frenzy? No, it is not fun. I do not want her to become like me.

 

“Aria. I will not become a vampire. I think I can, but that is far, far into the future. Do not worry, it is nothing harmful.”

 

Lumi, always the voice of reason, my emotional anchor, my shield. Although I am the one with superhuman abilities, it feels like she is always the one protecting and taking care of me.

 

She is right. One step at a time.

 

“Come on, Aria. We still have classes today.”

 

I look at the time. Oh shit. We’re already late.

 

I scramble out of bed and I can hear Lumi giggling. Tilting my head before I understand why, I am completely naked. It didn’t use to bother me, it still doesn’t exactly bother me, but flipping that switch changed how I think of nakedness, I. No, let’s not think too much about it.

 

##

 

“Lumi.”

 

“Megan.”

 

Megan’s eyes widen in surprise. No wonder, she is not used to me speaking.

 

“We need to talk, while Aria is still in class.”

 

I called her out when Aria is still in the classroom, I said I would take care of this, and I shall. It is my job.

 

We make our way towards mine and Aria’s usual spot. Before I turn around and look at Megan.

 

“So? Are you here to lord over me that you won? I could tell. Something is different about Aria today. She’s more, happy, but at the same time It’s like she can’t look at others the same way she used to.”

 

Well, at least Megan seems to be over the murder incident. It still fills me with warm emotions thinking that Aria protected me. She never told me exactly what made her go into rage, but I can assume. I saw the eyes of the men, I have seen those eyes before. The boys in school, men at the street. They look at me and Aria the same way.

 

Am I broken for being happy that she killed three men? No I do not think so. I shake my head, not the time for this.

 

“No. There is no winning. Aria is still dealing with her issues, but she is opening up and starting to accept. Something happened in our childhood, a certain incident that made her shy away from attraction and the emotions and functions that come with.”

 

Megan looks sad, she probably does not completely understand, but at least she is empathising. Good. She could not become a second, unless she understands.

 

“Then why are we having this conversation? Why am I talking to you and not Aria? Does she know?”

 

“Yes. She has known for a while. The reason I am talking to you, well, consider it my job as someone special to Aria. What I am here for is to tell you she will need time. She needs to accept certain parts of her, and come to terms with it. Once she does that, she will most likely reciprocate, but there is a condition.”

 

Megan looks annoyed, she does not understand what Aria is, and it is not my job to tell her.

 

“A condition? What? That you impose because you’re the first? Hah. I didn’t think the Ice Queen would stoop so low.”

 

She is taunting me, I will not let her rattle my emotions.

 

“No. There are things you do not know about Aria, things you will have to accept if you want to receive her love, her affection. I will not stand in her way if she wants to accept you, as I do not disagree with you being good for her. I am, different. You are happy, jovial, you bring different things that I can not.”

 

I can see the gears turning in her head. She is starting to understand parts of it.

 

“Wait, you’re telling me you’re orchestrating a fucking harem for Aria?”

 

A harem? How fitting. I suppose it is.

 

“I suppose.”

 

“And you’re not jealous?”

 

Jealousy? No. I have been with Aria forever. We understand each other.

 

I shake my head at Megan. It annoys me that I can not explain, but it is for the better.

 

“No. Yes I want Aria all to myself, to not share with anyone, I know that is not the future for Aria. I know you, and I trust in your character, that you will not betray her. We will have to learn to share, as I do not think you will be the last.”

 

Megan slumps down with her back to the tree. I am not good with emotions that do not belong to me or Aria. Our emotional bond helps me, but the incident with my parents broke something inside me. Aria calls me shy, but that is not it. I have just given up on the race known as humankind. I trust in Aria’s future, once she becomes…

 

“Unbelievable. Fine. If it means I can be with Aria. I haven’t known her for as long as you have, but I will not lose when it comes to my feelings for her.”

 

I let out a sigh. I thought she was beginning to understand.

 

“Megan.” She flinches as the coldness of my tone. “You do not understand. We are not fighting for Aria’s love. She can care for each of us the same, but in different ways. You will not understand yet, but we have different roles. I will explain when the time is right, but you have to rid yourself of your competitive mentality, it will not work if we are to create, as you say, a harem.”

 

I do not know if Megan’s usual personality is a facade. I do not think it is, maybe it is just the seriousness of our conversation.

 

“Hah fine. I don’t know why you’re being cryptic and mysterious as hell, but fine. I will give her time to accept whatever issue you say she’s dealing with, but I won’t change, I will still pursue her and make her love me.”

 

Foolish girl. We are the same age, yet she does not understand. Maybe it is because of Aria, that I am different? My mind wanders to the future, to what will become of us.

 

I give Megan a nod and walk away. My job is done. Now it is up to her and Aria.