While Heather and Jackie talk with our new roommates, I escape to my bedroom. My two best friends are actually pretty sociable and open. They don't like people more than I do, the tiny difference is that they don't run away at all costs when they're talked to. Which I probably do more often than I should... Fortunately, other students always approach them and rarely even look at me. They both are completely and definitely gorgeous ; I'm decent-looking. Heather has a sweet picture-perfect girly girl kind of look. Jackie only wears Earth brands or extravagant and expensive outfits. I wear jeans and various shirts with the same pair of sneakers every day. Dresses, skirts and heels are not my cup of tea. My makeup routine is basically putting mascara on, while they spend 20 minutes adjusting every shadow on their face with contour, lipstick and whatnot. Oh, and hairstyles ; I tie my hair up or let it down. They can spend another 20 minutes on making different kinds of complicated braid formations with their hair. They're not superficial, not at all. They just care about what they look like more than I do. They feel better about themselves in nice clothing and fancy accessories. I'm fine with a pair of ripped jeans, even if I'm as royal, maybe more, than them.

The school day ends and I go back to my dorm, where I'll wait for Heather and Jackie to come back from their classes. Ace is sitting alone in the main living area, smoking.

     " Put that out. No smoking allowed in here. "

     " I don't care. "

I take a deep breath, then cough because of the smoke I inhaled by accident while doing so, and make his cigarette a cylinder of ice in his hands. " There. And can you say something else ? "

     " What do you think, Elsa-wannabe ? " He makes the ice melt, then throws the soaked cigarette at me. I let it fall on the ground.

     " First off, I'm not picking that up. Secondly, NEVER compare me to a Disney fairy tale ! "

     "Didn't think you'd be insulted. It can't be the first time someone compared you to her. "

     " Elsa is fictional ! I'm real... "

A story, myth or legend must be known globally for at least 100 years to exist in The Other World. Logically, the universe and characters from the movie Frozen aren't alive. Also, they're recognized for appearing in a motion-picture, which makes them even less likely to make the cut as a Classic.

     " I guess. " He leaves the dorm, stepping on his cigarette butt.

I wonder who he's related to... Heat powers and large black wings... I could delve freely into his mind, but that's an intrusion. Besides, if Ace is a psychic, the odds of him sensing me are high and that would just create an unbelievably awkward situation. I don't know if he's one, but he seems quite powerful and it wouldn't surprise me. I used to dive in anyone and everyone's heads... Until one day. Something happened. Something horrible, traumatizing... Excruciatingly painful to live. At a time I didn't understand the complexity of brains. Thoughts and facts, the knowledge every living creature possesses, it's accessible through layers. Each individual has its own custom set of layers, but there generally are five layers. The first one, the easiest to read, contains two main things : the name of the being and its present "loud" thoughts. Loud thoughts are thoughts that we can literally hear ourselves saying in our head. The second layer, for some, is merged into the first one : it includes the identity. That's where you find out people's age, overall behavior and taste, where they live, who they're related to, if they're in a relationship, etc.  The third layer holds every "semi-private" fact and thought. A semi-private thought is something you could tell, but isn't for public consumption. Then, the fourth layer keeps the secrets, the things we're ashamed of, sometimes our deepest fears. Finally, the fifth and more interesting layer of all. The fifth layer is the same for everyone. The four first aren't set in stone and contain different information according to whose mind they belong to, whilst the fifth is where the things we don't know are. Every uncertain thought or feeling, fears we don't know we have yet, hidden abilities, deeply-rooted trauma, everything we don't realize but know... It's all there. Obviously, it's the trickiest and hardest to get to. Sometimes impossible to reach. 

I wasn't very old, about 8 or 9 years old in appearance following Earth standards. Mother was taking Ice and his best friend, Narbeth, on a shopping spree around the kingdom. The two boys wanted to buy something, I don't recall what exactly to this day, but Drizella wanted Ice to have anything he wished for. I was alone, playing the piano while Father had some important meeting to attend to. A maid was sweeping the ice floor behind me. Everything happened very fast. Too fast. That woman worked as a spy for a certain organisation, my father was actually warned about her during that very moment, but he came too late. I remember hearing her fall to the ground, instantly jumping off my bench to kneel by her side.

     " Are you alright, miss ?! " I said as I stretched over her body.

She grabbed my arm and I saw it. In a moment of sheer panic, I inadvertently entered her brain and saw it. I didn't read her anger, I didn't merely feel it. I saw pictures of massacre, blood of the innocent being spilled, death being spread, diseases killing every victim it made, violence and discrimination, pain and torture. But not only did these visions scar me, I became aware that everything I just witnessed was something my parents caused or did. I was younger, I didn't know the extent of their cruelty. I got afraid, I was confused. Father ran into the room with a squad of guards, he yelled :

     " Get away from her, Diamond ! "

She strengthened her grip around my arm and pulled a dagger out. The next second, after a flash of darkness, the knife fell on the ground, along with her dead body. Her eyes stared at me and blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, running along her neck. I was now a murderer... I still am today. When I tried to get away from the spy, my subconscious was still tightly linked with hers. I destroyed her mental health. I shred the inside of her head to smithereens. I pulled her soul and life right out of her. She was so empty she died. The king was delighted, he thought I was just starting to show my true evil nature after all these years. He organised a banquet in my honor... I don't remember a second of it, except the feeling of constant shame and disgust against myself I felt for an eternity after the incident. The lifeless face of my past maid will never be erased from my memory.

     " Hello..? Diamond ! " I spin around, startled. Heather smiles at me, before adding. " Penny for your thoughts ? "

     " Don't waste your money, my thoughts are far from worth it... Where's Jackie ? "

     " I honestly don't know, she wasn't with me and... Is that a cigarette butt ?! "

     " Ace smokes, apparently. Why would you let them move in ?! "

     " Hey, I didn't know Jake would bring his rebellious brother along ! "

     " Do you know who they're related to ? " Of course, with my luck, they come in at the exact second I ask her.

     " Us ? " inquires Jake. I sigh.

     " Yeah. "

     " Satan's sons, at your service. "

     " I see... Fellow villains. "

     " Land of Eternal Snow ? Ace told me about your powers, I didn't snoop around your mind. "

     " How nice of you... " Heather gives me a disapproving look and cuts me off.

     " I'm sorry for her sarcasm, you get used to it after a while. And that's exactly where she's from."

     " Cool. Well, time for homework ! See you later. " He bows playfully and goes into his bedroom.

Jackie bursts into the room. " I really don't want to see anyone right now, obviously Heather and Diamond are right there ! " I often hear and read everyone's first layer unintentionally. Luckily for me, it's not like diving into a mind. No danger of killing someone there... " Maybe Diamond read that... Dammit. " I bite my lower lip, I always do so when I'm nervous, and say, hesitating.

     " We'll leave you alone, okay ? C'mon H ! " I grab my best friend's arm and pull her out of the dorm alongside me.

     " You heard her thoughts, didn't you..? " I smile slightly and nod. We only use the first letters of our names as nicknames when we're in an uneasy situation or trying to pass a subtle message. It's kind of like a code. I tell her.

     " Let's do our homework in the library, she needs some time. "

As we go down the flight of stairs, an inner voice slides into my mind. " What's that ?! " I freeze on the spot, looking around. No one in sight. Whose thought was that ? It had a feminine tone, it rings a bell, too... I can't put my finger on it, though. I sigh and speed up my pace. I've got enough problems as it is, I don't need having to figure out a mysterious voice too.