THE DARKNESS THAT BINDS

At the end of classes for the day, Rachel and Mia gathered their belongings and headed out of the school building. They walked to the parking lot, where Rachel's car was waiting. As they drove away from the school, Mia felt a sense of relief wash over her. She had survived her first day of classes, and it had been a resounding success.

As they drove, Rachel chatted about her plans for the weekend, asking Mia if she wanted to join her and her parents for dinner. Mia agreed, feeling grateful for the invitation and excited to spend time with Rachel's parents. She hadn't seen them since they left LA for Santiago.

After a short drive, Rachel pulled up in front of the dormitory where Mia was staying.

"Thanks for the ride, Rachel," Mia said, gathering her things and opening the door. "I really appreciate it."

"No problem, happy to help," Rachel replied with a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Mia nodded, smiling back at Rachel. "Definitely. Have a great evening!"

With that, Mia climbed out of the car and watched as Rachel drove away. She took a deep breath, feeling the warm evening air fill her lungs, and then turned to head into the dormitory.

Mia walked into the dormitory, her footsteps echoing off the walls as she made her way to the stairs. She climbed up to the third floor, her eyes scanning the familiar hallway as she walked towards her room. She reached the door, fumbling for her key card as she swiped it through the reader. The door clicked open, and Mia pushed it wide, stepping inside.

As she entered the room, Mia's eyes adjusted to the dim light, and she took in the familiar surroundings. The room was a cozy, compact space with two beds, two desks, and a shared closet. Mia's bed was the one closest to the window, and she had already made it her own with a few personal touches.

But what caught her attention was the girl sitting on the second bed, reading a book. The girl looked up as Mia entered, and their eyes met. Mia felt a slight jolt of surprise, realizing that she had a roommate she hadn't known about.

The girl smiled warmly, closing her book and setting it aside. "Hi, I'm Eres," she said, her voice friendly and welcoming. "You must be Mia."

Mia nodded, feeling a bit more at ease. "Yeah, that's me. Nice to meet you, Eres."

Eres nodded, gesturing to the bed. "I hope you don't mind, but I made myself at home. I didn't know when you'd be arriving, so I thought I'd get settled in."

Mia shook her head, smiling. "No, it's fine. I'm just glad to have a roommate. I was starting to think I'd be alone in here."

Eres laughed. "No way, we're stuck with each other now."

Mia smiled warmly at Eres, feeling a sense of excitement about getting to know her new roommate. "So, Eres, tell me a bit about yourself," Mia said, leaning forward slightly. "Where are you from?"

Eres looked down, her eyes dropping to her hands as she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. "I-I'm from a small town in the Midwest," she stammered softly.

Mia's eyes sparkled with interest. "Oh, really? What's it like growing up there?"

Eres's voice was barely above a whisper as she replied, "It's...it's nice. Quiet. Not too many people."

Mia nodded encouragingly, sensing that Eres was a bit shy. "I can imagine," she said. "I'm from LA, so it's definitely a change of pace for me being here."

Eres looked up, her eyes meeting Mia's for a brief moment before darting back down. "Y-yes, I can imagine," she said softly. "LA is...is so big and busy."

Mia chuckled. "Yeah, it definitely is. But I like it here so far. The campus is really beautiful."

Eres nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "Y-yes, it is. I really like it here too that's why I moved here."

Just as Mia was starting to get into a comfortable conversation with Eres, her phone suddenly rang, breaking the silence. Mia apologized and reached for her phone, checking the caller ID.

Her eyes lit up with a smile as she saw her dad's name on the screen. "Sorry, Eres, I need to take this," Mia said, getting up from her bed and walking over to the window.

"Hi, Dad!" Mia answered, her voice warm and cheerful.

Eres smiled and nodded, returning to her book as Mia chatted with her dad. Mia walked over to the window, gazing out at the evening sky as she talked to her dad.

As Mia chatted with her dad, she couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort and familiarity. Her dad's warm and gentle voice was a soothing balm to her nerves, and she found herself opening up to him about her first day of classes.

"So, kiddo, how was your first day of school?" her dad asked, his voice filled with interest.

Mia smiled, gazing out at the evening sky. "It was great, Dad," she said. "I really like my classes, and I've already met some nice people."

