Chapter 4: 3 [Terasia]

“So remember, FeCl3, AlCl3 and BeCl2 are the common exceptions to covalent bonding tested in your exam.” Mr. Yong glanced at the classroom clock and cleared his throat. “That’s all for today’s lesson. As usual, if you have any questions for me, feel free to approach me after this or drop me a text. Just don’t message me at weird times and expect me to reply quickly, alright?” 

Liam heaved a heavy sigh of relief and swiftly packed his bag. “I’m in the mood for some good bubble tea after this. Avery, let’s go to the mall before we go home!” 

“Mm, sure thing,” I said. “I have to go to the bookstore to buy my TYS assessment books anyway.” 

He nodded his head and glanced past me. “What about you, Terasia? Wanna join me and Avery?” 

“Oh, yes please.” Her eyes lit up with brimming enthusiasm. “Er…sorry, I don’t think I know your name…”

“It’s Liam, spelt as L-i-a-m,” he replied with an easygoing chuckle. “And this is Avery. We’re classmates from the same school, Kancil Junior College. Seraphine—that’s the girl who sits in the corner—is also from our school, but she’s in a different class.” 

“I see,” she murmured. “Are you going to invite her too?” 

“To the shopping mall?” Liam shrugged nonchalantly. “There’s no point, she’s probably heading straight home like usual.”

“But…” Terasia pointed behind us at Seraphine a distance back. “It looks like she’s heading to the shopping centre too.” 

He exchanged a look of disbelief with me before slowing down and waving a hand at her. “Yo, Seraphine, are you also going to the mall?”

Surprise flashed in her eyes. Pulling an earbud out of her ear, she hesitantly nodded her head. “I’m going to the bookstore…” 

His smile brightened. “Why don’t you join us? Avery is planning to go to the bookstore as well.”

Her reluctance seemingly melted away at the mention of my name. With a silent nod of agreement, she quickened her pace to catch up with us. 

“We’re stopping by Gong Cha first,” Liam announced happily. “I’m getting the golden pearl matcha tea. What about you, Avery?” 

“Just classic bubble tea will do.” I turned to glance at the two girls. “Do you two want to get anything?” 

“I’ve never tried bubble tea before,” Terasia admitted sheepishly. “What’s the best drink to get?” 

“You should go for the classic bubble too then,” Liam chimed in. “What about you, Seraphine?” 

“I’ll…pass,” she mumbled. “I don’t like sugary drinks.” 

Liam made a gesture towards the bubble tea store cashier. “Two classic bubble tea and one golden pearl matcha, please!”

“Size and sugar level?” the cashier asked after keying in our order.

“I’ll have a large, 100% sugar,” he said without a second thought. “You guys?” 

“Medium, 25%,” I said. Terasia went with the same choice as me after a moment’s hesitation. 

“Here’s your receipt and queue number, please collect your drinks at the counter. Thank you!” 

“Do you always order 100% sugar?” Terasia asked Liam curiously as we went to a corner to wait. 

“Of course!” he answered with a haughty laugh. “Only weaklings like Avery will be concerned about trivial things like ‘diabetes’.” 

“Wait till you get diagnosed with diabetes and we’ll see who gets the last laugh,” I said sarcastically. 

“Diabetes?” Terasia blinked in apparent surprise. “What’s that?” 

“Now that’s the spirit,” Liam said with a proud nod. “We ought not to be concerned about old people’s illnesses at such a young age, right?”

Our queue number was called out at that moment, and he quickly excused himself to get our drinks. 

“Ignore that blithering idiot spouting nonsense,” I whispered, trying not to roll my eyes. “Diabetes is what you are diagnosed with when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin to moderate your blood sugar level.”

“So it’s a human disease,” she murmured. “I understand now, thank you.” 

 “I wouldn’t really call it a ‘disease’. It’s more of a medical condition…” I looked at her curiously. “I suppose you don’t take Biology in your JC, Terasia?” 

“Actually, I’ve been homeschooled all this while, so I don’t go to school,” she said, giggling softly. “But, I’ve enrolled in a school here for the time being.”

“Homeschooled?” Liam, who just returned with three plastic carriers in his hands, opened his mouth in a wide ‘O’. “Wow, it must be nice not having to wake up early every morning…”

Seraphine suddenly broke her silence and asked, “which school are you studying at?” 

“Oh, I believe it’s Kancil Junior College too,” Terasia said with an embarrassed smile. 

“KJC too? What a coincidence!” Liam exclaimed eagerly as we walked to the lift lobby. “It’d be awesome if you are in the same class as me and Avery too.” 

“Well, I still don’t know what class I’m assigned to yet, but I hope that we can see each other in school too.” 

“That’s a deal. We’ll be waiting for you in Class 19S07G!” He pressed the button for the fourth storey after everyone entered the lift. “By the way, Seraphine, what are you looking for at the bookstore? Assessment books?”

She hesitated. “I…already bought mine last week,” she said in a quiet voice. “I’m just buying books for my personal reading.” 

“You read books too, Seraphine?” I asked. “What kind of books interest you?” 

“…isekai,” she said in a murmur so quiet it nearly blended in with the surrounding noise. “I like reading isekai light novels.” 

“Isekai?” Liam furrowed his brows for a moment before pointing a finger up in an “aha!” gesture. “You mean something like anime, right? That’s cool, I didn’t know you were into weeb stuff.” 

She tensed at his remark and remained quiet. Our lift finally reached the fourth floor, and Liam exited first, followed by Terasia. 

“He’s sometimes a little crass with his statements,” I whispered to her. “But he means no harm. That’s just how he is like, you know?” 

