1 Cerebrosian Reading

Chapter 2

The Morning After/The Marketplace

Reza awakens to a knock on her door. The light shines through the window, causing her to squint. She sits up, rubs her eye, and tries to rid herself of brain fog. The gears in her brain take a moment to process. Before long, the events of yesterday race back to her. Sighing in defeat, Reza plops back onto her pillows. Her hair falls gently over her eyes. What am I going to do? She wonders.

Alaqua.

The grange woman Reza met yesterday. She knew who Reza was without even asking for her name. Despite that, Reza still followed Alaqua to the Finesse residence. She knew this woman had zero ill intent, however, that didn't mean Reza fully trusted her. Why would someone be so willing to let Reza stay with them? They knew nothing about her. Reza concludes that Alaqua must have an ulterior motive.

She gets out of bed, huffing in the process. To her surprise, she sees yesterday's clothes placed on top of the desk. She changes, replacing her clothes with the pajamas. Reza looks at the door. Beyond it are strangers and a foreign land. Pacing, Reza deliberates on what to do.

She could leave this house, never look back, and try to find a way home. Her heart quickens at the thought. Where would she go, though? Reza has no food, money, and only has the clothes on her back. Not to mention, she has no idea what else is different about this world. What if she messes with the wrong person? Can the magic people wield harm her? There are so many unknown variables for Reza. She notices herself twirling her hair and promptly stops.

Alaqua did say that Reza would be taken to a market today. Going there could give Reza a lot more insight about this world. She makes up her mind. With a nod to herself, Reza leaves the room. She will try to get as much information about this world out of Alaqua and this market. There has to be someone who knows how to leave Cerebrosus or maybe a book. Hopefully there is a library in this village. She steps into the hall. All of the doors except the bathroom and first door on Reza's side of the hall are closed. Faint music comes from the door on left side.

It's on me to rock and roll

Watch your back or pay the toll

Nothing left but to lose control

The time has come, you are the one

Quiet as a mouse, Reza slips by the door as she maker her way towards the stairs. Pictures of the family also line the walls in the hallway and stairway. She feels a pang of jealousy, looking at all the happy photos. Reza shakes away her muddled feelings. Her eyes land on one particular photo, and she stops to get a closer look. It is a photo of Xander on what appears to be his seventh birthday. He smiles brightly at the camera as he wears a birthday party hat and is missing one of his front teeth. "I would say, 'take a picture, it'll last longer,' but that's already a picture." Reza jumps and looks behind her. Xander stands three steps above her. "I wish Mom would take this photo down," Xander says, annoyed. He walks past her. "It's embarrassing. Come on, breakfast will be gone if you keep gawking at random photo." He turns the corner when he reaches the bottom, leaving Reza alone.

Following his trail, Reza goes to tell him that she wasn't 'gawking' at his photo and finds herself once again in the Finesse kitchen. The family chatters brightly to one another as they dig into their plates. She goes to take a seat, this time between Roni and Darci. "Kids, be on you best behavior. This is your last session before break." She gives Xander a pointed look as she puts scrambled eggs on her plate. At least Reza thinks it is scrambled eggs (they happen to be an orange color). "Also, Xander, after you get back from your session I need you to take Reza to the market so she can get some clothes." Xander chokes on his drink.

He exclaims, "Why do I have to take her? Can't you take her instead? It's not like you work anymore. I had plans with Ren today."

"No, I cannot take her. I have far too many errands to run today. Please do this for me."

"Fine, Mom, but this is the last time I do something nice." Xander rolls his eyes and starts to eat what she thinks is bacon.

