CHAPTER 35: THE BITTER TRUTH

[School Library—]

Sky sat in the far corner of the library, his chair tilted back just slightly, one hand idly turning the corner of a page he was reading. The soft amber light from the tall glass windows bathed everything in a sleepy glow. The shelves rose like pillars around him, tall and shadowed, whispering secrets from ages past.

The place was nearly empty. The faint hum of ceiling fans and the occasional flutter of paper gave the quiet its rhythm. It was the only place Sky knew where the world felt slow enough to think.

He wasn’t sure what was going on in his head.

He was staring into space when the door creaked open. His head turned almost by instinct— and his pulse jumped.

Valkyrie stepped in.

She looked different today— not by how she dressed, but by how she carried herself. Her shoulders were a little tense, her steps were softer, like she’d been walking with her thoughts for too long. A wisp of hair slipped from behind her ear as she glanced around the room. When she spotted him, her lips parted slightly in surprise.

"Sky?" she said.

Her voice carried that careful tone people used when they weren’t sure what they were walking into.

Sky cleared his throat, straightening up. "Hey, Val."

She walked closer, her boots echoing faintly against the tiled floor. The air seemed to grow heavier with every step she took toward his table.

"I didn’t expect you would still be in the library," she said softly.

He gave a half-smile, his fingers tracing the spine of the book in front of him. "Yeah, well... I guess the library’s the only place that doesn’t remind me of this cruel world."

That earned a small laugh— it was brief and genuine. "Fair enough," she said. Her eyes drifted to the seat across from him. "Mind if I sit?"

"Go ahead."

She pulled out the chair, sitting gracefully, her satchel resting on her lap. There was a moment of silence that neither of them seemed eager to break.

Then she spoke first. "Where’s Bryan? I thought you two were supposed to be doing that report together."

"He had to run an errand," Sky replied. "Said he wouldn’t be long." He tilted his head slightly, studying her expression.

Valkyrie smirked faintly. "O—okay... I just thought you two came as a set... Uhm how long have you been here?"

"4 hours now" Sky replied. "Guess I’m on solo duty today."

She nodded slowly, her gaze flicking to the window, where the sun was beginning to dip lower behind the trees. Something about the way the light hit her face made her look... distant. Not sad, but somewhere else entirely.

Sky noticed. "You alright?"

She looked back at him. "Actually... that’s what I came to talk about."

His brows lifted slightly. "Oh?"

She hesitated. "Yeah. I’ve been thinking a lot, Sky. About... us."

There it was— the word that made his chest tighten.

He leaned forward just a little, his eyes lighting with cautious hope. "What about us?"

She took a breath, her fingers nervously tracing the edge of her sleeve. "I don’t think I can do this... You know... what you want..."

The air shifted. The faint rustle of pages somewhere nearby suddenly sounded too loud.

Sky’s smile faltered. "What do you mean?"

Her voice was quiet and honest. "I mean... whatever this is between us— I can’t handle it right now. It’s not fair to you."

He blinked, unsure if he heard right. "Wait, hold on—" He gave a small laugh that didn’t sound like one. "Did I do something wrong? Is this about the other day by the river? Because if it is, I swear..."

"...No," she interrupted, shaking her head. "It’s not that."

"Then what?" His voice softened. "Because you’re kind of losing me here, Val."

She exhaled slowly, searching for the right words. "You ever feel like... you’re standing on the edge of something huge? Like everything you do next could change everything?"

Sky frowned slightly, unsure where she was going. "Yeah, maybe. Why?"

"That’s where I am," she said quietly. "There’s so much happening— things I can’t even explain yet. Between the academy, my friends, the missions, and..." she trailed off, shaking her head. "There’s darkness creeping closer every day, and I feel like I’m supposed to do something about it. I just don’t know what yet. And if I get distracted — even for a second, people could get hurt."

She looked at him, her eyes reflecting the fading light. "I can’t afford distractions right now. Even the good ones."

Sky’s throat went dry. He opened his mouth to speak but found no words.

"So that’s it?" he finally said. "You’re breaking up with me? And I am a distraction?"

