Four days. Four long days have passed since Eydis vanished. Concern, fear, disappointment are all eating me alive. She has been gone too long. Every night I went out to look for her, hoping someone has seen her. But I have not been successful. She vanished, just like Constance, and no one seemed to have any answers.

Ari told me that's just how things were here on campus. 'People get offers that are too good to pass up and they leave. Onto the next bigger and better thing. It's just how things are'. But I can't believe that. Eydis wouldn't leave me without a goodbye.

I frown at myself in the mirror. Odett's fist left a bruise across my cheek which had now yellowed. No one bothered to ask how I got it except Ari. He cared about everything.

Maybe that is a sign, most people here don't care about one another, all too busy with their own studies. So when people vanish, they don't even blink an eye. Am I like this too? There are very few people I know or cared to know. If someone vanished, I probably wouldn't notice.

"Telvi, did you even hear what I said to you?" Ari asks as we run around the rink for a cool down.

The ice is too 'soft' to practice on. After attempting for a few minutes, Irena quickly gives up and pulls us off. She makes us complete some off ice practicing instead.

As we untie our skates, I hear whispers, fear that the summer will be too hot to operate the ice rink. Ari seems particular bothered by this fact. I don't linger on these thoughts. Taking a few months off is the least of my concerns. It would be no different than Hell.

I shake my head as I take a deep breath. "Eydis has been gone for days and no one seems to care," I state. "That's been on my mind."

He places his long delicate hand on my shoulder and gives a sympathetic look. "Welcome to the training program. I hate to break it to you, but if she hasn't come back, she won't. I would stop looking if I was you."

I'm sure he means well by it, but it provides no comfort. Instead, it knocks the air out of my lungs. I will never give up.

"I've told you before, this is what happens. People just vanish. One day you see them, the next...." He makes an explosion motion with his hands.

"Ari, Telvi! Speed it up! You're going too slow," Irena shouts at us.

"I would like her to run with us, then she would be quiet," Ari mutters under his breath.

A giggle escapes my lips as I speed up. It's been a minute since I laughed. Although, it falls flat. It sounds more like a wheeze.

"Anyhow..." Ari huffs as he keeps pace beside me. "When my contact is over, I hope to work here, in Regal. There is no way I'm going back to that slag place. It's barely home. I think most people stay in Regal. Once you get a taste of the Motherwealth, you don't want to go back."

He is wrong. I still plan to return. I shake my head.

He gasps. "You really like Hell that much?"

"It's home. It's where my family is."

"Family samily..." he waves his hand in the air. "if I even talked to them, they would want me to stay. It's better for my future."

"They don't write you?"

He shakes his head causing sweat to fall to the ground. With the warmer weather, it brings more hot and humid trainings. Dripping in sweat. Not something I enjoy. I think I prefer the cold. "I didn't fit the mold back where I was from. Too forward thinking they told me. I'm pretty sure they were itching for me to leave."

"Alright, practice is over. You can have your social hour now," Irena sighs in defeat.

Both Ari and I halt to a stop. I place my hands on my knees as I try to catch my breath.

Ari looks at his holographic watch as it flickers the time in front of us. He shakes his hand as if it will stop it from flashing, but it doesn't work. He frowns and hit it, still doesn't work. "Walter, these things never work."

"At least you work," a guy that I have seen around the rink says, walking up to us.

Ari smiles and wraps his arms around him. He kisses him on the lips and I can't look away. I have never seen two people of the same gender embrace in such a way. A pang of jealousy rises in me. I could have had that with Eydis if I told her how I felt four days ago.

"Telvi, have you met Justo?"

"No, but it's a pleasure. I've seen you around. Are you here for training too?"

Justo smiles, intertwining his fingers with Ari. "Just got here last month. I'm here for culinary."

"That's exciting. How do you like Regal?"

"I love it. It's the best thing that happened to me."

"Justo and I were about to go to the food hall. Do you want to join us?"

My stomach growls loud enough for Ari to hear it.

That is enough of an answer for him. He takes me by the hand and pulls me towards the food hall.

"Alright, we all need food."

___________________

"You're telling me you don't care about your siblings?" I ask Ari as we walk back to the dorms after eating.

Ari is in a chatty mood. It probably is related to Justo. There is a pep to his step as he holds his hand. They look so happy, so in love. I want to be happy for them, but thoughts about what could have been with Eydis consume me.

Ari shakes his head as he looks up at the sky. A plane passes over us. It flies low enough to make the ground rumble. "Son of a twister, that was close."

I nod.

"I've noticed more planes within the last few days. They always fly in that direction," Justo says, pointing to the horizon.

"Interesting," Ari hums, although he seems less interested in it then I am.

Justo is right, there are more planes the last few days. I have noticed it too and they keep flying low, always going in the same direction. I am sure one of these days, they will hit a skyscraper. I wish I know what is over there and why they are going. Is Eydis on one of those planes? Carted off to another location to develop something important?

"Anyhow, it's hard to miss someone when they don't write to you. I think they were always jealous of my skating skills and upset that they weren't chosen to be here."

"I never had a goal of coming here," I state.

But they gasp. "Walter, are you serious? Girl, you're crazy. I think everyone here had the goal to come here."

Well, not me. I'm surprised I haven't mentioned this to Ari by now. I thought he already knew this.

"Then why did you train? For kicks and giggles?"

"My mom got me into it."

"Then why are you here if this was never your goal?"

"Because of the money. My brother needs it, so I agreed to go."

"They don't often give money out to talent. Normally it's just the enticement of coming here. That's the sell. They must have really wanted you."

