"Once more! Once more! ONCE MORE!!!"
Lina felt the exhilarating energy coursing through her veins. The crowd before her went wild. Yes, this was the life, she felt. The bursting colors flew towards her, and she was lifted off the stage. She was floating above the ground.
"Yes! Who wants more?"
The cheers erupted before her, and Lina sang again.
Page by page
Word by word
You make my heart beat more and more
Say ah ah ah ah
One more time
Say one more time
Stealing my heart
Is your only crime
One more time
Say one more time
Let me say this one more time
You make me starstruck
Make me feel the luckiest
You make me starstruck
"Lina! Lina! Lina!"
Lina was jumping and dancing.
"Lina! Lina!"
"LINA!!!"
"What?"
Oh! So that was what it was. A dream. But what was the song, Starstruck? That sounded good. She should write it.
"Lina, you are late, go get ready!"
Her mom was standing before her, glaring at her. Lina took a sneaky glance at her clock, and she cursed. There were only fifteen minutes to get ready.
Why did awesome dreams come when you had to wake up unexpectedly? How did it end? Did the crowd love her? Did she become the best singer idol? Who could tell her?
"Lina, if you want to get yelled at, keep daydreaming. I've packed your lunch!"
Her mom was already packing her backpack, and even with her back towards her, Lina knew perfectly well that her mom was glaring.
"Okay! Mom!"
Lina wasn't in a hurry. She was going to be late, so she wasn't going to run and bump into things to get ready faster.
Watching her mom leave, Lina got up leisurely and thought about her dream. It was great, so great that she wanted to write in her book. She made a face. Her book was still the same, just like it was when it appeared. Her book hadn't opened yet.
Everyone had a book, and it appeared when you turned five years old. The book had a close relationship with its owner, and that's why, when they got bonded, their life was complete. Lina hasn't gotten bonded yet.
Lina always felt that she and her book were close; she could feel it. It was like a gut feeling you get, and that's why she was really worried that her book hadn't opened yet; she didn't even know the colors of the pages. It was baffling, actually.
There was one other reason, and she never thought about it. It was impossible because she could feel her book connect with her mentally.
Lina stood in the centre of her room and stretched her palms upwards. A glowing book appeared. It had a blue cover and golden edges. Holding it in her left hand, Lina touched the front cover with her right hand. Her finger tingled with electricity the moment she touched it. No one could say that her book wasn't willing to be bound to her. Her book answered her call, always.
"Do you want to be bound with me?"
She murmured slowly.
The book glowed more and more as if answering, and she smiled. Yes, her book was the best.
"Okay, let's go! I don't want to be more than thirty minutes late today, you know!"
Lina was not always late; she was late on Mondays and Thursdays mostly.
She got ready, took her backpack, found her breakfast, and then ran to her school. The school was not far because they lived in the Richer area. Her father was a well-known writer, and her mother was an artist, and they had a high status in the Bound community.
That made Lina one of the second-generation kids in their area, and she was treated really well. Lina knew that, so she didn't like to hang out with most of the kids who wanted to take advantage of her.
"Lina! One more late mark and you will be sent to Detention!"
Ah, caught. How did she know that she was here? Should she jump?
Lina was climbing the wall, and now she was on the fence! Should she jump inside or outside? Before her stood the old Dean. The Dean with her silver hair looked older than time.
"Use the door!" She then walked away. Lina paid no attention to it and jumped. It hurt for a moment, but Lina had so much experience that she didn't even blink.
She slinked to her classroom, entered through the back door, and found her seat. Which class was this? She looked up and found nothing written on the board. So what was being taught now?
She listened, trying to make sense.
"As you all know, being Bound is not the only answer, and there are Unbound too. But as you all know, The Bound are naturally superior to The Unbound in every condition. We Bound people have a large source of power, and we can even make miracles come true. As seniors, you will soon face the test."
Lina sat straight.
"You may become one of the Unbound. Don't feel sad when it happens. You are as strong as your thoughts. Not everyone becomes the savior. You can also become one of those being saved. Just do your part of the job. There is no need for a savior if there's no one to be saved!"
Lina felt embarrassed. What was her teacher teaching?
"Yes, now that you know that soon you will be one of the Bound and Unbound, there's one more thing. No matter who you become, you will leave your home. A new place is scary. But always remember, home will be waiting for you. Even if you come back as a failure, your home will be there."
Lina looked at her teacher's unwavering expression and listened, "The place you choose as your home in the end matters. Choose wisely!" He left the classroom with these last words. Lina slumped on her desk, trying to make sense of his words.
It felt like gibberish to her now.
Anyway, where was her friend?
"Lina, why are you wearing casual clothes?"
"Huh, they look good?"
Her friend Rose looked bewildered.
"But, are you going to get tested in your half pants?"
What? Test? That was today? She was going to get tested to see if she would get bonded with her book. That was today?
She didn't know. How did she miss it?
Yes, how could she know when she was slacking off in the library and coming late to school! But her mom should know, right?
Her parents should attend her Binding test?
She ran to her locker and found her formal dress. It was great that she had a spare dress with her. She quickly got ready and ran to the auditorium.
It was now filled with chattering students who looked forward to their future and their parents.
She ran to find Rose and saw her in the back with an empty seat reserved for her.
"Thank God, you are here. I was scared that you would be late again!"
Lina made a face.
"So, do you think we will get Bonded?"
It was a question that everyone had. The bonds happened when a Book Mage provided the introductory power because no one could have had the magic to do so initially. A Book Mage gave their magic, and the book bonded with the owner. This was the normal process, but there were many instances when Books didn't get bound. And the people who didn't get bound with their books became The Unbound.
Contrary to what her teacher said, the Unbound were treated as second-rate citizens in their land. The Bound were naturally superior, and they felt that the Unbound were lowly. That's why most Unbound preferred living in a different place. It was the land of the Unbound, and that meant leaving their home.
Lina wasn't that bothered because she knew her book wanted to get Bound to her, and so, she answered, "Yes, Rose, we will!"
The ceremony started. And as Lina said, no one was declared Unbound.
Lina watched her classmates get bound. She wasn't interested in watching them, so she kept thinking about the song in her dream. Soon, it was Rose's turn, and Lina turned her attention to the stage. They were bound according to their roll call. Rose stepped on the stage, and before her stood the Book Mage, who looked even older than the Dean. He had shining white hair, and his magic spell had a green color.
Rose stood with her book in her hands, and the green spell surrounded her. As it touched the book, a red line connecting the book and Rose's heart appeared. The moment it turned black, there was an explosion of light spots. It looked like a moment you'd never forget. It was beautiful.
"Rose Winter! Welcome to the Bound!"
Lina clapped for her friend and stood up. That was great. She knew that Rose was scared about getting Unbound because her cousin was Unbound.
After getting Bound, Rose didn't return. Lina knew that Rose would go sit with her parents now. She sat alone, watching others stand on the stage and being bound.
"Lina Walden!"
Lina walked towards the stage calmly and put forward her book. The Book Mage sent the green spell towards her, and the green light touched the book.
Just as she thought it would be done, nothing happened. She looked at her book, and then met the pitying eyes of the Book Mage.
"Unbound!"
His whisper was deafening to her, and just like that, her world shattered.