"Your attitude better straighten up by the time you get home from you session, " Alaqua says in a bitter tone. She turns her attention to Reza, her look softening. "Reza, we can't have you walking around in the same clothes everyday, so this trip to the market will be to purchase new clothes. Please get as much as you think you'll need. We want you to feel comfortable while you find your footing." Reza looks to Alaqua, bewildered. This woman, a complete stranger, is going to give Reza money to buy clothes? She opens her mouth to protest, but Alaqua starts again. "Please, don't try to object, my dear. Percy and I discussed this last night, and we both agreed. All we want is for you to settle into Cerebrosus and feel welcomed." Alaqua hold firm on her decision.

Reza offers a slight nod in response. Xander, who sits across from her today, scoffs. She sneaks a glance to find him scowling and muttering to himself as he eats. Reza observes as he stabs his fork against the pancakes on his plate. As if he knows she's watching him, Xander's eyes dart to Reza. She breaks away, her face growing hot. Reza eats her own meal, pretending she hadn't been looking at him.

After breakfast, the Finesse children grab their school bags and head out. Percy leaves a few minutes later, leaving Alaqua and Reza alone. Alaqua sits on the couch reading a book. It's a red wine hardback with gold characters and designs etched into it. Reza sits on the loveseat and stares quietly at the back of the book. There were so many questions she had. How did she get here? Why is she here? Where will she be able to find these answers?

Alaqua peers over her book. "You can ask me your questions, and I will try to answer them to the best of my knowledge, dear, "Alaqua says, turning a page. "But you'll need to make them quick. I have to leave to run errands in fifteen minutes."

Reza wastes no time. "Do you know how I got here?" Her chest is beating as she waits for a response.

"There are only two ways to get to Cerebrosus. You are either descended from a person originally from here or you are discontent with your life in the methodical world and choose to crossover to Cerebrosus."

Reza is taken aback. "What do you mean by discontent?"

"Well," Alaqua slides a bookmark onto the page and closes the book, " usually people have dreams of Cerebrosus. This happens because some people in the methodical world aren't truly happy with their life and subconsciously yearn for a do over. The ruler of Sacauménos would appear and ask if you wanted to come to Cerebrosus. If the person said yes, they would be transported with ancient magic. If they said no, they would stay in the methodical world. Although, from my understanding, no ruler has appeared before anyone from the methodical world in a long time."

Reza furrows her brows and takes in the information. "You said people can be descended?" She asks with a quizzical expression.

"Yes, before Cerebrosus cut off connection with the methodical world, our people were free to travel between the worlds, as was there's. Of course, people fell in love with each other, had children, grandchildren, etc. When the connection was cut off there were some folk who decided to stay in the methodical world."

Reza frowns. "If you are descended but live in the methodical world, how can you come to Cerebrosus?"

Alaqua sees the frustration in Reza's eyes and offers a tender smile. "Those who are of Cerebrosian blood are intertwined with Mershala. They can call upon it and ask to be returned to their true home."

Reza's releases a breath she did not realize she was holding. This is a lot of information to take in. However, there is still one question Reza is yearning to ask. "Do people usually not remember how they got here?" She, herself, still cannot remember how she came to Cerebrosus.

"Mm, it isn't uncommon for people not to remember. Although, after a few hours, a day at most, they remember how they came to be." Alaqua responds in deep thought.

Reza hesitates before saying, "I still don't remember anything though. What if I never remember?"

Laced with pity, Alaqua says, "I cannot help you, dear. The most I can recommend is to try going to the magical monument, the Tree of Wisdom. People seek its advice all the time, that's what I hear, at least."

"A tree? How is that going to help me?" Reza queries.

Alaqua stands and goes over to the book shelf. She moves her pointer finger along the books, stopping between a black book and orange book. Shelving the red book, Alaqua answers, "Mershala would be the one to help you. The Tree of Wisdom is more like its anchor."

Reza eyes Alaqua. "What is Mershala?" Bells chime, repeatedly, drawing both Reza and Alaqua's attention to a clock mounted on the wall near the archway. It has a metallic gold exterior and has the shape of a birdhouse. The front of the clock has a transparent glass sheet, allowing the owner to see its gears and trinkets. A small round analog clock, that displays clusters of dots where there would normally be numbers, rests at the top. Below are tiny gold gears, cogs, and springs that connect to a display. Five baby birds sit in a golden nest and each take turns flying out of it. The mother bird circles the next above them.

