The carriage slowed to a halt, the wheels crunching against the gravel road that curved toward Stellaris Academy.
Soren lifted his head as the sound drifted in from outside: laughter, footsteps, the faint whistle of wind through the gaps of the carriage door.
They were back.
He didn't know what he was supposed to feel.
Excitement?
Relief?
But all he could manage was a dull ache behind his eyes.
When he stepped down from the carriage, the sun felt too bright.
It reflected off the academy's white stone walls and made his vision blur for a second.
The air was warm, heavy with the smell of cut grass and ink.
He could hear students talking, greeting each other, and running around.
It was the same as when he had left two months ago.
But now it felt like watching a memory that didn't belong to him anymore.
Alex stretched beside him, groaning as he rolled his shoulders.
"Finally. I can breathe again."
Olivia smiled faintly as she climbed out after them.
"We would have arrived sooner if you hadn't made us waste time on training."
Alex shrugged.
Their voices sounded far away.
Soren's eyes trailed across the courtyard.
Every detail felt too sharp; the sound of footsteps on stone, the distant rustle of leaves, the chatter spilling from open windows.
He tugged his cloak tighter around himself even though it was warm.
"Feels strange to be back," Alex said, glancing toward the main building.
Olivia nodded softly.
"It does."
Soren didn't answer.
He kept walking, his steps slow, measured.
His breathing felt uneven, like each inhale was stuck halfway up his throat.
Alex noticed the tension but didn't comment.
Olivia glanced at him once, her eyes softening before she looked away.
As they crossed the courtyard, students began to flow in excess; some were familiar faces.
Soren's gaze dropped to the floor, his hood pulled lower.
'Don't look at me.'
The thought slipped through his mind before he even realised it.
'Don't stare.'
His hands twitched at his sides, and he shoved them in his pockets to stop them from shaking.
The distant bell signalling noon rang, echoing faintly across the grounds.
Everything was moving too quickly.
By the time they reached the path that split toward the dormitories, his palms were slick with sweat.
Olivia slowed her pace first, stopping where the walkway divided.
"This is me," she said quietly.
Soren blinked, dragging himself back from his thoughts.
"Right."
"You two go on ahead." She smiled faintly, though the expression looked forced. "I'll see you later."
"Yeah." Alex gave a small wave.
Soren nodded, his voice barely audible.
"See you."
She hesitated a moment longer, then turned and headed toward the women's dorms.
The path ahead was quieter now.
Just the two of them, their shadows stretching against the cobblestone.
Alex cleared his throat once, like he wanted to say something, but the words never came.
Soren walked slightly ahead, shoulders hunched.
Every few steps, he would adjust his sleeve or tug at the edge of his glove.
Tiny movements, almost like nervous tics.
When the tall building of the male dormitory came into view, he slowed.
The sight should have been comforting, a familiar place, but his stomach only tightened.
They stopped in front of the stairs.
"Well," Alex said finally, trying to sound casual. "Guess this is where we split."
Soren nodded.
"Yeah."
"Get some sleep."
"...I'll try."
Alex hesitated again.
There was so much he wanted to say; that he would be fine, that he would get through it, but none of it felt right.
Soren wasn't someone who could be reassured with a few empty words.
"See you later, Soren."
"Mm."
Soren turned toward the door.
His hand hovered over the handle for a second, fingers trembling faintly before he pushed it down.
That was when a voice called out from down the corridor.
"Yo! Little hedgehog! You're back!"
He froze.
That voice was unmistakable.
He turned toward it slowly, but the corridor was empty.
He blinked, confusion flickering across his face.
"...Felix?"
Nothing.
Only silence.
He waited for a few seconds, scanning the hallway, then exhaled quietly.
Maybe he imagined it.
He turned the handle, stepped inside, and closed the door, the latch clicking softly behind him.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
Alex POV
The world broke apart for an instant; a ripple of stillness spreading through the air like glass freezing mid-shatter.
Sound vanished.
The faint wind outside the dorm windows stopped mid-gust.
Alex gasped.
The pressure of the skill hit his chest like a weight.
His hand was wrapped around Felix's collar, holding him mid-stride.
