He took Sylen off campus, curiosity guiding her like wind through tall grass. Her eyes swept the surroundings, quiet and deliberate. She poked around like a cat with trust issues,sniffing, tapping, occasionally recoiling as if the parked cars might bite. Not frantic, not nosy. Just quietly intrigued.
They stepped into a restaurant.quiet, with private booths tucked away for discretion. At Sylen's suggestion, Ray ordered a spread of dishes, each one a sample of Earth's delicacies she was eager to try. When the waitress arrived with the food, she gave Ray a few side glances, clearly wondering why someone needed enough food to feed six. He just smiled and told her he was waiting for a group of friends.
She hovered between the dishes, casually drifting from one to the next, picking whatever looked most interesting first. Some plates held massive portions, but she tackled them bite by bite, unfazed. Ray watched as she polished off everything with quiet efficiency, no rush, no ceremony, just steady consumption.
Before long, the table was cleared.
Sylen slumped back with a bulging belly, one hand bracing herself against the edge. She plucked a toothpick from somewhere, God knows where, and began picking her teeth like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"So, are we really going out to some other planets in search of spirit energy?" Ray asked
"You don't want to?" Sylen asked, changing posture.
"Of course, I want to. The thought of it gets me excited." He said with a smile. He had only read about people dying and getting reborn in some fantasy world, but to think he would be going to one himself in this lifetime. An adventure in some cultivation world, he could feel his heart thumping just by thinking about it.
"But do you know how to teleport?" Ray asked, inching closer.
"I do have the knowledge of how it works."
"So, when are we leaving?" he asked excitedly.
"I should be the one asking that. When do you want to start?"
"Let's go today. And I want to keep my regular life here, so we are not going for like, forever. We will be going back and forth."
"Suit yourself"
"Let's go, I need to prepare. By the way, can I bring more people, like my friends?"
"If you trust them, I don't see why you can't."
It would be great if he could bring them along, but he decided to keep that thought for later. He grabbed some drinks on his way out, paid, and left.
Soon, they were back at the dorms. James had stopped crying and was now lifting Jack's weights vigorously by the window, with Jack playing coach and Patrick playing a video game on the laptop.
"What took you so long?" Patrick asked, removing his headphones.
"The weather was so nice outside, I took a stroll," he said with a light chuckle. Putting the drinks on the table.
"A stroll my foot." Patrick rolled his eyes, looking at him suspiciously
"Are you seeing someone secretly?" James asked, heaving and then gulping down a cold soda.
"The heavens would come down if Ray was seeing someone," Jack said, picking up a drink. "By the way, a friend of my girlfriend wants me to set her up with someone. Want to meet her?"
"Nope, not interested. Guys, um…I'm going somewhere tomorrow."
They all turned to look at him weirdly.
"We have plans for the weekend, remember?" Patrick asked.
"Yeah but…um…aah…I have to go home for… some stuff." He said awkwardly, and they all came close, looking at him like they were checking out a new species.
"Haha, mom called earlier and… and said Hey, you need to come over tomorrow and…um. You know them. Haha, can't do anything without me." He stuttered, exaggerating his movements.
Patrick came close to his face, one hand on his chin, and placed the other on Ray's forehead.
"He doesn't seem sick," he muttered, examining Ray like a doctor to a dying patient.
"No, he must be sick. He even lost a few grams," Jack said, carefully feeling his hand muscles.
James walked around them, hands behind his back like a detective on a crime scene. He stopped in front of him, smothered his imaginary beard with one hand, and cleared his throat.
"He must really be seeing someone secretly," he then came closer and placed his hand on Ray's shoulder.
"Is she older than you? Is it a he? Anyway," he cleared his throat and placed his other hand on Ray in an affectionate way. "Buddy, we will always support you no matter what you choose. So, there is no need to hide your love affair from us.
Jack and Patrick looked at each other. It made sense now.
"Feel free to introduce him to us," Jack and Patrick said, patting him on the back.
Ray was stupefied. He raised his hands, flashed a weak, awkward smile, trying to move away from them, "guys, I think there is a misunderstanding h…"
"It's okay, buddy, as long as he's good to you, you have my blessing." James pulled him in a hug, his voice cracking. Close to tearing.
The other two nodded and joined in, tears welling in their eyes.
"Hey, hey, hey. I'm not seeing anyone, let alone a guy," Ray shouted, trying to break free.
"No, it's okay. You can date whoever you want." They pulled him in for a tighter embrace.
"I'm serious, guys, I'm not into men."
"Then where are you going tomorrow?" James asked, freeing him.
"I told you mom wants me to..."
"Your mom called," Patrick said.
"Eh?"
"She wanted to ask you what time you'll be in here tomorrow, shortly after you talked, but couldn't reach you," Patrick explained.
"Oh, haha, is that it?" he asked awkwardly, looking around for Sylen, who was napping on the bed. She certainly was of no help here. He was now at a loss for words. What could he tell them now? Should he tell them the truth? But no, he wanted to test the waters before dragging anyone else in.
He looked at them, and they were all watching him, waiting.
"Ah, I wanted to surprise you guys," he said innocently, scratching his chin. "Her name is Olivia." He said, shyly avoiding eye contact. He hoped they would buy it. He would surely tell them the truth sometime.
"Whoa, finally," Jack said, and they all laughed.
"Come, now that the cat is out, tell us everything," James said excitedly, pulling him to a chair.
He sat, and they all surrounded him. "There is nothing much, we just met." Ray continued with the act, almost feeling a bit guilty.
"Details," James said, eyes practically glowing.
"We just happened to... um. Okay, okay, I'll tell you. I was buying your drinks at this store, and I happened to take the last of the one she really wanted. I gave it to her, and that's how we exchanged names. We ended up talking all the way back to their dorms."
"Did you get her number?"
"Is she pretty?" James and Jack asked simultaneously.
"Yeah, she is really beautiful, but I forgot to get her number. But we agreed to meet tomorrow morning."
"Should we come with you?" Patrick asked mischievously, "It might give you some confidence if we are close."
"No, I'll introduce you guys once we get to know each other more."
Later, they marked the occasion with drinks, music, teasing, and laughter till late in the night. Ray had finally landed a girlfriend, and they intended to celebrate it like it was a wedding, a lottery win, and a UFO sighting rolled into one.
It was late in the night when everyone was asleep.
Ray laced his shoes, threw on a coat, just in case the next place had teeth in its weather. He hesitated at the drawer, then picked a knife. Not because he wanted trouble. But just in case trouble wanted him. Besides, it could cut food. That counted as optimism, right?
He added a lighter. For warmth. Or fire. Or whatever came next.
Then he climbed to the rooftop, Sylen drifting silently behind him, her glow faint against the night.
Above them, the stars blinked like they knew something.
Ray took a breath.
Sylen settled on his right shoulder, eyes fixed on the sky as if calculating their next jump. Light-years ahead, probably. Maybe more.
"Ready?" she asked, unmoving, her voice distant, like it came from somewhere beyond the moment.
Ray inhaled. Once. Twice. His heart was racing.
"Yeah," he said, barely louder than the wind.
Something began to form around them. A shimmer. A pulse. Warm and mysterious, like the universe was folding in on itself just for them.
And then-
Everything vanished.