Chapter 115
Goodnight
No matter what Reuel said—no matter how casual or pointed his remarks, no matter how he joked or prodded or tried to fill the silence—IAM didn't respond.
He simply walked beside him, posture rigid, gaze fixed somewhere far away. Not the buildings. Not the road. Not even the stars that peeked out from the gaps in the cloud-covered sky. He was staring at something no one else could see.
Reuel noticed.
After a few more attempts at conversation—light jabs, sarcastic commentary, and one particularly stupid joke—Reuel finally sighed and gave up. He shook his head slowly, the corners of his mouth tugged down with something like resignation as his hand swept through his hair, pushing his modern mullet back into place. The blue-dyed front strands shimmered faintly beneath the scattered lights of the path ahead.
He yawned—not from tiredness but more from the emotional exhaustion—and shifted his gaze to the scenery passing by as their academy-issued mini car hummed softly beneath them, gliding along the smooth stone road toward the dorms.
The night air was cooler now, carrying with it the scent of clean stone, nearby trees, and the faint trace of distant cooking oil from one of the still-open food stalls. They passed buildings that seemed to glow from within, tall and polished, their windows catching the light and refracting it like crystals. Statues and monuments dotted the main plaza, noble expressions etched into stone, shadows dancing across their immortal faces.
The silence inside the car wasn't uncomfortable—just present. A thick, undeniable presence like fog that refused to lift. Still, Reuel let his eyes wander, taking in every detail around him.
The academy never slept completely. It merely dimmed, like a beast resting with one eye open.
Reuel leaned his head against the window. His breath lightly fogged the glass as he gazed out at the city-within-a-school. The architecture was sharp, black steel and red blended into smooth white ceramic curves, all humming with subtle light.
It was beautiful in a brutal sort of way.
The time was late, but not completely dead of night. Reuel could see a few students still out, walking in pairs or drifting alone beneath the towering buildings. Some were returning from wherever they'd gone—shops, training halls, or who-knows-where. A pair of girls laughed quietly as they exited a corner café.
Above them, the night sky stretched wide, vast and cloudless. And hanging within it were nine moons—each identical in shade and brilliance. Pale silver, like polished glass soaked in moonlight, they hovered at different heights and distances, arranged like a silent constellation of watching eyes.
Their collective glow blanketed the academy in a ghostly light, bleaching color from the roads and buildings, turning the red accents of the dorms into rusted shadows, and casting long silhouettes that stretched and moved with the wind.
Under the nine moons, nothing could hide.
And in the silence of the car, it all began to sink in for Reuel.
This place... this wasn't just a dream anymore. This was real.
He was really here.
Hope Academy.
Even just thinking the name made his chest tighten. He almost chuckled. For all his bravado earlier, for all the times he tried to pretend like he didn't care, like he didn't notice... now that the rush of the night had settled, now that the world had cooled and the adrenaline had faded—he realized how deeply it meant to be here.
He closed his eyes briefly, letting the gentle wind stroke his face, tug lightly at his clothes, and lift the edge of his hair.
All those worries he hid... the pressure... the bitterness from earlier...
They melted away, if only for a moment. For once, it felt like everything had stilled. Just him, the night, and the future.
—
The car pulled into the dormitory lot and came to a smooth stop. They had arrived at dorm building number 9.
After climbing out, they walked in silence again, the echo of their steps bouncing softly off the walls. IAM still hadn't spoken a word. And by now, Reuel had stopped expecting him to.
After the two said goodbye to the others, who made their way to their rooms.
They finally reached the hallway where their room was located, Reuel paused just before unlocking the door.
He turned to IAM, rubbing the back of his neck as if unsure whether to speak or not. But eventually, he did.
"Can you please not do anything to aggravate him?" Reuel asked, his tone very honest, stripped of all sarcasm. "I'd really like to sleep in peace tonight."
IAM looked at him for a moment. Then a small, dry smile tugged at the edge of his lips.
"I don't know…" IAM murmured, his voice smooth. "I don't seem to have good luck with roommates."
Reuel clicked his tongue and muttered something under his breath that sounded vaguely like a curse. He pulled out his phone and used it to scan the scanner next to the door. After it blinked blue, he slowly pushed the door open with a soft mechanical whir.
They both stepped inside to find that Yohan was already tucked into bed, his back turned, blanket pulled up to his shoulders. His breathing was slow and deep, the kind of pattern that could be either genuine sleep or someone faking it very convincingly.
Reuel and IAM exchanged a glance, neither one saying anything. The tension was still there, just under the surface—but dulled now, quieter, like a coiled spring not quite released.
They each made their way to their respective beds, the dim light in the room casting elongated shadows across the floor. Reuel took the middle bed. IAM went to the one furthest from the door.
One by one, they undressed. IAM stripped down to a vest and shorts, He moved slowly, and entered his bed.
The beds were firm, their blankets thick and comfortable.
IAM lay on his back, eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling.
Reuel shifted into place, the mattress creaking slightly beneath him.
Yohan didn't move.
For a moment, it felt like the entire room held its breath.
Then came Reuel's voice, low and hushed, but laced with his usual upbeat tone. "Sweet dreams, lads. We'll get them tomorrow... right?" He paused. "Good night."
There was no response.
Silence returned.
He cleared his throat softly. "Okay… I'll just shut up then."
That was the last sound before the room fell completely still.
Three bodies. Three minds. Three very different battles.
They closed their eyes, each one retreating into their own corners of the night.
All three lay beneath the same roof—haunted by the past, pressed by the present, and drawn unwillingly toward the future.