"That's terrific, sweetie," her dad replied. "What do you think of Santiago so far?"

Mia thought for a moment before responding. "It's really beautiful, Dad," she said. "The campus is amazing, and the people are so friendly. I'm really glad I decided to come here."

Her dad chuckled. "I'm glad you're happy, kiddo," he said. "What about your classes? Are they challenging?"

Mia nodded, even though her dad couldn't see her. "Yeah, they are," she said. "But I'm excited to learn. I've got a great professor for my science class, and I'm really looking forward to it."

"That's great, sweetie," her dad said. "And what about Rachel? Have you seen her yet?"

Mia smiled, thinking about her friend. "Yeah, I saw her today," she said. "We had lunch together, and she gave me a ride home from school. She's doing great, Dad."

Her dad's voice was filled with warmth. "That's terrific, kiddo," he said. "I'm glad you're staying in touch with Rachel. She's a great friend."

As Mia continued to chat with her dad, she suddenly remembered to ask about her mom. "Hey, Dad, how's Mom doing?" Mia asked, her voice filled with concern.

Her dad's voice softened, and he replied, "She's doing great, sweetie. She's been keeping busy with work and taking care of things around the house. She misses you, of course, but she's really proud of you for taking this big step and moving to Santiago."

Mia smiled, feeling a warmth in her heart. "I miss her too, Dad," she said. "Please give her a hug and kiss from me, and tell her I'll call her soon."

Her dad chuckled. "Will do, kiddo," he said. "And don't forget to take care of yourself, okay? We want to make sure you're eating well and getting enough rest."

Mia laughed. "I will, Dad," she said. "Don't worry, I'm a big girl now. I can take care of myself."

Mia's dad chuckled on the other end of the line, his warm laughter filling Mia's ears. "I know you can take care of yourself, kiddo," he said, his voice filled with amusement. "But it's still nice to know that you're thinking of us and taking care of yourself."

There was a brief pause before Mia's dad spoke up again, his voice taking on a teasing tone. "So, Mia, tell me... are there any hot guys in your school?"

Mia's face flushed with embarrassment as she glanced over at Eres, who was still engrossed in her book. "Dad, stop it!" Mia laughed, trying to play it cool. "I'm here to learn, not to scope out guys."

Mia's dad chuckled again, clearly enjoying the teasing. "Okay, okay, I'll stop," he said, his voice filled with amusement. "But seriously, Mia, have you met any nice guys yet? Anyone catch your eye?"

Mia rolled her eyes, laughing. "Dad, I've only been here for one day," she said. "I've barely had time to meet anyone, let alone scope out guys."

Her dad's voice was persistent, but playful. "Well, just keep your eyes open, kiddo," he said. "You never know who you might meet. And don't worry, I just want you to be happy."

Mia smiled, feeling a warmth in her heart. She knew her dad was just looking out for her, and she appreciated his concern. "I will, Dad," she said. "Don't worry, I can take care of myself."

Her dad's voice was filled with love and support. "I know you can, kiddo," he said. "Just remember, we're always here for you, no matter what."

Mia's dad continued, his voice filled with a playful tone. "And hey, kiddo, if you do happen to meet someone special, don't forget to let me know, okay?" he said, his words dripping with amusement.

Mia laughed, feeling a bit embarrassed by her dad's teasing. "Dad, stop it!" she said, trying to play it cool. "I'm not even thinking about guys right now."

Her dad chuckled, his laughter warm and comforting. "I know, kiddo, I know," he said. "Just remember, I'm always here for you, no matter what. And if you do happen to meet someone special, I want to be the first to know, deal?"

Mia smiled, feeling a warmth in her heart. She knew her dad was just looking out for her, and she appreciated his concern. "Deal, Dad," she said, laughing.

Mia's dad chuckled, seeming to enjoy the conversation. "Good, kiddo," he said. "I'll hold you to that. Now, I should probably let you go. You've had a big day and I'm sure you're tired."

Mia nodded, even though her dad couldn't see her. "Yeah, I am a bit tired," she said. "But it's been a great day. Thanks for calling, Dad."

Her dad's voice was filled with warmth. "Anytime, kiddo," he said. "I just wanted to check in and make sure you're doing okay. We love you and we're thinking of you."

