《Eclipse book 1: Future》


 Chapter 1 Daydreamer

    I looked up at the sky, stretching out my hand as if wanting to catch the clouds that were slowly drifting away. The sun shone so brightly, almost blinding me, I squinted my eyes as I dazedly followed the bird whose exact species name I did not know. I closed my eyes and covered them with the back of my palm, my hands that were unnaturally cold compared to others felt comfortable in this warm weather. Such pleasant quietness, it tempted me to drift back to dreamland.


    "Luminaaaaa!!!"


    I slowly placed down my hand and rested them on my stomach. A quiet groan escaped my mouth as I heard that familiar loud and stern voice calling my name. It would be better if I could instantly fall asleep at this very moment. Even if I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep, I don''t think I could fool her again. Besides, my patience would run out faster than her figuring out I was already awake. Ah, my eardrums are already itching.


    "Lumina! Wake up already! Classes are about to start! Do you want to miss another lecture and end up failing? If Aunt Mary asks me how come you got such bad results, I won''t mind telling her that her daughter was taking another nap instead of going to class."


    Again, I groaned. I lazily rolled over to the side, my back facing Angela. My voice sounded hoarse as I spoke, "I know already. Just give me a few minutes..." I could hear another round of lectures coming from her, but I blocked her voice as I rolled left and right on top of the cool green grass.


    Reluctant, I sat up with both legs crossed, not minding my image since wore a pair of jeans. I stretched out my arms, letting out a long yawn. I think I heard Angela complain to me how I should act more feminine, but I was a bit too distracted in my own thoughts as I gathered my notebooks that had scattered around me and placed them back into my bag.


    "Sigh, Lumina, when are you going to get rid of your lazy habit? What are you going to do once you graduate university and get a job? Nap the whole day? At this rate you''ll never even find a job to begin with."


    "Angeee~ shhh~ you''re starting to sound like my mom."


    "Lumina Zeon," Angela stopped talking, with a stern expression; she crossed her arms over her chest, "How many times have I warned you to get rid of your lazy attitude? Your behavior is unbefitting for a young lady."


    "Pfft! Hahaha!" the two of us broke into laughter, "Your acting skills really have improved. It''s almost scary, to be honest. Not at all like my mom though."


    "Well, unlike a certain someone, I practice and study every day."


    I linked my arm with hers. The two of us continued to joke and laugh at each other as we made our way to our bio chemistry classroom. Lucky for me, I have Angela to remind me of my classes, despite how much I hate getting woken up, or else I would have arrived late.


    The two of us took the seats in the lower middle. We were 10 minutes early and I could see several seats still empty. Just before I saw the professor walk in, from the back entrance, the students rushed in like a flock of birds at the last moment, fighting over a seat.


    "You''re late. That''s unusual."


    "You''re early; did the sun rise from the west?"


    I glared at the boy who just arrived and took the seat next to mine. "What is that supposed to mean?"


    "Exactly what it sounds like."


    "Okay you two, be quiet unless you want to get thrown out."


    The two of us glared at one another one last time before turning our attention to the front of the class. Like usual, I had a hard time focusing on the professor''s lectures, constantly fighting the urge not to fall face flat onto the desk. From the corner of my eyes, I caught Cody, the boy who I had been bickering with a moment ago; shake his head as if telling me what an idiot I was. I silently cursed at him in my heart, swearing that this was the last time I would hold a seat for him.


    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the bell rang and the professor exited the classroom after leaving behind another mountain of homework. I yawned, not caring about the eyes that stared at me with disapproving gazes and rested my cheek on the desk, attempting to take another nap-


    "-ow...." Or so I wished.


    "Lumina." Angela called my name hopelessly, "Did you even pay any attention to what the professor said?"


    "I did, now can I please have some peace and quiet?" I rubbed my cheek that had been pinched by Angela a moment ago.


    "Sleep is for the dead. You should join a sports club and have a taste of life." Cody commented.


    "As if that''s possible. It''s a miracle she even managed to get into such a prestigious university with that attitude." Angela finished the last of her notes and stuffed them into her bag.


    "Hehe, don''t underestimate me. I may not be a top tier genius, but if all I have to do is memorize a few books, then I can easily wreck this thing." I wasn''t very convincing since I was talking with my eyes closed and they probably took it as me sleep talking. Well, I ended up falling asleep again so I didn''t hear what they said afterwards.


    Hey, it''s not like I wanted to be this lazy, okay? It''s just that I have the tendency to easily get drowsy. Especially when it comes to lectures. Listening to them sounds like a lullaby, constantly speaking in the same rhythm and tone; it feels as though I''m being hypnotized. Under such conditions, it''s hard not to fall asleep.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    I didn''t know for how long I had been asleep, but after I woke up, I felt energized. This is something that often happens to me as well. My drowsiness is unpredictable, and when I get woken up by force, my drowsiness will remain unless I get enough sleep and wake up on my own accord. I looked around me. Angela was nowhere to be found and aside from a few students who I didn''t know, the classroom was quite empty. I turned around to pick up my bag, then noticed that Cody sat behind me.


    "You still haven''t left?"


    "I did. But my classes were canceled for some reason so I didn''t have anything else to do and decided to babysit you." Cody slowly flipped the book''s page, his eyes wholly focused. His pitch black hair slightly covered his eyes as his head was bending over the book.


    "What ''cha reading?" I ignored his last comment and curiously peered over the desk that was slightly higher than mine, surprised when I read the book''s title and exclaimed, "That''s the book I wrote! I didn''t know you read it."


    "I was surprised when Angela told me about it. I almost didn''t belief Zeon L. was actually Zeon Lumina. I mean, who would have linked the two of you together?"


    Completely unaffected by his sarcasm, I laughed, "I''ll take that as a compliment thank you."


    "Sigh, really...who would have thought the author of my favorite book would be...this kind of person?"


    "Oh shucks~ you''re making me blush." I place my palm over my cheeks, fluttering my eyelashes in a bashful manner. When I didn''t hear a response and looked up to see what he was doing, I found him back immersed into the book and sighed. What a complete bookworm.