Seraphine’s face relaxed, a hint of a smile evident on her lips. “I can see that.” 

 

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“You really took a long time to buy your TYS books, Avery,” Liam grumbled half-heartedly as we walked towards the train station nearby. 

“I couldn’t find the TYS for General Paper, and they had to dig it out from the storeroom,” I muttered. “It’s not my fault that they took so long.” 

“Tsk tsk.” He glanced at his watch and nodded his head. “It’s pretty late, so I guess this is where we say goodbye. Avery and I are taking the MRT home, what about you two?” 

“I’m taking the train as well,” Terasia replied. 

Seraphine clutched the TCFS Vol. 2 light novel she had just bought in her hands as if it was the most precious thing to her. “I live in this area, so I’ll be walking home…” 

“Alright then, see you in school tomorrow!”

“Bye-bye!” 

“…thanks for today.” 

The three of us reached the train station after crossing a junction. Since Terasia didn’t have a student concession card, we waited for her to buy a ticket from the vending machines before going up to the platforms. 

“Where do you live, Terasia?” Liam asked while we sat down on a bench. 

She showed us her ticket, which had ‘NS12 Canberra’ as the destination. “I’m currently staying in a rental apartment in that estate. What about you?”

“My house is in Bishan,” he said and pointed at me. “Avery here lives at Sembawang, which is one stop after yours. You two are practically neighbours!” 

“Does that mean I’ll see Avery on the train next morning?” Terasia laughed. “Since I’ll be starting school tomorrow.” 

I gave a small shrug. “If you want to meet up, we can arrange for us to take the same train to school.” 

“Oh, that reminds me. We haven’t exchanged contact numbers, right?” Liam took out his phone and passed it to Terasia. “Can you type your phone number in the blank field if you don’t mind? And if you have Insta as well, we can add each other as friends!” 

“Sure, I’ll do that. Then, can I have your number too? Avery, what’s yours?” 

Soon after we exchanged each other’s contacts, our train pulled into the station. Though the carriages were mostly empty, no one felt like sitting down, so we stood in the aisle chatting about the rainy weather and school. 

“Bishan Interchange. Change at this station for the Circle Line. Doors will open on the right,” the announcement rang out. “Please mind the platform gap.”

Brakes screeching, the train eased into the station and rolled to a stop. The doors slid open, and after a quick farewell, Liam alighted from the train. 

“Please stand clear of the closing doors. Next station, Ang Mo Kio.” 

The train lurched into motion. For a while we were quiet; Therasia mindlessly scrolled through her phone, while I watched the silhouettes of buildings pass by the windows. Only the faint buzz of lighting and low hum of the air-conditioning broke the monotony of the train ride. 

The next few stations came and went. As the night deepened, I stifled a tired yawn and stole a sideways glance at her. 

Her captivating aquamarine eyes reflected the fuzzy yellow glow of fluorescent lights overhead…and something else. Unnamed emotions blazed within the depths of her eyes, hot sparks that swam in her irises for a moment before they were glimmering green pools again that blinked at me.

I realised with a start that she had caught my glance and smiled awkwardly. “Sorry, it’s nothing.”

Her eyebrows twitched slightly, as though she was expecting a different reply. She lowered her eyelids and pouted. 

“Yishun. Doors will open on the right. Please mind the platform gap.” The doors hissed open, and the remaining passengers in our carriage swiftly alighted. The departure chime rang. The doors slid close and the train jerked forward. 

“Next station, Canberra. This train service will end at Woodlands.” 

I gave a light cough and averted my eyes. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then. How does 7 AM at Canberra station sound?” 

She didn’t say anything. 

“Terasia? I glanced in her direction and met her unwavering gaze. “What’s up?” 

“You…” She furrowed her brows lightly. “…don’t remember me?” 

“Sorry?” I blinked. “What do you mean by that, Terasia? Have we met before?” 

Terasia forcefully suppressed her displeasure. “The spell I activated in your body before you died should have worked, Stefania.” 

It took everything in me not to react, to not show my shock. How does she know about my identity in my past life? Who in the world is this girl??

She quietly searched my eyes, making my heart beat louder in my chest. I wanted to pull away from her gaze, to shift my feet so that I could put a distance between the both of us—but my body wouldn’t comply with my mind at all. 

Seemingly sensing my internal struggle, Terasia slowly mouthed two words to me. 

Transfixation spell.

My blood froze. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. 

Magic. This was magic bending my body to her will. She can use magic. How? Why? What does she want? My frenzied mind was suddenly overloaded with an endless flood of questions, and the only one who could give me the answers was standing right in front of me. 

Terasia narrowed her eyes, then closed the gap between us. The train carriage was empty except for the both of us. The mirror-like windows reflected our figures pressed together. 

Her eyelids fluttered open. I breathed in her scent of rain, lost myself in her fiery warmth, and slowly drowned in the bottomless depths of her otherworldly eyes. 

Then as our lips drew near, the rest of the world melted away. Time lost all meaning. The heat from our bodies enveloping each other as the train rocked back and forth.

“Canberra…doors will open on the left…please mind the platform gap.” 

She reluctantly pulled away, and the spell between us was finally broken. 

I gasped for air, the sharp breath burning in my dry throat. My heart pounded against my rib cage. Sweat prickled at the nape of my neck. 

Terasia smiled a shy and coyish smile. “A piece of your memory still remembers,” she whispered, her breath hot against my cheek. “I’ll see you in the morrow, Avery.” 

I couldn’t muster a reply before she stepped off the train. But as her figure disappeared from the platform, my eyes suddenly watered.

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