Maya stood there for a couple of moments longer, wondering how was she going to get along with this girl. Elena was unpredictable and difficult to talk to. It felt as if anything Maya tried to say was the wrong thing to say.

“This is a pretty nice room,” Leo said, reminding Maya he was with her.

There was nothing else left to do but to familiarize with her new living space. Maya sat on her bed to check the softness, determining it would suffice. The bed was a bit smaller than she was used to, but still plenty of space for one person.

Leo lingered awkwardly as if wanting to sit somewhere. He tried to pull the chair from her dormer window desk but was unable to grasp it. He sighed and sat down on the bed beside Maya.

The room had a quaint feeling. Maya quite liked it.

She entered the compact bathroom on her side of the room, its size reduced by a sloping roof. A bath shower was cleverly placed under a dormer window, creating standing room. The window’s translucent glass offered privacy, while the toilet and sink occupied the remaining space. After storing her toiletries in the small cabinet over the sink, she returned to the room.

Now focusing on her suitcase, she smiled happily realizing a photograph of her with her parents wasn’t taken away from her, but then frowned realizing her Kindle was gone.

She pinned the family photo on the sloping part over her bed.

After looking back at her belongings, she discovered something she hadn’t put there when packing. It was a small box containing a smartphone.

“It’s useless. There’s no internet. It probably only serves as a glorified tracking device,” Elena commented. Then mumbled to herself while getting up. “They could’ve just gotten us flip phones. It would’ve made no difference.”

After a short inspection, it seemed like a normal smartphone, however, none of the familiar apps were installed. Instead, there were basic replacements. Fortunately, the function to make calls and messages was available. In Maya’s phonebook were already a few entries for emergency contacts, and a camera function was still available.

They have entered a different world after all. It’d be strange if the same services they are used to were available. Maya wondered what other changes she would have to adapt to.

“You know, because they decided to cram so many of us this year, and turned this space into a room, you can be honoured to be in the only room on the entire campus that has its own mini-fridge,” Elena announced proudly, opening the fridge that was placed near room entrance, revealing it was only stocked with liquor.

“Is this like a hotel minibar? Only the drinks aren’t ‘mini’” Le commented.

“I pity the person that had to carry it up those stairs.”

“You place your pity in strange places,” Elena said and grabbed one of the bottles, already opened, and slugged straight out of it.

Maya was a bit concerned as this appeared to be a habit but decided not to comment on it. After all, it seemed like criticizing what she used the fridge for was an easy way to start an argument with Elena.

Instead, Maya kept herself busy by putting her clothes in the wardrobe. With the first-hand uniform she received added the shelves still looked empty, reminding her of how hollow she felt.

The side windows had a view of the rest of the campus buildings that were seemingly haphazardly arranged, and probably too close to each other. Out of the big window on the back wall, she could, just barely, make out the giant city walls that were close enough to their building to be illuminated by the light coming out of their room.

Maya felt the enormous scale of them, realizing they reached just high enough to meet their window, on the third floor of the dorm. This meant they could see over the wall, out to the distance and the world beyond. However, right now, Maya could see nothing but the opaque darkness.

“Why does this town need such giant walls?” Maya asked curiously.

Elena glanced up from her sketch, her gaze incredulous. Maya tensed, fearing she’d angered her roommate by interrupting. Then Elena’s eyes became indifferent and she shrugged.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“To protect us from monsters, of course,” she said in an apathetic tone.

“What do you mean?” Maya asked carefully, expecting it to be another mean joke.

“Vicious vampires are lurking out in the night. And who knows what else… apparently,” Elena sounded disinterested, what didn’t feel in place to what she was saying. “They didn’t warn you?”

“I don’t think I got the usual treatment, arriving this late. They seemed very busy,” Maya explained, still waiting for Elena to deliver her punchline.