    I lifted my left wrist and looked at my watch. It still wasn''t 3 o''clock and I didn''t have any classes for today left either. "Since I feel pumped up, let''s go out! I''m starving."


    I threw my bag over my shoulder and grabbed Cody''s wrist, dragging him outside. I could hear him grumble under his breath, but I kept up my foolish smile, dragging him all over the place.


    "Where are you planning on abducting me this time?"


    "I don''t know?"


    "You''re kidding me."


    "We''ll just let fate decide our destiny~ preferably, a good restaurant since I''m running low on battery."


    Cody sighed. With his freehand, he stuffed the book into his shoulder bag. The wrist I had been holding onto escaped my grasp, and before I could react, I felt a warm hand wrapped around mine.


    "If it''s a restaurant, I know a pretty good one. You''ll be the one paying though."


    "Gha, stingy."


    I allowed him to lead the way as we walked hand in hand out of the campus grounds. We exchanged casual words to keep away the silence, sometimes joking, other times bickering over the most trivial of things. Don''t get me wrong. We''re not dating each other, just friends. Though, if Angela was present, she would have definitely teased us about it.


    We arrived in front of a fancy looking restaurant. As we entered, an irresistible aroma whiffed into my nose, making me drool on the spot.


    "What is this place? It smells fabulous!"


    My hand still held in Cody''s, I was led to a table for two. The waitress who attended to us sweetly smiled at us as she handed over the menus, giving some recommendations. Oblivious to what she was actually smiling about, I let Coy decide what dishes to order since it seemed as though he had been here before.


    The food''s taste was even better than its smell. Just one bite already made me addicted, and that was just one dish out of the four that Cody ordered.


    "Thish ish delishoush~" the crab felt as though it melted as soon as it entered my mouth, the buttery flavor just adding points to it.


    "Hey, you shouldn''t eat while talking." Unlike me who ate without a care of my surroundings, Cody was elegantly holding up his fork and knife. When our eyes met, he placed down his utilities and reached out his hand to my cheek. I felt something soft and warm brush against my lips. "You had a few crumbs." or so he said.


    "Thanks."


    "No problem."


    We continued the rest of the meal like we usually spend in each other''s company; joking, exchanging casual idle talk and sometimes meaninglessly bicker. Compared to the other tables, we were quite noisy, but as we sat in a corner, we didn''t bother the other customers.


    "It''s fine. I''ll pay." Cody pressed down my hand that was just about to hand over my credit card to the waitress.


    "What? Didn''t you say before it would be my treat?"


    "It was a joke. How can I let a girl pay? What would people think of me if they knew?"


    "That it''s normal?"


    He sighed at my obliviousness. The waitress softly laughed at the two of us as she listened to our conversation. I honestly don''t know what was so funny. I casted Cody a suspicious glance through slightly narrowed eyes, "Wait a minute..." I crossed my arms over my chest and smiled smugly, "are you trying to bribe me and ask for an autograph?"


    My words made Cody''s eyes widen in disbelief as if he was glad about something, but as soon as my last words landed, it seemed to have completely disappeared and replaced with disappointment. What? So he didn''t want my autograph? This would be even fishier.


    "Yeah...you got me." He laughed, "So, mind giving me one once we get back?"


    I blinked at him. Huh? I may not be the brightest person on the planet, but I''d be a complete idiot if I bought that. "What are you playing at this time?"


    I tapped my finger on the table at a constant pace. But just as silence was about to slowly creep over, the waitress returned and gave Cody''s credit card back. "Let''s go. Angela will be looking for us."


    He dodged the topic and stood up. As I got up, he took my hand and wrapped his back into mine as our fingers entwined. We left just the way we had come, walking side by side with our hands wrapped together. Right, I was completely distracted by the food that I totally forgot about Angela. That girl''s gonna to roast me!


    While I was thinking about how to appease Angela''s anger, maybe come up with a way to bribe her, I failed to notice Cody''s unusual cheery self as he hummed.


    From afar, I could see Angela staring down at us from the 3rd floor. When we arrived in front of the girl''s dormitory, I bid Cody farewell and quickly made my way to Angela''s and my room.


    "Sorry! Here, I bought you some Mille-feuille from your favorite caf¨¦ as an apology." I extended my hands, holding out the paper bag with desert as I looked at her innocently.


    "Hmm, thanks."


    "So...are we good?"


    "Yeah." Practically yanking the bag from my hands, Angela immediately opened the container. She walked to the counter and took a small fork from a drawer, took the Mille-feuille, sat down and immediately started eating it. "So, how did it go?"


    I turned back around at her sudden question. For some reason, she had an ambitious smile plastered all over her face. I slightly frowned and replied casually, "The food was excellent. We should go again next time, the three of us together."


    "Pff- cough cough"


    "Are you okay?" I quickly ran to get a glass of water and gently patted her back.


    "Never mind, you''re hopeless." she wiped her mouth after having calmed down, "Haa, I pity that guy. Of all people, it had to be this blockhead."


    "Excuse me?"


    "Oh, what I meant to say was, its fine. I wouldn''t want to get in his way and be a third wheel."


    "Sometimes I really don''t get what you''re talking about."


    "Sometimes I really worry about you two." Again she was speaking in riddles. How many times does this make now? I sat down on my bed, feeling the drowsiness return. Strange, I usually only get this feeling twice a week, at most it would be once a day. Before I knew it, my eyes slowly started feeling heavy and I aimlessly stared in front of me. Eventually, I fell down onto my bed and had fallen asleep once more.

 Chapter 2 Nightmare

    When I woke up it was long past midnight. I looked around me and found Angela already fast asleep in her bed opposite mine. I didn''t turn on the lights as I was afraid to wake her up. Walking on the tip of my toes, I quietly made my way to the bathroom.


