The sun was barely rising when Stella walked to campus. She left her dorm early today, barely fixing her hair before slipping out the door. Her red bow held on by habit rather than placed with care.
"I wonder what Reyna will get for breakfast today," Stella thought as she walked, staff resting in her right hand while backpack hung loosely from her left shoulder. Reyna always insisted on choosing, always made a point of paying, and Stella decided she wanted to be the one to do it today.
"She always treats me," Stella murmured quietly, a faint smile forming despite the nerves she hadn't managed to shake since waking up. "This one's on me."
The morning air brushed against her face as she crossed the path toward the campus grounds, wind tugging at loose strands of her hair. As she approached the campus, she felt a strong presence of resonance in the air, then it vanished completely. The sound of metal penetrating wood was faint, but very clear.
The campus was still empty, students barely arriving from behind her. Stella hesitated, fingers tightening around her staff before she turned toward the forest line bordering the Academy ground.
She moved carefully, pushing past hanging vines and low branches, cautious and prepared, her steps measured as the foliage swallowed the path. From deeper within the trees, she caught sight of movement far away. Three blue silhouettes retreating through the greenery, already pulling away from the area. Stella opened her mouth, instinctively calling out.
"Hello?" Her voice didn't cover the distance. The figures faded between the trees without slowing, without reacting.
As the forest opened slightly, Stella noticed a dark splash of red against the grass that caught her eye immediately. Her steps slowed again as she approached it, her breath catching somewhere between disbelief and dread. For a moment, her mind refused to put shape to what her eyes were seeing. Her eyes felt deceiving as she saw the Academy uniform painted in red.
It was still intact, the fabric torn but recognizable, the academy insignia stained dark. Stella's gaze traveled upward before she could stop herself, and when she reached the face, her stomach turned violently. The features were almost unrecognizable, crushed as if caught between overwhelming force and the ground. There were no bullet wounds on the body.
"Reyna…" Her vision blurred as she staggered back, one hand bracing against the trunk of a nearby tree as her body reacted. Stella's grip on her staff released as she vomited against the trunk of a fallen tree.
Stella tore back toward the Academy, stumbling over roots and vines, catching herself on branches as she pushed forward, knees scraping hard against the ground when she tripped and forcing herself up again without stopping. Her knees now bruised and bleeding. By the time she reached the school grounds, only a handful of students had gathered near the entrance, their expressions confused as she rushed past them and burst through the council doors.
"Cedric! Yumi! Kai!" Her voice cracked as she called out, lungs burning as she fought for air.
"Guys— please— come with me."
The three members rushed quickly. Whatever they'd been doing was abandoned instantly as they followed her back outside, weapons, bags, and papers left behind without a second thought.
"What happened?" Cedric asked as they ran.
"I didn't expect to be sprinting this early," Yumi muttered, trying for humor, but the words fell flat as her eyes caught Stella's face. Blue liquid streamed down Stella's cheeks, forced backward by the wind, her expression empty in a way Yumi hadn't seen before.
"Over here," Stella managed, turning toward the forest again.
"Over he—" Stella was at a loss. The body of Reyna was no longer there. Nor the uniform, staff, or backpack Reyna had with her. The only thing that remained was the grass, stained red at the spot she was in.
"Reyna… she was right here," she commented quietly, the words barely forming. Stella collapsed to the ground with her face toward the floor.
The three of them stared in silence, the weight of the absence settling in. Kai was the first to speak, his voice in defeat.
"We'll report it," he declared. "The Academy will—"
Yumi didn't let him finish. She stepped closer to Stella, placing a steady hand on her shoulder as Cedric continued to look down at the ground, his jaw tight. He remembered Reyna's voice from the day before, telling him about the boy in the rain, the way she'd spoken so softly.
"Yumi," Cedric said after a moment, not looking up. "I need you to handle the report. This one is…" the words couldn't come out as he was stricken with grief.
Yumi nodded her head as she helped Stella back up from the ground. Stella tried to use her staff with trembling hands, trying to detect life forms, but there were none present, not even resonance residue remained. Eventually, they turned back toward the Academy, walking slowly this time, heads lowered, the morning continuing around them as if nothing had happened. Stella drew a sketch of Reyna in first period, unable to forget her best friend.