Page 80 of Cerulean Truth
Out of nowhere, another guy, whom I recognized as Matthew, emerged from the Assembly Room, calling out, "There you are! They want all the couples on the dancefloor in the Assembly Room. Are you two joining us, or..." His voice trailed off as he caught sight of me.
My mouth dried. "Couples," he had said, referring to Justine and James as if they were a pair. Oh my gods, they really were a couple. How had I missed that? I looked up at James, and he shifted uncomfortably. The tell-tale sign of someone hiding something. My gods, what an idiot I had been.
And honestly, it was the last straw. After everything, discovering he had a girlfriend was just too much for me to handle.
It felt like a cruel twist of fate, the universe playing a prank on my already overwhelmed emotions. I found myself wishing desperately for the power to rewind the past few weeks and erase all traces of James from my fantasies. My heart sank, and I couldn’t help but wonder how I had missed such a rather significant detail about the man who had consumed my thoughts for so long.
Swiftly, I summoned my poker face, forced a smile, and excused myself.
"Emma?" James called after me, but Justine intervened, diverting him before he could—whatever he had in mind.
Grabbing my coat from the nearby chair, I hurriedly exited the venue, and made my way to the reception area when thefamiliar dizziness began to creep in. It was simply too much to deal with at once.
On top of grappling with farewells to my parents and the rest of my entire life, attempting to absorb the deluge of new information, enduring the daily humiliation of failure, and navigating conversations that felt like a foreign language… I was bound…. Bound to this new life I had absolutely no control over. Bound by James, who’d pulled me into this shitstorm and had been at the very center. Bound by the inevitable heartbreak, looming on the horizon.
Seeking solitude, I scanned for a quiet spot outside, and noticed a small garden ahead with a gentle stream flowing through it (streams certainly seemed to be a recurring theme in Cyclos).
I followed the stream until I found a bench. With no one nearby and complete silence, except for the soothing rush of water, I sat down heavily, feeling the weight of my emotions. The gentle sound of the stream seemed to mock the turmoil inside me.
Staring at the water, my vision blurred not from tears but from the sheer exhaustion of holding everything in. My makeup remained intact, though my face felt tight and unnatural, like a mask I was forced to wear. My fingers fidgeted with the edge of my dress, the fabric offering no comfort against the storm raging within.
Regret gnawed at me as I questioned my decision to attend this seemingly pointless reception. Why had I been invited? Had my presence even been noticed by anyone else than James? And Jackson.
Taking a series of deep breaths, I reminded myself that my education in Cyclos held the key to numerous possibilities. Countless paths awaited exploration, offering opportunities for learning and growth. I needed to expand my horizons and focuson building a life that extended beyond James. Who needed him, anyway?
Sitting there, lost in the chaos of my mind, I began to have a small epiphany: my life in Cyclos needed to be more than only revolving around James.
I resolved to immerse myself in my classes, absorbing all there was to learn. That would be my goal. And it would have to suffice. In a year, humans would know about our existence, and I’d return home, fully trained and fully free from any interference from James.
My time in Cyclos would become a journey of self-discovery and achievement, not just a backdrop to James’s drama.
First up, I would have to get up from this bench, pretend I was not a sad panda, and return to that crowd. I sighed deeply, dreading the walk across the Assembly Room, where my unmistakable "I’ve just been through emotional hell" expression would be on full display for everyone to see.
As I lifted my head, trying to shake off the heaviness of my thoughts, a faint rustle caught my attention, and I thought I detected movement a few yards ahead. Squinting in an attempt to see more clearly, I couldn't discern anything amiss.Huh. Had it been a figment of my imagination?
I shrugged to no one in particular and rose quickly to my feet. That’s when I heard a crunch, similar to the sound of breaking a dry twig by hand. Turning my head around to see if anyone was close, I was surprised to find no one nearby. A chill ran down my spine.
“Hello?” I whispered, hoping dearly no one would reply.
No one did.
Great, now I am going crazy.
I shook my head, zipping up my coat. As I looked back up, I blinked a few times and realized how dark it had become since I’d left the party. The once cozy garden now felt somewhatscary, particularly unsettling without the soft glow of moonlight. The darkness seemed to swallow me whole, obscuring even the nearby trees. I narrowed my eyes again, and nerves began to slowly set in as I fumbled in my coat pockets for my Nexus, desperately searching for its highly necessary flashlight.
In a slightly panicked moment, I realized I hadn't brought it with me and I cursed myself internally for such a ridiculous oversight. A tense silence settled over the surroundings, leaving me on edge and hyper-aware of every little noise.
My heart started to race for no immediate reason, and I strained my ears to catch any hint of sound or movement. But there was nothing.
“Geez, Emma, you really are losing it,” I muttered under my breath. I sighed, a little disappointed by my lack of bravado, and turned to head back.
That’s when I heard a sharp snap behind me. I whipped around, but before I could react, everything went dark.
Bound.
I was bound to something hard.
Cold.