    I left the water running to fill the bathtub while I brushed my teeth. Gazing into the mirror, I reached out my hand, stroking my own reflection. Why, I wonder. Why did I have this strange feeling? Did I dream about something again? What was it though? I couldn''t remember. But I had this inkling feeling that I should. This wasn''t the first time it happened. Although rarely, I always had this feeling since I was young.


    I gurgled my mouth and stopped the water from running. One by one, I took off my clothes. Lifting my leg, I dipped the tip of my toe into the water. A warm sensation enveloped me. Perfect. The temperature was just to my liking. I lay down into the tub, stretching my limbs out as I washed away my remaining drowsiness.


    Tomorrow, I had at least four classes. Exams were just around the corner and I had already memorized all the lessons we had so far. Now, I just hope I wouldn''t get any sleep attacks during that period. I really do wonder sometimes why I get so sleepy without warning. My mom had once taken me to see a therapist to see what was wrong, but everything was normal according to my therapist.


    I sighed as I thought about my mother. The last time I saw her face to face was the end of winter break. Although we often exchanged phone calls or texts, I can''t help but wonder how she''s doing. She never told me about her love life, but I know she and her colleague are seeing each other. Honestly, I don''t see why she''s keeping it from me. Father already passed away and I don''t have any siblings, I appreciate her trying to respect her marriage with father, but I can''t blame her for wanting to experience love again since I''m not there to support her. I just hope whoever the other person is that he would treat my mother sincerely and not hurt her.


    After having soaked long enough, I got out of the tub and emptied the water. My hair was dripping wet so I twisted it upwards with my towel. I turned on my desk lamp and started my computer, my fingers tapping away on the keyboard. Before I noticed, dawn arrived.


    Angela woke up on her own and sluggishly brew herself some coffee. I continued to tap away on my keyboard. A small hand rested on my shoulder as Angela rested her chin on the other to peer onto my screen. "What are you doing so early in the morning?"


    "Nothing important. I just couldn''t sleep anymore last night."


    "Hmm, writing again?"


    "Yeah."


    "Sigh, why do you even bother going to university if you''re either writing or daydreaming all day? Just become an official writer and be done with it."


    "No can do." I replied without even needing to think, "Mum sent me to university precisely because she wanted me to get a stable job."


    "Like?"


    "Who knows?"


    -ring~


    The sound of my phone''s ringtone interrupted our conversation. My fingers finally left my keyboard as I reached out on the desk to search for my phone which was buried under a pile of books I had yet to organize.


    "Hello?"


    [Good morning Lulu. Did you sleep well?]


    "Good morning." "It''s my mother." I whispered to Angela, who then left to take a shower. "I''m fine. Why did you call so early in the morning? Did something happen?"


    I could hear her laugh on the other side of the phone, along with a voice I didn''t recognize, [You see honey, you know my old co-worker who often visited us during your winter break?]


    "Yeah. Why? Did something happen?"


    [In short, we''re dating. You''re surprised right?]


    "Y-yeah. Wow! I completely didn''t expect that. Haha." truth is, I had already noticed long ago. I mean, he kept glancing your way with that strange look in his eyes. It was impossible not to notice. But, I pretended not to have known since she just sounds so enthusiastic explaining the details.


    [And then, ....] I patiently listened as she told me everything or most of it anyway. What I didn''t know thought was that the two of them had already started their relationship since half a year ago. Shockers. [So, after we got permission for leave from work, the two of us will be going on a vacation trip! We won''t be back for a month, so if there''s anything you need, contact Angela''s mom. I''ve already arranged things in case...let''s hope for the best. Anyway, love you honey! Say hello to Angela for me. Bye.]


    "I will. Love you too mom, and have fun." Our conversation lasted a lot longer than usual, so my ear had already turned slightly red. I placed down my cell phone while rubbing my right ear. "Crap." When my eyes casually swept past my clock, I just noticed the sun had already risen and it was almost 8 o''clock!


    "Ange, I''m heading out!" I grabbed my bag and dashed out the door. Today''s first class is English philosophy. If I''m late, gah, unlike the other professors, this one is a pain to deal with. I ran down the stairs as I had no time to wait for the elevator to arrive. With the same speed, I ran to class, hoping the professor had yet to arrive. I crossed my fingers, chanting a mantra that the professor gets delayed by something and arrive late for class.


    "I m-made it...phew..." I was out of breath, panting as my arms rested on my knee. I quickly sat down on an empty seat, placing all my tools I would need on my desk. Just as I placed down my pen on the desk, the door opened and the professor walked in.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    It was a quarter before 12. After giving Angela a quick call to tell her I would probably get back late, I stood in front of the campus''s gate and waited for my editor to pick me up. Precisely at 12 when the sun stood at its peak, a white RAV car stopped in front of me. The car''s window lowered and revealed a woman wearing glasses who seemed to be in her early thirties.


    "12 on the dot, as always."


    "Thanks for going to the trouble of picking me up Miss West." I opened the car''s door and sat down, immediately buckling as Miss West sped off.


    Miss West is my official editor at the company I signed a contract with. Ever since my first publishment of [Eclipse] which was quite successful and honestly unexpected, my chief editor requested another story. At first, I declined, saying I wrote [Eclipse] on a whim. Then he changed his request into creating an epilogue of my first book instead.


    I really didn''t want to. The reason I wrote eclipse was because I often daydreamed or sometimes woke up while still remembering part of my dreams and I made them into a story. My original purpose for writing was just to get those thoughts finally out of my head. In a way, [eclipse] was a supernatural themed story that had a tragic ending with humanity almost being wiped out into extinction. Not a very bright story if I do say so myself.


    Now, what should I write as an epilogue? The first book ended with an unclear fate for humanity where a group of individuals with super human abilities arrived as they fought against the monsters. I closed my eyes, blocking the view of the constant passing cars and buildings and entered the depths of my mind. Since I used my daydreams as a base for the first book, I would just use them again to write. Lately, I had been dozing off more frequently, still remembering some of the dreams, faintly, but I still remembered them.


