I grew up

"No smile." Deanna Li said, adjusting the settings on the camera. "Try and look as miserable as possible." Daniel allowed his features to distort, showing his emotions fully on his sleeve. "Perfect. Love the despair."

They had chosen to make him a citizen of Fake Countrylandia, since no matter what wrong answer he gave it was more likely to be accepted than from any other country. As such they were currently in a makeshift studio in the cottage, taking a photograph for the ID. For a country that barely cared about paperwork the photograph requirements were oddly specific- a result of years and years of dissonance within the ruling class.

You couldn't wear shirts with a V neck, no ties were allowed, no patterns. The shirt was to be in either black or a pale pink, out of which the former was the more popular option. Earrings were not allowed unless they were small and hoops, no diamonds could be present in the picture. Makeup wasn't allowed in the least. No shadows in the background. No objects. No glasses, no coverings, no piercings. For those with short hair it had to be gelled down, those with long hair had to have it tied back. No hair out of place. The more miserable you looked the better it was.

"How's this?" They said, "Does he look like your average paint watcher?"

Rykar looked at the photographs on the screen. "He looks a bit too much like he has some hope left."

"You're right." Deanna Li replied, turning to Daniel. "Can you try and pretend you've given up on everything in life? Have no hopes or dreams, and everyone in your life has left you." His expression darkened. "Perfect."

Rykar agreed with her.

"You can stay in the attic. It's not glamorous and might get a bit hot at night, but should be good enough for a night's sleep. I'll get everything settled and by tomorrow afternoon you should be on your way to Piria."

"Thank you." Rykar stated.

"Oh don't thank me. I'm charging you." Deanna Li beamed, asking for the payment by holding up her palm. "I take vouchers as well. Special discounts for students, the elderly, those born in Fake Countrylandia- I know, I'm biased- and anyone born on the second of January." Rykar nodded and then shook her head, admitting she wasn't eligible for any discounts. Unless students who had postponed their year counted. It did not.

"Why the second of January?" Daniel asked, standing up from the chair where he'd been asked to remain for what had felt like an eternity.

Deanna Li responded as the photographs printed, "Well. Anyone born on the day has been cursed by the previous evil king. It's good to help others that need it."

Later Rykar would tell him the full story:

Not long ago, in the evil kingdom- not actually named so but called that by practically everyone, including its own citizens- a woman had been born on January the second. There was only one picture that ever outlived her. A photograph of her, facing the camera from a balcony. A glorious city behind her. The woman was the daughter of the evil kingdom's then President, a position that had vanished during the civil war and replaced by a monarchy.

It had been the woman's misfortune that the wrong man had fallen for her. A man who cared not for her health, safety, nor happiness. He kept her locked up in the same balcony the picture was taken. At first the people were allowed to see her and then, afterwards it was as though she had never even set foot there. That was until her birthday, January the second. When she stepped onto the balcony and called for people to listen. "Today!" She had screamed. "Today-" What followed became lost to her whisper. Her body plummeted, but there had been no thud. No train stopped by. Instead, there was a bird taking flight.

"And when the people looked up, there he was. The man. Watching her as she flew to freedom." Rykar said, kicking her luggage out of the way as she laid down. "And he cursed everyone that day."

"So, magic exists." Daniel sat far from her, by the entrance to the attic. He couldn't stand or his spine would likely give in, being forced to bend over in order to keep him upright.

"Magic?" She asked.

"Yes, like…" He stopped for a moment, trying to think of how to explain it. The only example he could come up with was the trick where you made it appear as though your finger was being sliced. "Making things disappear. Turning something into another thing. Stuff like that."

"Oh, serava. Or similar to it anyhow, since it's not translating." Rykar muttered. "I don't really know much about it. Never studied it, but it's everywhere, all around us and in everything."

Daniel poked away at his hands, digging into where the skin met the nail. "Ok." He muttered, nodding slightly. She could practically see the wheels inside his head turning. It was as if there were gears always turning in his head, taking in the information slowly, almost as if it were trying to refuse it.

"The more you think about it." Rykar said, echoing words told to her by a friend. "The worse it is." Her friend's words disappeared as she continued to speak. "You get more done the less you think about it."

