I slept very little that night, so when Eydis started to move around out of bed the next morning, I was already up. I was tense. There was so much riding on today. How could I sleep when today was so important?

Even with my back turned, I could sense her moving around. She was quiet and her movements were careful, like a cat moving around the dead of night. Her shadow danced across the wall, filling space where it could. 

If she was up, then I probably should wake up too. Enough watching her shadow, no matter how memorizing it was. 

"Morning," I said, stretching, turning around to face her.

She jumped, dropping her clothes to the floor. "Morning Telvi. I thought you were asleep still. You don't have to be up for another hour."

I pushed myself up to look at her clearly. "Then why are you up?"

In the dark of the room, I could see a pearly white smile on her face. "Want to come and find out?"

It temped me. Mischief in her eyes told me to follow and I didn't do well with temptations. There was a reason why I skated every day and twice a day when it was sunny. She didn't have to ask me again; I was already getting out of bed before she could pick up her clothes from the ground. 

"Great. I want to leave at 10."

I scooped my clothes for the day, then scrambled after her towards the bathroom. All I knew was I couldn't miss this opportunity.

"You know, my last roommate, she never wanted to do anything with me. I like you already, Telvi," Eydis said as she brushed her teeth.

If she wanted to show me around, I would go anywhere with her. My eyes caught sight of the time. 5:50 in the morning. Even when I had a full day, I never woke up this early. Her eyes were wide awake, telling me she did this often. 

She spit the toothpaste into the sink and wiped her mouth. "It's probably not as cold out there as it is in Hell, but you probably should wear more than your PJ's." She smirked, looking at my clothes.

I shifted, feeling uneasy. My clothes were worn and frayed at the knees. She clothes looked new. She looked like she lived in the Motherwealth. Did she side with them too? I wanted to trust her. I wanted to trust anyone, but I didn't know her. Could I really trust her? 

"You aren't a morning person, are you?" 

I was. At least, I wanted to say I was. But she was so quick. I didn't want to slow her down. Step up the pace. I quickly changed into a pair of black pants and a worn-out black shirt. It wasn't as clean cut as Eydis, and she noticed. Her eyes locked with mine for a second before staring at my outfit. 

"You will be getting better clothes. They will give you an allotment soon enough. We can go shopping on our off day. Trust me, you will love those days. It's the only day we can leave campus." She looked at the time on the wall, then collected her bathroom things. "We have to go. We will be late."

Like a child following her mother, I chased Eydis out of the bathrooms. This thing that we were going to be late for had to be grand. Eydis seemed so excited. 

We walked back into our room where she dumped her things on her bed. She turned to me, placing her hands on her narrow hips. She was tall. I never noticed until now. Her legs were nearly as long as small trees. They were lanky, thin, much thinner than mine. 

"Alright miss, no words," she said as she grabbed my hand, pulling me down the hallway. Being this close to her made my heart beat faster. Besides my brother, no one had openly held my hand. I welcomed the warmth and the company. I didn't want her to let go. 

"Get ready for the best unofficial morning tour this place has."

Soon, I was grinning as wide as she was as we walked out of the building. The air was cold, but not nearly as cold as I was used to. Eydis shivered, slipping a hood over her hair, but continued forward, into the darkness, guiding me with her. 

"It's quiet out here," I noted. There wasn't another soul out.

Eydis nodded, leading me across the walkway. "It's probably the only time it will be silent in the day. I don't know what it was like in Hell, but in Solona, it was never this quiet in the morning. People were already getting ready for the day. Some were already fishing or talking to their neighbors. I think they started the day early so they could avoid the heat in the afternoon."

At this time, only the Amber miners were awake. Most waited a few hours, at least until the sun was up. We never had to worry about extreme heat in Hell. We just had to watch out of extreme cold. "Not many people were up at this time in Hell."

"Hu... interesting." She shrugged, then quickened her pace. "When I first got here, I thought everyone would wake up as early as I did, but I was wrong. I kept up the habit though because I like this quiet."

"Is there anyone else from your town here?"

Eydis shook her head. "Nope. Just me. There is another person from my Commonwealth, but that's it. How about you?"

"It's just me."

"I think that's common. I think the Talent Seekers are just so picky with what they want."

"They said I was the first person in 30 years to be picked from Hell," I said as I followed her across the dead grass.

"I'm not surprised. I think I was the first person in 10 years. With as few people as they pick, you would think this campus would be smaller," she huffed.

"Do you know how many people are on campus?"

"Probably 170 people, maybe a little more. There are about 10 people in the math department. Before you ask about skating, I really don't know how many people are with you." She stopped, then checked her watch on her wrist. It lit up brightly, shining on her face before she started walking again. "Walter. We're going to be late."

I still didn't know what we would be late for. The anticipation was killing me, like the dull pain in my stomach. Now I wish I ate on the flight here. 

We walked up a hill. Eydis followed a worn-down path in the snow. She didn't stumble even though the snow was slick and the hill was steep. This had to be clockwork for her. She put her hands on her knees once we made it to the top of the hill. Her breath fogged in the air as she looked out over Regal.

Headlights to a train zipped down below us, pass the metal barrier of campus. It hummed, stopping a few roads down. The city in front of us glowed with a hue of a soft candlelight. Slowly, lights turned on in windows and the sun above the horizon made the buildings sparkle. The was a uniquely beautiful aspect to Regal. I don't know if it was because of the glowing buildings or the soft colors of the sky, but something told me that being here wouldn't be that bad. 

