Without a word, Georges began his usual round of greetings, starting with his aunt Inès. She was still a young woman in her prime, in her thirties; her fair complexion, proud face, and sharp, piercing eyes radiated true beauty, where one could read the still-fresh traces of smiles that life's troubles had not managed to erase. Despite being Daniel's mother, there was very little resemblance between them; one could say he had inherited his father's features, Gaby Carvalho.
Her hair was pulled back into a bun, as it always was when she was preparing to head into the kitchen. For now, she seemed too engrossed in her romantic TV series.
To be honest, Jojo, like Daniel for that matter, had become a bit too addicted to this type of pre-barrier-era series. They had turned it into a guilty pleasure, which greatly amused their grandmother, whom they affectionately called "Ma."
She was the next to receive Jojo's outstretched right hand, and she greeted the young man with a small, teasing smile, as she did whenever he made a blunder.
Ma, whose real name was Sylvie Diatta, had the same fair complexion as Inès, and the same traces of smiles that had blended harmoniously with the wrinkles age had given her. She wore a light boubou, as she did when she planned to stay home, and her largely white-streaked hair was pulled back into simple braids.
"Saalamu-alaikum, Ma."
"Your aunt doesn't go easy on you, does she?" she said with a sly smile.
Jojo gave her an embarrassed smile in response before approaching Daniel Carvalho, his cousin and best friend.
Jojo greeted his friend with a quick tap on the head and dodged his attempt at retaliation with a grin. Daniel tried to get revenge again, but Jojo simply grabbed his hand before it could reach his head. They wrestled like this for a while, Daniel trying to free his hands and Georges holding on with all his strength, until Inès's irritated voice rang out.
"STOP ACTING LIKE IDIOTS!"
"Sorry, Inès," Daniel and Jojo replied in unison.
"Sit down!"
"Yes, Inès."
Daniel called his mother "Inès" because he had grown up hearing people call her that since he was a baby. It had become a habit that didn't really shock anyone, least of all her.
Jojo obediently sank into the armchair and focused on the TV, like everyone else. Just behind him was a covered window that looked outside.
The series, as usual, revolved around three characters and their many—very many—romantic misadventures: Alejandro, Catalina, and Lucia. To summarize the plot, Alejandro was Catalina's childhood friend, and after about a hundred episodes, she became his girlfriend. But there was also Lucia, whom he met in the first episode after nearly running her over with his car.
A classic first interaction in a romance series.
At first, their relationship was anything but friendly. They argued constantly in the beginning, but over time, they started to grow closer. Then, after several episodes of tension and barely contained desire, they slept together.
Neither Jojo nor Daniel had been allowed to watch that scene—they were chased out of the living room whenever something like that happened. But they simply watched the reruns when no one was around.
Frankly, they had already seen much worse.
In short, Alejandro was torn between Catalina and Lucia; he was dating one and sleeping with the other. Something Jojo completely respected. Unfortunately for him, Catalina and Lucia eventually found out the truth, in an exaggeratedly dramatic way, as usual.
In short, it was your typical romantic series.
The scene currently playing on the TV showed Alejandro and Catalina arguing after the revelation. Or rather, Alejandro trying to explain himself while Catalina yelled at him.
Jojo watched the scene with boredom. Why was everyone making such a big deal out of it? If Alejandro loved both of them, it made sense for him to act this way, didn't it? He could just date both of them, so no one would feel bad.
For some reason he couldn't quite grasp, he felt that saying this out loud to the others wasn't a very good idea, so he kept his thoughts to himself.
At one point, Jojo felt Daniel give him a slight nudge with his elbow.
"You know what day it is, right?"
Jojo thought for a moment before his eyes widened in realization.
"It's the day of the Diambars ceremony!"
Daniel nodded with a small, satisfied smile. The Diambars ceremony was an annual military event where new recruits showcased their powers to the country. Jojo and Daniel loved going with their group of friends—it was the only time of the year they could fully see the chosen ones demonstrate their abilities related to the sembou.
And now that Daniel had been marked as a chosen one, this ceremony held even greater significance for him.
Jojo's gaze slid to Daniel's hand, where the rune was etched, hidden by a glove he wore, and smiled.
"Yeah, let's go with the others!" he exclaimed, getting ready to stand up.
Daniel was about to follow when the sound of breaking glass came from the TV. Catalina had thrown a vase on the floor, narrowly missing Alejandro.
