ARCANE

024

Lee smirks into the mug as she drinks. At no point does Eden ask her for sugar or milk. She notices the absence of the question, but Eden doesn't. Finally, Lee slowly tips her head onto his shoulder. Both of their bodies are tense. Whatever their personalities think is wrong, this energy knows is right.

Eden just prays that Lee doesn't lean up to kiss him. Though he has no desire for her, he wonders if the power inside him would take over and make him. He isn't sure if anything is his choice anymore. In this moment, even Cara seemed forward. Though he thought she was pretty when he first glanced at her, it wasn't until after the explosion that she became his gravity.

"Sorry," Lee mentions. Perhaps she is apologizing to herself, perhaps to Eden. It doesn't seem to matter. "You remind me of my brother. He's gone."

Finally, Eden can breathe.

~~~

A six-letter word. Known to few. Mysterious.

_ _ _ _ _ _

Cara taps her pen off the edge of the paper, staring down at the page. The bright lights above her ought to be giving her a headache, but Cara has stopped caring about what things ought to do to her.

Instead, she distracts herself with a crossword puzzle. The word escapes her though. Every time she struggles, she finds herself rereading an article about the Autumn festival over and over until her eyes hurt. Then, she moves on to a different word.

Since this six-letter word escapes her, she goes on to the next one.

A nine-letter word. The substance inside a cell.

Now that's too easy. Cara leans down and scratches the word into her page. Cytoplasm.

The A runs into the other word, leaving Cara scratching her head. The only idea she had had before writing cytoplasm was, perhaps, secret. However, the fourth letter of secret is R, rather than A.

Beeping erupts from somewhere down the hall. Cara tries not to pay it any mind. Though she is sure that Hope's room is in the opposite direction, her mind invents doubt. Really, Hope's room could be anywhere. They could have moved her already, even though they've only been at the hospital for half an hour. Actually, anything is possible.

_ _ _ A _ _

A six-letter word. Known to few. Mysterious.

~~~

Jamie walks into his apartment, and his heart sinks. He had hoped that only he would be awake when he arrived home. Though he feels guilty, Jamie didn't even care if Kyle was out on the street so long as he wasn't bothering him. Yet, here he is. An empty bag of Doritos in front of him, a Netflix show that Jamie has been dying to watch blaring on the television, and a needle stuck in Kyle's arm.

"Duuuuuude," Kyle throws the word out, a long monotone syllable. Jamie isn't sure if Kyle is talking to Jamie, or if Kyle has been saying dude over and over again, on repeat, for hours.

Jamie is only a couple drinks in, and the walk sobered him up, but Jamie pretends he is drunker than he is. At least, he pretends its liquid courage that fills him with anger, rather than just the build-up of actual rage.

"Kyle, can you hear me?" Jamie demands, his voice quick and cutting.

When Kyle turns his head to look at Jamie, Jamie quickly adjusts his posture. He brushes his hair out of his eyes, grazing the bloodstain on his forehead. Then, he puts his hands on his hips and spreads his legs ever so slightly.