Just as the chiming begins, it ends with the snap of Alaqua's fingers. "I'm sorry, dear," Alaqua begins, "I have to go now. You're free to look around the backyard or read any books on the shelf." Her face looks apologetic.

Reza nods her head and closes her eyes. Anxiety radiates across her body. She knew not all of her questions would be answered, but she didn't realize she would end up with more questions than answers. How is a tree going to bring her back to her family? I bet they're worried sick about me, she thinks. "Thanks for your help. I think I'm going to take a nap." Reza exits the room. She crosses the hall, into the kitchen, and up the stairs.

These bouts of anxiety weren't unknown for Reza. Her father always had a weak constitution, for as long as she could remember. Many trips were made to the hospital as a result. Because of this, Reza would worry incessantly and ask him to stop working so hard. The issue was that her father was the breadwinner, so not working was out of the question. When Reza was fifteen her father was permanently admitted to the hospital, giving her family quite the shock. Those turn of events put a lot of strain on her family's finances. Her mother, who was used to having a lot of luxuries and working minimally, found herself resigned to getting a full-time job, working minimum wage.

Reza's mother asked Reza if she would be willing to get a part-time job so that her mom would not overwork herself. Reza agreed and decided one job wasn't enough. She got three part-time jobs. One of them was in the morning before school, one of them was after school, and the third was on the weekends. She lost the ability to have proper sleep, but it was worth it to her. With all the extra money, Reza and her mom were able to pay her father's medical bills and still have enough to get groceries. Reza had also hidden an emergency stash and only told her younger sister where the money had been hidden. There was enough money to last them three months. Reza has three months to find a way back to her family. In her room, Reza lies on her bed thinking of her family. She missed their laughs, their pranks, even their yelling. As she reminisces, she falls asleep.

⚘ ⚘ ⚘

A knock is heard on the door, waking Reza up form her nap. She opens her eyes and rushes to open the door.

No one is there.

She fluffs her hair and exits the room, making her way downstairs. At the bottom of the steps, she hears voices wafting from the living area. "Xander please let me come with you guys! I'm dying to get a new book to read." Roni begs, looking up at her brother. He grunts a dismissal and attempts to move away. "If mom were here, she'd tell you to take me along."

"Roni, you do not need anymore books. And guess what? Mom isn't here, so you are not coming." Xander begins to walk toward the kitchen. On his heel, Roni continues to protest. Reza passes them on her way to the living area, the pair not noticing her. She waits in the living area, wondering what errands has kept Alaqua busy. As Reza leans against a wall, she realizes that she doesn't hear any screaming children. She must have taken them with her. After a couple of minutes, Reza decides to sit in the arm chair closest to her.

While staring absentmindedly, Reza contemplates what she needs to do in order leave. She knows that Alaqua doesn't know how to leave, so where does that leave her? Thinking back to her conversation with Alaqua, Reza jumps up with a new sense of purpose. Despite her suspicions about a tree that gives out advice, it is her only lead. She has to go there and try, at the very least. Reza strides out the room, making her way to the kitchen where Xander and Roni continue their bickering. "Xander, please! I want to do stuff too. Mom and the triplets are gone and Dad is still at work. If you guys go, I'll be left here own my own." Roni pouts, with her arms crossed.

Xander gives his younger sister a sympathetic smile and ruffles her hair. "I'm sorry, but not this time. I need to make sure this Reza character stays out of trouble. I can't keep an eye on you and the new girl. I'm sure you don't want to spend all day at the marketplace anyways. Go hang out with your friends." The sister sulks and nods her head, solemnly , in agreement. Roni trudges out of the kitchen, passing Reza who stands at the archway. She can't decide whether to find it annoying that Xander implied she was trouble or find it endearing with how he treats his siblings. "So, are you ready to go or not? I don't have all day."

