Hi everyone!

Thank you once again for reading! Here's a nice long chapter for you to enjoy! Don't forget to vote and comment to let me know what you think!! <3

You can also check out my tiktok for an aesthetics post for Thea: https://www.tiktok.com/@thannucharms/video/7155095590152457477



Love, Luckycharms



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Everything was going perfectly.

That was what Thea Rhaanan, who was in the middle of the most important interview of her life, was thinking up until the moment she heard the door creak open at the entrance of two soldiers. She began to worry a little... maybe things weren't going perfectly.

Turning her head to face the two new strangers, she watched the Aiverian State Officers make their way to the back corner of the conference room before taking a seat. The air in the room changed instantly with their presence, and just as quickly as it changed, Thea figured that this wasn't particularly good news for her.

When she looked back at the interviewers, her thoughts were validated when they all stiffened, now sitting up in their seats with straight faces. Of course, the State Military certainly did that to people, and the short silence that followed was deafening.

Thea watched as the three interviewers exchanged looks with each other, probably just as confused as she was, wondering why two State Officers felt the need to sit in on her interview. They then scrambled a little bit, flipping through papers, as if expecting there to be some sort of explanation of the intrusion within Thea's portfolio and the blank papers they brought with them to take notes.

Clearly, they were not used to this.

"Please," she suddenly heard one of the soldiers say from behind her. The man's voice was deep, strong, and stern enough to make her sit up straighter than she already was. It also made her begin to massage one of her hands with the thumb of the other, nervousness rushing through her. "Continue as if we are not here," the man finished.

Thea's brows furrowed.

What was going on?

The first of the three interviewers cleared his throat, nodding his head at the soldier before looking back at Thea. "Sorry, where were we?"

"Research," the one in the middle said.

"Yes, research," the first, an older man with a balding head, continued. "Please, tell us more about the research you've done while in school."

Thea smiled again, feeling her confidence rise up again despite the presence of the soldiers. Deep down she knew it was never good to be anywhere near the State Military, especially when discussing the kinds of topics she was going to talk about. But right now she knew that she had to allow herself to ignore that. She needed this job and there was nothing she was more confident in than her own research.

She could do this.

She had wanted more than anything to work for the Elorian Times... it was what she had wanted for years, and here she was, seated in one of their conference rooms, impressing three seniors. She was doing a good job... and she wasn't going to let two State Soldiers scare her.

A good journalist wouldn't be frightened by the very military organization she wished to criticize in her work, and she needed to make sure that the interviewers knew that.

Taking a deep breath, she smiled. "Sure," she started. "To put it simply, my research focused heavily on the significance of educating the public as a whole in Elorian history and culture, as well as the cause of the Elorian people, in order to assist in bringing forward a mutual understanding–"

"I'm sorry, Miss. Rhaanan," the third interviewer, the only woman on the panel, began, cutting her off. "Though your education and background and our conversations show that you have quite the potential, we really aren't looking for individuals who are focusing on the... disagreements... between the Elorians and Aiverians."

Thea nearly choked as almost all of the confidence came crashing down around her.

What?

She blinked.

Had she heard that right?

Her mind began speeding through their conversations as she tried to figure out what she had said wrong, but she found nothing. "You don't want someone who focuses on the... disagreements?" She repeated.

"Yes, Miss. Rhaanan."

That was ridiculous!

Right before the soldiers had walked in they were talking about how flawed the State Military really was, for crying out loud. Thea expanded on how the Aiverian State maintained control of Elorian land through corruption. They discussed how the State prevented Elorians from getting a higher education to keep them from growing. They even agreed that their own people who live on ancient Elorian land are actually doing nothing worthwhile to fight for their rights.

They certainly seemed quite interested in her thoughts on the disagreements only moments ago.

"Maybe a different organization would better fit your interests?"

Thea saw that the two men on the panel were avoiding looking at her, scribbling some notes down on the papers in front of them. She had to give the lady credit... at least she had the guts to let her down while maintaining eye contact.

But that wasn't going to stop Thea from wanting an explanation... though of course, she knew she didn't really need one.

The explanation was right behind her.

Her head turned to face the soldiers again, one of whom she realized now was a woman. The woman was sitting lazily in her chair, flipping through some papers and seeming rather uninterested, but the other, the man with the deep voice, was looking directly at her.

His green eyes, the signature trait of the Aiverians, were rather piercing, and the shadow that was cast over them because of the cap he was wearing made his gaze even more intimidating.

At first, she felt a rush of anxiety at the sight of his steady stare, the green eyes filling her almost instantly with a panic and a desire to shrink away... but when she caught herself and her emotion she found herself becoming infuriated, her lips pursing in response.

Intimidation? Was that what these people were trying? The State was scaring the Elorian Times into submission?