    I gathered the fragments that would seem useful in creating an epilogue and noted them down in my memory. By the time I sorted everything out in my head, I felt the car come to a stop. My eyes slowly opened as I peeked around me and I caught Miss West leaning her elbow on the steering wheel as she pierced her gaze into mine with a smile.


    "What is it?"


    "Nothing. I just thought that you really do sleep a lot like I heard."


    Something about that didn''t exactly sound right, "what do you mean you heard?" and I wasn''t sleeping.


    "Oh? You didn''t know?"


    "Know what?" if there was one thing I hated, it was when people spoke to me in a roundabout way.


    "It seems like some people got a hold of information regarding the author of [eclipse] and there have been some gossips going around the net lately. You didn''t know?" she asked as she saw my bewildered look. "Here, some students at your university even caught a few of your pictures." she showed me her phone, "Most of them were you half drooling though."


    "I do not drool." I instantly retorted back. But, just as she said, there were quite a few posts about me. At that moment, I really started wondering if I should just make a living from writing. I mean, there are a lot more people reading my book than I thought.


    I started getting excited at the thought. Determination filled my mind as I decided to put my all into the next book. After having seen enough, I handed Miss West''s phone back to her and we finally stepped out of the car.


    We entered the office where a man dressed in brown suit sat behind his desk, tapping away on his keyboard. "Glad you could make it Miss Z." He looked up from his screen and gestured for me to take a seat opposite him.


    "Now then, about our previous discussion, are you up for it?" He handed me a few documents that were at least eight pages long. After having skimmed through them, reading the important details with extra care, I handed them back to him and earnestly spoke my thoughts, "The contract seems quite favorable and I honestly have no complaints, however, I can''t guarantee that my next book will be as successful as the first one. I will also need at least a month to write, another month to refine and a week to edit for things I might not be satisfied with.''


    "That''s fine." He smiled, "Our Company is quite fond of your work, even the short stories you''ve written so far."


    I smiled politely in response. "Alright then." After giving a verbal agreement I signed my name on the paper, sealing the deal.


    As I wasn''t an official member of this company, I could only follow Mrs. West into her office until she finished her work to drive me back. I took out my laptop, started it up and immediately resumed where I had left off this morning, completely immersed.


    "Yeep!" A cold touch brought me back to reality as I jumped back. When I looked up I saw Mrs. West laughing at me endlessly. This is embarrassing. "Mrs. West...."


    "Sorry. I was just tempted when I saw you like that." Mrs. West tried to hold her laughter in, clutching her stomach. Where did that professional business woman from a few moments ago go? "Right. I should probably take you back since it''s getting late. Your boyfriend might get worried."


    I placed my laptop back into my bag, frowning at her words, "Mrs. West, I don''t have a boyfriend."


    She raised her eyebrow at me suspiciously, then a look of realization flashed through her eyes before she lightly cleared her throat, "My bad. I just thought I might have been of some help. Looks like you really are hopeless." She shook her head regretfully.


    D¨¦j¨¤ vu?


    I didn''t think much of it as I got up, lightly massaging the bridge of my nose. A light yawn escapes my mouth. I swear I had slept for more than 12 hours yesterday. Was Angela right? Maybe moving my body would wake up my mind.


    Just as those thoughts crossed my mind it left just as fast.


    Who am I kidding? Me? Sports? Pshh, the only sport I''d be willing to do out of my own free will would be sleeping and eating. Hmm, now that I think about it, I''m really craving for something to eat right now...my stomach softly rumbled, like it had just been waiting for this moment.


    Mrs. West didn''t live too far from My University. In fact, she was just between the trip to the publishing company and my university, it was quite convenient. Mrs. West invited me for dinner at her home. Since it involved food, plus my stomach which sounded at the right moment, there was no way I would have refused.


    Unlike back home, where it had turned somewhat quiet and lonely, Mrs. West''s house was bright and full of life. She had two kids, a son and a daughter. The boy was 15 and quite the responsible older brother, while the girl was 13 and a cute little doll. Her husband, Mr. West, had just arrived home as well and the family sat together to eat.


    In the beginning, I felt a bit awkward and intruding, but as the number of times I visited increased I felt more relaxed, to the point I forget I wasn''t part of this family. It was just how welcoming they were. Of course, after dinner, the little doll would drag me away into her room to play house.


    =


    9pm.


    I cautiously darted my sight left and right, carefully planning each step I took forward. In this dark, somewhat creepy hall, I quietly made my way to that familiar door.


    *gulp*


    Why are the lights still on? Someone, can anyone please tell me?


    I was already breaking out into cold sweat. Crap I''m late again today. Countless thoughts stormed through my mind, all of them the worst possible scenarios I could think of that could befall me the moment I set foot back into that tigress''s lair.


    ....wait. Silly me! I already informed her beforehand!


    I pushed open the door. Unexpectedly, Angela didn''t so much as cast me a glance. I walked over, glancing over her shoulder. "Studying this late at night?" How rare... "Ohmahgawd! What happened to your eyes?!"

 Chapter 3 Late night date?

    "Test. Tomorrow. Need. To study." Angela didn''t even bother to look at me as she replied robotically, scaring the hell out of me.


    I gasped. This is bad. This is super duper bad.


    This study nerd. Who always finishes her assignments on time. Practically our down''s number one model student. When faced with a test. Studies like a madwoman!


    I quickly dial Cody''s number. "Hey, it''s me. We have an emergency." I said with a serious tone. On the other side of the line I heard a sluggish reply, followed by something falling, then an anxious Cody. "Lumina, it''s late. What level of emergency are we talking about?"


    "Level 3. Ange switched into study maniac mode."


    "What?!" I heard yet another tumble. "Get that girl away from any study related material ASAP! I''m on my way!"


    "Roger that sergeant. I''m already dragging her down stairs." I put my phone in my pocket, already pulling Angela away from the desk. But it''s like this girl was fused together with this thing!


