Ascension

Elijah

"Did I do that?" I choked.

I had thought I was so careful last night. However looking at the bruises all over Lorelei's body it was evident I didn't do well enough. I could really care less about the bruise on my side. It wasn't Lorelei's fault her prosthetic leg jerked a little last night. However it was my fault I held Lorelei to hard.

"They don't hurt." She tries, "They just look bad because my skin is as white as paper."

I don't care if they show up on her skin, I still bruised her. I walked out of the bathroom and started to put on my clothes. Out in the light of day I could see Lorelei's scars all over her body. Burn marks mostly. I sat her next to me on the bed.

I pulled her arm from her lap and started examining it. Among the burn marks and bruises I saw three white straight lines on her wrist.

"Lorelei, did you do this?" I asked her gesturing to her wrist.

Lorelei was quiet for a moment.

"Lorelei, do you need help with something?" I was worried now.

"It was from a long time ago." she mumbled.

"How long is a long time ago?" I was mad now.

"When I was 14." She mumbled quietly.

I hugged her and I don't think she was expecting it. She didn't react for a few seconds but Then she buried her face into my shoulders.

"I'm so sorry Elijah but I really thought my life had no meaning and no purpose. I was convinced I was a waste of space." She defended herself.

"Don't say that and don't ever do it again." I tell her.

"Okay."

"I can't live a life without you." I told her.

Especially now.

When I was fully dressed I had to leave. America would never leave me alone if she figured out I didn't spend the night in my room. Especially since she doesn't know we are back together.

"I have to leave now. I'm sorry but you know how America would be if she found out I slept in your room." I explained.

Lorelei laughs.

"She wouldn't stop questioning us until we are both grey and old." Lorelei giggles.

"You're probably right." I agree.

I slipped out of her room all the well knowing I left my army jacket in her room.

She can keep it. It probably looks better on her anyway.

When I got to my room I messed up the sheets to make it look like I did indeed sleep in my room. America would surely question me if my bed was made.

I took a shower and I couldn't stop thinking about Lorelei. I don't know why I am so whipped. She could probably tell me to jump off a cliff and I would do it.

I laugh at myself. However it is true. I would blindly follow Lorelei till the end of the line. I was in a towel when America burst into my room.

"Excuse me lady, I kinda need to get dressed." I told her off annoyed.

She was looking around my room for something. Knowing America, she was probably looking for Lorelei. Or anything to prove she slept over.

"No time for that. Meet the rest of us at the breakfast hall at 0700." America told me before leaving my room again.

I rolled my eyes. America probably is off to go harass Lorelei now. I put on a cleaner uniform and went downstairs.

Lorelei and America were already sitting at a table when I got there.

"Nice of you to join us Elijah." America glared at me.

"Chill America I'm only two minutes late." I tell her as I take my seat next to Lorelei.

"Hey." Lorelei whispered to me.

"Hey beautiful." I whispered back.

Her cheeks get a little pink. Finally ten minutes later Silas and the Chancellor sat down at our little table.

"Thanks for waiting Princeps." The Chancellor smiled.

"No problem." She gritted her teeth.

America was staring daggers at Silas and he couldn't care less. I admire that about him. He doesn't care about what anyone thinks about him.

"What would you guys like to eat?" A waitress asks us.

We all didn't have any idea what the cuisine here would be like so we had the Chancellor order for all of us. As it turns out he is pretty good at picking out food.

I ended up eating some kind of fish. Lorelei for some reason got a vegetarian platter. You could tell she wasn't very happy to be eating lettuce while the rest of us were eating meat.

When she asked the Chancellor about it he just responded with "You looked like a vegetarian."

Lorelei was definitely pissed after that. I gave her the other half of my fish because I felt bad. She happily ate it and i tried her salad. I have to admit it wasn't bad but still if I was the only one who didn't get fish I would be pretty mad.

"Did you get enough to eat?" I asked her.

"Yea." She smiled.

After we were done with breakfast we got lead to a training center. Why we were going to a training center, I had no idea.

"I wanted my recruits to train with you guys since you all are practically legends here." The Chancellor explained.

I was pretty glad to be able to work out. I felt a desperate need to have an adrenaline rush.

However it wasn't really what I had expected. We weren't the people training. We were the instructors. I've never done it before and it felt sort of weird.

America, Lorelei and Silas were training with a small group of people where almost everyone else was in line waiting to practice with me.

Everything I did got turned into a competition. Even drinking water. How do you turn drinking water into a competition?

Lorelei was having fun over with her group of trainees. I wasn't. I decided to run to get away from them. They all sprinted after me but didn't even come close to running with me.

Finally I managed to escape and Lorelei came to find me.

"Where did you go?" She asked me.

"I needed to get away from the crowd for a minute." I said with my head in my hands.

"That's understandable. You were pretty popular with, well everybody." She smiled.

I offered a weak one. Then we got ambushed by the people with cameras again.

"Elijah, is it true that you had sex with Lorelei for the first time last night?"

How did they know?

Lorelei pulled me into the bathroom and locked the door. I thank her for that. I don't like the flashing cameras.