Rising Shards

I nearly fumbled the keycard and it buzzed red. I was killing it with the awkwardness today. One more try and it worked, and we were greeted to our room.

It felt familiar stepping inside. I could have sworn I had been on vacation in a room with nearly the exact layout. There were a few closets in the entrance area, and a small dinky table that I couldn’t see being remotely useful. Past that was the bathroom. There were three beds, a bunkbed on our left and a single on the right. Our luggage was piled in the middle. A single desk in the back. I was still a little freaked about boarding school, but it felt kinda comforting.

“How much you bet we have assigned beds, too?” Kalei asked, quickly climbing to the top bunk. Her wristband didn’t do anything.

“So you either guessed the right bed or we don’t have assigned beds.” Oka said.

Oka took the lower bunkbed, leaving the single bed on the right to me.

I grabbed one of my suitcases and pulled it closer to my bed as I sat down. The bed felt comfy, but it didn’t feel like my home bed. This bed was strange, and I did not understand its ways yet.

“Ahhhh, can I nap?” Kalei asked. “We don’t have any more of that stuff today, do we? No more terrible speeches from total idiots?”

Oka looked like she was about to say something, but stopped herself. She looked almost sad at that, but quickly wiped away the expression. Kalei rested an arm past her bed frame, and I couldn’t help but notice she was in way better shape than me.

“Do you work out a lot?” I asked.

“I gotta stay in shape for beam chasers,” Kalei said. “I’ve been doing it since I was little.”

Beam chasers was one of the most physically taxing sports around. Even if I didn’t fully understand it, I was impressed that she did it.

“Do they have that at Rising Shards?” I asked.

“They better,” Kalei said. “But that’s in spring. So I just have to make it through this semester.”

Yeah, me too. I thought. I didn’t feel much clearer on everything I needed to do for the scholarship. But at least I passed the first void test.

“Speaking of,” Oka said. “Maybe we should start thinking about the Fang Fair project we have to do. Dr. Diast told me we’d all be working together on it. We don’t have to have it done until the end of the month, but we can maybe start brainstorming.”

“Do not speak to me of homework before class sees its dawn,” Kalei said. “Family proverb.”

“Well, brainstorming isn’t really homework, right?” I asked.

“Still. No.” Kalei said.

Stella had to put up with my constant hypotheses of what I’d do if I got crappy roommates. As if she could sense I was thinking about her, my phone started buzzing. She only had time for a quick call, but after getting slightly grilled about Oka and Kalei, it sounded like I’d convinced her I was doing good on the roommate situation by her tone. It was nice to be the one to calm her down for once and tell her everything was cool.

“Who was that?” Oka asked after I hung up. “If I’m not prying too much.”

“That was my sister Stella,” I said. “Just a warning that she will call a lot.”

This was half true and half me trying to sound cooler than I was; hearing Stella awoke homesickness in me. I knew I’d probably be calling her all the time too. My coolness attempt didn’t land, Oka offered a curious smile and Kalei had already tucked herself under her covers and had a sleep mask on. Oka got up and pulled the shades open.

“Look at this!” Oka said.

“Oh, wow,” I said, looking out the view from the window just behind the desk.

I pointed to the beautiful sight. We had a perfect view of the beach, even prettier than the one Jeans had made, with the sprawling water behind it and a gorgeous sunset painting a golden hue over everything. While the inside of the school felt just like the city, the horizon seemed to promise something greater, something magical.

As if it were a weird confirmation, my fangs ached suddenly as I looked out.

“Uhhh Zeta,” Oka said.

“Huh?” I said.

Oka pointed at my face.

“You have a little…”

I felt the warmth in my mouth again as soon as she said it. I didn’t remember biting my lip.

“Here, let me get a towel!” Oka said.

No scream came this time. Well, Oka screamed but I wasn’t even freaked out. I laughed at how weird it was that that was normal now, careful to not laugh blood all over the furniture. Kalei slept through all of it somehow. I gave Oka a thumbs up as thanks when she handed me a towel. While I pressed it to my mouth, we silently stared out at the sunset again.

Everything had changed for me so quickly, but I had never felt so certain I was on the right path.