8 Split Second Radiance

'I wish I could say it was hoax or maybe I was just half asleep, but those feathers legitimately came from her back.' Leon thought as he cleaned up the mess in their bathroom. 'Lean has work today. I told her I'd take care of everything. She left the house shortly while eyeing me, "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, okay?" As if I would.'

Stellar and Leon sat side by side silently at the living room. Neither of them spoke a thing. 'I don't even know if she can understand us. What is she? What the hell is she doing in our school? Is she a beggar or a foreigner from some underground country of abnormality?' Leon's thoughts were interrupted when he heard her mumbled quietly.

"Umm..." she started.

'So she can actually speak,' Leon thought.

"Thank you for taking me in. I apologize for causing too much trouble... I also want to ask where I am and who are you?"

"I'm afraid I still can't trust you enough to give you any of my information." Leon answered briefly. 'Says someone who brought a complete stranger home. Way to go self.' Leon scolded himself internally.

"That's acceptable. Well, for starters, my name is Stellar. Stellar Claire. And I'm not from here… I live somewhere far away."

'Is it just me or she sounded sad when she said that?' Leon pondered before saying, "So, you're a foreigner," Leon began to observe Stellar's physical appearance and judging by it, she does seem like she's not from around this place at all. Not only that but her mannerisms and some gestures of hers, is not typical in the modern setting. It feels like she lives from a different timeline as well.

Leon continued, "Why are you lying almost dead on our school ground? Did you collapse from hunger or something?"

Stellar didn't answer Leon's inquiry. 'It's clear that she didn't want me to know or she don't even know it herself,' Leon concluded. There was a brief silence before Leon urged the conversation forward. "The name's Leon. Leon Czhainneheart." He thought he could at least give his name to her as she also said hers. Leon didn't view her as someone dangerous or has any ill intent so he just decided to cooperate.

"Thank you for saving my life, Leon. I cannot possibly repay you in anyway, but to be honest I… I wish I… died..." Stellar said in a weak voice.

"Then, die. Just go somewhere else. Somewhere I can't see you nor hear any news about you." Leon said furiously. 'Was it because I saved her that I don't want to hear her just throwing away her life that easily? Am I that much of a justice hero? Ha! That's impossible. The reason was probably something else..' Leon wasn't able to calm himself down, and continued,

"I won't tell you what to do and what not to do. If you wish to die so badly, don't show it to me and do not ever let me know. People like you who throw away their lives just because they want to, are the type I hate the most. Some people didn't wish to die but they did. They died whilst harboring all the regrets, things they should have done, but you, you're just carefree. You have no right to just do away with your life. It's such a shame, a disappointment even. If your life was that meaningless I wish you could have just given it to other people who may want to live!"

After Leon's spiel, Stellar was silent.

'She was… crying. Crap. What did I do? Why did I even-' Leon immediately felt regret and tried to pacify the situation, "I-I'm sorry I didn't mean to…" Leon started to explain in panic.

"No, Leon. You're right. My life does not belong to me anymore. I shouldn't give up just because I lost everything. There's more to life than failed missions, so thank you for making me realize that I should not throw my life away just like that. If I have time to mull over my mistakes, I should just focus on being better and stronger, right? I admit that was unbecoming of me. Dying is selfish, after all, the people left behind will be the ones to suffer and carry the burden…" she paused. 'Maybe Leon lost someone important to him abruptly. That was stupid of me to say,' Stellar thought as she took a deep breath in order to arrange her thoughts properly.

After an awkward silence she said, "I should probably leave now. Thank you for everything, Leon." Stellar smiled.

'Her smile was radiant. Her blue eyes were damp with tears, her face was blushing red. Her small lips formed a genuine smile for the first time, a different reaction from her usual mopey appearance. Despite stricken by fatigue, her face was still vibrant and beautiful. Otherworldly beautiful. Her blonde hair perfectly reflected the sunlight from the window. It was bright. And for some reason, I found myself turning away from it,' Leon got lost in his thoughts as he tried to find the words to say.

"I-It's not like I helped you to be thanked. The situation demanded me to do so. But, I think you should wait 'till Lean comes home. She's the one who took care of you all night. You should thank her instead." Leon turned his back to hide his embarrassment. 'And Lean will probably scold me if I let you leave like that, of course, I did not say that out loud.'

"N-no.. I'm afraid I should leave as soon as possible...I!" Stellar suddenly started to panic, making Leon confused as to her sudden reactions.

"Can you please calm down?" Without thinking, Leon held her arms to stop her. Suddenly, the house shook without warning and the roof was broken. In the midst the debris, an unknown, otherworldly being stood before the two of them.

'Did he just fell from the sky?' Leon was confused and in shock.

"Stellar, I am here to take you home."