The two suns had begun setting on the horizon, turning the Ozwarth skyline a desert orange. The summer heatwaves distort the appearance of the skyscrapers kilometers in the distance from Cosgrande. With a pail of miscellaneous critters swimming at his side, Drew hung his arms over the wooden railing of one of the bridges. His hands loosely intertwined together as he contemplated what he was going to do while enjoying the view.
Spending time with friends was not something he was accustomed to. Being an orphan, people shunned away from him, afraid that he might bring them bad luck. Often times the extent of his interactions with others was that of close acquaintances or classmates, but never to the point where it could be called friendship. He wouldn’t exactly classify himself as a loner per se. Drifter would be a more accurate term.
Now that he was at Star, where individuals of all sorts of backgrounds mixed and mingled, he finally felt like he had a group he belonged. Though it wasn’t exactly the one he was expecting, things often don’t go as expected anyways. However, he could say he was fortunate that he managed to be a part of a group that didn’t care about his past or his background.
It was comforting.
“What are you grinning like an idiot for?” Sylvia asked Drew, who had seemed to drift away from reality.
Drew turned his head in the Ifrit’s direction and smiled. “Nothing, really. I’m just glad to have you all as my friends.”
The Princess hung her pail on one of the wooden and propped her elbows on the wooden railing.
“That’s surprisingly wholesome coming from you, Li. Did something happen?”
Drew replied quickly, “No.”
“Then what is it?” The red-haired Princess inquired.
The Avian scratched the back of his neck.
“I’d never thought an orphan like myself would be so lucky to have friends. Typically, everyone avoids me like the plague."
>>>
Slam.
A hand came down hard on Drew’s desk.
“Hey, Orphan! Wake up!”
Groggily, the green-haired Avian opened his eyes. He couldn’t quite make out the blurry figure before him, but that wasn’t necessary. It was the usual suspect.
“What do you want?” Drew groaned, answering with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
“100 Kalas, organic chemistry.” The person replied, tapping away on his wristband.
The Nightengale rolled his eyes, his wristband buzzing as he received the files.
“Of course, it’s organic chemistry.” He sighed, previewing the assignments. “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself for not learning this properly?”
The person spat, “Shut it and do what you’re paid for.”
Drew leaned back in his seat and smirked.
“Okay, piggy bank. When’s it due?”
“Saturday.”
The Avian pinched the bridge of his nose. He just wanted to get this over with.
“Since there’s only a day, you’ll have to pay extra to expedite it. 150 Kalas.”
“Screw that! 100 Kalas and an invitation to the arcade on Sunday.”
Snap.
Drew's finger was right in front of his ‘client’s’ face.
“You have yourself a deal.”
“Thanks.” The ‘client’ grumbled, leaving the room.
“Geez, what a money grubber.” A classmate somewhere else in the vicinity muttered.
“I kinda feel bad for him. Doing all this stuff for validation…”
Drew could care less about their words as 100 Kalas were deposited into his account. He didn’t mind being people’s homework gopher. After all, it was much better than being a bread runner or a living sandbag. If anything, Drew considered himself lucky. Not only did he get paid for his service, but he also got extra study materials without wasting a cent. On top of that, he could even get invitations from some of his ‘clients’ to certain outings. While his job was thankless to an extent, in the end, the Avian was the one who profited.
“Do you really think you’ll get people’s approval for doing this?” A male voice asked. His footsteps approached Drew’s desk.
A teenager with snow-white hair and bronze skin leaned against the Nightengale’s desk.
“Well, look who it is?” The Avain gleamed. “The Alabaster Prince, Harper Maddox. Haven’t seen you in ages? What reason do you have for visiting this peasant today?”
Harper, no longer the goofy mop-headed guy Drew was acquainted with at the orphanage, had become the shining star of KCA. Like every story, he was your classic genius with the hopes of KCA riding on his shoulders. Compared to him, Drew was insignificant. Yet, in spite of their differences, they remained on good terms with each other.
