"Excuse me?" Benjamin's eyes were filled with confusion.

Selene's strange question threw everyone off guard. Benjamin in particular looked completely lost. More lost than she felt.

"I can understand why Aunt Tianna is helping me. We're kin and she's my guardian. Why are you helping me? What's in it for you?" Selene asked.

"I'm a nice person?" Benjamin offered weakly.

"Nice try. I'm a ticking time bomb if all what y'all said is true. A Queen is hunting me down and she has access to terrible beasts that can freeze you in place. I'm connected to an ancient prophecy that calls me a child of death and I don't even know what it is. The worst part of that I have power that I can't use and even if I could use it, it's considered dangerous and is an object of fear. Nothing about me sounds appealing so I can't understand why you're here when you could be back at Camp, eating and flirting with those girls who like you. So I'll ask again, why? What on earth do you stand to gain?" Selene demanded.

Tianna glanced at them but didn't comment. It was obvious she didn't want to step in at all. Benjamin looked into her eyes sadly like she'd let him down. She didn't like or understand it.

"Well? Answer me? It's obvious that none of this is a surprise to you which means you've chosen to stay by my side even though no sane person would. No one is that nice. What do you stand to gain?" Selene refused to back down.

"I don't exactly have a choice." He looked so sad, a part of Selene felt like hugging him. The other part was furious and afraid.

She snatched her hand away from him and folded her arms across her chest.

"That's stupid. You have a choice. Everyone has a choice. You should leave if you know what's good enough for you." She said coldly.

Her fear made her irrational and irritable. She didn't understand why Benjamin wanted to help her when he could have easily walked away.

"Selene," Tianna warned.

"It's the truth! Well, Benjamin? Answer me!" She shook him.

"I don't have a choice, ok? I don't. I've never had one and I never will. I haven't had one since the day I was born." He said still sounding calm despite how much she kept shaking him.

"That's silly. What do you mean?" Selene asked.

"Even on Earth, there are special bonds that exist. There's a bond between siblings and a bond between a mother and her child. The day my father and I had an accident, my mom kept feeling restless all morning. A part of her knew something would happen even though she doesn't possess magical abilities. It's because of that bond." He said licking his lips.

"I can understand that but I don't see how it's connected to what I asked." Selene blinked at him.

"I'm getting there. You and I share a special kind of bond. In Rodia, it's called 'Synergy'. It's the soulbond of lovers. No one knows how or why it exists. It just does." Benjamin said.

"Bond of l....that's a load of crap!" Selene said indignantly.

"It's not. See." He said producing his locket again. He opened it for her to see the picture inside.

Selene gasped when she realized it was a minuscule drawing of her.

"I've had it for years—way before I even met you. Do you remember Aria? That girl Laurence mentioned? She was a Diviner. I met her many years ago when my mother got remarried. I'm not sure why but for some reason, she developed feelings for me. I kept my distance because I knew Laurence felt something for her." Benjamin sighed.

Selene didn't take her eyes off his face. She watched him bite his lip before continuing.

"Since she was a Diviner, she decided to make it her life's purpose to know if we'd end up together. She had a vision and she saw you. She realized you were my Synergy but she kept saying she felt something was off about the bond. I told her to drop it but she didn't. She kept trying to see more—perhaps to know if there was a way we could end up together—and at the end, she died from seeing too much into the future. She turned to dust." His voice cracked with emotion.

Selene reached forward to hold his hands but he moved away from her. He also refused to look into her eyes.

"I blame myself for what happened to her and I always will. Her death was pointless because it would never have changed the outcome. The point is, she made this drawing before she died. I've carried it everywhere with me since then." Benjamin said.

"What does this 'Synergy' mean?" Selene asked.

"The bond of Synergy exists in various ways but the strongest is that of lovers. The one between a mother and her child and even that of siblings is a blood bond but for lovers, the bond of Synergy is a soul bond." Benjamin said.

"How can a soul bond be stronger than a blood bond?" Selene asked.

"Isn't that obvious? Oftentimes, we can't choose our parents or family but you can choose your friends and your lovers. Those bonds are soul bonds and hence they're stronger." Benjamin said looking at her intensely.

"You said you didn't have a choice since you were born. Isn't that the same thing?" Selene squirmed under his gaze.

"It's not. Think of it like me being your soul mate. I'm not sure how else to explain it." He shrugged.

"Why? Aren't you supposed to be some kind of prodigy? Why don't you have an answer to most of my questions?" Selene said harshly.

Benjamin flinched and a pained look flashed through his eyes. Tianna glared at her but it was obvious she didn't want to get involved in the discussion.

"I'm sorry but I don't know everything. I can only tell you what I know. The reason some of these things are difficult is because all ancient scrolls about it either disappeared or in this case, never existed. There aren't many documents about Synergy or the intricacies of the bond." He said sadly.

"Why aren't there many documents about it? Don't tell me the Telepathers destroyed that too." Selene sighed.

"No. There aren't many documents about it because it is invasive." Benjamin said.

"How so?"

"Would you like to have a document detailing your sexual experiences with images and videos for others to see?" Benjamin asked.

"What the hell! No!"

"Well, it's exactly like that. It's a soul bond you're born with. Some might say it's because we were once lovers in a past life; others might say it's because our energies and desires are so alike that the universe granted us a soul mate from birth. You might not be able to choose your Synergy but usually, no one really cares." Benjamin said.

Selene turned to her aunt who was watching the interaction with great interest.

"Who is your Synergy?" She asked.

"I don't have one. Never did." Tianna made a face that showed her disgust at the mere thought of a romantic relationship with anybody.

"How do you know?" Selene asked.