    Minutes passed and I somehow managed to get Angela downstairs, covering her with a warm jacket. I looked into her eyes. They were still as bloodshot as before. "Ange..." I whispered worriedly. I could still hear the faint mumbles as she recited whatever she was studying.


    Just as I was contemplating on how to snap Angela out of this trance, an eye-catching red sports car stopped right in front of us. I don''t know how many minutes passed as I stared at it with my mouth open like an idiot when Cody suddenly rushed towards us.


    "...you...wha...? How...? When...?" Since when was this bookworm filthy rich?! Am I still dreaming? I pinched myself, only to receive a weird look from Cody.


    He sighed tiredly, "I borrowed it from my roommate okay?"


    "Ouch! The hell?!" I held my forehead that had turned slightly red. Why does everyone like to physically abuse me?!


    "Get in, you sleepy head." When I looked up Cody had already helped, or more like pushed Angela into the back seat. With a shrug, I followed into the passenger''s seat. I will have my revenge. One day.


    We drove along the highway streets. Behind us, I could still hear Angela reciting tomorrow''s test. If this keeps up, instead of acing she''d be straight out failing it when she falls dead asleep. And I thought I was the weirdo.


    "Times like this...there''s only one solution."


    "You thinking what I''m thinking?"


    We both smirked. "Dessert!"


    As such, within less than five minutes we arrived at one of Angela''s favs places. Thank god they run till midnight. With Cody on one shoulder and me on the other, the two of us ''dragged'' Angela inside. The waiter gave us a weird look, but we pretended not to notice. Once Angela was settled in, we didn''t even look at the menu and directly ordered a heap of desserts.


    Bam


    The moment the waitress placed the sorbet and other various delicacies in front of her, Angela''s eyes which were almost lifeless a few blinks ago glinted. I didn''t even have time to thank the waitress when she was already stuffing her face. Elegantly.


    Why does everyone have such a refined way of eating? Was I just born in the wrong era?


    "Whelp, emergency solved." Cody and I high-fived one another. "But geez Ange, can''t you tone it down a teeny weeny tiny bit with the studying?" For crying out loud you have perfect scores so far in all your major subjects.


    Of course, there was no reply from a certain study maniac. I turned to Cody who sat opposite of me. As usual, he had an elegant way of eating even if it was just cake. His head was slightly lowered and his bangs messy, nonetheless drawing my attention to his entire person.


    "What is it?" He looked at me with a slight frown.


    "Uh...dude, you look pretty cool without your reading glasses." I said with a deadpan expression to which Cody choked on his ice-cream, his cheeks slightly flushed. "Pfft, oh man you should see your face right now!" I burst into laughter.


    "Not funny. You almost gave me a heart attack." He growled under his voice.


    "Huh? Sorry pfft, haha, I didn''t catch pfft, that."As the two of us ended up bickering again, a certain study maniac was staring intently at us without our notice.


    "Heh, should I call this progress?" Angela quietly savoured the remainder of her sorbet before switching to her torte, studying her friends who resembled an old married couple. A cunning smile flitted across her lips before focusing back on her torte, making sure not to draw attention as the third wheel. When her torte was finished, she moved on to her flan and when that was finished, she stealthily ordered a few more desserts, patiently waiting for the old married couple to finish while reviewing her studies. Maybe she over did it a tad bit?


    "Gosh it''s already so late." When I turned to Angela, she more or less seemed to have returned to normal. Good. We called the waitress to pay the bill, which Cody beat me to it again. Damn, next time I''ll win for sure!


    =


    [....As the sun was enveloped by the moon once more, shadows once again increased. The brave warriors...]


    Let''s change that, [The brave fighters united once more, fighting for their freedom in this world. Where darkness prevailed and humanity at its mercy, only they, who had been gifted with special abilities by the random eclipses, had the power to fight back_]


    I leaned back in my chair, reviewing the first chapter of the epilogue of [Eclipse]. Maybe a bit too clich¨¦...?This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    As I wondered in my thoughts the door opened and closed behind me. "Lumina, I''m back." Angela cheerfully walked up behind me, one hand on my shoulder and her chin resting on my other shoulder. "Interesting. So, is this where the happily ever after finally arrives?"


    "Eh?" What is she talking about? "No, I plan on letting the protagonist raid into a swarm of Shadows and die tragically."


    She gave me a weird look. "Don''t tell me, you''re planning on...k-killing him?" I nodded in a manner of fact, "He''ll get infected, slowly agonizing?" I nodded again, "And then, he''ll see his companions...who were trying to rescue him...die miserably in front of his eyes, as their limbs are torn apart...?" I nodded a bit faster with a slight smile, "And...then...his lover get''s taken over and stabs him? He then kills her to put her out of her misery, slowly falling under the poison''s effects as well, then gets teared apart slowly himself while seeing his dead lover''s horrified face?!"


    I nodded enthusiastically, "How did you know?! Ange, can you read minds?!"


    "Lumina, Zeon!"


    *Twack


    "Ouch?!"


    "Where on earth is your bloody humanity?! You just killed of the entire planet without batting an eyelid!" Angela''s face was pale from fright, lecturing me again. What did I do wrong this time?


    Like an obedient child who had been wronged I quietly sat as I listened to her talk on and on about human moral and so forth. I gently rubbed the top of my head that was still itching from that last sneak attack. Ugh, I really seem to get abused physically a lot lately...


    Seeing an opening, I quickly interrupted before she could continue, "So, Ange~ how did your test go?" I tried to pull off my cutest kitten face, rubbing my cheek against her arm.


    "...." she sighed. Good, looks like kitty emergency escape did its wonders again. "Of course, it was a piece of torte." she proudly said with a smile. Uhm...shouldn''t it be ''a piece of cake''? "Oh yeah. Lumina, if I remember correct, you said you''d be free these two days, right?"


    "Y-yeah...?" Why are you going deep in thoughts? Ange, this is exactly the face you pull when you''re plotting something. "W-why did you ask?" I''m getting a bad premonition here.


