With You

Chapter Two

The morning light filtered through the blinds, thin rays stretching across the bed and onto Aliya's face. She blinked slowly, rubbing her eyes, and for a moment, she was alone in her own head. It was rare, those few minutes after waking up where Elena hadn't stirred yet, where it was just her and the quiet rhythm of the world outside.

But it never lasted long.

"It's already past eight. You've got to get up," came the familiar voice, just as firm as always.

Aliya groaned, rolling onto her side, pulling the covers tighter. "I know. Five more minutes," she muttered, though she wasn't talking to herself.

"You're always saying that," Elena chided, her tone a mix of playful teasing and mild annoyance. "You have that deadline today, remember?"

Aliya sighed and sat up, the cool air brushing her bare arms. Elena was right, of course. She always was. Elena had a way of keeping things in order - reminding her of tasks, pushing her when she felt like doing nothing at all. Aliya was the dreamer, the one who drifted. Elena was the anchor, the sharp voice that kept her from spiraling into chaos.

"You're welcome," Elena quipped, sensing Aliya's resignation.

As Aliya got out of bed and headed to the bathroom, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her eyes lingered there, studying the familiar features. Same dark hair, same pale skin, same tired eyes. But beneath that, there was always a subtle divide, a sense that she wasn't looking at just one person.

~~~~~~~

Aliya had always been different, even as a child. The first time Elena had appeared was during one of those nights when the darkness felt too big, too suffocating. She remembered lying in bed, terrified of the shadows that seemed to stretch across her room, convinced that they were alive, that they were coming for her.

Out of nowhere, a voice had spoken softly in her mind, calming her in a way nothing else had. "They can't hurt you. I'm here."

At first, she thought it was imaginary, something her young mind had conjured up. But Elena hadn't gone away. As the years passed, the voice became a constant companion - developing from the first whisper to the full presence that Aliya couldn't ignore.

Back then, it had felt like magic, a secret friend who made her braver. Elena had stood up for her when she was bullied in school, told her what to say when she felt like shrinking into the background. Elena had been the one to push her through awkward teenage years, through the loneliness that seemed to follow Aliya wherever she went.

But as they grew older, their relationship became more complicated.

By the time Aliya was in her twenties, it was clear that Elena wasn't just a comforting presence; she had her own personality. She wasn't just a voice that existed to soothe. She was sharper, more daring, more reckless. If Aliya hesitated, Elena was always ready to take control.

And sometimes, Aliya let her.

Their days were often like this: a silent partnership where Aliya tried to live her life, and Elena hovered in the background, offering unsolicited advice, pushing her in directions she wouldn't have gone on her own. But Elena didn't do it out of cruelty - at least not in Aliya's mind. She was like a guardian, an extension of herself that had split off to protect her. Or at least that's what she had come to believe.

"You're thinking too much again," Elena interrupted. "Stop analyzing everything. Just eat something, get ready, and get to work."

~~~~~~~

By late morning, Aliya was at her desk, the same familiar space cluttered with sketches, half-filled notebooks, and a coffee mug that was dangerously close to empty. She worked from home most days, which suited her just fine. Fewer distractions, fewer chances for people to ask questions she couldn't answer.

Her friends didn't understand why she kept to herself so much, and sometimes, Aliya wondered if they noticed how often she drifted during conversations, as if she were somewhere else entirely. Leila and the others probably thought she was just introverted, maybe a bit shy. They didn't know about Elena. They didn't know how much of Aliya's energy was spent managing the constant presence in her mind.

As she clicked through the files on her laptop, Elena's voice piped up again. "You should take a break soon. Your ideas are getting sloppy."

"They're not sloppy," Aliya shot back, though her irritation was tempered by a hint of amusement. "I'm just warming up."

"Sure you are. But you always do better when you step away for a bit."

Aliya closed her eyes for a second, forcing herself to breathe. Elena's presence wasn't exactly stressful, but it could be... relentless. The way she picked at everything, the way she seemed to always know what Aliya should be doing. It was like living with a strict, but loving, mentor in her own head.

The thought of being without Elena scared her as much as it intrigued her.

~~~~~~~

Leila had once asked why Aliya didn't date much. It had been at some party a few years back, when the group was sitting outside on the patio, nursing beers and swapping stories about bad relationships and fleeting crushes.

"I just don't feel the need to," Aliya had said at the time, shrugging. "I like my space."

But it wasn't entirely true. The truth was more complicated. It wasn't that she didn't want to connect with people - it was that connecting with someone meant letting them get close. Letting them see things Aliya wasn't sure she understood herself.

And what would they think if they knew? If they knew that Aliya wasn't just Aliya, that sometimes she was someone else? Would they think she was crazy? Dangerous?

"You're overthinking again," Elena whispered. "No one has to know."

Aliya's life had a routine to it, but there was always an undercurrent of tension. She had her work, her friends, her habits. She'd spend evenings with Leily and the others, listening to their stories, laughing at their jokes. But there was always a part of her that was elsewhere, pulled inward by the continuous dialog with Elena.

And then there were the moments when Elena did more than talk. Sometimes, Aliya would be at a bar with her friends, and Elena would whisper, "Say this,", or, "Do that." And Aliya would obey without question, knowing that Elena often had a sharper instinct and braver approach.

Elena was courageous, more charismatic. Aliya felt small by comparison, but at the same time, Elena was her. Or at least, she was a part of her. Sometimes they blurred together, and Aliya couldn't quite tell where one of them ended and the other began.

But their differences were undeniable. Aliya was careful, introspective, sometimes passive. Elena was the opposite - decisive, often brash, and unafraid to take risks. When Aliya stalled, Elena stepped in without a second thought. But Elena wasn't reckless out of carelessness. She did it because Aliya needed her to be strong in the moments she couldn't be.

~~~~~~~

As the afternoon stretched into evening, Aliya leaned back from her desk, staring at the half-finished project on her screen. She rubbed her eyes, exhaustion settling in. Her phone buzzed, a message from Leila asking about dinner plans later that week. Aliya smiled at the thought of her friend's persistence. Leila never gave up on pulling her into social events.

"Go," Elena said, her voice softer now. "It'll be good for you. You spend too much time in your head."

Aliya chuckled softly, the irony not lost on her. But she knew Elena was right. She always was.

And that was the strange beauty of their relationship. As much as Aliya wanted to believe she could handle life on her own, she wasn't sure what she would be without Elena.

Or who she would be.