Unconditional

Chapter 25

The previous flow of blood that rushed through my ears began to fade all too quickly. My pounding heart rate followed and overcame a heightening ring. Looking out, my vision smeared itself in front of me. Although it came in and out of focus, there was neither black spotting nor tunneling.

At least there's that.

Damnit, I thought to myself, can't I just enjoy a summer outing without this?

My gaze attempted to focus in on the vast sight in front of me. We had not climbed all this way for nothing. I just needed some water to cool myself down. Perhaps sit for a moment. It was well deserved after such a long hike. If only I could admire the views in front of me.

Turning my head, my pupils met Malikai's squinting gaze who stood only a few feet from me. In a blurred sight, a colorful landscape painted streaks across my vision as I moved. In an instant, it had all come to a sudden halt.

The lids of my eyes fluttered as a sudden weight was lifted from my body, a gentle feather sweeping through me. Malikai's body carried himself towards me, his sun-kissed hand leaping out like a slow-motion camera as what was happening began to process.

"Aruna!" Malikai's voice rang out, the muffled echo tugged a smile at my lips.

Even his blurry face looked beautiful.

THUD.

Opening my eyes, I found myself standing in a crowded hall. My brows furrowed with the realization of how little I knew about navigating this place. Every part of my skin felt packed like sardines in a can while we pushed along to get to our classrooms. The bustling of children, their loud chattering, and high-pitched squeaks from their rubbery soles screamed off the freshly waxed floor. My feet shuffled in the tiled halls as I attempted my way to my class. Every sound filled each crevice of my thoughts, my heart pounding in my chest.

In a sudden breath, my vision was magnetized to my left as I met a pair of emerald eyes in passing. The whites behind the bright array of color stood as a backdrop for the popping center. Our stare locked, my head reaching to match the boy's brown ear length hair swishing in the air. Quickly as he was seen our bodies were pressed past one another and he was gone in the mix of life.

Moments later, flashes of the day seemed to wisp past my vision before I found myself walking out the school doors. A sigh resonated as I stepped down the concrete stairs and out to the other side of the street. The late summer heat blasted down upon those of the world, my body immediately retracting as I initiated walking in this weather. With each step across the paved street, a sudden poke made itself known in my shoe, leading me to halt.

Ahh, I just want to get home, who knew starting high school would be so tiring?

Reaching down, I kicked my left shoe off and lifted it up as I shook out any debris or rocks that may have made a home. A soft clink came about as a tiny rock bounced on the paved road.

Neat.

Setting the clean shoe back to the ground, my gaze lifted up to find the same boy I had locked eyes with earlier, coming out in the final remains of students. His lone form stood out as he parted from those who he had previously been with and turned toward the road in my direction.

I didn't know what it was.

There was something so captivating about this unknown person, his looks, although attractive, were not what kept calling me in. As though an unconscious shout was made whenever he came near, not a conscious thought had to be made to acknowledge this unspoken lure.

Tingling rises up my sole, a lightness overcoming my shins and up to my thighs. With my legs suddenly going unconscious, a droning sound filled my ears as I felt my body collapsing in on itself. Not again... A dark curtain began filling my peripheral vision, a pulsing tunnel of limited vision being left for me to see the boy coming towards me.