(Nex's pov)
Wake up, train, sleep and repeat the cycle again,
This had been my routine for the previous seven days.
The entrance exam is supposed to be held tommorow, so i figured out this must be the best day to explore the city of "Nyxvalen" for a little break for myself.
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Nyxvalen was quieter than I thought it would be.
The buildings were tall and clean, but they didn't shine too brightly. The streets were peaceful. Lights glowed softly, and the breeze carried a gentle scent of flowers and warm air.
I walked through one of the open gardens, headphones on, music playing.
It was an old song. But identical to the one,
Mom used to play it while she cooked dinner.
Each note made something stir in my chest — like a memory trying to break free.
I remember her humming this in the kitchen...
Dad would sneak up behind her and steal food off the plate.
She always caught him. Always.
I let out a breath — almost a smile.
And the would argue over the smallest things while eating, not with hate but love,
A little farther down the path, I passed a quiet fountain.
Children were laughing nearby. A couple sat under a glowing tree, holding hands like the world only existed for them.
Then the wind shifted, and suddenly... I wasn't in Nyxvalen anymore.
I was back home, seven years old.
In the backyard with my little sister. Watching fireflies.
She had this weird rule: if a bug landed on you, you had to name it.
She named one "prince Boby"
She had one hell of a naming sense!
I laughed so hard I nearly dropped my juice box.
The song ended.
I stopped walking for a second.
As the next song started, my chest tightened.
I missed them.
Mom. Dad. My sister.
Their voices. Their warmth. The way they made things feel... safe.
They didn't even know where I was.
And I didn't know if I'd ever see them again.
But I didn't cry.
I didn't take off the headphones.
I just kept walking.
The city around me moved like a soft dream.
And for the first time in a while...
I didn't feel like a weapon.
Or a test.
Or something broken.
Just a boy walking through a garden, listening to music, trying to remember who he was.
The wind cooled as the sky turned orange.
Street lamps blinked on one by one.
The garden's colors faded under the coming night, like a memory slowly closing its eyes.
I kept walking.
The song on my headphones changed again —
and this one hit different.
It was a goofy pop song.
Catchy. Bright.
A song similar to hoe Max used to hum every time we walked home from school.
God, Max.
Chubby, loud, and way too confident for someone who tripped over his own feet every ten minutes.
He used to call me "Captain scowler" because I scowled too much.
"If you keep glaring like that," he'd say,
"the girl's are gonna get scared and run the other way."
He always had snacks in his pockets.
Even at funerals.
He said grief was easier when you had chocolate.
And yuck! Those tasted like damn chemical waste.
I smiled — a real one — just for a second.
---
But the smile didn't last.
Memories come like waves.
And after a while, even the sweet ones start to drown you.
Max.
Mom.
Dad.
My sister.
They were all ghosts now. Not dead.
But unreachable.
I was here.
They were there.
The music kept playing, but I didn't hear it anymore.
Nyxvalen looked different in the dark.
Still clean. Still beautiful. But lonelier.
The soft lights now felt distant.
The tall buildings like silent watchers.
I sat down on a bench by the water, letting the breeze pass over me.
"What am I even doing here?"
"Would they even recognize me now?"
"Would I recognize myself?"
I looked at my hands. They felt stronger. Sharper.
But emptier.
And for the first time since I arrived in this world…
I wanted to go home.
But home wasn't a place anymore.
It was a feeling.
A sound.
A voice.
It was a chubby boy laughing about snack wrappers.
It was a sister naming bugs.
It was a mother singing to burnt rice.
It was a father humming off-key while cleaning his glasses.
And it was all behind me.
I closed my eyes and let the music keep playing.
Not to feel better.
Just to remember I could still feel at all.
I finally stood up from the bench.
The wind had grown colder.
The streets were quieter now, glowing with warm lights and the hum of passing trains in the distance.
I shoved my hands into my pockets and started walking back.
Then I heard it.
A small voice. Soft. A little shaky.
"Mister…?"
I turned.
There, standing alone near a street lamp, was a little girl.
Big eyes. Barefoot. Maybe six years old.
Clutching a small stuffed rabbit like it was her only friend in the world.
She looked up at me, trembling slightly.
