Chương 362: Beneath the night sky

Vale and Nym sat beside one another against the massive flank of the resting forest drake. Though they shared the same place beneath the stars, more than a meter separated them. Neither dared close the distance, not because they couldn't, but because neither knew how. The forest was quiet. A gentle breeze drifted through the trees, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth, while the crackling campfire behind them provided the only warmth either of them acknowledged.

Nym kept her eyes fixed on the darkness beyond the tree line, unable to stop the same question from circling through her mind.

'Why is he here?' Vale had already answered that question. He simply wanted to see her. Yet she couldn't bring herself to believe him. People always had another reason for seeking each other out. Every conversation hid intentions beneath the surface, every smile concealed another emotion, and every word carried countless others behind it. She had spent her entire life seeing those hidden truths through her power. Except when it came to Vale. He remained the only person she couldn't read.

Normally, that uncertainty brought her comfort, but tonight it only frightened her. What if she said the wrong thing? What if she hurt him again? She had already wounded him more than enough. For the first time in her life, she wished her power worked on him.

"Hey..." Vale's quiet voice broke the silence.

"Can I ask you something?" Nym resisted the urge to look at him and gave a small nod.

"... Yeah. Sure." She tried to sound calm, but even she could hear the tension in her own voice. Vale hesitated before continuing.

"Korin explained how your power works, but I'm still confused. If you can read people like that... how come you didn't realize it was me that day?" Nym stiffened. Of course. The day Illu died. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she gathered herself before answering.

"... Because I could read you." Vale turned toward her in surprise.

"You could?" She nodded slowly.

"I don't think I was reading you, though." Her gaze drifted toward the fractured sky overhead.

"I think it was your mask. The one you always wore. It was the only thing I could ever perceive about you." Vale lowered his eyes as the answer settled in. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"... I see." The explanation made more sense than he wanted to admit. Ever since he had awakened, the mask had fused with his body. It had broken the curse Kealix spoke of and resembled Kealix's own mask almost perfectly. Whatever it truly was, it had long since become part of him. Another quiet moment passed before Nym spoke again.

"... I'm sorry." Vale looked back at her.

"Back at the academy." She lowered her gaze.

"I didn't mean to treat you like that. It was just-""You couldn't control it," Vale interrupted gently. He wasn't even looking at her anymore. His eyes remained fixed on the broken heavens overhead.

"Your power forces you to experience everyone else's emotions. Back then, the academy had just survived a disaster. I can't even imagine what thousands of terrified students must have felt like under your power." Nym tightened her arms around her knees, but Vale simply chuckled.

"I'm just glad you forgave me eventually." A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Even if you were a little mean about it at first." He turned toward her, moonlight softening his features. Despite everything, his smile remained unmistakably warm. Nym stared at him for several long moments before finally asking the question she had been avoiding ever since Illu died.

"... Don't you hate me?" Vale's smile slowly disappeared.

"I killed Illu." Her voice trembled.

"You have every right to. You did hate me." She forced herself to meet his eyes.

"So why are you acting as if nothing happened?" Vale remained silent for several seconds, his gaze drifting from the forest to the shattered heavens before returning to her.

"I think..." he said quietly, a sad smile appearing.

"... Illu wouldn't want me to spend the rest of my life hating you."

"I'll never forget what happened. I don't think I ever could. But why would I stain my own soul with hatred when I don't have to?" Nym's heartbeat echoed in her ears. It wasn't enough. She hugged herself tighter, her body trembling.

"... Come on, Vale. We both know that isn't everything." She refused to look away.

"So tell me. I'm not an idiot." Vale closed his eyes as a bitter smile crossed his face.

"... You saw right through me." He let out a quiet laugh.

"I wasn't sure if I should say this. Especially now." His hand drifted to his temple.

"After everything I've remembered... it feels like my head is about to split apart. It's overwhelming." Nym let out a humorless laugh.

"So, Eskar finally got through that thick skull of yours?" Vale nodded.

"... Yeah." He leaned his head back.

"In a way."

"I still want to know who I was. I still want to protect the people I left behind." His gaze settled on his own hands.

"But Eskar was right. My old life and this one... They aren't the same anymore." Silence settled between them, peaceful despite the weight of the conversation.

"When I finally remember everything," Vale continued, turning toward her, "I'll have to make a choice." His eyes looked exhausted. Yet strangely at peace.

"When that day comes... I hope you'll still be standing beside me." Nym swallowed as her heartbeat quickened once more.

"... Why?" She whispered. Vale met her gaze, his own eyes gentler than she had ever seen them.

"Because... no matter how many times I've tried to convince myself otherwise, the truth is..." He drew a slow breath.

"... I love you." Time stopped. Nym couldn't move. Her heartbeat pounded so loudly that the sounds of the forest disappeared beneath it. Heat flooded her cheeks as every coherent thought scattered. She had imagined countless futures and endless possibilities, yet never this one. Had she become so dependent on her power that she had overlooked something so obvious? Perhaps. Perhaps she always had. Tears welled in her eyes as she slowly lifted her head.

"... I'm sorry, Vale." Her voice shook.

"I... I think... after everything that's happened... it would be better if we stayed friends." Silence settled over them once again. Vale simply looked at her, surprise flickering across his face before quietly fading. Somewhere deep inside, he couldn't honestly say he hadn't expected this answer. After a long moment, he rose to his feet and looked down at her one last time. Then he smiled.

"... That's alright." He gave a gentle nod.

"I think I can live with that." Without another word, he turned and walked back toward the barracks. Nym watched until darkness swallowed his figure and the flap of his tent quietly closed behind him. Only then did the tears finally come. She buried her face against her knees as the three words echoed endlessly through her mind.

'I love you.' They brought her no joy. No relief. Only an unbearable ache. She wrapped her arms tighter around herself as silent tears soaked into her sleeves.

"I don't deserve him."