It was 1:49, and Jakira Lumière was getting nervous.
She was sitting in her desk, nervously tapping her pen against her notebook. She wished her teacher would stop rambling about stories only related to the lesson and actually check the time.
"Jakira!" one of her classmates hissed in the desk next to her. "Do you mind?"
Obediently, she put her pen down and instead started playing with her hair, still tense.
There were only ten minutes left until 2:00. At that time, really, really sharp, Preciser would arrive somewhere to look for her.
Her quiet, out-of-the-way life was one filled with secrets. Most people she encountered on a regular basis-- which wasn't a lot-- merely knew her name, and maybe that she lived alone with her widowed mother. What they didn't know was that, beyond her shy cover, was her alter ego: Sunray-- one of the two guardians of Milan-- hostess of light. As Jakira, she had no real friends; as Sunray, the whole city loved her. However, there was someone whom she had no trouble calling her best friend: her partner, the host of darkness, who called himself Night. He was her partner in fighting and a natural leader, although he was quite the introvert. While he confidently led the two of them in every battle they'd fought, she'd often seen him shy away from reporters and curious civilians. Even the people he saved seemed to make him uncomfortable if they talked much to him or asked too many questions. Despite these facts, with her he was much more outgoing and talkative. They'd become friends years ago, and had grown extremely close over time.
Don't get distracted. Jakira flashed a look at the big white clock again.
1:54.
She gritted her teeth. Any time now . . .
Ms. Elena finally seemed to realize how long she was taking. "Well, class, we've come to the end of the lesson. You may be dismissed. Don't forget to finish up The Decameron by tomorrow, and to turn in your reports."
Jakira immediately jerked clumsily up from her chair and dashed for the door. She weaved through her classmates and raced down the hallway. A few minutes later she was standing outside her high school, panting.
What time is it?!
She looked around for a private place, then gave up and ran to the side of the school. No one would see anything here. The school was just a giant brick wall from this angle, no windows on this side. Perfect privacy.
She looked cautiously around, just in case some random janitor or pedestrian happened to be nearby, but the coast was clear. Assured of safety, Jakira closed her eyes and began to chant:
"Sun, moon, and stars of light,
All gather and remain
Fuse together and ignite,
To keep the darkness tame."
Even with her eyes shut, she could see a blinding flash beyond them, and feel its subtle heat. The warm sense spread onto her shoulders, then covered her entirely . . .
She opened her eyes, and for a heartbeat she could see everything: the inner growth of the grass and trees, each individual atom in the air with the electrons swirling around them, wind in visible form, and other processes that hadn't been discovered.
Then she blinked, and her vision was normal again, just sharper. Everything seemed edged with fire. Her body tingled with unimaginable energy, and she felt a secured sense that her identity was safe now, with her mask on.
YOU ARE READING
Where Light Meets Dark
Teen Fiction[COMPLETED ~ TO BE PUBLISHED... eventually] Sunray was the light, lonely and shining. She was a beacon of hope to the public, but quiet in her own life. To everyone else, anyway. Night was her shadow, sworn to protect her just as much as his home. H...
