„Your hand is cold, mine burns like fire. How blind you are, Nastenka!"-Fyodor Dostoevsky-White Nights
Vivien had strapped her belt on her jeans and was all ready to leave her house.
She was prepared for another gorgeous day at school, since that was the only other place she went to besides her own house, Rachel or Grace's house, the coffee shop and the library in town.
Her and her friends haven't went out in town in a while because Vivien hadn't been like herself ever since September.
It is said that being on alert brings out a person's true thoughts and feelings that they've been hiding. Truth was it seemed a lot like that for her.
The girl walked to school because she wasn't in the mood to see Sylas.
The boy would remind her she didn't want to do anything the other day besides to work on their project and she would've needed to find an explanation for why she's so obsessed with constant work.
She embraced the idea of choosing the easier way out and not taking the bus for that day.
It was a cold morning and her personal watch attached to her arm was ticking. Vivien could swear the straps that caught her arm were colored blue-ish, why did they turn purple all of a sudden?
It was probably just a trick of the light, since being outside might make the color look different because of the dazzling effulgence of the sun.
She read more about the curse in the novel she had taken. Small hope was still present to break it, though briefly.
They needed to gather a bunch of certain objects she didn't even know what they meant because she had never heard those names before.
The future realm had many dangerous aspects, many from which they would have to encounter if to ever travel in time again. Vivien was resolute, bound by both curiosity and a certain agitation she couldn't comprehend herself.
The terror was set in her subconscious, making her unable to realize it.
She arrived to school, where she took in the familiar views. The girl walked up the stairs, panting slightly from exhaustion.
She reached for the door to her classrom, the day looming over like any other.
The ardor she felt only grew throughout the day, and as much as she hated Sylas and wanted to stay as far away from him as possible, the need to visualize 2028 was still present in her soul.
The boy appeared so conscientious when it came to meeting her and having fun, but there were numerous times she wanted to tell him he didn't need to put up a show for her or for anybody else.
What mattered to her wasn't to necessarily laugh at someone's antics, what was more important was the intention to appear funny and to brighten people's days. Thay's what she appreciated the most.
She made up her mind to let him know about the book and everything she had discovered so far.
During the next break between classes, she noticed him walking to the yard. He was much faster than her, hence the height difference.
She was exactly 1,58 cm (5 feet 2.2 inches) in height, and he was around 1,76 cm (5 feet 9.4 inches), perhaps taller than that. The boy stepped inside the yard and she ran after him.
Her legs weren't keeping up with her, but she managed to reach him either way.
Vivien couldn't talk loud enough for him to hear her through the crowd, so she reached out and held his arm.
Sylas turned around with a curious look, not knowing who just grasped his arm.
„We need to talk.", she said, panting slightly.
The boy let her hold onto his arm for a while, though he remembered about how upset she was when he tried to make sure she wouldn't fall during that one bus ride and held her arm just like she was doing now.
He didn't retreat his arm from her hold and looked into her eyes.
„Is there something wrong, Vivi?"
„Don't call me that!", her voice ringed out, harsh and plain.
He realized it was a serious matter. He waited for her to speak up, but she just couldn't figure out where to start from.
He reached up with the right arm that wasn't under her grasp and he clutched her hand in his. Just then had she realized she'd been holding onto him all along.
His hold of her hand was strong and it didn't seem like he wanted to let go anytime soon. Vivien's hand was cold like ice.
„Tell me, Viv. Is something troubling you? Is it about the library and traveling into time?"
„Yes... yes it is..."
„Gosh, Viv, just let it go, darling!"
„I can't let it go. The book I took... was about a curse and...it stated there's nothing we can do to stop it. It's an inevitable arrival, and you don't want to help me... I'm deeply troubled, it scared me..."
„Tsk... I do want to help. Alright, tell me absolutely every detail about what you read."
Vivien took a deep breath. She felt his hand holding hers and it almost didn't surprise her. The girl needed it after all the months of panic and horror.
Just then, her perception of the pestering boy she always had in her mind seemed to shift a little.
She started rambling about what Jude had told her, that he mentioned they were chosen for something and cursed by someone named Leonard.
Through her full digging, she had found out his full name was Leonard Lloyd and could only be found in the future realm. Afterwards, she talked to Sylas about „The curse of Althemia", saying everything she found out about the curse from the book.
The main character of the novel had been cursed after watching a blood moon, and her future looked horrendeous.
Althemia dedicated her time to finding different magical objects and preparing a potion that could somehow alter the curse, but they could only be found in the future realm.
The potion also had to be prepared at an exact time and stirred an exact way.
The boy shared that he also watched the blood moon outside, and Vivien told him it was obvious.
„Let's go visit this Leonard guy.", Sylas suggested.
„What? Are you crazy? We can't summarily intrude and inquire regarding the curse to him.
„Any better ideas?"
Vivien tried to think of anything else they could do. Asking Jude wasn't an option, and she didn't hold enough information about the future realm. When the realization hit her, she glared at Sylas in retaliation.
„Right, didn't think so.", the boy smiled and finally let go of her hand only to pat her head gently. The gesture reminded her of when her older brother used to mess up her hair when they were little. „Buckle uuuup, we're going to the future again! You better be prepared. Off to be mind blown again we gooo!"
Vivien wasn't prepared, if anything, she was the exact opposite of that word.
They both walked to the library, the familiar way this time creating a sense of displeasure to them.
Sylas looked ahead, seemingly nonchalant as always, and Vivien tried to hide her fear away.
When arriving to the room, Sylas let her open the door, the same purple light flickering from her hand and off the doorknob.
This time, the boy also noticed it and began wondering if he could do it as well.
