~•Amara•~

Splayed open, the book laid there peacefully on the small, light colored, wooden study desk of my room. The calmness which was embracing the room couldn't be compared to the thundering storm raging inside me as I kept my eyes glued to the open book. After reading the same two pages again and again, I could recall it word by word now. But even then I refused to believe the words crawling on those dusky pale pages.

'This can't possibly be true.'

Like a broken tape recorder, the same words were flashing through my mind again and again. But the dark purple crystal resting next to the book was enough to contradict my thoughts. As to why I believed that the crystal in my locket was the very same one mentioned in those pages? I just knew it. I have had this locket in my possession for like forever. And I never bothered to question that old man about it.

Everytime the crystal touched the skin around my neck, I could feel its magic seeping into myself. But my soul couldn't be bound to another person. How could it happen? And why didn't I remember it ever happening? Moreover, who that stupid fool was?

All these questions were eating my mind alive, as if someone has poured some highly concentrated sulphuric acid on it. But how to find that fool who bothered to use dark magic to bind my soul to his? I mean according to the book, I must have been in love with him for the ritual to even begin. So he was this lover boy?

"How did your first day go?"

A voice interrupted my thoughts, making me jump in my chair. Turning my face around, I found Dana standing by the door which was still ajar.

"It went...okay I guess." I answered her, scratching the back of my head. I wasn't about to tell her how it got ruined because of a certain as****e. We weren't that close now, or even close to begin with. I quickly shut the book when I saw her walking towards me and slid it inside my open bag as quickly as I could.

"Good! But why are you studying on the first day of college?" She scoffed as she came to a stop behind me. Her eyes trailed to my open backpack before shifting to the crystal. "That's a really nice locket you have here." Her eyes lingered over it for a while before they moved to me.

"Ummm… yeah!" That was the only reply which I could force out of my mouth after staring at that crystal for so long.

"Where did you get it from? I have always wanted to have one of these but never found the right one." I heard her ask me with a curious gaze which only forced me to frown.

"I don't know. My father got this for me. Knowing him, he probably got it customized as he wouldn't want anyone else to have the same thing as his darling daughter." I let out the best excuse I could come up with then. But part of it was indeed the truth. Growing up all these decades, he had spoiled me rotten. The credit for my bitchy and cut-off nature went more to him than the fact of being a demon.

"Oh! You are one lucky gal then. But If only I can borrow it from you for my next date, I'll owe you one?" She spoke up again, giving me a pleading look as she pursed her lips together in a pout.

Fighting the urge to roll my eyes at her antics, I replied to her as politely as I could. "I am sorry, but that's off the table. I am used to having it around my neck or on me at least for every single second of the day. It means alot to me." What was wrong with this woman? Was she forgetting the fact that I am a girl and her charms wouldn't work on me?

'Go and try seducing a guy, woman. Maybe he'll get you one which resembles it in.' I thought the latter part to myself, not wanting to voice it out as I didn't want to get on her bad side already. I had to spend an entire year with this woman and try my best to act like one of them.

"It's fine. It belongs to you anyway. I just took a liking to it." She shrugged her shoulders before taking out her phone from the back pocket of her jeans. "Can I at least take a picture of it? So that I can show it to my boyfriend and bug him to get something similar to this for me. Pretty please?" She blinked her eyes a couple of times, giving me another pleading look.

"Alright!" I heaved out a frustrated sigh and moved my chair a little back so that she could click a picture of it. Without wasting a single moment, the woman next to me unlocked her phone and took a couple of pictures from different angles. Once she was satisfied with her clicks, she finally decided to let my poor locket be in peace.

"Thanks a bunch, gal. If you get into any trouble here or if anyone bullies you, you come to me." She gave me a thumbs up.

"Thanks, but I can handle a bunch of bullies on my own." I gave her a firm nod before pulling my notebook out. I was about to go through the notes of the other two classes I got to attend earlier during the day when I saw something move towards the locket. Without thinking much, I let my instincts work and grab it with force only to realize that it was her hand.

"Uh-I… just wanted to feel it's texture." I heard her stumbling words which made me frown.

"Sorry, but no one touches it except for me." I narrowed my eyes at her as I could feel the annoyance getting the best of me, or worst of me for that matter. I let go of her hand when I saw her trying to take it back.

"I am sorry." She apologized to me before walking away from my side of the room.