As soon as Eric heard Alina’s quiet words his heart sank a little. He was very surprised. He had thought that Alina was just sad about sothing that had happened in her classes.
He thought she was just feeling overwheld by her first few days at the Academy. But her sadness was so deep that she was asking him her only friend in this vast place to leave her alone.
He was surprised by the coldness and the emptiness in her voice. Then Eric spoke softly. He tried to understand what was wrong. "Is there so sadness you have that you don’t want to share with ?" he asked his voice gentle. "You can tell Alina. I am your friend. You can trust ."
Hearing his words Alina who was still looking down at the ground slowly lifted her head. She looked at Eric now. Her eyes were filled with a strange intensity a look he had never seen before. She thought for a long mont her expression unreadable. Then she took a deep breath as if gathering all her courage. She looked directly into Eric’s eyes. Her gaze was so serious so focused it was almost unsettling.
"I need to talk to Adam," she said.
Hearing this na Eric was very surprised. He was completely confused.
"Adam?" he repeated the na feeling strange on his tongue. "Who is Adam? I don’t know anyone nad Adam." He had never heard that na before in his entire life.
But Alina completely ignored Eric’s question. She stared into Eric’s eyes her gaze piercing as if she was trying to see sothing hidden deep inside him sothing he himself could not see. She spoke again. Her voice was firm and clear this ti filled with an unshakable conviction. "Adam co out," she said. "I know you are in there. I need to talk to you right now."
Eric was stunned into silence for a few seconds. He was completely bewildered by what Alina was saying. What was she talking about? Who was this Adam she was calling for? And why was she looking at him like that as if he was soone else entirely? A thousand questions flooded his mind. He could not find a single answer.
He just stared back at her completely lost and a little frightened by her strange behavior. The park around them seed to fade away. The only thing that existed was Alina’s intense gaze and a na he did not know. A na that seed to hold a terrible secret.
But then suddenly as Alina’s intense gaze held his as she called out to the hidden being within him Eric felt a strange dizziness wash over him. The world around him the quiet park with its manicured trees the hard stone of the bench beneath him the worried face of his friend all began to blur.
He felt a wave of faintness sweep through his body a feeling of his own consciousness slipping away like sand through his fingers. He had felt this before. It was the feeling of being pushed aside. As soon as he felt this disorienting sensation his body began to sway uncontrollably.
He started to fall forward from the bench where he was sitting his control over his own limbs completely gone. But then just as he was about to fall completely onto the ground he fainted. His consciousness receded into a familiar welcoming darkness.
At that very mont Adam took full control of Eric’s body. He erged from his internal domain his consciousness surging into the physical world with a smooth practiced ease.
He opened his eyes again. The eyes that opened were not Eric’s. They were not filled with confusion or a gentle fear. They were Adam’s eyes—cold ancient and filled with a calm knowing power.
As Alina looked at "Eric" she knew imdiately that Adam had arrived. The shift in his presence was undeniable. The look in his eyes had changed completely. It was no longer the sowhat lost gaze of Eric. It was the sharp piercing gaze of a being who understood the world in a way Eric never could.
As soon as Adam took control of Eric’s body he looked at Alina. He straightened up on the bench his movents now fluid and confident a stark contrast to Eric’s often hesitant posture.
He sat down next to her on the bench his presence filling the space between them. The sun had completely set by now. The last brilliant rays of orange and red light had disappeared from the horizon. A cool evening had spread across the Academy grounds. The magical lamps along the park paths began to glow softly casting long shadows.
Adam looked at Alina. Her head was still bowed low. Her shoulders were still slumped in a posture of defeat. He could feel the waves of deep sadness coming from her. It was a palpable thing a heavy aura of despair.
He said "I have sensed it before. You have been very troubled since the first day we arrived at this Academy."
Hearing his voice the real voice she had been waiting to hear Alina looked up. She looked very emotional and very sad. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears that shimred in the faint lamplight. Then she finally spoke her voice quiet and full of despair a stark contrast to her usual cheerful and resilient nature.
"I ca to this Academy with one purpose Adam," she said. Her voice was barely a whisper. "I wanted to do sothing for my family. I wanted to help my kingdom. I wanted to beco strong enough to make a difference. But everything has gone wrong. Everything I try to do fails. I can’t do anything right here. I have beco completely powerless."
Hearing this Adam was very surprised. He tilted his head slightly a gesture of genuine curiosity. He thought to himself What is happening with Alina that she is feeling this way? Powerless? After I gave her a Sub-System that should be enhancing her abilities? This does not make sense. He needed to know more.
He needed to understand the source of her deep despair. He had a promise to keep a promise to her family and to Eric’s father. And he intended to keep it.
Adam looked at Alina. He saw the genuine despair in her eyes. He saw the way her shoulders shook with silent sobs. His own expression was serious. "Tell what your problem is Alina," he said his voice soft but firm. "What happened?"
Hearing his question Alina remained silent for a few long seconds. She kept her head down her gaze fixed on her own hands which were clenched tightly in her lap. Tears began to well up in her eyes.
They shimred in the faint light of the park lamps. Then Alina looked up at Adam. Her eyes were filled with a deep sorrow and a profound sense of abandonnt.
"I thought you would co to help ," she said her voice quiet and trembling. "I was waiting for you for so long Adam. I waited all day."
Hearing this Adam was a little surprised. He thought to himself I didn’t think Alina was waiting for . I thought she would be fine on her own especially with the Sub-System. Then looking at Alina’s sad face a genuine feeling of regret touched him. He made his expression look sad as well. He said with a heavy heart
"I’m sorry Alina. I had so many things in front of today. I was dealing with the Principal and the other factions. I almost forgot about you."
Hearing his honest apology a small sad smile ca to Alina’s face. She said in a very low voice a whisper "You almost forgot about ." It was not an accusation. It was just a statent of fact a confirmation of her own lonely feelings.
Then Adam raised a hand. He placed it gently on Alina’s shoulder. His touch was warm and reassuring. "But it won’t be like this from now on," he said his voice now filled with a firm promise. "I promise you that whatever your problem is whatever is troubling you we will solve it together. You are not alone."
Hearing this hearing his promise Alina looked at Eric’s face the face that Adam was wearing. Her own despair seed to lessen just a little bit. A tiny spark of hope ignited in her heart. She said in a very low voice almost to herself
"We will solve it together." She wanted to believe him. She needed to believe him. The weight on her shoulders felt a little lighter now. She was not completely alone in this vast and dangerous Academy. She had Adam. And that was enough for now.
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