Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Opening up "You need to meet my parents. They’d love you," Nia said with a quick laugh. Rhian raised an eyebrow. "They must be pretty tough if they raised you." She nudged him in the side. "My dad’s the easy one. He jokes around a lot. Bit of a goof." "Like Ash?" "Ugh, no. Don’t ever compare them. Ash acts like a clown. My dad’s funny in a dad way." Rhian smirked. "Got it. So what about your mom?" "She’s more serious. Always has been. Even before... everything." Rhian nodded slightly, the mood dipping just a little, but not enough to make it awkward. Rhian smiled, trying to lighten the mood again. "Well, if your dad likes jokes, I’m set. I’ve got a few terrible ones I’ve been saving." Nia rolled her eyes. "Please don’t embarrass me before we even get there." "No promises," he said, grinning. "But I’ll keep it under control. Maybe." She shook her head, but her smile lingered. The heaviness from before had already faded. Nia looked at him. "What about you... you never told me about your family." Rhian choked a bit. He hadn’t told her. Not about his parents. Not about how they died. He hesitated, eyes drifting for a moment. "I grew up in the outskirts." "Mmmh..." Nia noticed he dodged the question, but she didn’t push. "How is it living there? Growing up. I’ve always heard rumors about the outskirts... how everyone there lived in fear of monsters." Rhian stayed quiet, still trying to find the words. Rhian stayed quiet for too long. Nia reached out, her hand resting gently over his. "Are you okay?" He blinked, then cleared his throat. "Yeah. Just... thinking." She didn’t move her hand. Rhian looked down, the usual weight in his chest creeping up. He let out a slow breath. "I was nine when they died." Nia’s posture shifted, her body stiffening. "Your parents?" He nodded, not looking at her. "I convinced them to take me out with them. They were hunters... and there was this leaking portal just outside our district. Low rank. At least, that’s what they thought." His fingers curled slightly on the table. "It wasn’t." He paused. "We didn’t even make it to the center. Something came out early—fast. Big. I don’t remember the fight. Just that it grabbed my mom first. My dad tried to hold it off. Told me to run." Nia said nothing. Her grip on his hand tightened just a bit. "I didn’t." His voice was low now, rough. "I stayed. Watched. I don’t even know if they knew I was still there." He rubbed his face once and let out a sharp exhale, trying to force the tightness in his chest down. "It ripped them apart right in front of me. I couldn’t do anything." The silence that followed stretched, thick and heavy. Rhian straightened up, shaking his head. "Anyway. That’s why I don’t talk about it much." Nia’s eyes didn’t leave his face. "You were nine, Rhian." He forced a small smirk. "Yeah, well... I was stupid enough to beg them to take me. So that’s on me." "Don’t say that." He shrugged, pulling back his hand and leaning against the chair. "I’m fine. Been fine." Nia didn’t believe that for a second. She was about to say something when he cut in quietly, "Plus... like you said, I was nine. It was a long time ago." His hand rested open on the table again, and Nia instinctively took it. She only noticed then, his other hand had been gripping the underside of the table the entire time. When he let go, the metal support bar beneath was bent upward, warped from pressure. Nia’s eyes lingered on it. She wanted to speak, to say something comforting or meaningful, but nothing came. Her mind spun, and every word felt hollow. She wasn’t stupid. She could see it, Rhian wasn’t fine. Maybe he thought he was. Maybe he needed to believe it. But anyone who bent steel without noticing wasn’t carrying nothing. She always thought her story was heavy. It was. Her mother had nearly died, crippled for life, but she hadn’t been there. She hadn’t watched it happen. Rhian had. She couldn’t imagine what it was like to see both parents die right in front of you. And then live with it for years like it was just part of growing up. She squeezed his hand a little tighter, holding back everything she wanted to say. Rhian felt the silence settle over them like weight. It made him restless. He stood, reaching for her hand. "We should get back." Nia followed without question. The shopping district was still buzzing with students, and the noise didn’t match the quiet between them. They walked side by side, not rushing. Neither of them had classes today. It was one of the rare free days, and while Nia wanted to talk more, wanted to ask him how he was really doing, she knew better. He’d talk when he was ready. If he ever was. She glanced at him. "Hey, what are you going to do after this?" He didn’t look over. "Sleep." "I see," she said softly. The silence lingered again, stretching as they entered the first-year section of the academy. When they reached the part where their paths split, Nia slowed to a stop. "Well... great lunch," she said, half-smiling. "Have a good sleep." She turned to leave. "Nia." She turned back. "Yeah?" "Thanks." She didn’t say anything at first, just smiled, small and real, and nodded before walking away. Rhian stood for a moment, then made his way toward the elevators. His steps were slow, the weight in his chest still tight. Too many thoughts spiraled through his head. And none of them were quiet. When he finally reached the dorm apartment, he was relieved to find it empty. He headed straight for his room, shut the door, and dropped onto the bed without bothering to change. His eyes closed as he let the quiet surround him. He hated this feeling. Talking about his parents had always been something he avoided. It never helped. It only dug up things he worked hard to bury. Now the words were out, and the weight came crashing down harder than expected. His fist clenched. One hand wiped at his face, rough and fast. He wasn’t even sure if it was sweat or tears. Maybe both. He didn’t know what made him angrier, the fact that he’d let himself speak about it out loud, or that doing so still hurt this much. Even after all these years.