Grey Nirmala
The book looked at me, and I looked at the book. "The Eye of the Void" — it really was like a joke. Why do I even do things like this? I pushed my thoughts aside and picked up the book. I ran my fingers over its cover. Even though nothing could be seen on it, I could still feel a roughness beneath my fingertips. Slowly, I opened the cover. On the first page, a few words were written: "Rules." There were exactly seven rules, each more absurd than the last.
First rule: When the book is mentioned to you, you must not share it with anyone.Second rule: The book's effects cannot be undone.Third rule: You cannot use the book to change fate. This is strictly forbidden.Fourth rule: The book's pages cannot be torn; pages will vanish from existence.Fifth rule: You cannot use the book to control dreams.Sixth rule: Once you obtain the book, it becomes a part of you.Seventh rule: This book is merely a gateway to the Dream Realm.
After reading all these ridiculous rules, I could feel my hair standing on end. If this book wasn't given to me by a supernatural being, I would have thought all of this was just a stupid prank. I took a long breath in and out. I wished it really was just a stupid prank. I stood up, placed the book on my desk, and left my room. Even though it felt like I had spent hours in the presence of that entity, in reality, only about ten minutes had passed. All of this was truly enough to drive someone insane.
I walked toward the stairs, but instead of going down, I looked below. In the living room, I saw my father sleeping on the couch, snoring loudly. I chuckled a little, then headed toward Opie's room, which was right next to mine. I stopped in front of the closed door.
I looked down at both of my palms. The runes weren't that big, but they were still easy to notice if you looked closely. I knocked on Opie's door and waited. When Opie didn't respond, I opened the door and found him lying on his back on the bed, staring at his phone. Without even glancing at me, Opie grabbed a pillow and threw it at me. I caught it, not quite sure what to do next. Printed clearly across the pillow was a very direct message: "Fuck Off!"
I threw the pillow back at Opie, but by then, he was already sitting up and watching me.
"What do you want?"
I wasn't entirely sure how to say what I was thinking, but I took a deep breath and shouted it a little louder than usual:
"I like a girl!"
Opie opened his mouth as if to say something but then closed it again, sat back down on the bed, and started laughing. He laughed so much that for a moment, I thought he might never stop. He fell onto the bed and began slapping it with his hand. I couldn't remember ever seeing him laugh this hard before. But the more he laughed, the more I scowled.
"You're not helping at all."
Opie's laughter died down, and he looked at me.
"Sorry, but…"
Opie's sentence trailed off, and he burst into laughter again. Tears streamed down his face as he clutched his stomach, his legs kicking wildly against the bed. I stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut behind me.
But my anger toward him didn't last long — I could hear him calling me back from the other side.
I opened the door slowly, my face void of expression, and looked straight at him.
"You know, it's really hard to believe you actually like someone," Opie said.
He gave a small chuckle but quickly stopped.
"I don't recall ever seeing a sign that says 'Grey Nirmala can't like anyone.'"
Opie straightened up and stood. From the desk at the foot of his bed, he picked up a yellow felt-tip pen and walked toward me.
"Let's play a game," he said with a sly smile. "Okay?"
I nodded hesitantly. I didn't trust Opie one bit — there were a million things he could do with that pen, and none of them good. He popped the cap off and held out his hand. I looked at his small, delicate hand, not much bigger than mine.
"Write the first letter of the girl's name on your own hand," he said, "and the last letter on mine."
I had no idea where this game was going, and frankly, since it was Opie, I wasn't sure I wanted to know. I took a slow breath.
"…Fine."
Opie's smile widened as he handed me the pen. Without showing my palms, I carefully took it from him. One more glance at his face told me his grin wasn't exactly friendly. No — it was something far more mischievous.
Why had fate given me a sister like this? I mean, I loved Opie, I really did… but sometimes she could be a bit much.
I slowly began to draw the letter "R" across the back of my left hand. Opie watched me with unblinking attention. When I finished, he smiled again.
