Chapter 38 - hayahwi
Nico Nishiki stared at the ceiling, wide awake.
She should be asleep. The academy dorms had strict rules—lights out at a certain hour, no unnecessary noise, no wandering around. But none of that mattered when sleep refused to come.
She turned onto her side, pulling the blanket over her head. It didn't help. The room still felt too big. Too empty.
Back home, she always heard something. Klein flipping through books late at night, the crackling of a lantern, Phyro shifting in his sleep. Even if they weren't in the same room, their presence was there. It was comforting. It was home.
Now, it was just silence.
Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her blanket. I don't want to be here.
She didn't want to be anywhere without them.
But there was no home to return to anymore.
Morning came, but it didn't feel any different.
Nico walked through the academy halls with her head down. She didn't try to make eye contact. She barely even paid attention to where she was going. As long as she made it to class, it didn't matter.
Or at least, that's what she thought.
A small group of students stood near one of the pillars, whispering among themselves. Normally, Nico wouldn't have cared. But then she caught a word that made her stop.
"Phyro."
Her feet froze in place.
She didn't turn her head, but she listened.
"Did you hear? That Nishiki kid almost killed someone."
"Yeah, I heard. He snapped after his family died."
"They should've expelled him. What if he loses control again?"
Nico's hands curled into fists.
She wanted to scream at them. To tell them they didn't know anything. That Phyro wasn't some kind of monster.
But her throat felt tight. Her body felt small.
She did nothing.
Just clenched her fists and kept walking.
Sword training was supposed to be her favorite part of the day.
But today, Nico could barely focus.
Her movements were sluggish. Her grip was too loose. She lost to an opponent she should have beaten easily.
"Again."
Instructor Serra Vaile, a strict woman with sharp eyes, watched her with a neutral expression. She didn't praise. She didn't scold. Just observed.
Nico picked up her sword and exhaled slowly. Focus.
Then, in the distance, she caught sight of another group of students. They weren't whispering this time—but she knew. They were talking about her.
"She's his little sister, right?"
"Think she'll snap like him?"
"Probably. Their whole family was messed up."
Snap.
Before she even realized it, she had moved.
Her opponent barely had time to react before she struck—fast, precise, and with a force she hadn't shown before. The impact sent the wooden sword flying from his hands.
Silence.
The students who had been whispering shut up immediately.
Serra Vaile crossed her arms. Her sharp eyes gleamed with something unreadable.
"…That's more like it," she said.
Nico didn't know if that was praise or a warning.
But for the first time in days, she felt something other than sadness.
Nico sat alone at lunch.
She wasn't hungry. She just moved the food around with her fork, barely eating.
Then—
THUNK.
A tray slammed onto the table beside her.
Nico blinked, looking up. Jude.
Phyro's annoying, loud, obnoxiously social friend.
"You always eat alone?" Jude said, sitting down without asking. "That's kinda depressing."
Nico scowled. "Go away."
"Nah," he said, shoving a piece of bread into his mouth. "Look, I'm bad with serious stuff, but I know Phyro would totally punch me if I let you mope here alone."
"…He wouldn't punch you," she muttered.
"Yeah, he totally would."
She stared at him.
For the first time in days, she almost smiled.
Evening fell.
Nico sat on her bed, staring at the floor. The weight of the day clung to her shoulders.
Then—a knock on the door.
She didn't move.
Another knock.
"…Nico. It's me."
Phyro.
She hesitated, then stood up and opened the door.
He looked… tired. Not just physically, but in a way that made her chest ache.
"How was your day?" he asked.
Nico shrugged.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then, it all came crashing down.
"I don't belong here," she whispered. "Nothing feels real without them."
Silence.
Then—warm arms wrapped around her.
Phyro hugged her tightly.
"I don't know how to fix this," he said quietly. "But I'm here. Always."
Nico squeezed her eyes shut.
And for the first time in days—she let herself cry.
The next morning, Nico woke up feeling… just a little less lost.
She still had a long way to go. But—
• She fought harder in training.
• She sat with Jude without being asked.
• And when someone whispered about Phyro being dangerous—
She snapped back at them.
She wasn't okay yet.
But maybe, just maybe, she could keep moving forward.
End Of Chapter