“What reason do I need to visit a friend?”
“None, really.”
“You still didn’t answer my previous question.”
“I’m not like you, Harper.” Drew began, waving away the hologram projected by his wristband. “I don’t have your talent. Plus, I’m not fortunate enough to get adopted. You’ll be leaving this sixth-rate planet soon, so I must find other means of making it.”
Harper folded his arms, acknowledging Drew’s statement. Not all orphans were lucky to get adopted before the age limit. Drew knew for a fact he was one of them. Hence, the time was ticking before Avian lost all support from the orphanage.
“Alchemy, right?”
The Avian laced his fingers and nodded.
“The only thing I have somewhat of a decent shot at. My time is running short, so I don’t have the luxury to make friends.”
Harper rolled his eyes.
“Yet, here you are doing anything to get invited, ironically enough, by helping people from MY CLASS finish their homework. “
“It’s transactional.”
“Everyone else says otherwise.”
“Listen, the only reason why people ever approach me is because they either need something or they want to mock me. Besides, the whole orphanage attends this school, and you know what they say about me. Also, this is KCA, for crying out loud! It is the most prestigious Compulsory Education Academy in Kraus. Children of socialites go here not just for education but to form connections-“
“Slow down, Turbo,” Harper interjected. “Did you eat too many millets today?”
Drew averted his gaze away from Harper.
“I may or may not have exceeded my daily intake. Anyways, to summarize, I got nothing besides my brain to offer. It’s the only way I can make connections.”
“Knowledge is power.”
“Unfortunately, my future is bleaker than yours. This knowledge can only get me so far. I can’t apply to most Military Academies with my measly Otrio Capacity.”
Harper let out a chuckle. It was different than the ones Drew was familiar with. It felt distant. Dry, almost.
“We make the best of what we have, eh?”
The Avian’s gaze shifted back to his friend’s.
The vibrant galaxy reflected in them had grown a bit darker.
For the first time ever, Drew felt his eyes narrow at Harper. His intuition screamed at him that Harper was different. The laughter, the smiles, the visits. The signs couldn’t be any clearer. They were cold. So cold; there was no longer any warmth behind them.
He could sense it.
The subtle disdain.
A rift was forming.
>>>
The Ifrit’s gaze turned solemn.
“Then what about the ones that do approach you?”
A wry smile formed on Drew’s face, followed by a sigh.
“They asked me to do their homework, or they would use me as a tool to vent their insecurities. They just needed someone more unfortunate than them to elevate themselves.”
Sylvia scoffed, “How immature of them. It’s their loss. They don’t see how fantastic of a person you are. In my brief time as a Royal, status and wealth weren’t exactly the best indicator when determining who one should interact with. For all I know, you could have everything in the universe and still be a piece of filth. Heartman, Miranda, all those socialites are a prime example.”
“So, where do you fall?”
Sylvia delicately placed a hand under her chin and grinned.
“Me?” The Princess swung one foot behind the other. “I’m just a person with serious imposter syndrome. I don’t belong up there with all the glitz and glamour. It’s just not my thing. Plus, everyone is so fake. It’s exhausting holding a conversation with a single person since everyone’s got interior motives, and you always have to be on your guard, choosing your next words carefully. One wrong word, and it’s over. I’m kinda jealous that you guys hardly have to put up with this.”
A laugh escaped the Avian’s mouth.
“It’s the grass is greener on the other side deal. We commoners aspire to be amongst the stars, and there are folks like you who wish to escape the limelight in exchange for our life. Funny how that works.”
“I wish.” Sylvia rolled her eyes. “Sadly, that’s not a luxury I have. War of Royals, I can’t outrun it.”
Drew gazed at the streams below. The clear water rushes through the man-made canals. The musty odor wafting out of the streams that had picked up the earth from the mountain range serving as the backdrop to the city, penetrated Drew’s nose. The freshness of the air compared to the polluted city center brought tranquility to Avain’s mind allowing him to forget the events of the night before.