Annoying, she is finding it annoying.

Rolling her eyes at his rudeness, Reza responds, "Yes, I am. I came in here to ask if we could also visit the Tree of Wisdom. I need to ask it a question." Hearing the words roll off her tongue makes Reza cringe. Seeing her discomfort, Xander smirks and leaves the kitchen. "Wait up!" She calls after him. She stumbles to put her shoes on and exits the home. Xander is at the end of the path, opening the gate as slow as possible. Reza reaches him, gasping for breath. Xander takes in her state and laughs.

"I wasn't going to leave you, my mom would kill me." Reza looks up at him and scoffs, unimpressed. Xander begins to walk away. Reza follows suit. "What? Mythy doesn't like the thought of being left behind?"

Reza stares, confused. "Mythy?"

"A non-Brosien."

Brosien? Thinks Reza, Must be what they call themselves. "You left me in the kitchen and I have no idea where I'm going." Reza presses, crossing her arms, "Anyways, you didn't answer my question."

"You asked a question?"

Reza take a sharp inhale. Why is this guy being so aloof and infuriating? "I asked if we could go to the Tree of Wisdom? Earlier in the kitchen?" Reza clarifies.

"Oh! Yeah, no. We are not going to the Tree of Wisdom." He deadpans. Reza halts. If she can't go to the Tree of Wisdom, she can't ask how to get back home. If she can't ask that, then she will be stuck in Cerebrosus. Xander, noticing that Reza stopped walking, stops as well. "Oh, come on. I promise you that dumb old tree isn't as great as everyone makes it out to be."

"You have to take me there! I need to know how to get back home."

Xander scoffs. "You won't get an answer, trust me. Going there would be a waste of your time, and most importantly, mine. Now let's go to the marketplace." He grabs her wrist and tries to drag her along.

Reza snatches her wrist out of Xander's grasp. " I want to go to the tree," Reza crosses her arms, "whether you take me there or not isn't my concern. If you don't want to take me, then fine. I'll go by myself. Either way, I will make it to that tree." The tree sways, in the distance, with a light breeze.

Xander looks up to the sky, his face exasperated. "Look, I'm not getting in trouble because you want to run off by yourself. If you want to go to the Tree of Wisdom, then go with my mom, I'm sure she'd be happy to take you. I meant it when I said that tree isn't great. Whether you believe me or not, I don't care. I'm just trying to do this favor for my mom so I can enjoy the rest of my day. Now let's go." Seeing the fierceness in his eyes, Reza doesn't refute. The two continue to walk in silence.

On their way, Reza cannot help but notice that there are no vehicles around. Not only that, but all of their roads are composed of dirt and stone. Alaqua did say that there were no vehicles, but how could that be? Maybe Cerebrosus is similar to the Amish? They do have modern electricity and plumbing. The shower and light switches told her that much. Cerebrosus also has what appear to be modern-day streetlights. She considers asking Xander. Reza sneaks a glance at Xander. A scowl is etched across his face. Reza decides it's best not to start up another argument.

The two reach the entrance to the village. She didn't notice yesterday, but the entrance has a metal arch and fence. Three prongs sit equal distanced from each other at the top and a sign hangs just below the arch reading: Lantas Village. To the left are multiple stone pillars with plaques made of bronze. Xander leads Reza over to them. As she closes in on them, she notices that they each say something different. The furthest from them says, Tree of Wisdom. Another says Marketplace. A third says town exit 1 and another says Town Exit 2. Reza takes a step to the last plaque to read it, but Xander yanks her toward the plaque that says Marketplace. "I'm not a ragdoll, you know?" She bites.

