But the forest remained silent and Aya was nowhere to be seen.
— — — — —
I walked deeper into the dark forest, and then I felt a chill run down my spine.
I suddenly woke up, with my heart beating really fast.
For a moment, I didn't understand where I was, but then I heard the loud sound of my alarm ringing next to me and everything became clear.
I was back in my room, waking up from a nightmare. I grabbed my phone and stopped the alarm.
Slowly, I turned my head and saw Aya sitting near my bed, quietly watching over me.
"Good morning, Ryuu." she said calmly.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down.
"I… I had a nightmare." I said, still feeling uneasy.
Aya looked at me with a slightly concerned expression, "About what?"
I swallowed and looked down for a second before answering.
"I was in a forest…it was night, cold, and full of fog." I said slowly, "I was alone, and I kept calling your name, but you weren't there…I couldn't find you anywhere."
Aya stayed silent for a moment, then spoke in a calm voice.
"It's normal to have nightmares after everything that happened." she said, "After meeting Semyaza…after being kidnapped by him,... your mind is still trying to process everything"
I nodded slightly and said, "Yeah…I guess that makes sense."
Then Aya stood up slowly, looked at me seriously, and said, "Ryuu, we should start your training soon."
I looked at her confused, "Training?"
"Yes." she nodded, "I will take you to a special place where I can teach you how to use the demonic power I give you. You need to be prepared, in case something happens again."
Before I could respond, I suddenly heard my mother's voice from outside the room, "Ryuu! You're going to beiately, "Wait…what?!"
I quickly grabbed my phone and looked at the screen.
Monday.
"You've got to be kiddin late for school!"
My eyes widened immedg me."
I quickly got up, rushed to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, threw my books into my bag, and ran outside. I didn't even have time to eat my breakfast.
As I walked, Aya followed me, staying close behind me.
I looked at her while we were heading towards school.
"So…what exactly does the training involve?" I asked.
She replied softly, "I'll take you somewhere safe, a place where I will teach you how to control the power I give you and how to defend yourself. I will also teach you how to fight."
I nodded, but then I studied her more closely. Something didn't feel right. Her expression seemed…off.
Her shoulders were slightly slumped, and there was a heaviness in her eyes I hadn't noticed before.
"Aya…are you okay?" I asked, my voice low, almost hesitant.
For a moment, she didn't answer. I could feel the silence stretching between us.
Then she looked at me and forced a small smile. Her lips trembled ever so slightly.
"I'm fine." She said.
I stared at her a moment longer, sensing the truth behind her words. The flicker of sadness in her eyes…the subtle tension in her hands…it told me she wasn't okay at all.
But the way she avoided my gaze made me hesitate. I didn't want to push her.
"Alright…" I said quietly.
When we arrived at school, I spotted Yoshio near the entrance.
I turned to Aya, "I'll talk to you later, okay? Take care."
She nodded, but this time she didn't say anything.
As I started walking toward Yoshio, I couldn't resist a glance back. She was still standing there, alone.
Then, slowly, she turned and walked away in the opposite direction.
I approached Yoshio. "Hey!"
He smiled when he saw me. "Hello Ryuu…was that girl Aya?"
"Yeah." I answered.
He looked back at her for a moment and told me, "I hope you guys didn't argue...she looked kinda upset."
I shook my head, "No…it's nothing." I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't even understand what I was feeling. She was fine this morning…but then something changed. She pulled away from me, and there was this quiet sadness in her eyes I couldn't ignore.
He looked at me seriously, "If something's wrong, you can always tell me, you know. We're not best friends for nothing."
I smiled a little, "Yeah…I know."
We got into our classroom and took our seats.
Classes felt longer than usual.
I was tired, distracted, and my head was still full of everything that had happened over the weekend.
Even so, the day eventually passed.
When the last class ended, I felt a wave of relief.
Finally.
I walked out of the school together with Yoshio.
He looked at me and asked, "So…did you decide what you want to do after graduation?"
I shook my head, "No, not yet."
Then I looked at him and asked him the same question, "What about you?"
His expression changed instantly, his eyes lighting up, "I want to become a fighter pilot."
I blinked, surprised, "Wait…really?"
He laughed a little, "Yeah, I've always loved planes."
"I knew that!" I said, "But I didn't know you meant fighter jets."
He smiled even wider, "Of course I love airliners too, but in a military jet…" he looked up at the sky as if imagining it, "...you have way more freedom."
He took a deep breath and smiled, "Just imagine flying through the clouds…that's what I love the most…freedom."
I looked at him and smiled, "Good luck, Yoshio."
"Thanks." he said.
After a short moment, I told him, "I should head home, we have school again tomorrow..."
"Yeah." he nodded, "See you."
We said goodbye, and he started walking towards his home.
I stayed for a few more minutes in front of the school.
Waiting for Aya.
But she didn't come…
I frowned slightly, "Maybe she's busy…"
So I decided to head home alone.
The streets were quiet as I walked, lost in my thoughts about Aya. Something must've happened…she would've come to walk home with me for sure.
Then, as I turned my head slightly to the side, something caught my attention.
Inside a small restaurant, near the window…there was a beautiful girl sitting alone at a table.
She looked very familiar. I stopped walking and looked at her a little longer, she looked like Miho.
Without thinking too much, I walked inside the restaurant.
She was still there, alone.
I stepped closer, placed my hand on the table she was sitting at, and said, "Hello, Miho!"