“Don’t leave yet!” Athena called me out.

  My right hand reached the door handle. When her shout came, I stopped.

  “Rory! Please help me!” Athena’s voice desperately spoke to me.

  I looked down at my other hand that she grabbed, so tightly.

  “Please! Listen to what I have to say and then decide.” I saw something urgent in her eyes. Fear of something, like if I left now something in her would disappear.

  Her whole vibe shifted.

  No…the vibe in the room turned glum. A shadow covered the air of this small book store.

  I imagined a vase being pushed and falling on the floor. Shattering in a million pieces.

  That is how this would feel if I moved away now.

  I stayed still.

  My eyes followed her grip on my hand.

  “Help me! Please!" Athena’s eyes looked at me urgently, like she was on fire.

  “Rory! You are the only one who can do this…please!” Tears started to drop her eyes like beans.

  So pathetic and miserable, deeply sorrowful and pitiful. The happy and bubbly Athena that I saw everyday carried a big wound that only I could help her with.

  “Help you? Me?” I was taken back.

  Somehow her expression made me stay and listen.

  Maybe my own recent emotions made me stay put to feel better that someone else is doing worse. To feel better that I may help her. Human emotions are sinister. For real.

  “Can I tell you a story?” She asked me.

  The rest of the eyes lingered at us.

  I looked at Dina, then Marco and Rio.

  All of them shared something in their eyes that made me nod.

  “This doesn’t mean that I will help you. I can listen.” I warned her.

  “That’s okay.” Athena thankfully let go of my hand.

  We all simultaneously moved to sit around a table. To my right, Athena. To my left Rio sat rather closely.

  In front of us Dina and Marco.

  Marco pushed the book he was reading, which wasn’t a book but a notebook. An old one. He urged me to take it without words.

  Hesitantly, I looked over.

  Ursula Evans. A diary of someone. I had no idea who but the surname Evans caught my attention.

  I looked over at Marco.

  “Evan’s…who is this?” I asked.

  Rio smiled at me recognising the name.

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  “A gift from someone.” He cryptically said.

  “It’s just a twenty year old diary…it does not concern what Athena is about to say.” Dina gave Rio an evil eye.

  “Later.” Rio mouthed.

  I turned my eyes to Athena.

  She held her breath, trying to stop her tears to be able to speak.

  I waited for her patiently.

  “What do you want me to hear?” I turned to my friend. I did not smile, but let her to hold my hand.

  Involving myself in other people I shouldn’t do. I have my own mystery going on right now.

  Even with these thoughts in my mind, I stayed.

  “Akasia has secrets…and it killed my dad. I want you to help me to avenge him!” Athena looked into my eyes with this sincerity. I was almost taken back by her expression.

  “Go on…” I let her speak, listening.

  “Everyone here is isolated. Never able to leave. Akasia may look like this extraordinary city to you…you described that outside here you were a prodigy but here you are not…” Athena said to me.

  “I recall something along the lines of that.” I nodded.

  “The standard here is to excel and follow rules. The rule number one is to never leave!” Athena told me.

  “Never leave?” I raised an eyebrow.

  “We are never allowed to leave Akasia.” Rio said.

  Dina and Marco nodded.

  “What happens if you do leave?” I asked.

  “You die!” Athena looked at me seriously.

  Her tone chilled me.

  “Die?” I asked, perplexed.

  “We never have people from outside.” Athena said. “That is why I think you are the only one who can help me with this!” Athena grabbed my hand again.

  I looked down. Her grip on my hand increased, urgent eyes of conviction staring at me. To persuade the forbidden.

  Athena was coming from a place of waiting for something, someone who will help her succeed in her revenge.

  “You want me to fight the city? Be your resistance tool?” I asked.

  This wasn’t just about revenge. Marco, Dina, Rio. They all shared something that came in alignment to Athena’s goal.

  An escapee…for starting some resistance movement.

  Reigen’s words came to mind. About changing and rewriting the truth. No matter how you try there will always be someone opposing you.

  Seriously.

  This was ironic and pretty classic. Closed up community that is repressed by strict rules. These kinds of places rarely survive. And involving myself into the revolution or resistance in a place like this? Me?

  “Not really!” Athena tried to deny it but the eyes of the rest of them shamefully were showing the opposite.

  “Guys!” Athena eyes her friends. “I told you! I only want Rory to help me to leave Akasia. Don't use her as someone who starts against the city!” She tried to shame her friends.

  “Yeah! Sure! You leave and what then?” Rio rolled his eyes. “We would need to act as well!” Rio told Athena like it was something obvious.

  “What can you even accomplish?” Athena asked but did not wait for any answer, she continued. “If I leave, I could gather people from outside! Tell them to come here and help me!” Athena said.

  “This all is just ridiculous.” Marco spoke up. “Who would care about a random place? I sure wouldn't.” He rolled eyes at the thought.

  “Guys…” Dina spoke up. “You all are getting ahead of yourselves. We can’t even trust this girl with anything.” She pointed at me shamefully. “A stranger from somewhere else who is studying here. I am sure she will leave the moment she graduates.” Dina was convinced that Athena was going ahead of herself. Trying to put a role on me that felt convenient to her. The desperation of Athena’s wish to her had zero faith in me.

  “Hey…” I spoke up slowly. “I told you that I would listen to Athena’s story. That’s it.” I said clear and simple.

  All of them were going ahead of themselves.

  Athena looked at me and then everyone else. Pushing her chair back she got up.

  “Let’s leave!” Athena looked over at me. Then she looked at the rest. “You all go home!” She demanded this of everyone.

  Rio smiled happily taking the diary to himself.

  “Go on!” He said, urging us two to go.

  “See you on Monday!” Athena said.

  Marco, Dina and Rio all nodded.

  Me and Athena left this odd bookstore.

  “Why is there an old place like this here?” I asked Athena.

  “It’s Rio’s grandpa’s place. He is a university teacher and owns this.” Athena replied.

  It was dark out, the streetlamps on with the city lights all over the town. We walked slowly. The cold air welcomed us.

  Tonight the weather was not clear, the sky was full of big clouds roaming around, hiding the moon and stars away from the view, shielding the twinkling lights from the sky.

  I looked up trying to find moonlight but wasn’t able.

  “It’s getting colder.” Athena put her jacket closer to her. Trying to shield from the cold air.

  I looked away from the sky in her way.

  “I am not even sure what we are doing. I am sorry to involve you with my problems when you have your own.” Athena apologised with her eyes on me. Those two eyes glossy, swelled from crying.

  In the end, a friend is suppose to listen. Athena is my friend now, so I better listen up. Even if I had to swallow my unwillingness.