"You could've fooled me." Xander rolls his eyes. "I need you to pay attention." Reza looks to Xander. He stares back, making sure she's fully listening before he begins. He points to the green stone. "This is a teleportation stone. All you have to do is touch it and you'll be transported to the entrance of the marketplace. Do you understand?"

Reza bursts out laughing. A magic stone that can teleport a person? He has to be messing with her. Her laugh sputters out, she wipes some tears from her eyes. She glimpses at Xander, who looks more agitated than before. "You aren't serious, are you?" Reza asks, still smiling. Xander grabs Reza and shoves her toward the stone. "What is your problem?" She exclaims and stumbles backwards. She reaches her hand out behind her to catch her fall. It comes into contact with the green stone.

One second she's seeing Xander smirking with triumph, the next she's on a purple-pebbled path looking at a tree that keeps duplicating. Reza's stomach does a flips itself upside down. She feels something crawl up her throat and hunches over to the side, expelling the contents of her stomach. "Sweet, I made it just in time." Happiness resonates in Xander's voice. Reza sends him a deadly stare from the ground.

Xander holds out a napkin and points to his lower lip. She snatches it and turns around as her face grows hot. "What was that?" She asks in a bitter tone.

"Teleportation stone. People experience extreme nausea the first couple of times they teleport."

"Why didn't you warn me?"

"You mean when I told you to pay attention and instead you laughed in my face?"

Reza's cheeks burn hotter. "I thought you were joking." She admits, begrudged.

Xander pats her shoulder. "Mythy's always think that. Alright let's go. I do have plans, after all."

The world settles down, and Reza focuses her gaze on the marketplace before her. The pebbled-path morphs to a dirt road. Buildings line the dirt road, and in front of the buildings, stalls are set up. In the center, Reza can see a large fountain. Four marbled orbs surround a sculpture. It has the physique of an elongated woman with a pear body shape. It has a multiple points at the top where a head would be. Water spouts from the orbs and points and children can be seen playing with the water. Across, past the fountain, Reza notices a building that has modern architecture. Compared to the other buildings, this one sticks out like a sore thumb. Reza makes a mental note to ask either Xander or Alaqua about the building.

Looking around once more, Reza realizes that no one is walking inside the large buildings, but instead are staying outside, walking from stall to stall. While some stalls look nicer than others, most look worn down. "Why does everything look rundown, and why don't they have their stalls indoors? What's the point of those buildings?"

"In Sacauménos, we're big on not commercializing ourselves. The king decided that stalls are more environmentally friendly and recent anyone from creating a monopoly. I think the idea is primitive, but there are magics in place to keep people from overheating, getting too cold, or getting rained on. So the buildings are used as storage to house the products and to live in." Reza raises a brow, causing Xander to roll his eyes. "Not everyone can afford to live in the village, so those who cannot it live here at the marketplace, where the cost to rent a building is much cheaper." Xander takes Reza's hand and drags her along. His grip tightens when they squeeze through a large crowd, veering to the right.

Despite the rugged appearance, the marketplace is packed. Reza sees a man with a full beard haggling with a meat merchant, a woman who's nose was pointed, scolding a child for playing in the fountain, and a group of people around her age laughing cheerfully as they eat a skewed treat. A whistle blows, drawing Reza's attention toward its direction. A hooded figure darts from a building to Reza's left. They head towards the marketplaces entrance. Something glistens in their grasp. The person shoves through the crowd as two men, in Tyrian-colored uniforms, chase after them. Reza is surprised to see the parallels between her own world and Cerebrosus. This is not solely a place of luxury.

Alaqua, to Reza, had made this world seem like a work of fiction; a place where no one struggled at all. They way Alaqua spoke, made it seem like Cerebrosus was better than the methodical world, in every way. Xander must think I'm some naive girl, she thinks to herself and mentally facepalms. Reza fidgets with the edge of her sleeves as they continue to walk. Sneaking a glance at him, Reza notices that his face is impassive . There's no way to tell how he feels about her comment. Reza thinks about the situation more. Why should it matter how Xander feels anyways? It's not her fault she doesn't know how this world works. She didn't know it existed until yesterday. Besides, she does not need to distract herself with the opinions of others at the moment. Right now, Reza's main priority is talking to the Tree of Wisdom.