Eydis stretched her hands over her head, then took a deep breath in and out. We stayed silent for a moment as we both overlooked the scene. I glanced at Eydis for a moment. Did she think this place was beautiful?

"This place is nicer in the summer. Alright, next place!" She pulled me down from the hill and walked into a building that smelt of a chemical I only smelt in the town hall.

"The early risers get the best breakfast," she said as she pulled me through halls until we ended up in a larger room with tables.

There were only a few people sitting down eating. They did not even look up as we walked in. Eydis, on the other hand, made herself known. She threw her hands over her head and said, "I have arrived" rather loudly.

People stopped eating to look at us. I wanted to shrink. 

"And this is my new roommate," she said as she wrapped her arm around me with a smile. "Telvi is going to be a new figure skater."

No one said anything or really did anything. In the silence, some turned back to their food, others just yawned. It was all very awkward.

"Tough crowd." Eydis took my hand once again and lead me to the corner of the room where fruit, bread, drinks, and eggs were laid out in a fancy spread.

The smell of the food made my mouth water. Besides the supermarket, I had never seen so much food in one area before. Was this all for us? Could we really eat as much as we wanted? 

"Oh bummer, they don't have muffins today," Eydis grumbled as she grabbed a glass plate and handed me one. "This is where all the meals are."

The bright colored fruit temped me first. But eggs were filling. I didn't know when I would eat next, so I scooped a portion of eggs onto my plate. The portion was small and instantly, I dished another portion onto my plate. It was a small mountain on my plate. It made me smile. Today my stomach would be full. No need to choke down oats. 

"Get this. My Commonwealth produces these." Eydis handed me a bright orange small fruit. It fit into the palm of my hand. "We call them tangerines. The Motherwealth is obsessed with them. They always want more."

My eyes landed on a circular loaf of bread that my mother used to make. I gravitated towards that and cut myself a slice. Cake was only for special occasions, but something told me that they had this daily. How was Eydis so thin when there was all this food?

"Ah, the milk bread. Good pick."

"My mom used to make this. She called it the same thing," I explained as put butter on the slice.

Eydis mumbled something, but before she could say more, a girl with hair so red it looked pink walked up to us.

"Eydis, so this is your new roommate?" the girl asked as she played with her nose ring.

I never saw a nose ring before, and I couldn't tear my eyes from it. It was gold and bright. Everything was so shiny here. 

In Hell, everyone dressed similarly. Anything out of the normal was cause to be stared at. And no one liked being stared at. 

Eydis' smile slid off her face as she looked at me, bumping me with her shoulder. "Yup. This is Telvi."

The girl met my eyes for a moment before glancing at my outfit. She frowned, brushing her long pink hair from her shoulder. "And why are you special?"

"She skates," Eydis blurted out before I had a chance.

"Ah... a figure skater." The corners of her mouth turned upward for a moment. Her eyes flicked like a snake. "They are going to eat her alive in there." With that, she walked away.

Bile rose in my stomach. I placed my plate down at the nearest table. I wasn't hungry anymore. How could I when she said that? What did I get myself into?

"Don't pay attention to Odette. She's just bitter that she's not my roommate anymore," Eydis said as she pulled me away. She placed her hands on my shoulders and gave a small shake. "You're going to be great, Telvi. Don't worry."

Worry, no, more like sheer panic. What could they do to me? My hands shook as I looked at the table. I didn't belong here. I wasn't good enough to be here. I should be in Hell. This was some fantasy that would never work.

Eydis took my hand and gave it a squeeze. "Telvi. You'll be alright. I promise."

My eyes snapped towards hers as she held my hand tightly. Her long fingers intertwined with my and eased my thumping heart. I didn't want her to let me go. Tears welled in my eyes as I tried to take a breath in. None of this was worth it. I should have never left Hell.

Eydis brought me into a hug and held me tightly. "I'll watch out for you. Nothing will happen," she cooed, stroking my hair.

I took a deep breath as I held onto her. My insides felt as if they were being squeezed all over. But the longer Eydis held onto me, the less pressure I felt. With every second she held me, my breathing slowed. Her flower scent was as calming as a summer breeze.

Eydis finally let go of me. "I'll take a day off today and watch you train. I'll be right there for you. You have my word."

I wiped the tears from my eyes and nodded. In this strange place, Eydis was the only thing that felt right to me.

__________________

Soon I was standing in front of an older woman with purple hair at the entrance of the ice rink. Eydis was now long gone, unable to take the day off. Her last words to me before she left were, her bark is worse than her bite. I had no idea what that meant, which added to my fear.

"So, you are Telvi," she said finally.

Her stare made my hair on my arms stand on edge. Was she the one that would eat me alive? I felt jittery even though I ate nothing. I sucked in a breath and crossed my arms over my chest. As if that would protect me. I wanted to pretend it would. "Yes, I am Telvi."

"And you brought your skates?"

I nodded as I held my bag.

"Well, let's see them."

I pulled them out of my bag and showed her one. She took it out of my hand and pushed against the leather. "These will not work. We will buy you new ones."

"New skates?" I whispered. With what money? I could not afford a new pair of skates. This was all I had.

She tossed the skate on the ground, making a clank against the hard ground. "Do I need to repeat myself?" she snapped. "Today, you will skate in the slag things. Tomorrow you will have new skates." She turned herself towards the doors of the ice rink. "Now, get those skates on. Your practice starts now."

I fought back the stomach acid that wanted to come out of my mouth and ran into the building. The excitement of this morning was long gone.  I swallowed the lump in my throat and found the first bench and started to tie my skates.