Clearing the Air

The two of them walked back to the dorm.

『Nova, did I ever ask which house you were from?』[Alex]

『No, you haven't. Did you want to know?』[Nova]

『Hm… It doesn't matter to me, I just wanted to know which house allowed their children to be so free.』[Alex]

Although Alex's words had sounded like an insult, it seemed more like a genuine question.

He had a kind of longing in his eyes, for some long lost treasure that he would never reach.

His blue eyes wavered back and forth.

『...Well… To be honest, I'm not a part of a house.』[Nova]

『Woah… You're kidding! How did you get into Genesis if you aren't from a house? Don't houseless people normally go to a college or a military school?』[Alex]

『Well...』[Nova]

He stayed quiet, thinking- leaving the hallway with only the sound of their footsteps.

『I'm sure they would have. Though I don't want to admit it, I move ahead before my mind thinks- rather, I just don't think before I act. I didn't even know where I was going to go after high school. Everyone chose to go to one of those, or get a job… I had no clue. I had a goal, but no way to get there.』[Nova]

Alex looked at Nova, his eyes getting wet before he looked away.

『...I guess we are both two sides of the extreme… I'm the other side, where I am forced to walk the path predetermined for me.』[Alex]

Nova didn't expect Alex to get emotional, but he understood some of what Alex said, despite not knowing the details.

『No. You never know. There's always a way out.』[Nova]

『...What do you mean, there's a way out? No freedom, no friends, what is there I could do?』[Alex]

『Well, you know… wait and see! My path was lit up by a blaze of blue flames… almost literally... 』[Nova]

Alex just opened his mouth, speechless.

『...How much longer do I have to wait…?』[Alex]

Alex's emotions ran rampant, beginning to stream tears.

He tried his best to hide it from Nova by rubbing it into his sleeves.

Nova looked away, feeling a bit awkward.

『...Hey, Alex. Do you know what they say about our Seeds?』[Nova]

『...No. What do they say?』[Alex]

『That the Seeds were a gift for us to follow our dreams.』[Nova]

They stood in the hallway of the dorms, finally.

『Alright! Where is your room, Alex?』[Nova]

『Oh! Uh… I just walk there...』[Alex]

He pointed over to the left of them, at the first left of the hallway.

『...Then it's the first room on the left.』[Alex]

Nova looked back and forth between his room at where Alex pointed.

『...Woah. They're basically right next to each other...』[Nova]

『Are they? Where is yours?』[Alex]

『Right here.』[Nova]

Nova pointed at the door right next to him.

『So… close?!』[Alex]

『Oh, shoot! Go get your clothes! We're probably keeping them waiting!』[Nova]

『Right..! I'm gonna go look for a nice pair of clothes!』[Alex]

Nova ran into his room first.

「Wo...WOAH! That was awkward! I just wanted to know his likes and dislikes! I didn't expect his past!」[Nova]

「...Hey, you know- teenagers around your age are always the most vulnerable emotionally.」[Reischneid]

「DUDE! NO! I was NOT like that!」[Nova]

「You were! Just admit it! If not now, then later!」[Reischneid]

「AAAAAAAAAAH! That made me feel so awkward!」[Nova]

「Shut up and get dressed! Don't you have like, a double date to get to?!」[Reischneid]

Nova snapped out of his cringing fit and took a deep breath.

「Right. I packed some nice clothes… AAAAAAAH! I just wanted to get some cheap food! How did it spiral into this?!」[Nova]

「Oh well. Go have some fun! You just survived a giant fight and saved a kid! Kids should be having fun and going out to eat!」[Reischneid]

Nova's mind began to get filled with the dark thoughts from the battle.

「Well… what about the other people who I didn't save? Will they die?」[Nova]

「Er… Nova?」[Reischneid]

「Wulette's mom? Her dad? All the others in the weird outfits?」[Nova]

「NOVA!」[Reischneid]

Nova snapped out of the haze.

「Blood energy has attributes of dark and evil things. Pop a Stardrop and circulate your mana. You probably were exposed to it for too long.」[Reischneid]

Nova withdrew a blue and yellow candy with spiraling lights inside from his necklace.

「...Why is this one so pretty?」[Nova]

「That's the one that you just got from Mune, right?」[Reischneid]

「I think. The other ones just have very static lights. This one is see-through and has tiny blue and yellow lights that swirl around really fast. What's up with that?」[Nova]

「It's gathering mana. Seems to be higher quality than the other ones, though. His grandma must be very good at what she does.」[Reischneid]

He popped it into his mouth and circulated his mana.

He felt his mind clear out of the dark thoughts that clouded his head.

「Okay… Being able to get out with you guys was already pretty good. Saving Wulette was even better. Anyone else and they would have died… Alright! I'm fine now.」[Nova]

「Alright, great! Now- what are you going to wear?」[Reischneid]

Nova stared into the deep abyss that was his closet.