He turned his attention to the crimson-haired girl beside him. He finally understood why Neilson wanted him to get out. Having the presence of others around oneself was comforting, and for the first time in a long time, Drew felt his body truly relax. All the tension that had accumulated over the years had begun to leave the Avian’s muscles. It was an odd but satisfying feeling, and yet it was important.
It was important to retain one’s sanity.
However, was that really all there was to it?
Silence grew between the duo.
Sylvia’s ruby eyes locked with Drew’s. Her gaze was steadfast, causing the Nightengale to be taken aback. The flames in them danced even more wildly than before. He wanted to say something, a compliment or words of encouragement, but the cat got his tongue.
“So there’s nothing else I can do but try my best.”
The Avain’s eyes widened. He couldn’t help but admire the Ifrit before him. Not that long ago, she was down in the dumps. Now, though it’s only been a short time, she was overflowing with optimism. What caused that change?
“If I don’t succeed, I know I’ve done all I could. Gotta make the best of what we have, right?”
Then, Sylvia stretched out her hand. A cheeky grin formed on her face.
“Care to continue walking with me on this path?”
Drew turned his palm towards his face. The shadows concealed his numerous lines. He found himself chuckling. How innocent Sylvia was for placing her trust in someone like himself. Someone with secrets that hid beneath his carefree facade. Perhaps he could begin to trust her. Have her turn another page in his story and vice versa.
“I don’t see why not.” His dark green eyes softened. “I am ‘your’ loyal subject, Sylvia.”
“Thank you, Drew.”
“Anytime.”
“By the way,” Sylvia’s eyes shifted to one of the streams. “How long will Wan keep putting ice packs on Elias’s forehead?”
Drew laughed, observing the bickering couple, “Dunno. Until the love-sick fool collapses or the black hole becomes aware of her own romance.”
Compared to this morning, Elias’s face was now the same color as the horizon. If one didn’t look carefully, one would’ve thought Wan was interacting with a headless body. As this thought crossed his mind, Drew felt his vision blur. His head spinning as he recalled the bloodshed from the night before. Acidic bile seared his throat, causing him to gag. The Avian felt his body lean over the railing, but before gravity could pull him any further, Drew was pulled back.
“Drew!” Sylvia’s crystal clear voice rang in his ears.
Suddenly, his vision snapped back into focus. He was at a complete loss for words.
Sylvia took a step back, releasing her tender hand from Drew’s shoulder.
“Are you okay?!”
Evident concern was plastered all over her face.
Drew whipped his head over his shoulder, placing a hand on the bridge of his nose.
“I’m fine. Just been working a bit too hard recently.”
“You should slow down a bit. Working for extended periods of time at maximum effort will cause serious burnout later on. Try taking more consistent breaks and-”
Sylvia paused for a moment.
The insects in the background buzzed through the air amidst the silence.
“Speak out whenever you need help. As your Princess, I don’t like it when my ‘subjects’ bottle up everything and suffer quietly.”
Drew exhaled. How much he wanted to scream. How much he wanted to not keep everything to himself. How much he wanted to tell everyone, yet he couldn’t. It would put everything in jeopardy.
“Maybe in the future, I could tell you everything.”
“What was that?” The Ifrit asked, not hearing what Drew muttered under his breath.
A sorrowful expression formed on the Avain’s face.
You have no idea, Sylvia. No idea how much I want to say.
“I understand. However, what I need most right now is a rest.”
“Let’s call it a day.”
“Agreed.”
As the duo departed from their area, Sylvia found her eyes set on the boy before her. Some days he was transparent like water, and others, he was like ice, cloudy, fascinating, mysterious, and sometimes cold. The more she got to know about him, the less she felt like she knew. The painting of him she had crafted in her mind unknowingly had immense depth. She desired to understand the Nightengale in the portrait.
In the future, maybe I will comprehend what is concealed behind that mask you put on every day, Drew Li.
