𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐍, 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬.

02

He just lets him go.

Ramona stares after him blankly, and the weight of the situation wouldn't hit her until much, much later.

✧

2019

Ramona wasn't lying when she said that she had a date. She went to a club not too far from the academy to find a good distraction for the night. It doesn't take much effort.

The others have looked down upon her sexual habits since she decided to stop aging. It's not wrong of her to still have sex with people. Sure, her license is a little hard to renew but she did stop aging at eighteen. She chose that age for its malleable nature. It's old enough to buy cigarettes and it's young enough to reel in the worst of the worst when needed.

First, she danced with a boy. Then she danced with a girl. Now it's a sweaty dancing sandwich, but Ramona can't find it in her to care—as long as she's in the middle. She loves the attention. The music is loud; the bass pounds in her chest. Pink, purple, and blue lights flash around them. It's a surreal experience, especially with her eyes closed. Her powers give her an echolocation of sorts, but instead of seeing with sound, her abilities map out the area around her. She can almost feel every nick and cranny in the room. Moments like these, Ramona never wants to leave them.

But duty calls.

A young man brushes past the trio, his hand barely touching Ramona's elbow, and she recognizes him to be the one she's been waiting for. She slips from between her partners, promising to be right back, and follows him through the crowd of people.

He walks with purpose, clearly searching for a target. But the susceptible people around them are too inebriated to realize how he stalks around them. They're too busy dancing, singing, kissing, and laughing. As they should be. These people want to enjoy life for the beautiful thing it is. Anyone who would rip such a thing away for their own sick desires deserves to be crushed under Ramona's heel.

She trails her fingertips up the young man's shoulder and he turns, looking down upon her small form. She smiles at him, just crooked enough to imply that she isn't sober and wicked enough to draw him in. She stands up on her tip toes to whisper in his ear, past the pumping bass and dancing bodies. "Hi. You're really handsome."

And he is. He has dark brown hair and medium brown skin. He smiles down at her and it's dazzling. Straight, white teeth and dazzling green eyes. A charmer for sure. It seems to take no effort.

"You're not so bad yourself, sweetheart." He murmurs in response, breath rustling the hair at the nape of her neck.

Despite the monster stood before her, Ramona is excited. Her blood is pumping and her cheeks are flushed. "You wanna get out of here?" She asks, brushing her hands up his forearms. He grins and bites his bottom lip, nodding. She takes him by the hand. "Come on."

Ramona leads him out of the club and into the nearest alleyway. She barely has time to react before he shoves her hips back against the brick wall. She giggles sweetly and brings his face down to kiss her. It's unsurprising that he's a good kisser.

After a long moment, she shoves him away. He looks down at her in confusion. "What?"

Ramona hums, wiping her lips with one finger. "I've got a bone to pick with you." She whispers with a grin, walking to meet him in the middle of the alley.