"HOW CAN YOU SAY YOU CARE ABOUT ME WHEN YOU CHEATED ON ME?!" she screamed.
Jojo and Daniel froze momentarily in an awkward position, half-risen from their armchairs.
"…"
"Should we wait for the episode to end?" Daniel suggested.
"Fuck yeah!" Jojo exclaimed.
"Watch your language, young man!" Inès warned.
"Sorry, Inès," Jojo replied hurriedly, sitting back down.
Ma let out a small chuckle.
The argument scene continued in full swing.
"I swear my feelings for you are real," Alejandro pleaded passionately.
"No, that's a lie!" Catalina shouted. "You're nothing but a liar; you've been lying to me this whole time! I should have realized it from the start. You never told me you loved me!"
Jojo felt a sudden heaviness in his chest.
"I don't need to say it to show it!" Alejandro defended himself, exasperated. "You know very well that I love you!"
The sensation in Jojo's chest grew painfully stronger. He curled up slightly, surprised.
What's happening to me? he thought, bewildered.
He was finding it harder and harder to breathe now. His head was starting to hurt.
Since I woke up, I haven't felt right. This is ridiculous.
He wasn't the type to feel such emotions watching a series like this. So why now?
"Then prove it," Catalina's voice rang out. "Say it."
"Say what?"
"Tell me you love me!"
Jojo's head hurt more and more, his breathing growing heavier.
"Look me in the eyes and say it, Alejandro!"
Jojo clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, the pain becoming increasingly unbearable. In his mind, another foggy scene was unfolding at the same time.
A scene somewhere in stifling heat.
The memory of a smile.
"JOJO!"
Georges opened his eyes, gasping for breath. He was completely curled up on himself, hunched over his knees, one hand on his chest. Large beads of sweat dripped from his forehead onto the tiled floor.
"Dude, you okay?" Daniel's worried voice rang out.
Jojo straightened up to see his friend, whose gaze took on an alarmed hue.
"Are you crying?"
"Huh?"
Jojo touched his sweat-covered cheek and wiped away a tear, in shock. He felt more than saw Inès quickly approach him. She took his face in her hands and turned it toward her, a concerned look in her eyes.
"What's wrong, Jojo? Are you sick?" she asked, her voice softer than before. "Your body is in heat."
"What?" Jojo said, struggling with his breathing. "I…"
He swallowed hard, trying to hold back tears.
"I'm fine," he managed to say finally. "I'm just…"
He searched into his foggy mind for an excuse.
"Hungry…"
It was the only thing that came to mind.
Inès, Daniel, and Ma looked at him in silence.
"…Hungry?" Inès repeated.
"Yeah, that's it," Jojo confirmed, feeling his heart calm down. "I… haven't had breakfast yet."
No one responded. It was a very, very bad excuse, but he sincerely prayed they would let it slide.
Inès and Jojo looked into each other's eyes for a moment before she let out a slight sigh.
"Go eat your breakfast."
"…Seriously?" Jojo said, shocked that it had worked.
"Of course," Inès replied, returning to her seat. "But if you still don't feel well, we're going to the hospital, okay?"
"Okay, Inès," Jojo answered immediately, standing up.
"Hurry up then," Daniel said with a hesitant smile, pointing to the window behind him. "We've got a long day ahead."
At a loss for words, Jojo simply nodded curtly before rushing toward the living room door. All the way across the large room separating him from the kitchen, he felt his heart beating more and more painfully, and he couldn't help but quicken his pace, the kitchen entrance seeming strangely out of reach.
An overwhelming sense of panic guided him.
Why?…
Jojo slipped quickly into the kitchen and closed the door, plunging the room into semi-darkness. He could make out the shapes of his surroundings: the bowls and pots stacked under the countertop, the jars and bottles cluttering the top, the gas stove in the corner with a pot simmering on it, releasing an enticing aroma… But Jojo didn't care about any of that. With a slight sense of relief, he headed to the countertop and crouched down, resting his head on its uneven surface. The coolness of the stone seemed to comfort him for a moment, and he let himself be gently soothed by the sensation. His breathing began to calm, and the oppression that seemed to assault his heart and lungs faded. He stayed like that, feeling cold beads of sweat drip and run down his trembling body.
It's going to be okay… It's going to be okay…
He could only repeat these words to himself, over and over, without knowing why, without knowing if he was lying to himself. He could only keep repeating these words, hoping to calm down.