    "Oh its nothing really." She waved her hand nonchalantly, no trace of that dangerous look left. "Just that, you know, I heard there would be a huge sale these two days. Now that I''m done with my test, we should hang out together and go shopping, just us girls. What do you say?"


    "I say you''re up to something again." Oops, did I say that out loud? "I mean, sure! Why not?! Haha."


    "Yeah, you could definitely use some something more...feminine." she sized me up and down before shaking her head. "Yup! Let''s go!"


    "Huh? Now?"


    I couldn''t even look in the mirror before Angela dragged me away to the elevator. Like a kidnapped heroine, I reached out my hand while screaming ''noooo'' dramatically as the elevator door shut.


    Crap. My gut feeling is telling me something dangerous will happen. And my gut feeling has never been wrong before. I was biting on my nail as I anxiously sat next to Angela inside the taxi. I didn''t even realize we had arrived when I was shoved into this dark confinement box.


    Oh wait, it''s a dressing room.


    "What the hell are these things?!"


    "Lingerie, duh." Angela sounded from the other side. "Oh, and you could use some more chic dresses. Your whole closet is full of those unisex clothes. Hmm, yeah, this one too. Oh, and this one." One by one dresses more blinding then the former were tossed into this little jail, my face turning paler and paler.


    Damn. I knew it. This, is a disaster level danger...


    Like someone who had their soul sucked out of their body, I walked out in the 6cm high silver heels, a wide skirt dress with a choker top of pale pink. As if that wasn''t enough, after forcing me into the rest of those things, Agnela bought every single piece of clothing I had tried on, then dragged me into a salon and did my hair in a cute girly side swept ponytail with soft curl. But wait, why is she still dragging my half dead body around?!


    You name it. Be it a perfume store, jewelry store or shopping for purses, do my make-up or nails...I was dragged everywhere...


    "Hey~ Come on, it''s not that bad? Just look at yourself! I can''t even see a shadow of that sloppy gender-unknown-person. Tch, you actually look prettier than me when you dress up..." She mumbled the last part as I couldn''t hear. No, I wasn''t even listening to begin with.


    "Angela! Can you tell me what you''re pulling at this time?!"


    "Whoaw, chill, luv. I just said I wanted to have a girl''s field trip to go shopping didn''t I?"


    DAMNITTT! I was practically trembling with rage. If not for the fact she was a girl and my best friend, I''m not even sure myself how much I would have beaten her up.


    "Well, will you look at the time. Stay here for a bit, I need to take care of something real quick." She winked at me before making a quick escape.


    This...isn''t over...


    Tired with no strength left in my body, I helplessly slump into the public bench, counting the number of people and birds that passed me as I had nothing else to do at the moment.


    "Hey." A familiar voice drew me back from dreamland. I sat up straight, lightly rubbing my eyes as I looked at whoever disturbed my beauty nap. It was Cody. He sighed, like a gentleman, placed his jacket over my bare shoulders. "What are you doing dozing off here? Didn''t you know people get kidnapped like this?"


    "Ugh, blame it on Ange if I did." I still kept rubbing my eyes, trying to get rid of my drowsiness. I keep feeling like I forgot something important, but what is it?


    "You''ll damage your eyes if you keep this up." Cody covered my hands with his, successfully stopping me. "Come on, or do you want me to carry you bridal style?"


    "Tch, keep dreaming." Nonetheless, he helped me get up with a light pull. Still not fully awake and forgetting I was wearing heels I stumbled a few times, bumping into Cody''s chest. I frowned, "where is Ange?" That girl said she''d be real quick.


    "She told me she had an emergency and asked me to pick you up. I was in the area so..." His eyes shifted away from me.


    Not being suspicious in the least, I broke free from his arms, steadying myself on these torture devices. Luckily, this wasn''t the first time something like this happened and I once again familiarized myself with these things known as heels.


    Sight fully focused on the ground below me so I didn''t fall miserably in public, Cody held me by the hand as he led me to the car he borrowed from his friend. For the first time in a long time, there hung an awkward silence between us. When the car finally came to a stop, I turned to look at Cody, my face full of question marks. "Why did we stop at a theme park?"


    Cody cleared his throat awkwardly several times for who knows why. Before I could question him further he had already led me by the hand into the not too crowded theme park.


    For the first time, I felt that the hand that always carelessly held mine felt warm, hot even. For the first time ever, I minded that people looked at us. For the first time ever, I felt awkward in his presence, if awkward was even the right word to describe my emotions at this moment.


    "Ange told me you were free the next two days. Coincidentally, I don''t have anything to do these days so I thought we might as well hang out." even now, Cody kept averting my gaze, pointing at the direction of a shooting booth. "Wanna give it a go?"


    Weird. I tried not to pay attention to these weird feelings. Maybe it was because I was dressed like a Lolita that I was feeling weird? Definitely that Ange''s fault. "Sure!"


    Regaining some of my competitive spirit, it was now my turn to drag Cody by the hand as we made our way to the booth. That weird feeling I had slowly faded as we strolled around the theme park, a bright smile plastered across my face that even I myself wasn''t aware of. Out of all the games I played I managed to get three prizes which, all involved food. Not that I''m complaining.


    "Here." I looked up to see Cody holding out a cute white teddy towards me. Puzzled, I pointed foolishly at myself. Gaze averted, he stuffed the head-sized teddy in my arms. "I accidentally won it. If I brought this back to the dorm, those guys would make fun of me."


    Sounds reasonable. I nodded in understanding, cuddling the teddy in my arms. I guess it is kind of cute. "Thanks. It''s cute."


    "Anyway! Let''s go to the next one." Too distracted by my new teddy, I didn''t notice the blush on Cody''s face as he led me by the hand. Finally, when we stopped to wait in line, I looked up to see where we had stopped.


    "Farris wheel?"

 Chapter 4 Assault

    Teddy in one hand, Cody''s hand in the other, it was very crowded. I fanned myself, giving the jacket back to Cody. Tonight was unusually hot.


