Mending Hearts

Awakening

The storm brewing within the family showed no signs of subsiding. The day Kicked off with a faint glimmer of hope for happiness in Elina's life, but it was quickly extinguished. Elina stood firm, determined not to show her weakness in front of her parents. Suddenly, her alarm blared, piercing through the thick miasma of tension, silencing her parents and snapping Elina back to her normal self.

"What is it now?" asked Evan, his voice heavy with irritation.

"Nothing much, Dad. It's just my time to go to high school," Elina replied, trying to keep her tone steady.

Annoyed by her response, Evan clicked his tongue. "Tch, nothing much, huh? Do you even know how much money I'm spending on you and your studies, and you're saying 'nothing much'!? Day by day, you're getting more disrespectful to me and my efforts... just like your mother!" he murmured, under his breath. While Eleonora silently watched without the slightest hint of sympathy.

Elina protested weakly, "That's not what I meant!"

"Huh... did you say anything?! Off to school you go now," he said with a sour look on his face, while Eleonora silently watched without the slightest hint of sympathy.

Elina hurried up to her room, changed into her uniform, and set out for school, passing by the streets in a daze, wondering, "What just happened? This isn't what I meant to do! If only this day could go any worse," she sighed heavily, making a long face.

Elina entered the school grounds only to notice all the seniors trying to recruit the freshmen to their respective clubs, but Elina didn't care as she walked past the hallways. She dragged her unlively self into the classroom and secured the corner window seat in the last row.

Slouching, she leaned down onto the bench, staring into the distance from the window, wondering to herself, "What happened to all the silly enthusiasm you had this morning, Elina? Weren't you going to make lots of new friends on your first day? All your classmates are already on the hunt, and most of them have already formed packs... aren't you supposed to be doing the same?"

The school bell rang, and everyone scampered back to their seats as the homeroom teacher arrived.

"Good morning, students. What a lovely day it is today," he said with a gentle smile on his face.

Elina stood up and spoke out loud unintentionally, "For you, it might be lo..ve...." only to be interrupted by an unknown entity.

A boy with an elegant appearance appeared out of nowhere from the window where Elina was standing, landing in front of her on her bench swiftly. Elina was stunned by his audacious entry.

The boy sat on her bench, stretched his arms, yawning, his eyes all dewy. "Lovely morning to you as well, sir," he said.

Elina didn't quite see who he was, and she was pretty angry at his behavior. She aggressively grabbed his collar, turned him towards herself to give him a piece of her mind, while looking down trying to control her anger, and was about to finish her sentence, "Just how do you think you are allowed to do this and who do you think you aa..re..ee," as she raised her head only to find out who this lad was!

Time seemed to halt in its tracks for her. She was lost in his eyes. The scenery remained the same, but the joy and comfort this moment brought her were entirely new.

An awkward switch flicked on inside her as she stammered, "Ass...laaa...n... is that you?" Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson. She rubbed her eyes and asked again, "Am I hallucinating or what?!" while bringing her face closer to his, gripping his collar tie this time.

Aslan couldn't contain his laughter and burst out, "Pfff... It sure is me, my charming lady Elina," as he reached out and gently patted her head.

Their eyes locked, and Elina's misery seemed to melt away.

"I wonder what this feeling is indeed? I forget to breathe when I'm with this guy! What happened to the earlier me? What was I even hung up on in the first place?!"

Each moment with him unraveled emotions she had never felt before, opening a new chapter in her life filled with uncertainty, excitement, and a hint of magic.