A dream she’d not remember gave way to one of those moments of drowsiness when a person is aware they are sleeping but remains trapped in the world of unconsciousness. An instant in which Anna took a dive into her past, when she was happy and fulfilled. Back when she was still travelling with the Party of Heroes, back when everything had seemed simpler, if not easier.

During one of the many times they camped during the way back home, the Party had gathered at full around the fire. Morrigan was telling a tale to the team and Anna, still a child not much older than the age she was found, practised a melody in harmony with her mentor’s verses. That night, Adalan had been sitting by her side, calm and collected as always. She, lying on the cold ground, moved his fingers over the mandolin’s neck with hurried clumsiness.

Dozens of servants, assistants, squires and ground soldiers buzzed around to fulfil tasks to make the heroes’ life easier. Vikor, a horse keeper who often made jokes about her play but was always willing to help in other matters, came up from behind to whisper. “Girl, you miss some tunes there.”

“I’m sorry,” Anna had mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper. “I swear I’ll get better!”

Adalan smiled softly, not before warning Vikor to leave with a simple, yet penetrating look. The paladin was the type of man who would face any challenge and misfortune with courage and warmth, no matter what. The leader of the Heroes, their captain and protector. He was a shield that let nothing through. Not even Vikor’s words, which were nothing more than comments without real animosity.

“Don’t mind that idiot,” he said. “You are already amazing. Those tunes are so great, they amplify our magic. Am I wrong, Serandee?”

The party’s mage, busy with one of her books, hummed with assertiveness. Anna’s face gleamed as Adalan tousled her head with playful care. To everyone around the fire camp, his gesture would have seemed like that of an encouraging father, perhaps an older brother. But to Anna, it meant the entire world. It meant a spark to feed an impossible dream she clung to since the first time she met him.

Anna finally awoke, more to her own desire to forget than the morning light on her face. Her guts feeling the bitterness of the inability to return to those early, loved days left a sensation she could stand no more. She rubbed her eyes and stretched, enjoying for a last time the softness of a blanket wrapped around her. The dreamlike haze faded, and she smiled to herself, the events of the day before still vivid in her mind. After meeting the band, Anna couldn’t think of anything else.

Today was just another day, but she was determined to make it a good one. At her school, there were plenty of people who shared her passion. And of the band members, none of them seemed to share her preferences or tastes for outdated trends. Still, she noticed something special about being part of them. Something that dragged her back to her past, even if it wasn’t exactly a party of warriors fighting evil.

She hopped out of bed, crossing the room in a few quick strides. Her school uniform was already laid out on the chair by her desk, neatly folded and waiting for her. Anna pulled it on quickly, humming to herself as she did so.

Outside the room, the smell of freshly brewed coffee and toast greeted her. Nyx, sitting at the table, sipped the first coffee of his usual caffeine induced mornings with an apathy only he could make seem effortlessly magnetic. His eyes flicked up to meet hers, and a smirk played on his lips.

“Morning, Pips,” he said, his voice gruffer than when talking through her mind.

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Anna grinned, pouring herself a glass of orange juice. “Good morning. I’m late, and it seems you are too.” She took the seat across from him, noticing how he was dressed. Wherever he went, even in the comfort of a home, Nyx always dressed in half-ripped jeans and a very few selections of music t-shirts he wore so much, he had to replace them often. And when he did, he always bought the same one again. Only on special occasions, his t-shirts would give up to a black shirt, sometimes not even ironed, which in his mind was as formal as wearing a suit.

Anna raised her eyebrows towards the shirt. “Important meeting?”

An arm riddled with leather straps and covered in tattoos brought the cup to his lips, dozens of earrings glinting as his head shook, savouring his black juiced vice.

He used his fingers to comb back his shoulder-length, greyish mane.”I have to deal with the store repairs and I have no leverage against the handy fella. Later, I’ll pass by to see how Matt’s doing.”

Anna grabbed a buttered toast, biting into it as she mulled over her words. “You could just pay, you know? Like a normal human being.”

“Nah, he’s a piece of shit. And a klutz. He broke a bass and dropped a keyboard. I’m going to suck out half of his bill. ”

She swallowed quickly, glancing at the clock. “I’m running late.” She stood, ready to go, but curiosity got the better of her. “So, how about what broke during the fight? And the complaint about assault?”

He chuckled, setting his cup down. “Got from one the usual cheating and from the other some juicy cunning, so we settled our differences. Silence for forgetfulness. We good now.” His tone was casual, as if they were discussing something trivial. “The jerk of the insurance will comply, too. Not a bad guy, but I got something on his brother he was happy to know. So we good too.”

Anna couldn’t help but shake her head. “You really need to stop blackmailing people. Damn, it’d be great if you stop reading their thoughts at all. And mine.”

Nyx shrugged. “I don’t read thoughts, I just know. And unlike the waterfalls of teen nonsense coming from you, the others always arrive as little streams of mischief. If they were good people, I wouldn’t read shit. If I catch something from them, it’s because they deserve it. I’m tired of telling you.”

“And I’m tired of hearing it,” she rushed to the door. “Just be a nice idiot and do things normally. I wouldn’t have to repeat myself so often if you listened for once.”

“I’m far from ‘normal’. I’m a unique, nice idiot, therefore, I do things ‘uniquely’.”

The smirk of mischief on his face irritated her, but she didn’t have time to argue. She crammed the rest of her toast in her mouth, threw her bag over her shoulder, and yanked at her shoelace. “I’m going to be late!” she exclaimed, jumping to her feet and rushing to open the door.

After crossing the doorway, Nyx’s voice arrived muted. “You’re late already!”

Hurried by the words, Anna broke into a jog, hands searching for the earplugs in her pockets. When she reached Duxton Hill, she grabbed her phone to check the time. “What a jerk. I’m on time!”

Anna looked both ways and crossed the red line, returning to a leisurely walk through Neil Road. “Are you there yet, Gandalf the Black? You like making me run, huh? Today I will flood your brain with Ferris Bueller’s nonsense!”

When he didn’t answer, she waited to repeat her inner words until well into South bridge.

“I didn’t lie to you. You are late indeed,” he finally said. When she spoke to him mentally, his voice was always softer, with a hint of youth that didn’t fit his host’s age at all. “I am messing with you, though. And I have to say, I’m cracking up right now.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Look at the phone again, you glorified lute beater.”

She blinked, then groaned as she checked the screen, dragging a hand over her face in exasperation. “Saturday? Curse your bones, Nyx! I’ll sting your eye with that crow skull of yours! You could have told me earlier.”

“Where’s the fun in that? Now come back home, change that boring uniform into something as cool as me, and get your ass to the store before Matt calls me in a huff.”