Page 1 of Tino

Chapter 1

Altair

5 years ago.

“This doesn’t have to be the end,” Tino tried to assure me, but his smile was all wrong. I gave him a fake smile in return, glad he was trying to make this day less horrible. But he was still leaving tomorrow. Nothing would change that.

“I’ll send you a letter each month,” I promised, hoping that could somehow change the mood for the better. It was weird how we both felt each other’s emotions so strongly. When one of us was hurt,the other was hurting too. I didn’t want our last day together to be filled with hurt. But we were only thirteen. How could we promise this wouldn’t change our friendship? When would we even be able to see each other again?

“I’ll write to you, too,” he grinned, and this time his smile was genuine. I returned it, savoring this moment while it lasted. Just me and Tino and the many flowers surrounding us. We’d run here together, desperate to get to our place. Our flower field.

Tino and I had been best friends since we were five. No one else had mattered to me as soon as I saw him. I hadn’t cared that he was my only friend, others didn’t make me happy. He did. I loved him more than I loved my parents, and they were amazing to me. Tino was just… mine.

He held my hand, causing my body to sing with relief and happiness. “Do you think we’ll get our magic at the same time?” he asked, looking up at the clear blue sky. We were lying on the soft flowers, like we always did here, talking about life before we chased each other back to our houses.

“Maybe,” I shrugged. I didn’t care much about getting my magic. I was a late bloomer and that was okay, at least that was what mymom always said. Tino was a late bloomer too, making me even less interested. Maybe things would’ve changed between us if one of us had gotten our magic. But now? Now he was leaving anyway.

“I’ll send you a letter as soon as I’ve gotten my magic,” he said with excitement in his tone. I had a hard time mirroring his excitement, still too hurt to feel much else. How was I supposed to survive without Tino?

“I’ll do the same,” I replied, meaning it. “But I hope when the day comes, I’ll get to tell you in person.” I knew it was stupid to hope for such things. Tino’s dad had gotten his dream job and according to Tino, he hadn’t been able to say no, leaving just two days after he got the offer. I didn’t understand how work could be so important to adults. Important enough to relocate to the other side of our world.

“I hope so too,” he sighed. “My mom says we can visit you in a year’s time. Maybe we will both have our magic by then?”

“Maybe.” I felt less like talking, too busy keeping my tears at bay. Tino deserved a fun last day here, not one where he had to comfort me. But it was hard. Tino was my only friend. The only one I wanted as a friend. I didn’t mind spending my days alone, his letters my only company until he visited again.

“When I grow up,” he began, but I placed my hand over his mouth, stopping whatever he was about to say.

“You can’t promise me you’ll return, Tino.” I sighed. “You’ll meet new people, make new friends. And I’ll still be here, in our little town, staying the same.”

“But what about our future?”

The future where Tino and I would live together in a cute little house with so many cats and dogs we would never feel lonely again. I smiled before I remembered to protect my heart. Could a boy at thirteen suffer a broken heart? I was sure of it, sure that as soon as his car drove away tomorrow my heart would be left in pieces.

“That future remains ours if you do return,” I said.

“But what about you?” he countered. “What if you change your mind? Find other friends? You might not want to live with me when I return.”

The tears couldn’t be held back anymore. I turned my head, meeting his gaze. “You’re it for me, Tino. I’ll wait right here until the day I die, hoping you’ll return. But if you don’t, I just hope you’re happy, wherever you are.”

“Tair,” he sniffed, crashing his body on top of mine, hugging me as we both let our tears fall freely, sobbing against one another.

Just two thirteen-year-olds, feeling our hearts breaking.

Two weeks ago.

That was it. My last letter to Tino ever. I sighed, slumping back in my chair. Why did it feel like my heart continued to break whenever I thought about him? It was one thing never getting a letter in return,thatI’d come to accept. But knowing I wouldneverbe able to see him again? Yeah, that hithard.

I had plans for when I turned eighteen. I would travel to the last known address I had for Tino, demand to know why he’d never responded, and then,maybe then, I could live again. No matter his reasons, not knowing was killing me inside. A part of me wondered if I’d gotten the wrong address, but another part, the darker part ofmy brain, told me he’d moved on, and that he didn’t care about me anymore.

Tino had been my everything. He still was if I was being honest with myself. I never got the chance to tell him that I was in love with him. Maybe that was for the best anyway, considering I would never see him again. Ever. Sutiner was my future. A world similar to the Realm of Mages, but without magic. Like me it was magicless, it was… empty.

A soft knock on the door came and then my dad’s gentle voice reached me. “Al, we need to get moving.” I sighed again, knowing he was right. We had a long journey ahead of us, including two flights. My first time flying in a plane, and I would get to experience it twice. At least the leaders were paying for it. Nothing like shunning a young adult and then billing his parents afterwards. But of course, they weren’t that accommodating. Only one of my parents got to escort me to the leaders’ castle. Not even if they paid themselves could the other come along. That was a rule, apparently. Fucking monsters.

“Coming,” I said, closing the letter and writing down the address without thought. I could write it down in my sleep now after all. Mom had promised to mail it tomorrow, and I trusted her to do it. I’dhad a fit when I turned fifteen where I doubted they were being sent correctly, so I’d come with my mom to the post office and had sent the letter myself. Seeing it was mailed correctly had hurt, knowing that wasn’t an explanation for his lack of replies. But it had also meant I’d started mailing them myself, needing to know he truly hadn’t responded, even though they were mailed correctly each time.

I turned in my chair, taking one last look at my room. It held so many wonderful memories, but also horrible ones. The bed where Tino and I had slept together so many times, always passing out mid movie because whenever we did sleepovers, we’d been so excited that we couldn’t stay awake long enough for the movie to end, just snuggled up together. Safe in each other’s arms.

But my bed also held horrible memories. Of me crying my eyes out several days in a row. Of me staying under the covers, hiding away from the world as my heart tried to mend itself in vain. Then there were the times when the bullying had been the hardest, and I’d laid there healing from a broken arm, or once, a concussion. My childhood hadn’t been a good one, sadly. But my parents had done their best. And now they were being punished. Losing their only child because I was a dud. Amagicaldud.