Opie Nirmala
I was watching my little brother draw the letter "R" on his hand so intently, I thought I might burst from excitement. This was the first girl Grey had ever liked, and I couldn't wait to learn everything about her. After all, what kind of big sister would I be if I didn't poke my nose into my little brother's life?
The smile on my face was already wide, but when Grey finished tracing the letter, it grew even bigger. Without giving him a chance to breathe, I pushed his hand away and held out my own.
"Come on! Hurry up! You've got the most beautiful, amazing, sexy, smart, legendary, perfect, charismatic, successful—"
"I wish 'knows when to shut her mouth' was on that list."
I flipped my hair back and stared at my hopelessly dumb little brother with the speed and precision of a laser beam.
"No."
Grey sighed and began drawing the letter "A" on my hand. I could barely stop myself from bouncing on my toes — I was finally going to know the name of the girl he liked. Sure, just the first and last letter wouldn't give me much, but that didn't matter. I knew this was only the beginning of our little game.
A wicked grin spread across my face.
"Sometimes, when you smile like that," Grey muttered, "I think you're going to kill me."
"Huh? Oh…"
I quickly rearranged my expression into something more… approachable.
"So?" I prompted.
"How about, for once in your life, you don't terrify your little brother?"
I tapped my finger against my lips and looked toward the ceiling.
"What if I said no? Would that upset you?"
Grey just scowled and turned away, clearly bored. He was mumbling something under his breath, but I knew exactly what he was trying to do.
I glanced down at the letter "A" on my hand, then softened my voice, gathering the words I knew he wanted to hear. I took a breath, sighed, and said:
"Alright… tell me about this girl."
Grey spun around so fast it startled me. He was grinning, and his golden eyes — which almost never shone — were now sparkling for some reason I couldn't place. I smiled too, this time genuinely.
"If your eyes are shining like that," I said, "you must really like her."
Grey nodded so hard it was a wonder his head stayed attached.
"There's no girl in this world… or in any other world… better than her."
I pouted, pressing my hands dramatically to my chest.
"Even more beautiful than your—"
"Enough."
My foolish little brother, his eyes filled with lovesick wonder, cut me off mid-sentence. At first, I was ready to scold him for not showing his big sister the proper respect… but then, out of nowhere, I felt my eyes begin to sting.
I stepped toward Grey. He instinctively leaned back, but I pulled him into me, wrapping my arms tightly around my ridiculous little brother. At first, he hesitated — stiff in my embrace — but then he returned it, holding on just as tightly.
"There's my silly little brother," I said with a smile. "Finally acting at least somewhat normal."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"
We both burst out laughing, and as the laughter went on, I felt the tears in my eyes finally slip free, one by one.
Grey Nirmala
Because I hadn't gotten anything out of the game Opie made me play yesterday, I figured she wouldn't let it go so easily. But instead, she surprised me with something… surprisingly sisterly:
"Go to that girl. Tell her you like her."
For the first time, Opie had given me real advice without teasing me. Maybe — just maybe — she actually cared about what would happen this time.
The moment I stepped into the classroom, a chill of cold air greeted me. I glanced around, and aside from Raya's smile, no one seemed to acknowledge my presence. Not that I cared about them anyway.
I sat down at my desk, only to notice something strange, it was clean. Completely clean. I looked around in shock. And when my eyes moved to the seat behind me, there she was. Raya, giving me that same strange smile and waving. I quickly turned back around.
She must have done something. Ever since my first days at this school, there had always been something scribbled on my desk. Bullying had become a normal part of my routine — leaving me with physical and mental scars, but if I'm being honest, I never hated the school for it. No, sometimes… I almost enjoyed it. Watching what people were capable of could be fascinating.
Of course, the main reason was the bullies themselves. Nico and his stupid friends weren't interesting in the slightest. They were… boring.
