The morning light filtered through the slots of Anna’s blinds, casting long, bright lines across her bedroom floor. The chaotic shrine of a room brightened as she opened the window. Morning revealed a mess of music CDs and movie casings scattered on the floor, ruled by walls full of posters from eras long forgotten by the youth of which she was a part in body, but not in soul. As she stretched lazily, her foot knocked over the case of last night’s watch, a movie she had seen way too many times.

Rubbing sleep from her face and spreading toothpaste on the sink, she lingered on her awakening dullness a little longer, savouring the calm before facing the troubles of a day that was going to unfold, whether or not she wanted it, as one of the most important of her new life.

After splashing some cold water on her face, she pulled the bathroom scale closer. A sigh escaped her lips as she stepped on it, watching the numbers blink up at her.

“Great,” she said under her breath, stepping off quickly and shoving it back under the stool.

The calm of the moment was fleeting, brushed aside by reminders of her first day in a new school. As he put on her pristine uniform, anxiety and worry engaged in an intrusive and nauseating conversation.

The living room was tidy and clean, nothing to compare with her room, and a breakfast of toasted bread and noodle soup was waiting for her over the table. A plate opposite to her seat remained empty, chopsticks coming out of the bowl. As usual, Nyx had already left, and also as usual, it was the sound of the door and his scream from the entrance what had woken her up and not the alarm on her cell phone.

At the entryway, Anna put on her shoes, grabbed her jacket and searched through the pockets for her headphones. Then, with a bag slung over one shoulder and her headphones firmly in place, Anna headed out, Huey Lewis synthesiser striking hard as her feet jumped down the stairs.

First lyrics were always her favourite. While she lip synced, an old lady stepped to the side. After correcting her steps to follow the music, a young man glanced. And as she skipped along to the beat, a woman startled. About all of this, she didn’t care at all. It was her moment. And for someone who had been walking amongst giants, nuances of commoners, where nothing.

It was early morning, but the streets of Singapore were already alive. A city that, along with its residents, rested little. Younglings heading to school and adults rushing to work moved through pedestrian streets, noisy cars crowding traffic and piling on the larger avenues. For Anna, it was all background noise. The real world was in her ears: in the riffs and lyrics creating a life soundtrack delighting her mood as the views delighted her sight.

She bopped her head to the beat, fingers strumming an invisible guitar against the strap of her bag. Her steps danced through the streets to the sound of music and ignoring the sideways glances and raised eyebrows of passersby. World unfolded around her as if she was living in a movie, vibrant colours of the market stalls blending with the crisp clothes of other citizens. Anna remained in her bubble, observing all from afar, as every single morning she lived in other countries and other cities.

“How many times do you loop this song in a day?” Nyx said, worlds deepening in her head as her own thoughts. “You manage to turn the gift of immortality into a burden.”

“Really? I just passed the coffee shop.”

“Didn’t stop for coffee today. Been with you since you woke up. And by the way, lying to me at night about my cookies only works if you don’t complain about gaining weight in the morning.”

Anna snapped her teeth and increased the music volume. A new song hit its peak just as she approached Chinatown station. When she crossed the turnstile, a sad ballad threatened to break her mood. She unlocked the screen and scrolled to the song’s list beginning while stepping on the escalator. “There, have you heard this one?”

When the song started again, Nyx let out a growl. His discontent triggered in her a sudden laugh, drawing condescension from the cabin’s commuters.

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Few returns to the list’s start later, she put the first one in loop. When she stopped at the light of Prinsep St. with Bras Basah Rd. the solo hit, and she let herself be carried away, eyes narrowing and fingers tugging at the strap over her shoulder.

Lost in her play, she barely noticed a boy standing off her side. His gaze slid over his shoulder, searching for a nook behind the sleek, black case of a guitar. He fixated on her fingers, moving swiftly and sure. When the chime of the green lights invited him to cross, his head turned, stubbornly holding on to her.

Anna, oblivious to the people flowing, rooted to the spot, lost in her enjoyment. She stepped forward absentmindedly, only to be met by the sharp blare of a horn which stopped her path towards a terrible mistake.

“Pay attention!” Nyx said. “I can’t save you from your own stupidity! Do I really have to hijack one of these kids’ bodies and babysit you at school?”

Rolling her eyes, Anna tapped the side of her headphones as if she could mute him. “Stop spying on me, Gandalf! And while having you close and quiet sounds fantastic, I’d rather not let you torment some innocent mind.”

“Spying? Your mental solos flood into my mind without warning. I call it a curse.” Nyx let out a lugubrious crackle. “And ‘innocent,’ really? How little you know of your peers in this world, glee girl.”

“Go haunt someone else,” she teased, waiting for the light to change. “I’m busy scouting the land.”

The light turned green, and she resumed her way to school with her body reacting less to the melodies as her imposing destination closed. The entrance stairs lead up the guts of the building like the throat of a beast with its jaws open and, with such a sight, the cheerfulness of the journey completely evaporated.

New school, new faces, new start. She was a people person. He’d learn to amuse, to entertain and to cheer. Since they arrived, not only she had learned the languages, but the ways of the many peoples of that world, yet, she could not shake away the weight of a boulder in her stomach. And not being able to understand why was the worse part of it.

Nyx’s voice hummed in her mind again, softer this time. “Come on Pips. It’s not a dungeon.”

She smiled at that, shaking her head. “I rather prefer to deal with evil necromancers and sword-wielding maniacs, than a bunch of annoying teenagers.”

“You have described my evening thoughts perfectly.”

Anna chuckled, drawing an awkward stare from a passing student. “Right, right. Just walk in, Anna. Stop being weird and just… walk.”

“Maybe add some juggling while you’re at it. Might liven things up.”

Steering herself, she squared her shoulders and walked through stairs, stepping into the unfamiliar world that awaited her. As she entered the building grounds, the noise chatting and people buzzing around overwhelmed her. Her fingers toyed with the strap of her bag but not playing at any tune. Insecurities creeped in as she approached her classroom. The walls, the students, the very air seemed colder, less inviting. Even daunting.

The teacher greeted her at the door, introducing her to the class as a new transfer student. She waved and offered her usual welcome smile: A facade practised hundreds of times with Morrigan. A greeting pleasing any crowd she’d faced before, but that created a lukewarm response at best.

A few students glanced up to offer brief nods or disinterested stares before returning to their conversations. Most didn’t seem to care at all. Anna’s gleam didn’t falter, but she could feel the slight chill in the air. “Great Scott, Nyx! Get me out of here!” she thought, determined not to let the cool reception dampen her spirits.

“Delorean’s in the workshop, sorry,” Nyx said. “Come on, Anna. You were the entertainer of the Party of Heroes. Those were the tough, stoic guys who defeated the Dark Lord, not just giggling commoners. And they were all at your feet after every single song, story and swing.”

She took her seat near the back of the classroom, sliding her bag under the desk and pulling out her notebook. The lesson began and the buzz of conversation faded into the monotony of the school day. The energy she carried since home was long gone, as was the nervousness of her arrival. Instead, a quiet sense of isolation grew, a state she was too used to. Anna kept her smile, tapping her pen absently against her notebook.

“Like stones in the wind, they sat unmoved,” she told herself in the language she has not spoken since she’d learned the one of the new world. “Broken statues of a hurtful past. Silent watchers, hearts unproved.”

Somewhere, in the back of her mind, the laughs and claps of the Party of Heroes echoed. Forcing her focus back to the classroom board, her thoughts fought back, drifting to the landscapes of her old life.