She kept her eyes on him, seeing that the man was sitting rather comfortably in his chair, not phased by her stare. He was leaning back with one leg over the other and both his hands clasped together over his lap. She also noticed one of his brows raise just slightly, looking either curious, or amused by her.

That just made her angrier.

His black State Officer uniform looked absolutely impeccable, not a wrinkle in sight, and though the uniform was decorated with gold accents here and there, proving his high ranking, she couldn't see his shoulder marks from where she sat.

She had no way of knowing the exact rank this man really held.

"Miss. Rhaanan?" The interviewer called, trying to get her attention back.

Oh well. It was clear at this point that she wasn't going to get this job, so might as well speak her mind.

Turning back to face the panel, she took a deep breath, fighting away any nervousness that remained and frowning at the interviewers with a look of disappointment. "You're an Elorian news agency," she started. "Supposedly the best of the best. Your job is to report on what's going on in our land, whether it's a disagreement with the State or not."

The panel looked up at her in surprise, looking at her as if she had said something insane.

"Two State Soldiers come in and suddenly you forget what you stand for?" Thea asked, standing up before grabbing her coat and purse. "You have no idea how disappointed I am in you all. I never imagined something like this from the Elorian Times."

When the interviewers decided not to respond to her, she threw her purse over her shoulder before walking up to the desk they were sitting at and grabbing her portfolio from them. "I'll be saving this for an organization that has much better morals than yours... an organization that has a backbone."

With that, Thea turned around.

As she made her way to the exit, her eyes fell on the male officer who had been staring at her.

He was smirking now, though no longer looking at her.

She tried to ignore it, but a rush of anger passed through her as she left the room, wondering what exactly it was that he found amusing. Was it the fact that she had been rejected, or was it because he thought it was funny that he could make her people squirm just with his presence.

Whatever it was, she tried to ignore it, leaving with her head held high.

While the door slowly closed behind her as she walked away, she heard one of the interviewers chuckle nervously and say, "young people these days... so foolish and ignorant."

She glowered.







Thea was so certain that she was going to get this job that she had only thought of how she was going to break the good news to her family and friends, how she would rush home and squeal in excitement, how she would revel in the joy on the faces of her family members.

Now, she had no idea what she was going to do.

When she reached the telephone booth that sat down the street of the Elorian Times Headquarters, she took a deep breath and walked in. Slipping in some change from her purse, she picked up the receiver and spun the dial, the wheel clicking back with every number of her best friend's office. It rang a few times before she heard her friend pick up. "Thank you for calling Sethson and Associates, this is Laila speaking, how may I help you today?"

"It's me," Thea responded, dully.

"Thea?" Her best friend's voice called back loudly. Thea knew that her friend must have initially expected good news, but after a moment of silence, she seemed to understand quickly. "What happened?"

"I didn't get the job," Thea said, feeling her eyes water and the anger fade with the sound of her best friend's voice. The disappointment had finally begun to hit her. "I'm about to take the train home now."

Laila was quick to support her friend. "Well the Elorian Times can go to hell," she said. "It's their loss, trust me, Thea, you'll find something better."

"Something better than the number one news agency in the Elorian Province?" She asked, though Thea now didn't really feel like that title was that well deserved.

"Yes, much better, I'm sure of it," she said. "I'll be out of work in about two hours... and the train from Gaila to back here is about two and a half hours, so let's meet up at Miko's and get some drinks? You can tell me all about it and explain why those people are total fools."

"Some drinks would be nice." More than 'some' would be better though.

"Good," she responded. "Now hurry up and catch the next train, it's almost four. I'll see you back in Abureth."

"Got it," Thea said before saying her goodbyes and hanging up.

As Thea left the phone booth and made her way towards the station, she was suddenly grateful that she chose to wear her favourite brown plaid trousers and a white button up blouse instead of her usual skirts and dresses. Trousers made it easier to run and right now, she definitely wanted to run. Of course, as she thanked herself for her outfit choices, she soon remembered that the heels she was wearing would slow her down a little. But at this point, that didn't stop her. So, still holding her coat in her arms, she ran down the busy streets of Downtown Gaila, the Capital of the Elorian Province.

Seeing as the vast majority of the residents of Gaila were all Elorians, no one paid any attention to her as her heels clacked loudly against the paved streets. Street cars squealed at a painful pitch when they passed her and the loud chattering of people droned on like white noise as the streets began to crowd more with folk who were heading home from work.

Though normally Thea loved the hustle and bustle of the Elorian Capital, today, she just wanted to go home to her quiet town as fast as she could.

When she reached the Gailian Town Train Station, she pushed through the crowd and jumped onto the loud and smokey locomotive right before it set off at four o'clock sharp. Relief filled her for a moment, knowing that if she missed it, the next one wouldn't be here until five.