The blonde boy hung there, eyes wide, mouth open in the shape of a half-formed greeting.
Everything else, the hallway, the mana lamps on the walls, even the drifting dust, was frozen in time.
Alex's heart pounded.
He could feel the pressure of time pressing down on him, threatening to break him if he held on too long.
"Sorry," he muttered under his breath.
A faint shimmer spread from his body as he pulled Felix back several steps, dragging him out of sight of Soren's door.
Then he released the skill.
Time slammed back into motion.
Felix stumbled, catching himself on the wall.
"What the— Alex?"
Alex exhaled sharply, the sound rough in his throat.
"Just… wait a moment."
Felix blinked, looking from the person in front of him to the hallway as Alex caught his breath.
"Is there a problem?"
Alex leaned against the wall, wiping sweat from his temple.
The golden light still flickered in his eyes.
"You don't understand, but he can't handle surprises right now."
Felix frowned, his usual grin fading.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Alex met his eyes.
"He's not the same, Felix. Don't run up on him, don't touch him. Just… give him space for now."
Felix's brows furrowed.
"Since when do you care that much?"
Alex gave a tired, half-hearted smirk.
"A lot happened over summer break."
Alex pushed off the wall, straightening his body.
"Listen, keep your schedule open for tomorrow lunch. Let's talk then."
Felix's gaze drifted toward Soren's closed door for a moment.
"...Fine," he muttered. "I'll be there."
Alex nodded once, then turned to leave.
He didn't look back.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
Lilliana Roseblood POV
The restaurant buzzed with noise: laughter, cutlery clinking, the dull hum of a dozen conversations overlapping.
Sunlight poured through the wide arched windows, catching the faint shimmer of dust in the air.
It was loud, warm, and alive.
But at the corner booth by the wall, the atmosphere felt strangely muted.
Louise sat with her arms crossed, posture straight, her eyes flicking over the group like she was waiting for someone to speak first.
Esper leaned back lazily in her chair, balancing a fork on one finger, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.
Felix was slouched forward, elbows resting on the table, tapping a finger restlessly against his cup.
Olivia and Alex sat side by side, noticeably quieter than usual.
And Lilliana, sitting between Louise and Olivia, simply watched them all in silence.
Amelia and Soren's seats were empty.
That alone made the table feel incomplete.
"So," Esper started finally, breaking the quiet with her usual nonchalance. "Anyone else feel like the break ended too fast?"
Felix snorted.
"Speak for yourself. I wasn't able to find a single girl," he said with a sigh.
Esper smirked.
"Oh, poor you, guess people have finally wised up a little, huh?"
Felix clicked his tongue.
"Shut it, at least I wasn't stuck getting tutored the entire break."
"Ugh, don't remind me," Esper groaned as she clutched her head.
For a moment, the light banter eased the tension.
Louise laughed softly, playing with a strand of her hair, and even Lilliana found herself smiling faintly.
But when they looked at Olivia, gazing out of the window, her eyes unfocused, they remembered why they had been called there, and the mood shifted again.
Alex noticed.
He exchanged a glance with Olivia, quiet but knowing.
Then he set his cup down and leaned forward slightly.
"There's… something we need to tell you," he said.
The words were soft, but they silenced the table instantly.
Esper's smile faded.
Felix straightened.
Louise tilted her head slightly, waiting.
Olivia clasped her hands together on the table, her fingers trembling faintly.
"It's about Soren," she said quietly.
That name alone changed the air around them.
Louise's expression hardened instantly.
"What about him?"
Felix frowned, remembering how Alex had stopped him yesterday.
"Is he hurt?" Lilliana asked, her tone sharper than usual.
Alex hesitated, his eyes flickering briefly to Olivia again before he answered.
"Over summer break, Soren registered as an adventurer," he began. "During that time, he joined a party, Witch Hunt, and their leader, a woman named Morrigan, told us what she thinks happened to him… before we found him."
"What do you mean by 'before we found him'?" Esper asked.
"...While he was adventuring, there was a point at which he was reported as missing, but we found out that he was just exploring a dungeon."
The restaurant noise around them faded into a dull blur.
Louise learned forward.
