‧. .✦ʚ♡ɞ✦. .‧

Maya walked ahead of Val and took the wrong turn more than once. Her inattentiveness was high today. The previous topic just didn’t want to leave Maya’s mind. She wanted to share what was bothering her, but sharing the secret was too difficult. 

Austin knew because he caught her by accident in their first year of university. It was so common to gain weight in America’s Colleges during the first year that they coined it ‘The Freshman Fifteen’.

Maya almost doubled the amount because she had a hard time coping with stress, life changes, and responsibilities. The frequent projects and her diet helped little with that problem. 

She also almost fainted during one exam.

It was a dreadful moment of weakness when she raided the faculty pantry, but she was glad it was Austin who found her. He was there to reassure her and listen to her. 

Maya’s pen pal, Fey, had also been a source of strength. Their friendship started in middle-school, with Fey’s letters acting like a lifeline. Fey struggled with a disability that significantly restricted her movement after a terrible accident, changing her entire life abruptly. 

They exchanged letters and still kept in touch, supporting each other unconditionally. Their exchanges made Maya feel truly heard and accepted, giving her a sense of reassurement when she needed it.

Yet why can’t I tell her? Maya grumbled, almost walking into another street lamp. 

“Careful.” Val pulled her back, and Maya stumbled into her arms, though she quickly let go of her. Somehow, this made Maya even more frustrated. “What’s. Wrong. Maya?” 

“Nothing,” Maya laughed painfully. “I guess I need my glasses.” 

Val perked up on that. Her lip quivered up. “You have glasses? I didn’t. Know.” 

“I didn’t?” Maya snorted, suppressing another pained laugh. “Imagine, I’m already chubby and unattractive. Don’t need glasses too to make me look dorky. I have a pair, but I try not to wear them.”

“I don’t. Understand. You’re not-” Val tried to reach out, but Maya pulled away.

“Nevermind that. Let’s focus, alright?” Maya spun on her heel, her tone brisk as she tried to divert the conversation. “Where do your Valkyrie senses point us this time? Let me guess—somewhere enchanting, yet wildly dangerous?” She shot Val a mischievous grin, hoping the playful jab would mask her unease.

Val exhaled with a mix of frustration and sorrow. Her shoulders slumping slightly as she raised a hand to point to their right. “There,” she said, her voice low. “Presence. Strong. Since. Past. Week.” Her amber eyes flickered to Maya.

“Great! So we go to the— oh, you gotta be kidding me!” 

Flashbacks invaded Maya’s mind. Her stomach churned violently. She was feeling sick. “Why in Hel’s name does it have to be the local cemetery!?”

Maya had nothing against the resting place for the dead. In fact, she found it oddly comforting. It was a nice place to take a walk among the trimmed hedges and towering trees, casting gentle shadows on the cobblestone paths. around with all the trimmed plants and trees. It was a place of stillness. Whenever you needed a moment for yourself to think, it was the nicest place she knew. 

Her parents, however, disapproved of that habit—something she only understood after her harrowing encounters with the Draugr. 

Maya felt her skin crawl. “Please tell me that whatever you’re sensing is outside this creepy place?” 

Val shook her head and pointed further to their right. “Beyond the gate. Strange magic. Familiar.” 

Great! Maya quickly drew a cross in the air before her and sent a prayer into the sky alongside a kiss. She was not religious, but she wasn’t taking any chances. “After you, my chaperone.”

With an exaggerated bow, Maya gestured for Val to go first. Val was mirthfully surprised and played alone. She straightened the muscles on her back, and gave Maya a proud but playful grin‌. Though when she approached the metal gate, Val jumped back like a startled cat. 

“Really?” Maya laughed. “Afraid of a little spider?” 

Brushing away the spider from the round horseshoe symbol of the gate, Maya opened it with a rusty pull and rattle from the hinges. 

“Happy to know that you have a cute side like that on you,” Maya laughed again and went through the gate. A tingle crackled in the air and dissipated quickly. “Afraid of spiders. How adorable.”

Val frantically looked between Maya and the gate. She was not afraid of spiders, but rather she was fearful of the magic that left the gate. Smoky green energy shrouded the gates, making sure to keep any trespassers out. 

That’s what Val felt when she touched the handle. An instant, electric recoil, which reacted to her divinity. Yet, it dissolved on the simple touch of Maya’s. 

The enchantment disappeared like it never existed in the first place. Val could feel the oppressing magic wash over her like a wave. It was everywhere, trying to ward them away. But the current of the magic shifted, passing by them. 

Like it shunned their presence.

Val kept her hands on her chest as she tried to avoid touching the metal or the horseshoe symbol. It was a warding symbol—that much information Val could recall. Her senses told her to stay away from it.

However, Maya didn’t seem to notice anything wrong. 

She chuckled at the fearful display as she kept the gate open for her—unaware of the meaning the gate held. This trip was about to become more adventurous than the last—and many times more dangerous.