While my head rested lazily on the desk, I felt a light touch on my back. I lifted my head and looked at Raya, blank-faced. She still wore that smile, and in her hand was a small piece of paper.
I took it and unfolded it. Inside, only two words were written: "Check my locker."
When I looked back at her, her smile had grown, and she was pointing toward my locker. Excitement bloomed in my chest, and I stood up quickly, making my way toward the lockers on the other side of the room. With every step, my anticipation grew. I couldn't wait to see what Raya had left for me.
I stopped in front of my locker and opened it with a rush of eagerness — only to find something I never would have expected.
Inside sat a pink plush rabbit. Not too big, not too small, just… there. I picked it up, turning it in my hands, running my fingers along its soft fur. My fingertips reached for its ears — but before I could touch them, Raya appeared beside me out of nowhere.
"Do you like it?"
I jumped at her sudden voice but quickly tried to compose myself. Raya chuckled, and I could feel my face heat up instantly. She stepped a little closer, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Come on, don't keep me waiting. Do you like it?"
My blush deepened, and I nodded quickly, almost frantically.
Raya chuckled again.
"So… what are you going to name it?"
I thought for a moment. I mean… what kind of name could you give to a pink plush rabbit? I mulled it over. Recently, I'd played a game with a character named Bosque. In Spanish, bosque meant "forest," and rabbits usually lived in forests. Right then and there, I knew exactly what I was going to name it.
"Bosque!"
The name burst out of me in a rush of excitement, and because of that, my already flushed face somehow turned even redder. My ears, my neck, even my hands felt warm — how that was possible, I had no idea. Raya's smile didn't fade.
"Bosque… that sounds like a sweet name. I hope you have fun with Bosque."
I scratched my head nervously — and that's when I noticed Raya's eyes fixed on my hand. A flicker of panic shot through me, and I pulled it back immediately… but too late.
"This is the first time I've ever seen someone get a tattoo on their palm. When did you get it?"
I needed an excuse. Fast.
"Uh… well… actually, they're not tattoos."
I could feel sweat sliding down the side of my face.
"My sister, Opie... She sometimes likes to draw stuff on my hands."
To make things feel more casual, I forced a laugh… but even that sounded awkward and unnatural. Raya's eyes scanned me from head to toe, and for the first time, that sweet smile was gone.
I could tell she was searching for something — though what, I didn't know. But she must have realized I'd noticed her change in expression, because she quickly corrected herself and brought that soft smile back.
She stepped back slightly, then clasped her hands behind her back. Leaning forward toward me, she let out a small, playful giggle.
"Um… I guess I'll see you later then."
I straightened up and smiled.
"See you later."
Raya left the classroom, turning left down the hallway. I went back to my desk to put the plush in my bag. As my fingers slowly unzipped the backpack, I saw something I had completely forgotten was there.
The Eye of the Void.
I had no memory of putting it in my bag last night, but apparently I had. My surprise quickly twisted into a jolt of fear — if someone had gone through my bag, they might have seen the book… and stolen it.
I exhaled slowly, then tucked the plush rabbit inside and zipped the bag closed.
Just as I was about to stand, I felt a presence behind me.
When I turned, I saw someone I never expected to be there.
Raya's former best friend — and now, her enemy.
"Nya?"
"Hello, Grey."
Raya Marin
I wondered how much longer Grey would keep up this indifferent act. I wasn't stupid; I knew he liked me. What I couldn't understand was why he seemed so utterly detached from everything. Even with the bullying, he never showed a hint of caring.
Grey was strange, and maybe that was exactly why I liked him. Even his palms seemed to radiate that strangeness.
Grey…
I sighed and turned toward the restroom.
The door, usually locked, was ajar. I pushed it open. The lights were already on; perhaps another student had come in to smoke.
To my left, above the sinks, hung a row of mirrors. I stepped toward the one closest to me. The moment I looked into it, I noticed movement.
Purple particles drifted lazily through the air inside the reflection, swirling as if they were dancing and inviting me to join them.