Chapter 20 - Lingering Words
The training hall doors finally opened.
The first person to emerge was Erix.
He didn't say a word.
Didn't look toward the waiting group.
Didn't acknowledge anyone's existence.
He simply walked past them.
Lucian blinked.
"...That's it?"
Erix continued walking.
"Good talk," Seren commented.
"It's Erix. What were you expecting?" Rivan asked.
"I agree with that assessment," Kaelan replied.
Lucian narrowed his eyes.
"Still. That look felt suspicious."
"For you, everything does."
Before anyone could continue-
another figure appeared in the doorway.
Lyra.
And immediately, Amy knew something was wrong.
Not injured.
Not physically.
Just...
tired.
Really tired.
Her dark auburn hair was slightly disheveled despite her hood being down, and the usual guarded composure she carried seemed thinner somehow.
As she stepped down from the platform-
her balance shifted.
Only slightly.
But Amy noticed.
Before Lyra could stumble, Amy caught her arm.
"Whoa."
Lyra blinked.
"Oh."
"You almost fell."
"I'm fine."
"I don't think so."
"I'm usually fine."
"That wasn't convincing."
The others had gone quiet.
Even Lucian.
Even Seren.
Because Lyra genuinely looked exhausted.
Not ordinary tired.
The kind that came from spending an hour fighting something no one else could see.
Amy studied her carefully.
"What happened in there?"
Lyra answered immediately.
"Nothing."
A terrible answer.
Everyone knew it.
Especially Amy.
But before anyone could question her further-
Lyra pulled her hood back up.
A silent attempt to hide the exhaustion written across her face.
"I'm going back."
Lucian opened his mouth.
Amy pointed at him instantly.
"Don't."
"I didn't say anything."
"You were going to."
"I was."
"Don't."
Lucian looked deeply offended.
Meanwhile, Lyra had already started walking away.
Amy sighed.
Then followed.
"See you idiots tomorrow."
She paused.
"Not you, Kaelan."
"I appreciate the distinction," Kaelan replied.
"We prefer the term elite students," Seren called after them.
"You're not helping your case."
The two girls disappeared down the corridor.
Leaving the Black Crest members behind.
Several seconds passed.
Then-
"She's upset."
Lucian sounded unusually serious.
"Obviously," Seren replied.
"No."
Lucian kept staring in the direction Lyra had gone.
"Not angry."
Silence settled.
"Something else."
For once-
nobody joked.
Because they had all noticed it.
Even if none of them understood it.
The walk back to the dormitory felt unusually quiet.
Amy didn't push.
Didn't ask questions.
Not immediately.
Lyra appreciated that.
More than she would ever admit aloud.
By the time they reached their room, darkness had settled over the academy.
Beyond the windows, crystal lamps glowed softly against the night.
Amy tossed her bag onto her bed.
Lyra sat beside the window.
For several minutes-
neither spoke.
Then-
"You look like someone forced you to take an exam for an hour."
A quiet snort escaped Lyra.
Amy pointed triumphantly.
"There."
"What?"
"Evidence."
"Of what?"
"You're still alive."
Lyra rolled her eyes.
Amy settled against the wall.
"So."
The word hung in the air.
Lyra already knew where this was going.
"So."
"What happened?"
Lyra stared out at the darkened academy grounds.
Nothing.
Everything.
An hour of failure.
An hour of frustration.
An hour of hearing things she didn't want to hear.
"...Training."
Amy looked unimpressed.
"That is the least useful answer possible."
"It was reinforcement training."
"And?"
Lyra hesitated.
Only for a moment.
Then-
"I couldn't do it."
Amy blinked.
"What?"
"I couldn't do it."
The words felt strange spoken aloud.
Like admitting defeat made it more real.
Amy frowned.
"That's normal, isn't it?"
"No."
Silence.
Lyra lowered her gaze to her hands.
"It isn't."
Amy waited.
But nothing else came.
There was clearly more beneath the surface.
Something larger.
Something Lyra wasn't ready to put into words.
So Amy let it go.
For now.
"Well."
She stretched lazily.
"If Erix spent an hour criticizing you, then he's the problem."
"He didn't."
Amy looked surprised.
"He didn't?"
"No."
"That's somehow worse."
This time, Lyra almost laughed.
Almost.
The conversation drifted after that.
Toward classes.
Toward Lucian's dramatic behavior.
Toward Seren's complete inability to mind his own business.
Comfortable topics.
Normal topics.
Things that didn't hurt.
Eventually, the room lights dimmed.
The academy settled into silence.
And both girls climbed into bed.
Amy turned toward the wall.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
Minutes passed.
The room grew still.
But sleep didn't come.
Not for Lyra.
Because every time she closed her eyes-
she heard the same sentence again.
A fighter who cannot use astral reinforcement properly is crippled in combat.
The words refused to leave.
She hated that.
Because part of her was angry.
And another part-
a much quieter part-
was afraid he might be right.
Lyra pulled the blanket slightly higher.
Staring into the darkness.
Tomorrow.
Synchronization.
The thought alone felt dangerous.
Eventually, her eyelids grew heavy.
And beside her-
Amy slowly opened hers.
Just for a moment.
Looking toward the opposite bed.
Watching.
Observing.
They hadn't known each other for very long.
Not compared to the years other friendships were built upon.
Yet somehow, in that short time, each had become someone the other couldn't imagine losing.
Amy knew the difference between ordinary exhaustion and something deeper.
Tonight was different.
Tonight, Lyra looked like someone carrying a weight she couldn't set down.
Amy didn't say anything.
Didn't ask questions.
Didn't force answers.
Instead, she closed her eyes again.
Whenever Lyra decided she was ready to talk-
Amy would listen.
Until then-
she would wait.
And somewhere beneath the quiet night of Valmere Academy-
tomorrow was already approaching.