“Personally, I don’t think the wall’s doing shit. More of an exaggerated border, a way to keep us inside and declare what’s the protected zone and what isn’t. The protecting part is done by watchmen of the Night Guard and Hunters. But it goes with the medieval schtick they seem so hot on,” she went on. “But I guess, you better hope the wall works too. Because it’s within jumping distance of our window, which is broken and can’t be properly closed. Meaning, if the glass is somehow an obstacle for monsters, it can easily be opened from the outside.”

Maya made an unconscious step backwards, away from the window. Elena laughed, but it didn’t feel like a joke.

‘Vampires? Monsters? Didn’t they say it was a perfect utopia for witches?’

“She has to be lying,” Leo assured. “There must be a different purpose for the wall.”

“Wow, you really followed them thinking this was some magical land where nothing bad happens? It’s going to be so easy to mess with you if you’re that gullible.”

“Daria told me this was created as a safe place. You’re lying about monsters,” Maya argued back.

Elena laughed.

“Oh, you’re going to be so much fun to watch unravel. Vampires are real, and they’re out there—and who knows what else. You bought their fairy tales about a perfect world and it’s no one else’s fault but yours.”

Maya’s frustration grew as she faced this cynical and cavalier individual.

‘This person is someone I have to live with from now on?’

“She’s just being mean to you. Probably doesn’t like that she no longer has this place all to herself,” Leo said.

Maya pressed her lips together. She feared that if she didn’t stand her ground now, she would forever be ridiculed by her roommate.

“You also bought their fairy tales, or else you wouldn’t be here,” Maya said, hiding her trembling hands. Somehow, rebutting Elena felt terrifying.

“I knew it wasn’t what they were selling. I just had to get away from some… things…” Elena decided not to specify. “That’s the thing. They find you desperate enough to accept anything, even buying a one-way ticket to nowhere. They’ve done it to everyone here.”

“You’re saying they tricked us?”

“Obviously.”

“And what for? What do they gain from this deception?”

“Well… I don’t know just yet. I’ve been here long enough to notice holes in their grand story. You’ll notice too, if you have brain and eyes. You’re quite lucky to get the introduction through me, who isn’t going to sugar-coat everything like the rest would.”

“Seems to me she’s bitter-coating it instead,” Leo added.

“How long have you been here?”

“I was amongst the first of new arrivals. So, the whole summer, basically,” Elena said nonchalantly.

“So you know a lot about this place?”

“Not as much as you’d think, and not nearly as much as we should.”

“But you know how to use this… magic?”

Elena looked at her for a moment. “Not really. They were meticulous about not exposing us to it until the school began. For everyone to have a ‘fair start’, and whatnot, no matter what time they were brought. The fancy appraisal ritual they do is the first and only magic first years were allowed to witness. All we did was exercises to get in shape.”

“So this girl also has no clue what magic looks like even though she has been here the whole summer,” Leo grumbled. “Is this whole magic thing just a cheap trick?”

“However,” Elena smiled slyly, “I found a way around restrictions.” She paused, reconsidering. “Wanna see?”

“Yes,” Maya was blithely curious.

“Then… feast your eyes on this.”

Elena picked up a cup with dirty paint water and placed it on the floor in the middle of the room. She waved her arm to Maya, suggesting she move away. Maya obeyed while Elena took her position distancing herself from the cup taking a lot of free space.

Elena took a deep breath and corrected her posture as if she was about to take some yoga position. Then, she made some theatrical movements which Maya was unsure if they were necessary or just part of the performance, before relaxing, suggesting it was over.

Maya looked confused. Nothing happened.

But Elena seemed satisfied. With a movement of her chin, she gestured to Maya to go and check it out. Maya did it cautiously, half expecting Elena would scare her while she did it.

Even after getting closer, still, there was no noticeable difference. It was still a cup of murky water.

Then Maya picked it up and realized what was different. The water didn’t swirl from her moving the cup and was extremely cold to the touch. It was frozen solid.