Chapter 6
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I swallowed, my eyes fixed on Natalie's. She smiled, and sat next to me, "All you have to do is hope you pick the best partner for you. If not, I doubt you'll survive the game, not to talk of the night."
"What's the game?" I asked, swallowing, but she simply took out a tablet from her dress, which happened to have a weirdly wide pocket.
She began to scroll through it, the light reflecting coolly on her face, "When you get there, you'll know. So yeah, you'll be taking seven courses. Mortal History, Misconstrued Mythology, Mortal Combat, Absensual Defense…"
"Wait, wait, wait…" all that new information was too much. I expected stuff like English, Calculus, History. Someone just tell me I'll be meeting Harry Potter in the corridors next.
"...Charms, Potions and Mortal Strategy," she continued like I never asked her to wait, "I'm not about to start explaining the courses to you. Infact, the only course you may excel at is Mortal Strategy. You lived there all your life." She rose, and looked at me, letting a deep sigh pour out of her, "I'll get you some kind of dress. Whatever adjustments you need will be made." She walked to the door, where she stopped, then turned to me, "By the way, I'm Natalie," she pouted, "and since you're beautiful, I don't think we'll really mind you staying here."
She walked out, and I was left staring at the door. It was now beginning to dawn on me that I'd entered a new world, and was in for a brand new experience. Like, everything was so strange here, but still, I wasn't entirely new to it. There was technology I was used to, clothes, speech and all, but the people were just… a new thing entirely.
In the human world, my life had been boring. I didn't speak much, didn't have friends, not because I couldn't make friends, but because they were all fake. I preferred the people who openly disliked me to the ones who pretended they liked me, so they could hang out with me. However here? I didn't think anyone was pretending.
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I walked slowly out of the large building, and was faced with a bubbly sight. The night was upon us, and the buildings were huge figures of golden light coming from dormitories, classes, facilities, libraries… Tons of school kids laughing and talking, eating, dancing, doing all sorts of activities on the school grounds.
Bum shorts, jeans, cargo pants, hoodies, summer dresses, headsets… it was just like the real world. Lovers even sat on trees, in corners, on benches, talking, blushing or kissing.
The breeze was strong, and the trees whistled refreshingly. The rain was coming.
Well, I'm in a new world where boys and girls actually share dorms… how about I just look around? Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.
"Hi," A girl said, and I turned to see a slim girl with short dark hair. Her lashes were really long. I'd have thought she had extensions on them, but she was completely natural—no jewelries, no shoes, not even hair extensions. All she had were her pink matching pajamas set.
"Hi," I said, smiling, even though my smile was awkward.
Her fingers played with the hem of her pj shorts, "What are you? I can't sense any energy from you. You must have really low magic," she said carefully, like she was considering me.
I looked down at my feet, as we began to stroll.
"I don't have any at all," I said with an uncomfortable smile.
"What? How is that possible?" She said, looking at me intensely.
I pushed my hair behind my shoulder, "Long story. Really long story."
"There's… a galaxy in your eyes," she said softly, as we turned a corner, "it doesn't really matter to me if you have magic or not."
The wind blew our hair gently, while we were stuck in each other's eyes.
"Uh?"
Something was off.
Were all the girls here gay?
She blushed, "You must think girls like girls or something, but hey no," freaking hell, she must have read my mind, "Here, everyone is equal. There are no tight rules like that of the human world. If a boy is told to lift a tree, don't expect a girl to be given anything less. Everyone knows not every female matches up to a male, but we're trained to be our best. The same goes for attraction. We don't discriminate. Not that I'm attracted to you or anything, it's just that your beauty is admirable to everyone," she explained, and I nodded slowly, feeling relief flow through me.
Natalie's blushing earlier that afternoon was completely normal because I was attractive.
"Oh, I'm not gay, so it felt a bit awkward, but thanks," I chuckled, and saw we were walking towards a little stream. All the people had disappeared, and I didn't even realize.
"What's your name?" I asked her, feeling a bit loose.
"Heiea," she replied, blinking sweetly at me.
"Wow. Heiea," I repeated, and she smiled.
"Do you want to come in?" She asked, popping her shirt buttons as she moved closer to the stream.
I looked around, "Me?" That was a stupid thing to do actually, but it was a sort of natural reaction. "Uh, not really."
"Can you swim?" She asked, slipping her pajamas off her shoulders, exposing her small breasts.
I looked away, embarassed.
"Sure, I can, but I'm not sure."
"Cute," she chuckled, and in my side vision, I saw her take off her shorts. She was completely naked now.
Heiea slipped into the water, and I was finally able to look at her round face as the water covered her up to her elegant neck.
"Come on, there are jewels in the water, and it leads to a much bigger stream," she began to finger walk on the surface of the water.
"Are you…a water creature?"
"Uh?" She looked up at me, and then flicked water my way, giggling.
I gave a little smile, moving backwards, "I mean…you all can't breathe underwater, can you? If this leads to a much bigger stream which I can't see, it means the pathway is underwater, and there's no air, so I can't breathe."
She smiled beautifully, and batted her eyelashes at me.
"I'm oxygen," her voice was very soft, intimate. The type that would make a guy lose his senses on the bed at night, "Come with me, and I'll show you the real sparkle," she added, and I stepped closer, hesitatingly at first.
"How will you give me oxygen?" I squeezed the hem of my short denim skirt.
"Why don't you find out?" She raised her long lashes, and ran her hands through her hair. Well, maybe it would be worth a try.
I moved even closer, about to step in when an arm suddenly came around my shoulder from behind.
I gasped, my hands flying to the arm.
"She's not swimming," a familiar voice said, and I froze.
Hayden.
Heiea frowned, "What's your business? She wants to." She folded her arms across her chest that was now out of the water.
"You and I know she doesn't want to."
I turned to look up at Hayden, and his blue eyes—oh, how they twinkled in the moonlight. I shouldn't be distracted, but it's just… wow.
"She's a Selkie. You're so dumb you can't figure she's trying to drown you."
I turned to Heiea, who's brows were drawn tightly together.
"Underneath that water is her tail. Here I was, thinking mortals were smart," he added, and Heiea spat at us, before delving into the water, her seal-like tail splashing upwards.
My heart was pounding.
I almost died, dad!
Then I turned to look at Hayden.
He raised a brow, then leaned in. My breath seized.
"You owe me your life, and until you save my life, you're not free."