Her gaze softened instantly. "Sky... we were never together to begin with, I never said yes to us dating remember? And No. I’m not calling you a distraction, I’m saying you’re someone I could fall for completely— and that scares me."

That hit harder than any insult could.

She continued, with her voice trembling slightly. "You make things feel easy. Like I could actually breathe again. But that’s the danger, Sky. Because when I start feeling safe, I stop being careful. And in our world, that’s the fastest way to lose everything."

Sky’s eyes searched hers, the ache in his chest tightening. "So, what— we just stop talking? Pretend none of this happened?"

"I’m not pretending anything," she said gently. "You mean a lot to me. That’s exactly why I have to be honest. I can’t give you what you want right now. Not love. Not commitment. Not... whatever this was turning into."

He ran a hand through his hair, his voice low. "You really rehearsed that, didn’t you?"

She smiled sadly. "I tried not to. But the truth doesn’t sound pretty, no matter how you say it...it’s always bitter."

A pause lingered— it was heavy and raw.

He leaned back, eyes fixed on the table. "You know, for a second, I thought maybe you were gonna tell me where our next date was."

Her lips parted, then closed again. "gosh, I’m sorry, Sky."

"Yeah," he said with a quiet laugh. "You keep saying that."

She looked down, guilt flickering through her eyes. "I still want us to be okay. Maybe not now, but... eventually."

He finally looked up, forcing a smile that almost looked real. "Yeah. Sure. Friends, right?"

"Friends," she echoed, but the word barely made it past her lips.

Sky nodded, pretending it didn’t sting. "Guess that’s better than strangers."

Valkyrie stood slowly, smoothing out her skirt. "Thank you for understanding. Sky. Really I appreciate."

He said nothing. Just watched as she turned toward the exit, the distance between them growing with every step. Her shadow stretched across the floor— thin, fragile and fading as she reached the doorway.

When she finally glanced back, their eyes met one last time. The look she gave him wasn’t goodbye, but something quieter— like a silent apology she hoped he’d one day forgive.

And then she was gone.

Sky sat there for a long time after she left, staring at the empty seat across from him. The book on the table was still open, its words meaningless now. He closed it gently, pressing his palm against the cover as if trying to hold something together inside him.

He wasn’t angry— Or maybe he was? Or maybe just hollow...

The echo of her voice lingered in his mind. "You’re someone I could fall for completely— and that scares me."

He leaned back, exhaling deeply. "Friends," he muttered under his breath, a bitter half-smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah... sure."

From the far end of the library, the clock chimed softly— a reminder that time moved on, even when people didn’t.

And Sky, sitting there beneath the golden light, finally realized something painful but true:

Sometimes the people who make you feel alive are the same ones who remind you how quiet it feels when they’re gone.

He lost his appetite to read immediately. Pushing his chair back, Sky rose and drifted toward the exit not minding about returning the books back to the shelf— his slow steps were echoing through the quiet library hall. His thoughts were louder than his footsteps.

"I really thought we had a thing," he muttered, a broken laugh escaping him. "Aha— how stupid of me. What was I thinking?... How did I even get here? I’ve never felt this way for anyone in a long time..."

He rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his head with a bitter smirk.

"She said I might cause distractions? Stchh— how convenient," he hissed under his breath.

When he stepped outside, the wind was cool— too calm for what was raging inside him. His eyes caught a small stone pavement near the school’s temple. He wandered there and sank onto it, elbows resting on his knees, staring at the flowing river below.

For a moment, he just sat there— still, lost and hollow. The water shimmered under the fading light, and all he could see in its reflection was Valkyrie... the riverside... and what conspired that day, that now felt like a cruel memory.

Frustration surged within him. He grabbed a rock and flung it into the water.

Then another.

And another.

"Friends?" he snapped, voice cracking. "What kind of friend looks at you like that in the eyes? ... Shit!"

Silence followed— just the ripple of disturbed water. And then, from behind him, a soft voice broke the stillness. A voice that wasn’t Valkyrie’s.

"Hello...?"