"The bond of Synergy is very rare. Only about one in a million couples are bonded by Synergy. It goes deeper than just physical attraction and love. It's like you're a part of me just as much as I'm a part of you." Benjamin said.

Although Selene did like him a lot, she wasn't sure she wanted to be a part of him just yet. She was just 19! She didn't even want to think about marriage or anything. She was much too young for that kind of commitment.

"You must be mistaken. I don't feel any special way towards you other than an obvious crush which is to be expected." Selene shook her head.

Benjamin looked so hurt that Selene was sure he'd actually start crying.

"That's because of the mind block on your memories. You don't feel the things you should and you can't remember the things that have passed." He sighed.

"How can you be so sure we have this Synergy thing? If there aren't many scrolls about it, how can you tell?" Selene asked.

"I just can. You would too when you get your memories back. There's never been a case like ours and there's nothing like unrequited love in Synergy. You can't really say you don't feel anything for me." He said desperately.

"I can admit I've always been weirdly obsessed with you since we first met. I can admit that I've always found you fascinating and I think you're the most handsome and adorable boy in the entire world. I can admit that I couldn't get you out of my head even when I was with someone else. I can even admit that being around you sometimes gives me this electric buzz but I don't think it's as strong as this Synergy." Selene said.

"Wait, electric buzz? You feel an electric buzz?" Tianna said widening her eyes.

"Well....yes." Selene wasn't eager to explain how she usually felt the buzz when she kissed him.

"What I feel is probably fifty times stronger. It might be a small shock to you but for me, it's like I'm being electrocuted. I can't control it and I don't even want to. It's insane." He rubbed his tired eyes.

"I still don't understand how you can be so sure. For all we know, it might just be lust." Selene shrugged.

"Do you really think that I wouldn't know the difference between teenage boy lust and the bond of Synergy?" Benjamin looked irritated now.

"Even if you can't take his word for it, you can take mine. The first time I saw him, I sensed that your energies were alike. That only exists in cases of Synergy. It was also why I was against you dating that Laurence boy." Tianna said.

Selene chewed her lip gently. She realized she was being harsh to Benjamin who just wanted to help her. She decided to be nicer.

"Why didn't you make a move earlier? I'd never have dated Larry if I thought you had even a mild interest in me." She asked quietly.

"The first day I saw you, I felt the bond at once but I could tell you didn't feel it. What you felt towards me then was a simple crush but it wasn't the same for me. I thought we'd have time which was why I didn't rush things. I never expected you to be able to be with anyone else. That's not how it works." Benjamin shrugged.

"Ugh! This is so confusing! What are the benefits of this Synergy? Is it just a romantic bond?" Selene asked.

"It's more than that. There are so many possibilities but we can't explore them yet. You can share power with your Synergy. It's a unique bond—very rare and very special." Tianna said.

"Share...power...." Benjamin said slowly like he'd just gotten an amazing idea.

"What are you thinking about?" Tianna asked at once.

"The mind block on her mind. Selene can't remember anything because of the magic her mother did the day she died. If it was done by a Magi then I might be able to remove it. Especially since we share the bond of Synergy. Would you like to try, Selene?" Benjamin looked at her.

Selene licked her lips and thought it over. The earlier she remembered what happened that night, the better for her. She nodded slowly and Benjamin placed his right hand on her forehead. He whispered some words in a language she didn't understand.

At first, she felt a sharp pain then it subsided. Her pupils dilated before they went blank again.

"What?! Impossible. That should have worked. I was so sure it would!" Benjamin said.

"It was close but it seems like her mind fought back to kick you out. It would take a lot more than that to bring back her memories." Tianna shrugged.

"If that didn't work then I could use the bond of Synergy and..." Benjamin started.

"No." Tianna shook her head at once.

"But it would work. There's no way it wouldn't!" Benjamin said.

"I believe that's enough for today. Both of you are tired and Selene has a lot to absorb. Right now, you need to get some sleep. You can stay in the guest room and leave tomorrow so you can get all the stuff you need. Your choice." Tianna said firmly.

Benjamin sighed and nodded.
"Thanks, Ms. Feather." He said politely.

"Selene? Get some sleep. You look exhausted. I need to strengthen the wards around this house." Tianna said.

Tianna made sure Selene went into her room and Benjamin went into the guest room. Selene grumpily went ahead even though she still wanted to talk to Benjamin about what just happened.

The minute Selene put her head on her pillow, she dropped off to restless sleep. It was one of those slumbers where you're not awake nor asleep. She slept for exactly three hours but it felt like she only slept for fifteen minutes.

She stared at her ceiling. It had been evening by the time Tianna made her to go to bed so she'd woken up in the middle of the night. The whole house sounded eerily quiet even from her room. There was a strong wind which was a telltale sign of incoming rain.

Selene began to wonder if everything she'd been told yesterday was a dream. Her aunt and boyfriend(if he could even still be called that considering how complicated things were between them) had told her about some strange world and a memory block on her mind. It all sounded insane and vague but for some reason, she still didn't doubt anything they'd just said.

Benjamin had said he had an idea about what he could do to remove the memory block on her mind using the synergy thing but her aunt had refused.

Selene grumbled to herself as she kicked off her bedclothes. She decided to check if Benjamin was awake. She couldn't go back to bed anyway.

Closing her door quietly behind her, she tiptoed to the guest room. She heard her aunt's gentle sighs which showed she was asleep in her room. Selene didn't even stop to think about how weird it was that she was going to see a boy in the middle of the night.

She knocked quietly on the guest room's door and listened. She heard a gentle footfall.

"Come in." Benjamin's surprised voice said.

#M.M💀🖤