    Noticing my movement, Cody pulled me closer to him; as if afraid I would get pushed away. Again, I stumbled on these torture devices, lightly knocking into Cody who then caught me with one arm. "Careful." He softly whispered into my ears.


    His breath tickled my skin; I unconsciously straightened up and saluted which earned me the smiling stares of the people around us. Damn, why do I feel embarrassed?


    Thankfully I was saved by the Farris wheel as it was our turn. The conductor politely smiled at us, giving a few warnings and advices before closing the door.


    As we got higher and higher, the sight of the city''s night sky view dazzled me. Like millions of stars in a dark sea, they glowed brilliantly. As we reached the peak, the Ferris wheel stopped once more, giving its riders enough time to enjoy the scenery.


    Cody sat opposite me, his gaze glued onto my body without my even noticing. "Whoa! I can even see our dorms from up here!" I pointed in the direction, turning to Cody in a rather childish manner. I cleared my throat, "I mean, it''s really cool up here."


    Not waiting for his response, I turned my attention back at the night view. The lights twinkled in my eyes, bright and vivid, yet so faint and distant. I unconsciously reached out, my hand coming in contact with the glass. My breath that blew against the glass turned damp, showing the blurry reflection of Lumina Zeon, one that I was unfamiliar with. My head felt hazy, my gaze unfocused as I stared at my own reflection, still trying to reach out to something, but what, I myself did not even know.


    "...na..."


    "...Mina..."


    "Lumina." the light tap on my shoulder brought me back to reality. "Are you okay?" Cody looked at me worriedly, "You''re really pale." The touch of his large palm as it covered my forehead felt hot, to the point I felt as though I was set on fire.


    "I-I''m fine." What is wrong with me?


    "You clearly don''t look ''fine''." Cody pushed me to lean back in my seat, "You''re even running a fever! Just hold on a bit till we get on the ground."


    My mind felt fuzzy and I couldn''t clearly hear what Cody was saying, absentmindedly nodding my head whenever I thought he was asking me a question. My vision started to slowly blur, sounds, voices I couldn''t distinguish resounded by my ears, or was it in my head? My eyelids began to feel heavier as I eventually followed my instincts, obediently closing them. The voices became clearer, but they were unfamiliar voices, sounds that made no sense of my current surroundings.


    "Lumina." A familiar voice reverberated, pulling me back to reality. "Sorry, just hold on a bit longer." I absentmindedly nodded my head, closing my eyes once more as I allowed Cody to help me up. The conductor''s voice sounded in the distant, I almost tripped as I stepped out of the cart.


    Expecting to fall miserably, a strong arm caught my waist. The next instant I felt my body float off the ground. A familiar, warm scent surrounded me. I didn''t remember much of what happened last night. When I woke up, an unfamiliar white ceiling greeted me, along with the smell of chemicals unique to hospitals.


    I lifted myself up, my body felt so heavy, as though a boulder weighed on top of me. I positioned myself to lean against the bed frame. I lay alone in a white room, an IV attached to the back of my hand, faint memories lingering in my head as I could barely stay focused.


    "You''re awake! You scared the hell out of me Lumina!" Angela jumped towards me, hugging me tightly I could barely breath. I spotted Cody walking in along with a young doctor in a pure white coat. I wonder what they''re saying?


    "Lumina, are you listening to me?"


    "Huh?" My focus returned to the anxious Angela.


    "Should I call Aunt Mary to let her know?"


    I shook my head, "Don''t, it''s just a light fever, I think. Besides, I don''t want to spoil her vacation."


    "Miss Zeon, greetings. My name is Doctor McGale." Doctor McGale gave me a friendly smile, "Truth be told I was quite surprised to see Cody this flustered when he brought you here last night."


    "Huh?" My brain seems to be functioning slower. I looked foolishly at the three before me, trying to process the situation. "Why am I in a hospital?" It was just a fever right? And moreover, isn''t this a VIP room? I am so lost right now.


    Doctor McGale and Cody talked for a while, while Angela helped me get out of bed. When we got back to the dorms, the first thing I did was crash down in my soft, comfy bed free from the hospital smell.


    "Please tell me you aren''t going to sleep again?" Angela towered over me with her arms crossed over her chest, a hopeless and stern look across her face. "At least eat something before going to bed." Like the good mother-figure she was, Angela brew me a warm cup of tea and made a light porridge. "37 degrees, looks like it went down." She sighed in relief. "Sorry."


    "Hmm?" With spoon still in my mouth I looked at her puzzlingly.


    "I should have noticed you weren''t feeling well." remembering that she had dragged me all over the place yesterday I finally understood. "It''s not your fault. Although I was feeling like a dying soul and am still angry," which I will have my revenge one day, "My fever isn''t your fault. Oh yeah, what was so important you forgot that you left your best friend all alone in the middle of society?"Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    The guilt that had been written all over her face slightly faded, a light chuckle escaping her mouth. "As always, your way of comforting is weird."


    I rolled my eyes at her. I was being serious, okay...


    =


    As usual, I couldn''t care less about my image, yawning without restraint while stretching my arms up. Spring break was just around the corner. With students leaving one by one, the enormous campus became somewhat deserted. I watched from the 3rd floor''s balcony as a few of my dorm mates left. Speaking of, "Hey angee~ are you going to leave me alone?" I rested my cheek on the balcony rails, blinking at the person busying herself with packing.


    Angela placed down the box in her hand, turning to look my direction, "My brother said he''d be returning home for a visit. It''s rare for him to stop thinking about work, so I can''t miss the chance to see him."


    Ugh, these workaholic siblings. Seeing me pout, she sighed, "You know, if you want you can just come over. My mom would love to see you...well, you know the story."


    For a moment I went pale. I remember the last time I went over I was treated as a dress-up doll. It also didn''t help that Aunt Bella was a fashion designer, sometimes even poking me with needles. I unconsciously started to rub my arms, still feeling the pokes from my last visit.


    But even so, Aunt Bella did take good care of me ¨Cexcluding her poking me¡ªso it would be rude not to go see her. Caught in a dilemma, I was already thinking up strategies on how to avoid being dolled up if I do come over.


