The super train glided through the evening landscape, the last light of day fading into deep purple twilight. Nero and Khione sat in a quiet corner, their shoulders touching, his phone between them playing soft music through small earbuds they shared. She was listening to a pianist, someone classical, someone her mother had loved. He did not know the name, but the music was gentle, soothing, and he found his eyes growing heavy.
The rhythm of the train, the warmth of her shoulder, the soft piano in his ears—it all wrapped around him like a blanket. His head nodded once, twice, then settled against her. She did not move. She simply let him rest, her hand finding his, their fingers interlacing.
He slept for twenty minutes, dreamless and deep. When he woke, the train was slowing, the lights of the academy city visible through the window. He lifted his head, blinking. Khione looked at him, her expression unchanged, but her eyes were soft.
"Good sleep?" she asked.