He gave her an awkward smile, seeming as though he were trying to pull himself out of whatever thoughts he found himself in. "This is all a bit too much."

Rykar turned to look at the ceiling, "I'm sorry. I can't understand what you feel." She turned back to him. "You should get some sleep. It'll be a stressful day tomorrow." Her hands reached up and clapped, turning off the lights, abandoning them in darkness. She felt that then he would feel more comfortable to settle down. A few rays of moonlight poured in through the cracks in the ceiling. The trapdoor leading to the very top of the house allowed for wind to sneak in, forcing Rykar to claw at her body in search of warmth.

It was a whisper that woke her. Several of them. She opened her eyes and saw absolutely nothing. The darkness that surrounded her was a kind she'd never seen before, swallowing the entire room without leaving anything behind. Her hand reached out, finding the floor. Her voice tried to call out Daniel's name but her words were lost in the storm of voices surrounding her.

She couldn't understand them.

The voices wailed against her ears. They begged, and pleaded, and howled at her. the wind rushed past her. Her body shook underneath the weight of the darkness. If she had her eyes open it was near impossible to tell. Standing up was out of the question, as she could barely keep herself upright. Slowly, pressed against the floor, Rykar moved in what she expected to be a general direction to the exit. Her fingertips brushed against a finger. A hand. His name kept being overshadowed.

Her hand travelled up his arm, finding his shoulder. She practically screamed into his ear, her hand shaking him awake. The darkness vanished as soon as he opened his eyes. The wind subsided and the voices, one by one, turned into whispers before disappearing.

Rykar gasped,her lungs filling with air that she didn't know had been deprived from her. Her hand left his shoulder as she let herself lie against the wall, where he'd seemingly remained until sleep had taken over. "Like a child-" She muttered, her fingers trembling. "You're like a child." A curse slipped between her lips.

"What?" He said, somewhat offended.

Rykar's smile faltered. "Do you know how the evil king, who never studied… magic… Do you know how he managed to curse someone?" Her arms folded, attempting to stop herself from shaking. "All he had to do was speak it. The intent behind it, the emotions- it was all strong enough to make it real." With each word she felt more at ease. "It wasn't that he said it, just that he yearned for it." She turned to him, meeting his gaze. "The more you think about it, the more your dreams become real. Even your nightmares." She didn't know if he understood what she said, and part of her didn't care. "No wonder they say Otherworlders change the world."

She kept quiet. Focusing on her breathing. Her fingers finally stood still. Moonlight allowed her to see the outline of the room and, in the darkness, she could tell that her belongings had been tossed around. It would be something to deal with in the morning.

"Did you-" "Are you-"

They spoke at the same time, stopping as soon as they noticed the other wanted to speak first. "You go first." Rykar said.

"Are you ok?" He asked. "You sound… out of breath."

She thought of laughing but instead she simply said, "I'm fine."

Her thoughts travelled to her younger sister, Aimen. A girl who'd create thousands of butterflies whenever she slept as a newborn. Back then, Rykar and Caldera would sneak out into the room. Watching the pink glowing butterflies as they appeared around the baby. They would find joy in chasing the butterflies, having them vanish when touched. Daniel nudged her leg, "What were you going to say?"

"Right." Rykar muttered. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"I think you already know." He answered. "The prince woke me up once. Complaining about the voices, telling me to calm down. Then he talked about how he'd always been good at controlling his dreams and complained about losing sleep." He sighed. "I'm sorry."

Rykar felt like blaming him. Sleep tugged at her eyelids, pulling them down from her eyelash. "It's ok." She exhaled. "When Caldera was young she flooded her room. Wind and voices are not that bad." Even if it was as though she couldn't breathe. As though the weight of the world found itself on her shoulders. As though her voice had no place and her sight had left her. "Dextera almost burned the house down."

"And how do you stop it?"

"You grow up." She stated. "And when that doesn't do anything, you learn to control it."

"Which one did you do?"

Rykar raised her fingertip. Ever since she'd been born there had never been nothing. No butterflies, no fire, no water. There'd been a simplicity to her that others envied and that she didn't really care for. She felt her shoulders fall, her eyes falling onto her hands.

"I grew up." She lied.