That was one win for her today, at least.

The two and a half hour ride to Abureth seemed to be longer than it usually was and it didn't help that wooden seats proved to be the epitome of discomfort. To make things worse, her negative thoughts were running rampant in her mind and no matter how hard she tried to be positive, it didn't work. She wanted to just stare out of the window and get lost in the sight of the Elorian land that the train sped through, it would certainly help speed up the trip, but instead of that her mind would simply spin out of control and back into the negative thoughts.

What was the point of all the work she did, all the struggles she went through while in school, if the Elorian Times, the supposedly best, most honest news agency in the province, rejected her?

If the biggest news agency, the one with the most backing and support, wouldn't hire her because they didn't want to oppose the State... then who would?

The little guys had no chance against the State.

The image of the State Officer's face as he smirked flashed through her mind. It made her feel angrier, and she wondered if that man knew damn well that this would be her reaction and if he rejoiced in that.

Maybe he did. He was, after all, an Aiverian military prick.

Those men were almost always totally unreliable jerks, not to mention the fact that they were the enemy of her people.

Thea frowned, pushing that man's face out of her mind and focusing again on the more pressing issue... the fact that it felt like her dreams had been stolen from her grasp in one fell swoop. Her options no longer seemed to be vast.

And strangely, she felt rather alone.

The train arrived in Abureth Town just a little past six-thirty, and as she walked down to the bar, she relaxed a little in the fresh, clean air that Abureth had to offer, even in its more busy central town area. It was completely unlike the rather stale, warm air of Downtown Gaila. And when she finally arrived at the bar, her best friend greeted her with a warm hug and a giant jug of beer. She didn't know if that would be what she needed to get over it, but it was certainly enough to make her start feeling better.







Three beers in and Thea was already drunk... she actually didn't even like beer, but she found that it was the only alcohol that didn't make her hate herself in the morning and the last thing she needed right now was to make things worse for her.

It was dark out now and Miko's was packed to the brim with all sorts of people who wanted to enjoy the evening, but Thea was still upset.

She had explained to her friend exactly what had happened and how unusual the whole situation was, and though Laila tried to reassure her, she still felt rather disappointed.

Laila finished the last of her third beer and placed the jug on the table before sighing. "Who knew we wouldn't even be able to trust the Elorian Times," she started, shaking her head. "They're supposed to be the truth seeking good guys... but instead, their Aiverian boot lickers too."

Thea frowned as she looked up at the sea of black haired men and women who occupied the bar. Every single person in this bar was, most likely, Elorian, with their signature thick black hair and their even more prominent black eyes.

Every single person here was like her.

"I'd say ninety percent of the people here who actually read the newspaper are reading the Elorian Times," Thea said. "And now we know that they're in the pockets of the State." She was beginning to question everything.

"Who isn't these days," Laila responded before looking at Thea. "But really, Thea, on a serious note... since there were State Officers there, I really think you need to be careful."

Thea looked at her childhood friend and saw the worry in her dark eyes. "You think they'll come after me or something?" She asked, taking another big chug of her beer. She then put the jug down and thought about what she said. Would they come after me? It was totally plausible. The State Military would take on any reason to torment people like her... the Elorians... especially ones who like to talk a lot. And yes, she had certainly given them the perfect excuse to come after her... with her little outburst and all.

The little staring contest she was having with the officer probably didn't help either.

Though Thea was looking down at the drink, she saw, from the corner of her eye, her friend maintain her nervous stare. "Maybe you should consider letting your brother know?" Laila asked. "He could–"

"He could what?" Thea asked, looking at Laila. "Help?"

Laila knew that bringing this up would upset Thea, but she pushed on anyway, caring more for her friend's safety than the fear of Thea being upset with her. "We're dealing with the Aiverian State Military, Thi," she pushed. "You know what they say... nothing good ever happens when an Elorian is noticed by the Aiverian State Military."

Thea looked at her friend. Laila wasn't anywhere near as practical as most people were, seeing as she was someone who was extremely headstrong and often didn't think much before she acted, but Thea knew she was right. She stared at her beautiful friend, whose black hair was so curly that it looked a little over shoulder length despite it being close to waist length, the same length as Thea's, when being pulled. For some reason, those ringlet-like curls made her look a lot younger, despite being a few months older than Thea. Maybe it was that very look of hers that sometimes made it hard for Thea to take what her best friend said seriously. "There's nothing my brother could do," Thea insisted, looking away.

"He knows people," Laila pushed

"Yeah, thugs."

"Not all of them are thugs. Your brother isn't."

No, he wasn't.

At least, she really hoped he wasn't. When it came to her older brother's 'personal' affairs, she tried to not notice... to ignore him. She always failed though. She cared too much about her brother to not notice what he was up to.