The two walked inside and followed exactly was written in the story Vivien had gotten. Sylas walked behind Vivien, and she reached out to a certain wall next to the library.
Her hand turned purple, and a passageway was created just then, opening itself around the wall. Inside was quite dark and narrow, but they didn't care.
They had to move fast so they wouldn't be seen by anyone around, though little did Vivien know Jude could still track her and was standing right behind them at the moment.
„That's awesome. I've never seen anything like this before, are you perhaps a sorcerer coming to bring me harm?"
„That's a low blow, even for you.", Vivien answered with a smile.
„I'll be the one bringing you harm, then!", Sylas raised his hands in a T-Rex form, trying to tickle her, making the girl step away while she was trying to keep her composure and not burst out laughing.
She told him to keep quiet as they stepped inside the strange and narrow passage with Jude still standing behind them.
The wall closed in behind them and they turned around, surprised by the sound. They kept walking forward, trying to find an exit to the passage.
The narrow space was making Vivien feel extremely uncomfortable, not to mention the dimly lit light.
It's not that she had claustrophobia, it was the feeling that she didn't know where they were about to arrive to.
They noticed a different space ahead of them, and they both came to a stop as they stepped into the room.
The passageway behind them closed once again, but they were unable to notice that. They were gazing around something that looked like a huge office room.
A bunch of people were talking to eachother, some of them glaring at Vivien and Sylas and whispering that they're fresh meat, whatever that was supposed to mean.
The two walked forward. Sylas decided to ask someone for where Leo was, and they were guided by a kind woman to the person in question.
The woman backed away and left the two with Leonard. The man looked to be around 20 towards 30 years of age. His hair was brown and his eyes were grey. He was sipping on a coffee and staring at a flyer. It took him a while to put the flyer down on his desk and to acknowledge their presence.
„I know you two."
„But we don't have any clue about you. Who are you and why have you cursed us?", Vivien adressed the matter directly.
„Settle down, you've just arrived here, haven't you?"
The man sat down on a chair, signaling for them both to also take a seat on the chairs in front of them. The two looked at eachother, then decided to take their seats.
„I have been waiting for you, although my means of bringing you to me haven't been so plainly discussed, we will have to converse about it now. As you're most probably aware, I'm Leonard Lloyd, and this place is a commerce."
„A commerce for what?", Sylas asked.
„Time."
Vivien and Sylas both looked confused.
Leonard took another sip from his coffee before speaking again.
„I have been granted a power, which is the ability to take time from someone's life, or to give it. Here, people exchange time for money, or money for time. Are we clear so far?"
The both of them looked at eachother once again. They didn't know how to answer to such information.
„What you're implying is that you have a vast collection of time, and you can either receive money for it from a certain individual, or give time in exchange for money?"
„Correct. Although it isn't clear to me how I was granted this power, I can also curse people with it.
„Now, why would you do that?"
„Because you need to offer me a hand. You've entered a realm in which people would do anything not to age, as opposed to giving years from their life for monetary. Indignant, isn't it?"
„Not quite.", Sylas answered.
„There is a threat here. We've been doing our best not to be perceived by its radar. Have you ever heard of Huldra?"
Both Sylas and Vivien shook their heads, listening profoundly to him.
„At first glance, Huldra looks like a normal woman, but it has a cow tail. It lives in forests and farms, trying to attract people to marry. Once it marries, its tail falls off and becomes a human, seeking to become just like us. They hold immense power, and some of them that don't manage to find their husband become aggravated. They start to travel everywhere, singing songs or playing instruments to attract people their way. They're incredibly dangerous to my business."
„What does that have to do with us?", Sylas asked.
„You need to help me destroy the last Huldra alive. It lives up the mountain, in the forest, past the meadow."
Sylas and Vivien stared in awe at Leonard. They were both taking in the information of the Huldra and the time traveling commerce the man has put over.
In order to break the tension, Sylas asked something completely unrelated to the matter at hand.
„Have I told you that I appreciate how well that color looks on you?"
„Thanks, it's a new coat!", Leonard said happily.
„You're welcome. If you need more fashion advice, come to me. I'm willing to trade my collection of bolo ties for that ingenious coat."
„You're willing to trade for it?"
Sylas took out a few bolo ties from his pocket while Vivien looked at him shocked. He placed the objects on the desk in front of them. He started sorting them out.
„This one is silver color, this one is magenta, I don't like it. This one is black, this one has little spots on it, this one has stripes! This one is too small for me, this one is too big. This one is broooken..."
„How much for this one?", he pointed to the magenta"
„One dollar, or you can take it for free."
„Are we... still talking about your time traveling commerce and the Huldra?", Vivien asked.
„Huh?Oooh, yeah. Sorry, Sylas, I don't want it anymore.", Leonard said, throwing the magenta bolo tie in Sylas' face. The boy collapsed to the ground, leaving the both of them to keep discussing.
„Once you find the Huldra and kill it, I'll get rid of the curse I bestowed upon you two."
„We accept your deal!", Vivien nodded, reaching forward to shake his hand.
„I wouldn't do that if I were you.", Leonard answered seriously.
Vivien looked at her hand which was starting to glow bright purple. Sylas' upset face was in her peripheral vision.
He was still on the ground, arms crossed to his chest and waiting for the girl to finally finish her talk while looking extremely troubled.
Vivien put her hand in her pocket and told Sylas to get up. The boy muttered something. Vivien could only hear the word „bossy", but she was sure what he wanted to imply.
The two said their goodbyes to Leonard and left through the same passageway.
Vivien and Sylas went back into time to the present and attended classes like nothing had happened.