Moira

1.

003d, 04h, 47m, 12s

Ordinary.

All I really strived for was to be ordinary.

But when my friends were all destined to meet their soulmates by the time they had finished Highschool, and I graduated not only a year after them, but wasn't due to meet my own soulmate until years later, too; I realised being ordinary came easier to them than it did to me.

It was around then that I decided to work hard to not fall out of the norm again.

I hated the attention it came with, anyway.

The way my mother's brows turned into a concerned furrow when she was first told I wouldn't graduate until a year after I was supposed to.

It concerned her merely because she didn't think I needed to repeat my last year of school. And I agreed.

I had always done well in school. Not exceptionally well, but well enough, I thought. Obviously, they must've thought differently.

And, of course, it changed everything, too. Because I started to become exceptionally well in anything I did. And didn't dare stop before I understood and mastered whatever it was, too.

And now, at the age of 21, I was kind of grateful for it. Understood, even why they made me repeat a year.

Because I wouldn't have found that drive within me to do and be better, and I wouldn't have gotten that job at The System. The one that was so exceptionally ordinary, it made me smile every time I thought of it.

After all, that's how fate worked, right?

Events that had developed outside of my own control, predetermined and set into stone by the board that wouldn't, under any circumstances, let me graduate that year. Which was the only reason I had started to work harder, which, in return, was the only reason I was now on my way to The System's Headquarter and Arcan City's greatest treasure.

I rushed through the entrance hall quicker than I usually did, a certain lightness in my steps that even I, myself, felt before coming to a halt at the security gates. My hands fumbled with the ID hanging around my neck, eyes scanning my surroundings as I waited for the person before me to scan theirs.

The high ceilings, large windows instead of walls, and the plain, white interior inside the building were among the reasons I enjoyed working at The System. Apart from the fact it was a huge honour to be involved in anything they did, it felt orderly and, quite literally, perfect.

Which is exactly what Arcan City and most of its residents strived for.

"Eddie," I greeted politely, giving the security man a quick nod he returned.

"You're exceptionally giddy today, miss," He noted, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth as he watched me pass through the gates, ready to pick up my pace again.

I huffed in amusement, turning to look at him while simultaneously making my way over to the elevators backwards. "Three days, is it?" He raised his left arm slightly to signal what he was talking about.

I nodded, the smile on my lips growing deeper, too. Though, it was replaced by a horrified expression as soon as I bumped into one figure, immediately followed by a second one.

"I'm sorry— my apologies, I'm—" The words fell out of my mouth, eyes wide as the two just gave me an eye roll and moved on to wherever they had to be. Turning back to face Eddie, he watched in amusement, shaking his head slightly as soon as my eyes landed on him.

Remembering his words, I nodded quickly. "Three days, exactly! You know it, Ed," I exclaimed, my voice raised to make sure the words got to him.

A quiet sigh escaped my lips as soon as the doors of the elevator closed. Though, the smile on my face didn't fade throughout the whole ride up to the thirty-first floor.

Aiden — the ginger who made my life just as much miserable as he made it fun — raised an inquiring brow at the sight, turning his head to look at me every few seconds. "What's that smile? Your countdown running out today?" He wondered, eyes straight ahead as he watched a few people getting off the elevator in a hurry.

The doors closed, and I shook my head in response.

"Thursday," I corrected, side-eyeing his reaction.

The boy-ish grin he always wore settling into his pale features, he muttered a "Poor bloke."

A snicker passed by my lips as I rolled my eyes, though not even he'd be able to get the reaction he was aiming for out of me today— or frankly any other day following it.

"Have they given you the day off, then?" Genuine interest lacing his voice, I decided to let his previous comment pass.

"I declined. They shouldn't have to," I shrugged. "It wouldn't be fate if I went out looking for them, right?"

He scrunched up his nose at the explanation at the same time as a pleasant ding accompanied the opening doors of the elevator.

"I guess," was all he said before we got off on the same level, his head seemingly trying to wrap itself around my words. "But... it's still a day off. You know, where you wouldn't have to come into work?"

The concept that some of his colleagues might actually enjoy working at The System was one he never quite understood before, and therefore his brows stayed knitted together slightly as his eyes fell on me one last time.

Instead of furrowing my brows like he had, I simply raised one in response. "Where you take all that bloody motivation from, I'll never understand," He sighed in defeat, shaking his head before trodding off into the opposite direction.

Still carrying that carefree lightness in my steps, I took a turn to the right before making my way through the long, brightly illuminated corridor.

I still walked this hall as if it was my first day, intently scanning my surroundings that wouldn't show anything but bare stretches of walls; windows were scarce now compared to the building's entrance hall.

It was for security reasons, shielding from outsiders curious glances.

The organic arch in the ceiling made it more of a tunnel rather than a hallway and softened the otherwise harsh atmosphere a little; The only reason I didn't have a full-blown panic attack due to nerves when they first led me along it.

Pressing my thumb against the sensor, I shook my head in order to rid myself of the thoughts of events that had happened almost two years ago. They played no significance now, so why reminisce about them?

The door slid open automatically once my fingerprint was approved with a pleasant sound paired with a green light illuminating my face for a mere moment.

"Miss Gray."

My eyes took the circular room in, and my brows furrowed slightly as eleven pairs of eyes landed right on me. My arm flew up in front of me simultaneously, eyes dragging away from the unusual sight and checking the time displayed on my watch.

8:47 — I was as early as I always was, with ten minutes still to go before the rest of them would even get here. But now, here I was, attention flickering back and forth between the time and my superiors.

The little countdown on my wrist, partially covered by that same watch, was contently counting down the days; 003d, 04h, 35m, 57s.

"No worries." My eyes snapped back up to them. "You're not late; we merely started early. Take a seat. You may start taking notes now."

-

Hello and welcome to my new baby <3

I'm so excited to pour my heart into this bad boy; you have no idea.

Updates will be regular; I'm guessing every second day but no promises! Once I've gotten the hang of it, I might do a new chapter once a day. :)