The Myth of the Fall

2 | Et Lumina Egredi

ALAYNA'S POV

1st September '22, 8:10 a.m.

I issue my new ID-Card and Entrance card and get them stamped by the academic counsellor after waiting for over twenty minutes in line. I could have got it beforehand but the academy kept me preoccupied with this session's preparations. In my defence, Josh can make good company in such situations.

Yet, I hate being wrong. So, I'm going to pretend that I have loved the meaningless conversations I had to engage in with his friends, who he worships. While I was on good terms with a few of his friends, the others I considered as acquaintances.

Not that I don't like them, but rather I can't match my 'vibe' with theirs. Although, I can see why Josh can keep up with them. They have the energy of fifty cumulative golden retrievers.

Unsurprisingly, I prefer cats.

Now we are all heading towards the class as a pack of happy golden retrievers with a black cat following them. We are twenty minutes late to class and counting. I scan over the group walking in front of me, talking at 'Eminem' speed and laughing....sounding quite similar to a three-year olds' whining.

Josh. Sophia. Greyson. Natalie. Avery. Valterrie. Jules. Ivy.

Caleb was right, my sixth brain has been working slow lately because there's no logical reason as to why I thought a lioness belonged to that rabid pack. The air around her screams majestic, the way they all quieten down when she speaks, the way they listen to her and the way they call her 'sœur' meaning sister. Quite the following she has. It's remarkable.

Ivy Cox turns her head briefly to see me. I raise an eyebrow in question, she brushes it off with a smile reaching her lavender eyes. Is it even possible to have lavender eyes? She gestures to me to walk closer to them. I'm not sure about that one, but one thing's clear: you simply can't say 'no' to her.

It's in her stance, I tell myself.

I take slow steps approaching them, slowly closing the distance. Ivy weaves her arm through mine, "I don't know about you but I can't survive them alone." Her words just above a whisper. "You're so lucky you have me, sœur." I shoot her a playful wink. It was then I realised that we are of the same height. Her dark blonde hair was tied into a messy bun yet her roots were brown. That's pretty.

I always wanted to dye my dark hair lavender or blonde. Or maybe red? Never have I ever found the right time to. "Where'd you get the overcoat from, Alayna?" Valterrie eyes me over, "It looks vintage." I wonder why it looks vintage? Oh, maybe because it's five years old? You tell me.

I gaze at the redhead - up and down - slowly with no emotion whatsoever. She wears, like the rest of us, the academy uniform.

The academy uniform which is a pleated skirt in navy resting just an inch or two below the knees, a white shirt with the academy crest on left, navy coloured tie with silver stripes, a coat yet again in navy with academy crest on left similar to the shirt and doc martens.

Well, that's how the standard uniform should look like. Hers? Not so much.

Although, I must admit she can pull off a 'Lana Del Rey' look, if she wanted to.

I tear my gaze away from her and lock eyes with her instead, "Nicholas Gabriel," I smoothen out my grey overcoat, "I would not expect it to look new, I mean.... it's been years since I got it." I avert my eyes and look at the others, most of them have stopped walking. Suppressing a smirk, I continue my walk.