Worlds of Waves and Shadows

Two

8:35 am

20th December 2064.

Edinburgh, Scotland.

The incessant buzzing of the alarm refused to be ignored any longer–rousing her out of sleep, like a relentless bee–determined to harvest the nectar of her consciousness. She groaned, burying her face deeper into the warmth of her blankets, but the sound only grew louder until it exacted her from the warmth of the bed, feeling about as enthusiastic as a vegan in a butcher's shop.

She rubbed at her eyes, yawning as she shuffled toward the Di-Gi Wall, the glow from the massive screen casting a cold light over the room. With a swipe of her hand, she silenced the alarm, glaring at the offending digits.

That's when she saw it.

Her heart skipped a beat. The date. It was today.

Sleep evaporated in an instant, adrenaline flooding her system. How could she have forgotten? Her fingers flew over the screen, pulling up her schedule.

Even after three months of it all, she still wasn't used to it. Any of it.

The university life she'd once dreamed of felt more like a cage these days. A suffocating, unfamiliar cage. The novelty of it all had worn off quickly, replaced by an aching homesickness that clung to her like a shadow.

But now—finally—freedom. Winter break was here, and home was just a train ride away.

With a grin spreading across her face, she flung open the window, letting the biting December breeze slap her cheeks awake. The cold air rushed into her room, cutting through the last vestiges of sleep, but she didn't mind.

She was going home.

Stepping back, she darted toward the dorm closet and extracted a small matte-black box. Her fingers traced a familiar, barely noticeable bump along the surface. With a soft press, the box unfolded like a mechanical flower, expanding into a sleek suitcase.

She didn't waste a second to grab all of her essentials, piling them around her before assuming her position in front of it, crossing her legs and rolling up her sleeves.

After about an hour, Sarina stood over her luggage, hands-on her hips as she frowned at the open suitcase, packed with all of her winter wear, toiletries and skincare essentials.

And yet....She glanced down at the mess with a sigh.

"Something's missing..." She mumbled.

Then it hit her, sending her scrambling for the washed-out quilt lying on her bed. Plucking it off the mattress, she dusted it with the gentleness of a mother, before folding it into a neat bundle and placing it on top of her luggage.

There was still a lot to do, but the gnawing hunger twisting in her stomach forced her to pause. The sound of it echoed through the quiet room, an unmistakable growl demanding immediate attention.

Food first, everything else could wait.

A quick shower later, she climbed into her favourite jeans and slipped on a fitted black sweater. She mentally ticked off her to-do list as she shrugged on a crème-coloured overcoat, checking the time on her Di-Gi Wall.

Her eyes widened.

9:48 AM.

"Shit," she muttered under her breath, grabbing her purse and bolting out the door.

The air outside was crisp, biting at her exposed skin, but she barely felt it as she rushed toward Kellsee's Café, the one place on campus that felt like a small piece of home.