"I lost my mommy…"
My heart froze for a second.
Not out of panic — but because something twisted in my chest.
That old ache — of helplessness.
I crouched down slowly.
"Hey… it's okay. You're safe now."
"What's your name?"
"L-Lela…"
"Nice to meet you, Lela."
"I'm Nex."
She looked at me with those watery eyes, and for a moment, I saw my sister in them.
Without thinking, I took off my headphones and gently placed them over her ears.
"Here. Music helps me when I'm scared. Want to try it?"
She nodded shyly.
As soon as the soft music started, her face relaxed a little.
She looked up at me, blinking.
"You're a fairy."
"…What?"
"Your hair's shiny… and your eyes glow."
"You don't look like the others."
I chuckled softly.
It was the first time I'd smiled like that in days.
"Well, I don't have wings, but I'll take it."
We walked together, slowly.
I kept scanning the area — gardens, footpaths, cafés.
Then I saw her.
A woman running frantically, eyes wide, hair messy, calling out a name over and over.
"Lela?! LELA?!"
"Over here," I said, waving.
The little girl looked up.
"Mommy!"
She let go of my hand and ran straight into her mother's arms.
The woman dropped to her knees, hugging her daughter tightly, crying into her hair.
Then she looked up at me — eyes wide in shock.
She was speechless for a moment.
"Thank you. I… I don't know how to—thank you."
"You don't have to," I said, offering a small smile.
She nodded, tears still running down her face.
As she stood up holding her daughter, Lela looked back at me.
"Bye, Fairy!"
I waved once, and they disappeared into the night.
I stood there for a moment.
Headphones gone. Music gone.
But weirdly…
My heart felt a little less heavy.
Maybe I wasn't completely hollow after all.
Just… lost for a while.
The streets were mostly empty now.
The warmth of the city lights faded as I climbed the steps to my building.
Each footstep echoed faintly, like the night itself was listening.
The headphones were gone.
But strangely, it didn't feel like I'd lost something.
I still heard the music…
Lela's soft voice calling me "Fairy."
The way she clutched my hand like I was the only safe thing in her world.
Her mother's shaking hands. That grateful smile.
It all played in my head, like a quiet song.
I entered the lift.
Pressed the button for my floor.
The silence inside felt heavier tonight, but not unbearable.
When I stepped into my room, it greeted me with the same soft lights and still air.
I tossed my jacket over the chair, walked over to the glass wall, and stared out at Nyxvalen's skyline.
A deep breath.
The night air was crisp. The stars were faint but present.
And beneath that sky, somewhere, a little girl slept peacefully—safe, warm, loved.
I rested my head against the cold glass.
"...Maybe I did one thing right," I whispered.
____________________________________
I looked around my room again.
It felt different. Not as cold. Not as empty.
I sat down on the edge of my bed, fingers rubbing the spot behind my ears where the headphones used to rest.
I missed them.
But I didn't regret giving them away.
They did what they were meant to do.
This time… for someone else.
Lying down, I stared at the ceiling for a long while.
My eyes burned a little.
"Mom… Dad… Sis… Max…"
Their faces came back again—smiles, laughs, the echoes of a better time.
"I wonder… would you still recognize me now?"
I shut my eyes.
The weight was still there. But lighter.
Loneliness… wasn't always a curse.
Sometimes, it reminded me that I once had people worth missing about.
The room was quiet.
Lying on the bed, I stared at the ceiling. The soft sounds of the city outside felt far away, like a slow hum in the background.
I reached up to my ears out of habit.
No headphones.
Just empty air.
I let out a small breath — something between a sigh and a tired laugh.
"Right… gave them to her."
Turning to the side, I picked up my AetherPad from the table and opened the online store. The light from the screen lit up the dim room.
I scrolled until I found what I wanted.
White. Clean. Simple. No flashy lights. Just peaceful sound.
"This one," I whispered.
I tapped "Order."
Delivery: Tomorrow morning.
It wasn't just about the music.
It was something to help when the silence became too much.
I set the pad down and lay back again.
"New place, new headphones," I mumbled, closing my eyes.
Sleep came quickly this time.
And for once, the quiet didn't feel so lonely.