"Something like that."

Ari smiles as we approach the dorms. "Well, enjoy your day off tomorrow. Justo and I are going back to my place if you know what I mean."

I don't. But I think it better to nod and smile at him.

They run off like little giddy school kids, holding hands, dragging each other along. There is so much joy. I have never seen Ari so happy before. I hope I can find joy like that.

As I approach the girl's dorms, I hear a faint sound of singing. My heart race. I know that voice, that singing. That is a song I know. I look up towards the sound and see Eydis standing on the edge of the roof.

My breath catches in my throat as I look up at her walking on the edge, singing a song. She holds her hands out, unfazed by the height. Her tone is even and bright. She has returned. She is here. Finally I can hold her and tell her how I really felt.

"Eydis, what are you doing? I've been looking for you all over!" I shout up to her.

She looks down at me. There is a look of confusion on her face. "I should be asking you the same question. What are you doing?"

I shake my head. There are more important things I need to say to her and yelling isn't the way to do it. "Get down, before you get yourself hurt."

She stops and sits down, leaning over the edge to stare at me. I hate when she goes up there. It always leaves me breathless. I think she enjoys scaring the poop out of me.

"Who are you?" she asks.

I force a laugh to hide my nerves. She sounds serious. But she has to be joking. "I'm Telvi, your roommate."

She shakes her head. "I don't have any roommates."

I know I hurt her. But this isn't funny anymore. She needs to drop this act. It is making my heart skip a beat.

"Telvi, there you are! Went to the rink and found you weren't there," Ezra says as he runs up to me with a letter in his hand.

The letter is the least of my concerns. My eyes dart back towards Eydis. "Please get down, I want to talk to you," I beg her.

"Why do we need to talk when I don't know you?"

This isn't an act. She isn't dropping it. She is serious. Something is wrong. She really doesn't know who I am. Nervously, I look at Ezra. "There's something is wrong with Eydis."

He looks up at her then to me. "Let's get her down. You stay here, talk to her. I'll go to the roof," he says starting towards the building.

It is a simple task, but looking up at her, five stories up, it feels too impossible. There is so much that could go wrong. Ezra has to be fast.

"Why are you up there?"

She giggles as she gets up on her feet to walk along the edge again. "To look at the sky, obviously."

"You like to do that?"

"I love it. Seeing the planes is my favorite."

I pace around as I try to think of something else to say. "Did you see the planes today?"

"There were so many today. They flew over us like speeding bullets. One time, I saw my dad use a gun. Those bullets move so fast..."

Ezra's head pops up beside her. He places his arms around her and guides her off the edge. "Got her. I'm coming down."

I breathe a sigh of relief then wipe the sweat from my brow. My clothes feel wet and clammy. I want to free myself and rip them off my body. I take off my coat hoping it would help. The air goes through my workout shirt. Now I just feel cold and wet.

Within a minute Ezra is back on the ground with Eydis.

But up close, this isn't the Eydis I saw four days ago. Her sparkling eyes seem dull and her smile is empty. She looks thinner with her slightly hollow cheeks and her clothes hanging off her body. Her brown curly hair is cut nearly to her scalp. Dark bags are under her eyes as she stares at me. This isn't Eydis.

She looks at me then Ezra then around herself. "And your who again?"

"Telvi," I reply as I glance at Ezra for help.

He frowns in silence. I wish he would say something. I need his support.

"And this is Ezra." I point towards him.

"Ah, that's an odd name. You both have odd names." She meets my eyes and smirks. "But you're cute."

Tears well in my eyes. All the memories we had are gone. She doesn't know me. She vanished and when she returned, she wasn't the same person. This isn't Eydis. At least not a version I know.

"Telvi, we should get her to your room," Ezra warns.

I nod. With the sun setting, going inside is the best bet. "Are you tired? I can get a bed for you," I say to Eydis.

She yawns. "I would love one."

So often she will pull me around by the hand, but never once did I initiate it. Not until now. I wrap my hand around hers and guide her towards our dorm room, hoping that she would recognize something.

____________

Later, the three of us are in the dorm. Eydis is asleep on the bed, Ezra and I are silently watching, waiting for her to wake up and say more. I tried to pry information from Eydis before she fell asleep, but she said little. She was lost and confused and Ezra insisted we not push her.

"Telvi.... it's late...." Ezra sighs.

I think he stayed, hoping she would wake. At this point I don't think she will until tomorrow.

She's curled up like a cat, taking as little space as possible on her bed. It took her only a few moments to fall asleep. She was exhausted, from what, I wish I knew.

I have seen her sleep like this countless times before. It is familiar. It seems like the only thing familiar at this moment. She has changed but there are still parts of her that remain the same, like sleeping on the bed.

"I know..." My eyes drift towards his.

The sun set long ago, and I am tired myself, but I don't dare close my eyes. I can't. What if Eydis runs off again? I have to keep an eye on her. It is my responsibility.

"You should sleep. Training will start in a few hours."

I already decided I would skip training. This is more important. I can't leave her. Not like this. Not again. "I'm not going."

"You can't just do that."

I shrug my shoulders. "And what are they going to do?"

Ezra's face twists up as if he knows better. "As a Commonwealth member, I don't think you have that flexibility."

There he goes, reminding me that I am not like him. I never will be. I am not sure if he means it as negative as it sounds. I flinch.

He stands up and stretches. "I have to go. And please go to training." It sounds like he is pleading. With that, he leaves.

My eyes fall on Eydis again. She will be safe under my watch. "I'll protect you. Whether or not you know who I am," I whisper.