Xander slows his pace to a stop and says, "Here we are, Madame Azule's Boutique." Reza looks to her right to see a building with foreign characters similar to chicken scratch etched into it. She squints her eyes as she tries to recognize a letter, but cannot. Above the words, a metal sign dangles. It has a spool of thread and needle branded into it, that moves on its own.

Xander holds the door open for Reza. "I thought you said no one had stores and only stalls?"

Xander rolls his eyes as if it's the most obvious thing ever. "Even Cerebrosus has standards. No one wants to buy clothes that could have been stained by unknown forces, even though it's possible to remove them with just a thought." Reza raises her brow but doesn't say anything in response. Instead, she's mesmerized by the abundant amount of clothing, the smell, the people, and the cleanliness of the boutique. Doe is shocked by how nice it looks considering the outside. Reza hardly remembers a time when she didn't buy second-hand clothing. Once her dad became sick, their family lifestyle drastically changed. She reaches toward a rack of clothes, then pulls her hand back quick, as if she's been burnt. Is it truly okay to accept Alaqua's offer? Even though she considered taking advantage of the Finesse's she cannot bring herself to do so. "What? These clothes aren't good enough for you?"

Keeping her temper at bay, Reza let out a deep breath, "The clothing is perfect. You're attitude, however, is not. Why don't you go somewhere else and leave me be?" Not waiting for a response, Reza strolls further into the shop towards the women's section. About thirty minutes into her shopping endeavors, Reza finds herself holding two outfits, four jackets, and three pairs of shoes, all on clearance.

Buying clothes was never Reza's strong suit. With her dad being sick, most of the income had gone to paying off his medical bills. This meant that clothing had to become less sought out for Reza's family. Her younger sister always had hand-me-downs, and Reza willed herself to not outgrow her clothes, with no prevail. Despite her aversion to buying clothing, Reza still longed to express herself via clothes and found ways to do so. Different types of jackets, shirts, pants, and shoes were often 'gifted' to her, thanks to the lost and found at her school. Those were essential to her and helped Reza achieve her individuality.

She gasps. One feet away from her are a pair of white chunky sneakers, on sale. Reza reaches for them at the same time another girl does. Their hands touch and Reza snaps her gaze to the girl. She looks around sixteen years old, has dark brown hair and eyes, and a chestnut skin tone, reminding Reza of a fancy jewel her mother received as a birthday present from her father on year. The girl wearing baggy pants, a dark fitted zip-up, and sunglasses, jumps back. Reza cannot help but look to the mass atop the girls head, thick tangled curls. "I'm sorry! I saw these shoes and wanted to get them." The girl exasperates. "You can have them though." Reza studies the girl. Nothing about her seems suspicious.

A smile stretches across Reza's face and she responds, "Don't be sorry. I was bound to run into someone, eventually." The girl let's out a shaky breath and nods, letting out a light laugh as she does so. "I'm Reza, by the way." She extends her hand out.

The girl hesitates, glancing around the room before responding, "I'm Marlena." Her voice lower as she tells her name before returning to a normal octave. "So, Reza, what brings you to this boutique? I've never seen you before. Are you new to Oblayion?"

It's Reza's turn to hesitate. Would it be okay for her to tell Marlena? Alaqua never said she wasn't allowed to tell people, and she isn't getting a bad vibe from Marlena. Weighing her options, she decides to explain her situation to Marlena: how she woke up in Cerebrosus with no memory of how she got there, her meeting Alaqua (and being taken under her wing), how Alaqua is paying for the shopping experience. Reza looks to Marlena with a dismal expression. She is certain that Marlena will want nothing to do with her. She was on par with orphans at the moment*is this comment about orphans too mean/rude?*. Not to mention that she's siphoning of the Finesses. "Honestly, this whole ordeal has been so confusing and this is the one sense of normalcy I've felt, so far." Marlena looks at her with kindness and picks up the shoes, handing them over to Reza.

