Bees working

It was night and their second stop. There were only a few kilometers left until the point where they were supposed to camp, so no one felt like stopping.

"Ah...", taking a deep breath and listening to the sound of crickets in the background, Diana felt alive again. "I had forgotten how good this is."

"Have you ever been camping?"

"Yes, when I was a child... with my parents. Haven't you?"

Carla shook her head.

"I always wanted to go," Ema said. "But my salary was never the best and it's hard to get my vacations with HR."

"Just quit your job. You'll earn money and time," Diana didn't like those little games.

"Ah... Please, you wouldn't survive a week without me."

"Okay, believe what you want."

"Hey...", Carla's tone was soft, almost a mysterious whisper. "The banquet. How does that change our lives?"

The two were taken by surprise by the genuine question.

"Nothing...", as soon as she said it, Ema immediately regretted it. "Huh, I don't know. Now that you mention it, I remember thinking about it..."

"But you forgot...", both of their eyes widened a little. Carla was serious, but there was a touch of sadness behind those round glasses.

Something so deeply hidden that Diana put aside what she was going to say.

"When I heard that my boss was a vampire, I didn't feel anything special, you know. It was just a little curiosity. But when we were at the banquet I thought about it."

Their steps broke some branches and dry leaves. With the lanterns illuminating each step, the trail was as visible and wide as the sky.

Carla preferred to look up.

"Nothing... I found out my boss was a vampire and nothing? No nonsense. No crazy stuff. I didn't go out drinking, sigh or have dreams about it. I didn't even write in my diary. Crazy, right? Even a normal person would do something, but... you!", Carla stopped and pointed at Ema, her slightly pink cheeks hidden by her hair. "My room, what does it look like?!"

Ema swallowed hard.

"Books everywhere, movie posters, horror movies and..."

"... supernatural", Carla was beyond frustrated. This had been consuming her. "I've been crazy about this kind of thing since I was a child. My mother used to say I saw ghosts and I ended up falling in love with all of this."

She moved forward a little, throwing the light between the trees, the solemn atmosphere of fantasy and magic giving her a little strength.

"But then! I finally saw something like that. I saw a vampire, I worked with him and befriended him, I also went to a banquet in a castle, I saw people who looked like gods and angels, and...", Carla felt her chest hurt.

A pain she didn't even know was there. Her words came out broken, almost childish.

"T-that's n-not fair...", she wanted to scold that side for acting like a child already in her forties, but... "I-I thought about it. I thought I wanted a better life. To have a dress like that or just start dating them, you know, those women were so good..."

"Calm down...", Diana put a hand on her shoulder.

She barely realized when she was throwing her arms up. She was quickening her pace and barely looking where she was going.

Behind her glasses, two lines of frustration were staining her round cheeks.

"Why are you crying?..."

"W-why are 'you' crying?!", Ema replied with a shaky sigh.

"Shut up, both of you, come here", Diana pulled them both into her arms and felt she could say what she wanted.

Her mind was present and attentive, she had the strength to do it. She just had to put it into words.

"It's not your fault. The spell Nero spoke of, the one that stops us from telling others", something seemed to escape her mind. What was complex became simple, what was clear became blurred.

"It weakens us. It's like trying to push against a wall of fabric, if no one helps you, you get pushed back. That's why I'm tired lately. You didn't forget because you wanted to..."

"Ahh, haah... So even after you find out, there's a price?", Carla felt like laughing, not only at the situation but also out of relief.

"Yes. I think it's like a competition, there's a circle in the middle of the square and everyone is inside. There's barely enough space for everyone so the magic guarantees that everyone will be thrown out over time."

"That's crazy. So we never had a chance?"

"That's how it is. The designs and architecture of the palace, the paintings, furniture, food... There's no way we didn't want something like that."

The two of them pulled away. The silence of the forest was a little scary and the backpacks made the hug uncomfortable. So they continued walking.

"... I guess it's for the best. I can't have any of that so it's better to forget, right? It hurts less that way."

"But what if there's something you really want and only they can have it? There are so many worlds, how many incredible things have they invented?"

Ema just shrugged at her answer.

"Let's go. The place is right there."

With Ema's finger pointing to a scary descent, Diana decided to lighten her mood.

"I think I've heard that before. Don't tell me you forgot the way."

Ema snorted.

"I never forget... these things. I only forgot what I wanted at the ball."

The two remained silent.

Carla knew the feeling well.

"I think I just wanted to dance with one of those handsome princes. Fall in love. Get rich and...", she shrugged. "Live happily."