SnowFall

In Reverse

Eira woke up near the lake. That lake.

She didn't feel the cold, but she still shuddered. She moved away from it, turning to the darker places of the woods. They didn't feel safe either, but it was better than the lake. She struggled through undergrowth, one's that felt like could trap and trip; she slipped down a muddy slope, but she was still standing, except, no longer in the woods... she was standing in the gym. The gym where the phoenix and the dragon had their fight. The gym where Jason had first trained her. And there he was, standing there, watching her with a smirk on his face.

That's the smirk. His smirk.

Eira suddenly forgot how she ended up there. Whatever she was frightened of had disappeared. She grinned and walked toward him.

"Jason! It's been ages!" Someone said, and she recognised later that the voice belonged to her.

Jason didn't reply and the closer Eira went, the blurrier he got, until eventually he dissolved like smoke in the air.

Eira turned and they were in the nurse bay. The sun was casting an orange hue to the sky. The lazy time of the day. The peaceful, warm time of the day. Eira felt her shoulders loosen when she saw Jason, sitting on the bench she sat at when he was healing her. He looked out the window, at the sunlight. The sun beams casted over his copper hair. Eira wanted to put her fingers through it. She wanted to hold him. But she stood there without saying a word, and he did not look at her.

Despite the sun, it felt very, very cold.

***

Eira woke shivering. It was not cold. She was shivering from something else, something that she won't remember if her mind didn't put effort in grasping it. Ah... her dream.

Was it real? It felt very real; with the sun, the lake, with Jason... she could see him breathing beneath his shirt, could see the intricate expressions on his face... but when Eira flipped over to lay on her back and think about it, she realised she had been to wayyy too many places wayyy too quickly for it to be real.

How is he? The last time she saw her, he looked... dead. And perhaps the question was swirling around in her mind because the Jason everyone saw might not necessarily be the real Jason. The Jason everyone saw was fine all the time, even if he took blows or almost burnt himself in flames and lightning.

Eira placed a hand on her chest and sighed, but the sigh did not loosen the tension inside her. Her powers are unstable. That was one of the reasons why she so desperately wanted to go to Kallos. She needed to get this right. She was not going to let her powers— something she had loved for so long —hurt another person again. She'll hold on to the reins and she won't let go again.

***

Eira slept little. She was supposed to meet Ms Kate about her enrolment. She had messaged her the moment she got the offer and Ms Kate said she needed to see her. That was normal; there should be a talk. She was half-blood, one of the exceptions, and the thing about new added exceptions is that they were new, and people were still getting used to it. There was still a chance that people won't get used to it, ever.

Eira knocked on Ms Kate's door and when it opened, she was greeted by Misty. The cat's grey tail curled around Eira's leg, giving Eira a flirtatious and soft meow.

"Misty remembers you."

Eira scooped Misty into her arms, her eyes staring into Ms Kate's pair of green eyes.

"Morning."

"Good morning, Eira, I hope you're well."

"I..." Eira looked down.

"I know, Eira, I know. I know you and I also know Jason. Jason won't blame you."

"How is he? Do you know?"

"Do you two not keep in contact?"

"I... well... I have his number and I did message him, but it was short. He said he was staying at his father's and that he's fine. But, normally fine means not fine?"

Ms Kate stifled a chuckle and moved to the side, "Let's sit in the garden."

Eira followed Ms Kate to the garden, where beautiful hydrangeas were in full bloom, in the colours of lavender, violet and blue, but Eira found her favourites to be the green and white ones. They sat in the shelter of the veranda. Eira wanted to place Misty down but Misty seemed content to be in her embrace.

"It's so lovely here," Eira said, turning her attention to Ms Kate. Ms Kate brought her a nice, strong cup of tea, as though expecting her to need it. Eira tensed when Ms Kate slowly sat down, ignoring her comment on the loveliness.

Ms Kate managed a smile. She took her time sipping her tea. Eira left her tea untouched.

"I'd like to congratulate you on your offer of place at Kallos."

"But?"

Ms Kate stifled a chuckle, "Always straight to the point." When she left it at that note, her brow creased, her green eyes shifted. She continued, "I've been asked to see the Board who were in charge of enrolments this year. I met the team who assessed half-blood candidates..."

Eira held her breath. Ms Kate's eyes saddened.

"Eira, they've cancelled your offer."