"Here, you need these more than I do," Reza attempts to give the shoes back, not wanting any pity, "No, no, no. I'm serious Reza. I already own a lot and I don't need another pair. Please take them, I insist." Although Reza wants to retort that she didn't need the shoes, either, she doesn't and holds onto them. Marlena claps. "Okay! I'll go get a shopping buggy, and then I can help you find some more clothes."

"Wait!" But it's too late, Marlena dashes away to find a buggy. At least I won't have to hold these anymore, Reza thinks, looking at her arms of clothes and shoes.

After another hour passes, Reza and Marlena have found a new wardrobe of clothes for Reza. Marlena insisted that Reza look at clothes outside of the clearance section, but she refused. She did not want to spend more than she had to with money that wasn't hers. Throughout that time, Reza asked Marlena a lot of questions about Cerebrosus. They are now walking around the boutique looking for Xander, who had vanished. She feels like they've circled the boutique a least four times and still no sign of him. "You have to admit," Marlena continues, "Xander is attractive. You are so lucky to be living with him." She hasn't stopped talking about him ever since Reza informed her that he was the one who brought Reza to the marketplace. "I mean, yeah, he's distant and mysterious, not to mention disrupts class with Lorenzo, but that's what makes him more alluring." Who knew Xander would be so popular?

"If you like him so much, why aren't you dating him?"

Marlena looks away. Her expression is a mixture of guilt and embarrassment. "We don't hang around the same people. Also, he may be super attractive, but he is not my type. I would love to be friends with him, though. He seems so charismatic and kind." Reza raises a brow. She can tell there's something Marlena isn't telling her.

"I've found that Xander is more of an 'I don't care about your existence' kind of guy. He's barely said anything to me, and if he does, it's always to counter what I'm saying." Reza rolls her eyes. "It's truly infuriating and I don't understand how any girl could find that attractive." Marlena raises a brow and smirks, clearly, not believing Reza's last words. Reza clears her throat. "So do you guys have cellphones, for real?" She changes the subject and circles back to an old topic.

Her patience is starting to wane, which comes to a shock to Reza because she can be one of the most patient people. She had to be when she gave up her free time to help out her family. If started with babysitting her neighbors kids, so her mom wouldn't have to work a lot of double shifts. They would scream, cry, run around, etc. Despite all of that, Reza never lost her patience with them. She always managed to stay calm. Xander, on the other hand does nothing but belittle and provoke Reza. "No, we can send messages through letters pretty instantaneously, so we never felt the need to create them. From what I heard, though, you Mythy's seem to be obsessed with such objects."

Reza cocks her head to the side, her eyebrows furrowed. "How do you guys know what is happening in my world, if the connection to it is cut off?" Alaqua and Xander also knew a lot of information about the methodical world. Yet, Reza knows nothing about Cerebrosus.

"I'm not entirely sure how the information is obtained, but we are taught major advances in technology, worldly affairs, and major discoveries."

"Taught? As in through school?"

Marlena nods in agreement. "Yes, it's a combination of the Sacauménos education and the news." She points a finger to her chin, looking deep in thought. "Although, if I had to pinpoint where the teachers and news got their information, I would say the capital."

Reza nods thoughtfully. "And the capital is called Praetum, but the region we're in is Oblayion?" Marlena bobs her head up and down.

"I'll have to invite you over some time and teach you more about Sacauménos, that's the continent we're on." Reza agrees and turns her head toward the front of the boutique. There she spots a certain someone with piercing green eyes. Grabbing Marlena's hand, Reza drags her along.

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May 17, 02:35 AM