Their Moonbound Mate

A regular bus pulled up in front of the university, and a wave of students flowed out like a rushing tide. Amidst the torrent, a girl with slow, hesitant steps emerged. "Hurry up!" a voice from behind called out. The girl, startled, quickly stepped down and stood before the university gate, staring at the grand architecture for a long time. Then, with light steps, she slowly made her way inside. This was Mia Greens. "Yes, this is me, Mia Greens," a voice inside her head affirmed. "This is my identity now, for everyone." I adjusted my glasses and pulled the straps of my bag, settling it on my shoulders. Then, I moved forward with light steps. My purpose here wasn't to make friends or to advance my career, but something else entirely. For now, I behaved like a good student and entered the campus. It was crowded, and as the innocent, timid girl I was pretending to be, I pushed forward. The crowd was overwhelming Mia, but I kept going, found my class, and headed to my lecture. The lecture hall wasn't full yet; only a few students were scattered around. I scanned each one, my eyes taking in every detail. Behind the facade of Mia’s eyes, Nayla was at work, analyzing and assessing. Then a voice came from below my eye level. "Hi." I looked down to see a girl my age standing there. In a moment, I understood she was harmless. She was pure and had no bad intentions. So, I replied to her in a low, soft voice, "Hello." She introduced herself as Tayla, and I told her my name as well. We were just beginning to talk when the professor arrived and the lecture began. I listened to the lecture like a normal student, or rather, I pretended to. I took some notes in between and noticed that Tayla kept glancing at me. So, I paid more attention to my role and gave her a small smile. After the lecture, Tayla came to me again and asked, "Have you gotten a room in the hostel?" I said yes. We shared information about our rooms and found out we were on the same floor and in the same building. We started walking toward our rooms. I had some time, so I decided to go with her. It was a good excuse to get to know the campus better; I'd rather see it for myself than just read the map. We walked toward our building, passing by the cafeteria. She invited me into her room, saying she had been feeling lonely since she arrived. Her words made it clear she was a simple, kind-hearted girl with no secrets. Her life was uncomplicated. She was the only child of her parents, who didn’t have much money, but she had gotten a scholarship that allowed her to get admission here. It was useful information to have, but it wasn't relevant to my mission. I had found a good friend in her. I didn’t know how long I would have to stay here, but having a companion wasn’t a bad idea. I had decided I wouldn't get attached to anyone and would leave just as quietly as I had arrived, without anyone noticing. But this small friendship didn't feel wrong. I had no idea what the future held, but for now, I felt a little more relaxed with Tayla by my side.