The next morning, the sunlight escaped the crack between my windows and curtains. It shone on my slightly annoyed face. I rubbed my eyes and sat up only to see Elma sitting beside my bed in my peripheral vision.

"Good morning Nai-chan. You're up early for a Saturday morning. How are you feeling?" She was reading the newspapers.

I rubbed my head and the events of the previous night came flashing through my mind. My eyes still felt sore from all the crying.

"Do you have something on the stove?" I asked her at the scent of burning food.

"Oh yeah. That reminds me." She quickly got up from the little stool she sat on, and ran out of the sun kissed bedroom.

A few minutes went by. I heard the rattling of dishes in the kitchen.

I decided that I didn't want to leave the warmth of my bed just yet. I picked up the newspaper that she was reading. The scent of the food was enough to make my stomach grumble as I turned the pages of the papers, just scanning the headlines as I did so. I hadn't realized I was so hungry. Just as I reluctantly placed my feet on the floor, my door opened and there was my friend with two plates in her hand.

"I brought you breakfast in bed. I'm sorry it's a bit burnt but I was too carried away watching you sleep." She walked over to me with the two plates in her hands. I thought that this was a gesture out of sympathy for me, for what had occurred on the previous night. I noticed that she had a little drool at the corner of her mouth.

"Aw I'm starved. Thanks El."

"It was no worries" she said handing me the plate with toast and eggs and strawberries.

"Looks good"

We both ate quietly, with her occasionally glancing at the newspapers.

She broke the silence. "So on Monday, we are definitely reporting those ill-mannered men. Did you by chance, know who they were?"

"I-I um…" I hesitated trying to remember their faces. I am not very good at remembering people's distinct features and those men all looked the same to me, except there was a distinctly tall one of the group.

"You-you don't want to talk about it, do you?, is it?"

"No, no it's just" she takes my hand in hers, as a comforting gesture when she realizes I'm still feeling uncomfrtable about the events of the previous night.

"Thank you again for doing what you did. I might forever be indebted to you."

"Oh no, come on Nai. It was nothing," She said trying to downplay her act of bravery.

At the mention of "nothing" I suddenly remembered the mysterious trident she held that disappeared in the wink of an eye and the morbid expressions that plastered the men's faces. I nearly choked on the toast. I coughed loudly, trying hard not to bring up food.

"Hey is something wrong?" she said resting her spotless plate on the night table and ready to rub my back.

As she did, I felt goose bumps beginning to appear on my body. The hairs on my skin stood out to the touch of her soft delicate hands, as she gave my back a mini massage.

"No it's nothing. Just a bad cough. I have to wonder though- you may have done something to scare those guys off?"

She removed her hand from my back and looked at me, her pupils widening.

It took a painful five seconds before she had uttered a word.

"I see. So you know. Well this is to be expected. I know that I couldn't hide that part of me from you forever. You had to find out someday."

My suspicions were confirmed again. Elma was either an alien or a mage. The latter seemed like a more plausible explanation. I mean her superhuman strength is one but the ability to make things appear and disappear is something totally different.

I tried to fake a confused look. "Find out what? You know you can tell me anything right?"

She stared at the floor as she said "Nai, I have been lying to you all this time. I'm not who you think I am."