Alchemy Of Abyss

Chapter Six~2

"I can't get over it," Theia said, looking at Eleni, who was still irritated. "It's not just a tattoo or the old lady's words; I've had dreams about him; it's as if I have a double life with him," — Eleni relaxed her arms but not her face; she appeared altered as if Theia's words had set off a chain reaction in her brain. "It's all too real. I'm not sure how I should feel, but it's like a major déjà vu."

"You're just overthinking," Eleni said, punching her in the shoulder. "You want to find him so badly that your brain creates false memories to fill the void in your soul."

Eleni's irony stabbed Theia, shattering any chance of her dreams becoming a reality. She smiled weakly and stood up to change. Eleni told her to hurry up after closing the door behind her.

...

7:30 am.

As her phone rang, Theia quickly grabbed her keys from the table beside the house door; her grandmother had told her to get some groceries before going to work. Theia's grandparents are well-known chefs and restaurateurs across Greece and Italy.

The girls assisted them with their first restaurant when they returned to Mykonos after their first year of college in London. Closed for years before Theia's grandparents reopened it for the girls to run when they were in Mykonos.

Their restaurant chains were well-known for their delicious food and spectacular locations. Theia learned to cook from her grandparents and mother, who is also a professional chef and owns two restaurants in London where Theia works during the winter.

Eleni was already in the car, waiting for Theia, who had returned to write down everything Eirene had told her to buy. It took her a couple of minutes to get to her car. "What took you so long?" Eleni began driving after saying this.

"I got a call from Grandma. She forgot the grocery list and asked us to get it for her because the restaurant is crowded, and she couldn't send anyone."

Eleni looked at Theia's list and exclaimed, "All of that?"

"Yeah, I wrote down everything we need."

11:30 am.

While Theia was finishing the kitchen before the opening, Eleni was arranging the tables and putting everything in its proper place. The restaurant was one of Mykonos' oldest. Small and comfortable, with tables inside, outside, and in the back overlooking the bright blue Aegean Sea.

The tables and chairs were navy blue, and the restaurant was surrounded by large bougainvillea trees, which added a vibrant vibe. Before the girls took over the restaurant, Eirene transformed it into a modern restaurant hub to match the restaurant's summer vibe and to serve a small crowd with fast food-style service.

Eleni finished everything outside and the place was ready to welcome customers, only two waiters came from the back door wearing their uniform, a white t-shirt, dark blue jeans, and navy aprons with the place's logo in the middle. Theia smiled at them and told them about their pastries in the kitchen. Eleni took Theia's coffee and followed her to the back of the restaurant.

The spiral stairs on the right side of the restaurant led to the rooftop, where there were multiple tables and chairs in a darker blue navy color. Jasmine flowers covered a white metal pergola that covered half of the rooftop and the railing.

With a wicker white couch, two chairs, and a round short table under the pergola, Theia sat on the couch and placed the plate of pastries and her coffee on the table. Eleni took her place on the left chair.

As she bit into her pastry, Theia said. "How is your latest web comic coming along?"

"It's fantastic, so far, people seem to like it," Eleni said, looking at Theia. "I was wondering when you were going to join me?"

"In what?"

"I wanted you to join me with my upcoming comic," she explained, taking a big bite, and moving to sit next to Theia before taking another, "because you are a romance junkie and I wanted to have a romantic storyline alongside the fantasy one."

Eleni was a gifted comic artist who had been making them since she was fifteen. Her grandmother Helena was the first to encourage her to publish her work and attend university to study art. Helena was a professional painter who believed that any type of art was required in this doomed and dull world.

"I told you before, I'm not very good at it."

"Oh, come on, I know you are."

"Not at all. In high school, all I wrote were thoughts. I know I'm a good writer. That's why I'm studying journalism, but writing fiction... no."

"Really?" Eleni asked, staring at her blankly. "However, your fan fiction indicates otherwise." Theia coughed and choked. "Don't die on me, easy, easy."

"You knew about my fan fiction?" Theia said as soon as she stopped coughing.

"You told us last year."

"Us?"

"Wait!" Eleni exclaimed, chuckling. "You don't remember?" — "At Manos's birthday, you got insanely drunk and kept talking about your obsession with Aaron of 4unity and your famous fanfic about him and on how lonely you are... you even kissed Manos."

"What?!"

"Yeah, why do you think he dumped his girlfriend? Manos was relieved when you kissed him. He was desperate to break up with her."

"Oh god!" said Theia, covering her face with her hands. "Why didn't you tell me?! That's why she ignored me a few months ago."

"I thought you'd remember what happened and wouldn't talk to her, but I couldn't resist the laugh, really." Eleni chuckled as she remembered that day. "So, I know you're good at romance writing, and I want you with me."

"I can't, I'm not good."

"You are, I read your fanfic, it's over the top and really weird like most fanfics, but your talent is really present in it, the characters and the romance are superb, we can use your lovey-dovey style and create a killer romance comic."

"I'm not good at that," Theia admitted, shaking her head. "You could say that someone's life inspired me while I was writing... but I won't tell you who."

Theia avoided looking at Eleni and held her hot coffee, taking a small sip. Eleni stared at her and said, "Why can't you tell me? I won't tell anyone; you already spilled your secrets on your own last year... it won't be worse than having sex dreams about Manos, right?"

Theia looked at her again and almost spilled her coffee. "Oh, my god! I said that on his birthday! It was just a couple of dreams! I won't drink ever again!"

Eleni laughed, "Actually it was New Year's Eve... don't overthink it, everyone spills their secrets when they're drunk, not to your extent of course, but anyway, tell me the name of the person behind your cringe fanfic."

Theia left her cup on the table and pointed at her and said, "First, stop calling it that. It's an incredibly romantic story—"

"With an unbelievable amount of cliché sex scenes," Eleni said, deadpan.

"—I'm a descriptive writer." Theia cleared her throat.

"Right." Eleni chuckled.