Thea sighed. "I don't think I said anything that would warrant the State wanting to have me punished," she said, trying to lie to both herself and her friend.

Laila put a hand on Thea's leg. "It wouldn't hurt now... would it?" She asked. "You've got so much potential and the last thing we need is for something crazy to happen before you have a chance to try again."

Thea snorted. Crazy... as in being murdered and thrown out somewhere on the side of a random streets in Abureth simply because she spoke up against the State. Was that what she were talking about?

Thea felt that it seemed crazy that they were even having such a conversation. Was Laila really fearing for her friend's life?

Despite her smiles and easy going demeanor, Laila must have been scared if she was resorting to getting Thea to ask her brother for help. Of course, despite arguing, Thea couldn't blame her when she knew she wasn't entirely wrong. Plus, she knew they were both thinking of the same person and what happened in that case.

Amara.

And then the thought of Amara brought back another sad image.

Aaryan.

Pushing those thoughts away because Thea did not want to think of them, for the hundredth time this evening Thea's mind flashed back to the smirk of that officer and the green eyes that were piercing through her. She tried to remember more of his face, to see if there was any indication that she should be scared, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't.

Despite the smirk and the intense stare, for some reason, when she thought about him now, she didn't exactly feel threatened by that man.

Maybe that was why she wasn't letting herself get too worried.

Would she be stupid enough to be sitting here, having a beer or four with her friend if the man had made her feel incredibly threatened? If she felt she had a reason to fear for her life?

Thea would have liked to think that she definitely wasn't that stupid.

However, just to satisfy her friend, she drank the last of her beer and pushed the jug away before sighing. "We'll see."







Though Thea did feel much better after spending the evening with her friend, as she walked home alone she felt the stress of not getting the job of her dreams return to her. It was late now, so no one was out and the silence of the night seemed to make it all worse as she crossed the little bridge that led to her little, pretty neighborhood.

Now that the anger and frustration had passed, she felt more of the urge to cry.

It also didn't help that the poorly paved roads that led to her home were hard to walk on and her feet were aching from a long day in heels.

She sighed loudly into the empty streets before looking down at her feet as she walked, still holding her coat in her arms.

Why did she even bring the coat? It was warm out. It was still summer.

Now it was just a nuisance, hanging limply in her arms. Sure, it may have matched her outfit and made her look professional, but now she was mad at herself for bringing it.

Or maybe she was just trying to find more excuses to be upset.

When she approached her home, however, she suddenly heard the footsteps of someone else come to a stop a short distance in front of her.

She looked up, surprised by the sight of her older brother. "Theus?"

He looked at her with his black eyes, his hair a bit of a mess after a full day of work, but that was how he almost always looked these days... tired and disheveled. He was wearing jeans and a black coat, his hands stuffed into his pockets, and though Thea figured he was coming straight from work to visit the family, she didn't miss the sight of the pistol attached to the right side of his belt. She sighed.

When she looked back up at his face, she saw that he was watching her intently with his brows a little furrowed, looking the same way he always did when he knew something was wrong. "How was the interview?" He simply asked.

Thea frowned.

Theus didn't come home often, and so she knew that he was probably only here today to hear the good news from her.

Of course, despite her frustration with him and his recent decisions, she did love her brother, she loved him dearly... at some point, they were closer than most siblings... and so the fact that she didn't have any good news for him upset her.

She couldn't really hide much from him, she knew, so she didn't have to say anything for him to know that it went quite badly.

Theus then surprised her by giving her a small smile. "Your work is too good for closed minded people like those guys at the Times," he said. "I never imagined you'd really thrive in an environment like that."

Though this was exactly what her best friend was telling her all evening, somehow, hearing her brother say it made a huge difference.

"Come here," he said, using his hand to gesture her over.

A smile formed on Thea's face as she walked over to her brother. When she reached him, he took her coat from her and then put an arm over her shoulders, pulling her close enough for her to smell the scent of motor oil and his mechanic shop... a scent she had grown quite comfortable with. She felt his lips on the top of her head. "You'll find something better."

Thea felt a lightness in her heart and a relief that she really needed.

He was right.

She would find something better.

And she decided right then and there that she wouldn't tell her brother about the soldiers at the interview. No, not when he was like this. Not when he was acting closer to how he used to be when they were younger.

She didn't want to ruin that.

The Elorian Times and State Military could go to hell for all she cared.





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Hi everyone!

I hope you enjoyed this nice long first chapter =) Also, I really hope you're looking forward to this story! If you enjoyed, please don't forget to vote and comment letting me know your thoughts!

I will also be posting the second chapter right now for you guys too! ENJOY!

Love, luckycharms