    "Hey, it''s not like we''ll bite you"


    "You''re right, she''ll poke me."


    Angela rolled her eyes and resumed her packing. Meanwhile, I spotted Cody and his friends down at the jogging field. I don''t even know why I began to stalk him recently¡ªI mean stare at him a lot recently. As I absentmindedly stared, Cody suddenly looked up. Our eyes met briefly before he focused back on the road in front of him. It was just a split second, but at that moment I felt something rush within me.


    This feeling, it''s the same as before. I noticed I keep having this strange feeling when Cody is usually around me and it only keeps increasing as time went by. I pinched the bridge of my nose. What am I even thinking? Even I myself don''t know, okay?


    At that moment my phone rang. Like a speeding bullet I jumped onto my bed, I smiled "Hello? Mom!"


    On the other side of the phone I could hear her cheerful voice, the sound of a waterfall in the back and murmurs from a group of people. It must be nice to go sightseeing, then again I''m not really an outdoor''s person. Her old colleague, Mr. Royce, also inquired about my wellbeing. To tell the truth I''m not 100% comfortable with the idea of one day calling him ''dad'', but overall he is a likeable person.


    As they returned to their Crouse ship mom send me a few of their pictures. Of course, that included couple photos. I gave an awkward laugh, not sure how to respond. They sure are....lovey-dovey...


    "What are you laughing about? Let me see!"


    "Whoa!" Without warning, Angela jumped right next to me on the bed, yanking my phone away and scrolling through the pictures.


    "Uh...should I say you two are nothing alike?"


    "What do you mean?" I sat up and crossed my legs. I mean, our faces are identical and we both love eating. "I guess I''m more of the lazy type." I nodded to myself.


    Angela ignored me, as though she had already given up hope. In the end, I decided to stay at the dorms and drop for a short visit at Aunt Bella''s another day. The thought of those dreaded needles alone is...I shuddered. On top of that, the trip alone was tiring enough.


    "Have a safe trip." I waved at Angela as she boarded the train. After all the passengers that were taking the train entered the doors timely closed. The train station became less crowded until only a handful of people remained.


    I snapped out of my daze when the patrolling officer called out to me. Giving him an awkward laugh I sped out of the train station. It was already turning dark. Left on my own again after a long time I aimlessly wandered about the park. Thankfully the lighting was decent, sparing me the haunted feeling.


    When I came to I found myself sitting on one of the park''s benches, surrounded by nothing other than trees. What the hell am I doing here?


    I rubbed my arms to reduce the chilliness that came with the night breeze. I looked at my watch. 8pm already? I stood up and prepared to head back to the dorms. The campus was still a bit further away. Although we currently don''t have time regulations due to our break, have you ever accidentally wandered into an abandoned haunted mansion on your own? Well, I get a similar feeling.


    Just as I stepped out of the park a weird feeling creeps over me. I shuddered. Was it just my imagination?


    The sound of owls crying didn''t help comfort me at all. I daren''t even turn my head around. Doesn''t something bad always happen when a character in horror movies looks behind them? Nope, even if it''s just my imagination I am soo not looking back.


    I waved my hand, trying to haul a cab as fast as possible. Unfortunately for me, they were all already taken.


    Damn my rotten luck.


    My shoulder already felt somewhat sore after all that waving. I give up. Walking back would be faster at this point.


    A chilly breeze blew my way, causing me to shudder once more. Why didn''t I take a jacket with me like I always do? Sheesh I feel like I''m starting to lose it.


    As I was walking back to campus I didn''t notice a shadowy figure silently following me. As my feet stepped over the threshold of the gate a blazing hand landed on my shoulder.


    "EEEKKK!"


    "Pfft." I jumped back in fright only to see Cody laughing at me to the point he seemed to want to roll on the ground.


    "CODY YOU IDIOT!" I kicked his side as hard as I could. Damn him! And I was already feeling a bit spooked since earlier. This this this "Jackass!"


    "Hahaha!" Cody was clutching his stomach with one hand while rubbing the place I had just kicked him. Seeing my beet red face he finally showed signs of stopping, even though a few muffled laughs still escaped. "I never knew you were such a scaredy cat."


    I rolled my eyes, "Shut up. If I knew you were following me I would have made sure to take my tasers with me."


    He froze, "You...what the blazes are you doing with a taser?"


    "Why do you care?" I threw a question back at him. "Besides, don''t you have better things to do then stalk me? And what is that on your sleeves? ...blood?"


    Out of curiosity I stretched out my hand to grab his sleeve for a closer look but Cody quickly hid his hands behind his back. "Ah, those idiots spilled ketchup on my shirt when we were messing around."


    "Uh-huh..." Well it is kind of dark here so I didn''t suspect anything. "So, mind telling me why the hell you were stalking me?" If I''m not convinced you better be prepared.


    "I was just grabbing some drinks." He lifted the plastic bag in his left hand. Ah, I didn''t even notice.


    "Fair enough. ...I''m not done with you though." I narrowed my eyes at him.


    "Sure, whatever. What are you doing alone here then? Don''t you know about young women disappearing around here?"


    "Huh? Where do you even see a young woman around?"


    Cody stared at me speechlessly before admitting helplessly, "True. You''re more manly then I a- uhow!"


    Tch. I cursed under my breath, my fists still trembling from rage. Just one punch and one kick are far from enough to appease my rage!


    =


    I woke up rather early this morning, not sure if I was feeling refreshed or depressed. I turned on the radio for morning news, something Angela always did out of habit that I took over and headed straight for the shower.


    [...tzz...Last night on..tzz...the patrolling guards of...tzz...university found a...tzz...of the recently reported missing student...tzz...reported by her roommate..tzz...the police are still in the midst of investigating this case that has been ongoing for...tzz....It is unknown whether we have a new serial killer on the loose. Students, teachers and everyone as that matters, we advice you not to leave your homes...tzz...unless neccesarry...tzz....]