Mia smiled, feeling a sense of love and connection to her family. "I love you too, Dad," she said. "And I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

Her dad agreed and they said their goodbyes. Mia hung up the phone and turned back to Eres, who was still engrossed in her book. "Sorry about that," Mia said, feeling a bit apologetic for the interruption. "My dad just wanted to check in and see how my first day was."

Eres looked up, smiling warmly. "No need to apologize," she said. "It's nice that your dad is so supportive."

Eres's expression changed, and she looked down, her voice barely above a whisper. "My parents aren't really supportive," she said, her words laced with a hint of sadness. "They're really strict and traditional. They don't really understand why I wanted to leave home and go to school here."

Mia's curiosity was piqued, and she sat down beside Eres on the bed, her eyes filled with empathy. "What do you mean they don't understand why you wanted to leave home?" Mia asked gently, her voice encouraging Eres to open up.

Eres sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly as she began to explain. "I come from a really small town in the Midwest," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's a very traditional place, where everyone knows everyone, and there's not a lot of opportunities. My parents, they want me to follow in their footsteps, to get married and have kids, to stay in the town and take over the family business."

Mia nodded, understanding. "But that's not what you want," she said, her voice filled with compassion.

Eres shook her head, her eyes welling up with tears. "No, it's not," she said, her voice cracking. "I want to make something of myself, to see the world, to experience new things. I want to be independent and make my own decisions. But my parents, they don't understand that. They think I'm being selfish and disobedient."

Mia reached out and put a hand on Eres's arm, offering her support. "I'm so sorry, Eres," she said. "That must be really tough for you. But it's great that you're following your dreams and doing what you want to do. You deserve to be happy and fulfilled."

Eres smiled weakly, looking down at her hands. "Thanks, Mia," she said softly. "It means a lot to me to have someone to talk to."

Mia smiled warmly, squeezing Eres's arm gently. "You can definitely be yourself around me, Eres," she said. "I'm glad we're roommates. I think we're going to get along great."

Eres looked up, a small smile playing on her lips. "Yeah, me too," she said. "So, Mia, tell me more about yourself. What made you decide to come to Santiago?"

Mia leaned back against the bedframe, getting comfortable. "Well, I've always loved learning new languages and experiencing different cultures," she said. "And Santiago is such a beautiful city, with so much history and culture. I just fell in love with it when my bestfriend told me Santiago was everything I thought of and more."

Eres's eyes widened with interest. "That's really cool," she said. "I've always wanted to learn more about different cultures too. What's your favorite thing about Santiago so far?"

Mia thought for a moment before responding. "I think my favorite thing is the people," she said. "Everyone is so friendly and welcoming. And the food is amazing too!"

Eres laughed. "Yes, the food is definitely a highlight," she said. "I've been trying all sorts of new dishes since I got here."

As they continued to chat, Mia realized that she and Eres had a lot more in common than she initially thought. They both loved learning new languages, trying new foods, and exploring new places. And they both had a passion for music, with Mia playing the guitar and Eres playing the piano.

Just as they were starting to wind down for the night, Eres suddenly spoke up. "Hey, Mia? Can I ask you something?"

Mia looked over at Eres, curious. "Of course, what's up?"

Eres hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I was wondering if you'd like to come with me to the city center tomorrow? I heard there's a really cool market there, and I'd love to explore it with someone."

Mia's face lit up with excitement. "That sounds amazing! I'd love to go with you."

Eres smiled, looking relieved. "Great, I'm so glad you can come," she said. "I was a bit nervous about going alone."

Mia chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm happy to keep you company," she said. "What time were you thinking of going?"

Eres thought for a moment. "How about 6 pm?" she suggested.

Mia nodded, making a mental note of the time. "Sounds like a plan," she said.

Eres smiled, looking forward to their adventure. "I'm really looking forward to it," she said. "Thanks again for coming with me, Mia."

Mia smiled back. "No problem, Eres," she said. "I'm looking forward to it too."

The night wore on, Mia and Eres decided to call it a night. They said their goodbyes and climbed into bed, feeling happy and content after a fun-filled day.

As Mia drifted off to sleep, she couldn't help but feel grateful for the new friendships she was forming in Santiago. She knew that it wouldn't be easy to be away from home, but so far being in Santiago was fun.