"So what did this 'Morrigan' say?"
Alex exhaled, his voice quiet but steady.
"She thinks he was attacked. By adventurers. A group of men."
Lilliana blinked.
"Attacked? What do you mean 'attacked'?"
Olivia's hands tightened slightly on her cup.
"They tried to—" Her voice faltered, her throat tightening, "They tried to assault him."
The silence that followed was absolute.
Louise's eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat.
Felix's hand froze mid-tap.
Esper's posture straightened immediately, her usual lazy tone gone.
And Lilliana, she didn't move at all.
The words felt like they were still echoing in the air, too heavy to process.
Olivia spoke softly, filling the gap before anyone else could.
"We don't know if this is exactly what happened… Soren won't tell us, but…"
Olivia paused for a second.
"Morrigan said the attackers used sleeping poison, and that when he woke up, he likely panicked and killed them all. She found all eight bodies."
Louise's jaw clenched.
Her hands curled into fists against the table.
"Good."
"Louise—" Olivia began.
"No," Louise snapped, voice trembling. "Good. They deserved worse."
Felix leaned back slowly, letting out a deep sigh.
"So that's why you stopped me…" he muttered.
Esper's usual grin had vanished completely.
Her hand was pressed lightly to her mouth, her eyes distant.
"I should have just dragged him home with me… I knew something would happen."
Across the table, Lilliana still hadn't spoken.
Her hands were trembling faintly on her lap, fingers curling against the fabric of her skirt.
She could feel her heartbeat pounding in her ears, too fast, too loud.
Alex looked down at the table.
"He's alive, but that's about it. He doesn't talk much. Barely eats. He flinches if you move too close. Even me being too close makes him nervous."
Louise's lips formed a thin line, anger still glimmering beneath her calm.
"He's been through hell…" she murmured.
Lilliana finally lifted her gaze, her voice faint but clear.
"Is he… going to be alright?"
Olivia hesitated, then she shook her head slightly.
"Morrigan doesn't think so. Not on his own."
Esper frowned.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Olivia's voice wavered slightly as she repeated the words she had been told.
"She said that wounds like that don't heal with time. Not unless someone gives you a reason to feel safe again."
Louise leaned back slowly, staring at the table.
"A reason to feel safe…"
Felix's lips twisted into a grim half-smile.
"Guess that's harder than it sounds."
Esper smiled bitterly.
"By the sounds of it, he doesn't trust people easily anymore, does he?"
"No," Alex said quietly. "He doesn't."
The group fell silent again.
The sound of the restaurant crept back in: laughter, cutlery clattering, doors opening and closing, but none of them paid attention to it.
They just sat there, each lost in their own thoughts.
Louise's anger had dulled into something quieter; she wanted to run to him and hug him, to tell him that it was okay, but she stopped herself.
Esper's usually playful eyes were clouded with guilt as she asked herself what might have happened if she had just dragged him home with her.
Felix tapped his finger once against the table, then stopped.
His gaze lingered on the empty space in front of him.
And Lilliana…
Her thoughts wouldn't settle.
She kept imagining Soren's face; that soft, gentle smile he always gave her, the quiet way he would listen when she rambled about books, the way he always looked fragile.
And then she thought about what Alex and Olivia had just said; about men, panic, and blood.
Her stomach twisted, and her heart ached.
The image wouldn't leave her mind.
She bit her lip, the corner of her eyes stinging.
Olivia's voice came softly through the noise, breaking her spiral.
"Morrigan said one more thing," she murmured. "She said Soren doesn't need to be fixed. He just needs someone who won't make him afraid. Someone that he can trust."
No one responded.
The table stayed still for a long time, each of them sitting in silence, thoughts scattered in the heavy air.
Lilliana's hands trembled faintly as she clasped them together.
Her heart hurt, not out of pity, but something deeper.
Something she couldn't name yet.
She lowered her eyes, voice too soft for anyone to hear.
"...Then someone has to be that person."
The others didn't notice.
The noise of the cafeteria filled the silence again, carrying on as if nothing had changed.
But for the people at that table, everything had.
And none of them yet realised who would be the one to start mending what had been broken.
————「❤︎」————