Emerald landed at Bromma Stockholm Airport on a crisp, bright Scandinavian morning. Eva was there to pick him up, her presence a silent, intense anchor in the foreign chaos. She was not in a suit but wore expensive, understated civilian clothes—a tactical decision, Emerald guessed.
After a short, brisk fifteen-minute drive, they arrived at his new residence just outside the city, in the affluent suburb of Lidingö. The property was not merely large; it was excessive. Multiple bedrooms, vast windows overlooking a manicured lawn, and interiors furnished with minimalist, luxurious precision. To top it off, three high-end cars—an obsidian Mercedes, a sleek silver Volvo, and a sporty black Porsche—sat waiting outside in the front yard.
Eva was in a visible rush, her energy coiled tight. She took off almost as soon as Emerald had loaded the first half of his belongings onto the polished wooden floor. "I've arranged for everything. A contact will manage your schedule and needs. Do not wander the city alone after dark until I return," she instructed curtly before her own car silently glided away.
Emerald felt a familiar numbness. He took off his travel clothes, enjoying the space, took a long, hot bath, and finally laid down on the expansive, feather-soft bed. He jumped over it a few times, grinning slightly, trying to feel the warmth and cozy comfort that felt undeserved.
As he was lying there, he pulled out the booklet Eva had given him. The college offer letter felt heavy in his hand. He read the name at the top: "Royal Institute of Technology, huh. KTH. Guess it's a crowded one." He started to doze off, the foreign words and the immense exhaustion finally claiming him.
Emerald awoke a few hours later, the guilt of leaving the luxury unappreciated spurring him into motion. He meticulously cleaned and organized the entire house, a simple, human compulsion for order amidst the chaos of his fate.
He then dialed home. His mom picked up, her voice instantly easing the gnawing ache in his chest. "How's life in there, kid?" she asked.
With a genuine, pleasant smile, Emerald let the warmth of the connection sink into his heart. The call went on for a few precious hours as he ran around the silent house, holding the phone, proudly showing off his new, incredible shelter. In that moment, he was just a son cooling the unsettling worries of his mother. It seemed like a scene out of the holy scriptures, a testament to the primal power of a mother and son's bond, proving why they say: "Even if the mind tells you to lie, the blood will prevail to tell the truth."
The next morning, the smell of cooked meat pulled him from sleep. A perfectly cooked steak and scrambled eggs were already on the table. Emerald looked around, checking under tables and behind curtains to settle the doubt, but the dining room was empty. He let a smirk surface as he bit down on the tender steak, knowing the kind of absurd, effortless life he was now forced to live.
As he reached for the front door knob, it opened silently without him touching it. To settle the early-morning worries, a man in a crisp suit stood there, precisely performing the job of a butler. He greeted Emerald with an impeccable, silent bow and walked out. The car—the sleek obsidian Mercedes—was waiting.
"I'm Fidel. Hope you enjoyed the steak," the butler/driver said once they were underway.
"I did, thanks for the food and the ride. I'm Emerald."
Fidel continued driving smoothly toward the city center, and they exchanged brief, polite information. Before reaching the massive university campus, Emerald requested Fidel to drop him off a few blocks away. A gentleman to the core, Fidel understood the need for a non-flashy arrival. He did as Emerald said, but not before delivering a message to treasure along with him for the day: "Eva will be coming to pick you up, later."
As he walked through the Swedish streets, the crowds, the pace, everything felt like a nest of hordes, threatening to overwhelm him without even knowing the cause. A new, overwhelming atmosphere was taking its toll on him. The gazes of the unknown passersby seemed like poisonous fangs lingering over his fragile, newly purchased flesh.
At that moment, to ease the pain, Emerald let the memories flow in. Subconsciously, he drafted his friends—Ananthu, Shanie, Karthik—joking and commenting on each and every word and action they came across.
"Look at that guy's scarf, Goutham! Too much fiber, man!"
"Fidel totally looks like he's about to give us a vampire mission, not a ride to college," he imagined Ananthu saying.
Without even knowing it, Emerald realized just how much he craved the chaos and comfort of their company.
He finally reached the university. He pulled out the booklet. Eva had already scribed down the route to the orientation and speech hall, labeling points of interest in a precise, almost tactical manner. To him, it felt like teaching a child how to talk.
Following the precise instructions, he got into the introductory lecture. Being an international student had an immediate, spotlight effect on him. The light of the sun seemed to burn solely on his white hair. Being the only international student in the large hall added to the weight.
A guy near him, friendly and open, asked the normal range of introduction questions, stating his name was Isak. When the lecture ended, Isak offered to treat him to coffee at the canteen. For a guy who had just missed the company of another human being, Emerald was more than happy to say yes.
Isak got him a coffee, and they walked around the buzzing campus, getting to know each other.
"You know, you're quite popular in the university," Isak said, taking a sip.
"Guess being an international student has its perks."
"I know a couple of cute ones here. How about I hook you up with them?"
"Great offer, but, I'm not that kind of playboy, you know."
"Take it or leave it, or is it you got a loyal one, my boy?"
"Appreciate the time, but I'm single."
"From the look of your fame, not for too long, boy."
Laughing it off, they both got back to the next class. Emerald noticed several girls trying to get his name from Isak. A few of the girls tried their way in, finding excuses to speak to him since they were in the same course. Before ending the lecture and the day at campus, Isak, being the social butterfly, got Emerald to meet other friends and potential academic foes without a problem.
A few of the major student leaders and even some of the girls in his class waited for him outside the campus gate. Seeing off Isak, Emerald went straight toward the main entrance.
Without a doubt, Eva was there waiting for him, in the most flashy way you could ever imagine. The black, impossibly long Mercedes Maybach was parked precisely where no vehicle should be, gleaming in the evening sun. Eva stepped out, dressed in an unnervingly sleek, bespoke black coat that emphasized her striking features.
Seeing Eva, the girls, foes, and friends alike all said in the same tune, a collective, stunned whisper: "No way, she knows him!"
(To be continued)