Lina didn't want to move. Her head became heavy, and the surroundings were moving around her. There was a buzzing sound, and Lina felt woozy! She was then taken away. Lina didn't want to move, but the force pulled her away.
When she came to her senses, she saw her mom looking at her with concern. Lina felt the tears falling, and she hugged her mom.
"It's okay, Lina cat, it's okay!"
Lina cried even harder.
"Kid, it's okay, binding doesn't make you what you are!"
She moved her face away and looked at her father, "But Dad, I'm- I'm- I'm Unbound!"
She could see her father looking at her with love, "Even if you are Unbound, it's okay!"
Lina didn't agree.
"I don't want to be Unbound, Dad."
"Lina, look at me. Bound, Unbound, or even not getting a book, it's all okay, listen to me!"
Lina wasn't focusing on it. She was just stuck on the fact that she was Unbound. How could it be?
"Dad, maybe it was a mistake? How about you check it for me again?"
Her dad shook his head.
"Kid, it's okay. It's not the end of our world."
"Dad, it's the end of my world, woo!"
She then hugged her mother and cried.
After crying for a while, Lina gathered herself. It wasn't that she didn't want to cry, but she couldn't cry in her school auditorium for all to see. She could cry in her room. She went back home with her parents.
"Lina, let's talk!"
"Mom, I want to go to my room!"
Her mom sat on the sofa and patted the cushion beside her.
"And what, cry? Come here, Lina cat, sit beside me!"
Lina sat silently, with her head hung low.
"Kid, being Unbound doesn't mean you are any less of what you were. It just means your book will be with you without getting a rope connecting you!"
Lina didn't raise her head.
Her father sighed.
"Lina, we know you don't want to leave us. We don't want you to go out either. But kid, you have to live your life too, right? And how can you live your life if you can't even venture out?"
Lina looked at her father and cried.
"Lina cat, if you were Bound, you would be in another city, but now, you will just be in another, uh, place. But we won't be separated, okay?"
Lina felt a feeling of calmness overpowering her. She knew it was the soothing power of her mother. But she was embarrassed and sad. How could she be not bound? She wasn't that clueless; she clearly felt the connection between her and the book.
"Mom, Dad, I felt the connection with the book!"
"Lina, things are not always the way you see. The world we see isn't really like that. So, believe us, it's all okay. And you need to find out why being Unbound isn't the end of the world by yourself."
"You mean, I'm not embarrassing?"
"No, no, Lina cat, no! You are the best, cutest kid, and our pride. There's something more, besides Bound and Unbound; there are people who don't get books when they turn five. So, it's in the order of things, okay!"
Lina finally focused on this. She always thought that there were people who were Bound or Unbound, but now she was told that there were people who were neither of these.
"What do you mean, people who don't get books?"
Her mother looked at her father and then continued, "Yes, people without books, they are sent away! You don't know because most Bound people have kids who are Bound. It's rare and not known. But there are people who don't belong to Bound or Unbound, so Lina, it's not our problem if we don't belong to some norm. What you make of what you know makes you belong to something."
"- but- I want to be Bound! I don't want to be," Her voice lowered, "Different!"
Her parents looked at each other.
"Sweetie, life isn't something you get as you want. Sometimes things change, and unexpected things happen. That means, you need to find how to live."
Her father continued after her mother spoke.
"We may not like what's happening, but we can't change it. And there's no point trying to wallow when you can be doing something about it, right?"
Lina nodded. His words made sense. Everything was right. But she couldn't just let go. The sad feeling felt overwhelming.
"Lina, cat, you should remember some things. The world isn't right now. The chasm between the Bound and Unbound isn't easy to overcome," She paused and then slowly continued, "For now, at least, you will be sent to a place of the Unbound and Mom and Dad," Her eyes filled with tears, "We can't bear to send you away."
She turned away to wipe her eyes, and her father patted her on the back.
"Mom, Dad, I don't want to leave!"
"We don't want you to leave, either. Lina, the world isn't accepting towards the Unbound, and in my opinion, it is just a stupid view that the Unbound are any less than the Bound."
Lina hugged her mom. She had never seen her Mom cry, and seeing this, Lina felt her fate was not good. Why should she leave her home? Was this fair? Who made the rules?
Was this happening to someone in some corner when she was enjoying herself? Why did they separate themselves based on a bond? How many families broke up because of this?
"Lina, someone will change it. The chosen one will do it!"
Chosen one? Who was the chosen one? Why didn't the chosen one do it already, so she wouldn't have to suffer?
Seeing her disbelieving look, her father sighed and continued, "The chosen one has already arrived. I'm sure the times will change soon."
How did he know about the chosen one? Was he finally going mad because of the books he wrote? She was pretty sure her dad wrote cheesy science fiction about space cats.
"I'm not in official politics, but that doesn't mean I don't know the undercurrents happening around everywhere. Just bear it for a while, and soon, you will be back with us," he gave her a smile, and Lina felt he was smiling through his tears.
"Dad, what if it doesn't work out? I can't live in some other place where I can't even contact you!"
If she were one of the Bound, she would go to the City to get a graduation in some field, though it was for three years, which was manageable when they stayed in the same place. That was why she wasn't concerned before; no matter what happened, she would always come back. Now it had changed; it wasn't a matter of coming back, it was the possibility of coming back that was gone.
"Don't worry, that place won't feel any new to you. You should find our family there!"
And that's how she found that both her parents had Unbound family members there. Maybe a whole family is there. She had always thought that they were orphans, so she didn't ask about her grandparents, feeling it would hurt them, but now, Lina felt that her parents had so many secrets.
She felt that she wouldn't even blink if they told her that they were some spies now. Because today was "Surprise Lina Day" in the calendar.
"Don't worry, we will find a way so that our contact won't be hindered. This is just a level hundred of the game, you know," Her father gestured, showing levels using his hands," You were going to play level five, but now, you got the hardest level. But I've never seen you back out when you play your video games!"
"I don't want to leave and find that I can never come back!"
There, she said it. Her only fear. There was nothing that was important to her than her Mom and Dad, and leaving them was not possible.
"And do you think it is possible for us to leave you, kiddo?" Her father, who was sitting on the tea stand before them, patted her head in amusement.
"We will be together, we will always find a way. Also, I think the chosen one is slow. Why don't you go and speed things up?" He winked at her.
That wasn't a bad idea, actually. Helping the chosen one meant going to live with her family soon. Yes, she will do that.
"But Dad, how will I find the chosen one? I don't think the chosen one would wear a T-shirt with the text The Chosen One in red!"
"Uh, it's easy. The person who would work to overthrow the current world is the Chosen one."
Her mom rolled her eyes at her father.
"Don't listen to your father. The chosen one will be different. The ideas and thoughts, you will feel the difference."
Okay, that was cool. So, it was decided that she was leaving for a place she couldn't come back from anytime soon. At least, her future plans as a Bound member meant she could come back every weekend. Plans don't keep up with changes, sigh!
_______
That's how she was being sent away, after a week from her Bound Test.
The place was, surprisingly, a portal. Her parents looked at her with heartache, and the Book Mage looked at her with pity. She never thought that the sending ceremony was so crude.
Lina looked at her parents, memorizing their faces, smiled, and then stepped into the portal.
When she opened her eyes, she was face-to-face with a very attractive face!
"Wow!"