1

                                    

                                          
"Oh, honey, I can't believe it's that time again!" Mum exclaimed, as we finished unpacking my things into my new room. Summer had been and gone, and so it was time to move back to London with my friends, Jake, Tom and Andy. These were the guys I'd spent my first year of university living with in student halls, and so after growing close, we decided to rent a house together for another couple of years whilst we continued with our degrees. My room wasn't huge, although it did have a double bed in it, which I was rather excited about- I'd never had a double bed before. All in all, it left a small amount of floor space- just enough for my wheelie desk chair to sit comfortably at my little desk.
                          
I smiled, sad that I would be leaving my parents again but at the same time excited to start my second year of university. "I know!" I exclaimed.
                          
"Are you sure you've got everything?" She asked, for the umpteenth time.
                          
"Yes, mum." I sighed.
                          
"She'll be back home to visit soon." Dad assured her.
                          
"I know." Mum said, as I started leading both of my parents down the stairs towards the front door.
                          
"I'll call you tonight." I said, before giving them both a big hug.
                          
"Yes." Mum said. "I'll text you when we get home."
                          
"Stay safe." Dad said, and I didn't miss the worried looks on their faces. Last year I'd set quite a record for the number of injuries I'd acquired, and I could tell that both my parents were worried that it might happen again.
                          
"I'll try." I chuckled, hugging them one last time, before they left.
                          
__________
                          
Jake came out of his room then, which was the only one downstairs- Tom and Andy hadn't moved in yet, and I hadn't realise that Jake was even in the house.
                          
"Jake!" I exclaimed, and ran over to give him a big hug. It had been nearly four months since I'd seen him last, as everyone had gone home for the summer.
                          
"Hey, Millie!" Jake grinned, hugging me back. "How have you been?"
                          
We both slumped onto the sofas in the living room. "Not too bad, thanks. How about you? Did you have a good summer?"
                          
"Yeah, it was good to be home again." He said. He then shot me a sideways glance. "Anything strange happen to you since...?"
                          
Since Haydn, was what he was meaning to ask me. It had been a while since that incident- probably coming up to six months, actually. It was certainly a time I didn't miss, what with the whole darkness situation. From the moment the darkness left my body, I've felt like a different person. I'm now confident that I'm in control, and that at no point am I going to lose that control. I felt safe around my friends and family, managing to complete my first year of uni without having to worry about anything Argent Eye related- the only stress I'd had was handing my coursework in on time and revising for my exams. 
                          
"Nope, nothing like that." I assured him.
                          
"Phew." Jake sighed. "You know, it was really hard to convince myself over the summer that it was all real. The more time went on, the more I started to tell myself that I'd imagined everything." He paused. "Please tell me I didn't make up everything?"
                          
I laughed. "I'm pretty sure you didn't make up anything." I said, and just to emphasise my point, I summoned the ice to the tips of my fingers and let it dance there for a moment.
                          
"Woah." Jake said. "It still looks awesome. You've not had anymore elements manifest in you, have you? Like some strange ones that shouldn't exist?"
                          
I laughed again. "No, not that I know of."
                          
"And Ronan hasn't stabbed you or anything like that?"