Back in the Dark

The morning air was sharp with chill, a quiet kind of cold that turned breath to smoke and wind to whispers. Orion walked along the paved campus path, the weight of the bandages still stinging his body as his red scarf trailed behind him. The other students whispered as they now began gossiping about their new delinquent Orion, because how else would he have gotten these wounds?

Both Emi and Orion ignored the chatter as they simply continued their way to class.

Then, a presence presented itself before the two of them.

There – Terran stood at the far end of the walkway, hands in his pockets, before taking them out to readjust his uniform. An angry pair of eyes lit up on his face, and behind him, the sky seemed a shade darker.

"So," Terran said, voice carrying like it weighed more than it should, "I see you’ve got one of your little tricks back."

Orion didn’t answer.

Terran tilted his head slightly, as if sizing up an invisible target. “Maybe I should just shatter this whole planet and be done with it.”

There were no students in earshot anymore. The world had emptied out in an instant.

Orion stepped forward in confident defiance. Facing the tall elf despite their height difference. Clearly not afraid, even before this moment when his powers were slowly coming back to him.

“No, you won’t,” he told the elf.

Terran’s rage boiled, also not backing down.

“Because you say so?”

“Because you’re also weaker here, son of the earth. You’ve retained more of your power, but will it be enough? Do you dare gamble?”

Terran’s eye twitched, just slightly.

Then Orion’s voice dropped, his words low and made of iron.

“Besides… you can try, if you want.”

His hand didn’t move. His stance didn’t shift. But the air around him – all gathered around as if to obey. Invisible weight gathered, thickening like storm clouds that refused to rain.

“I’ll coat this planet in my own gravity,” Orion said. “Every stone. Every city. I will hold the earth together if I have to.”

“How noble of you,” Terran sneered. “We all know your true colors.”

This line stuck out to Emi somehow, letting it ingrain deep in her thoughts.

Because Orion agreed:

“You’re right. When the time comes, all planes will be crushed under my heel. But for now, the people here on this planet still have their uses. So try me, son of the earth. Just try.”

The classroom buzzed around Emi. Pens clicked, pages turned, the drone of the teacher’s voice filled the air like dust motes in sunlight. But Emi heard none of it.

She stared at the edge of her notebook, deep into the emptiness of the white. She was supposed to be taking notes on… something. Probably history. But her mind was a thousand miles away.

"I’ll coat this planet in my own gravity."

"Every stone. Every city."

Her pen was still resting between her fingers, unmoving, its point pressed into the paper hard enough to leave a dent.

The scene replayed in her mind again and again – Orion standing tall against Terran, unmoving, cold, his voice steady like a storm held just barely in check. That power. That declaration.

There was history between them, that much she knew. Blood on both their hands.

And then the line that wouldn’t leave her:

"When the time comes, all planes will be crushed under my heel."

He said it like it was fact. Like sunrise. Like gravity.

It should have terrified her. Maybe it did. A little.

But she was also still here. Still breathing – still alive. Her fingers brushed the faint edges of the bruises on her neck, nearly faded now. Its mark barely visible anymore, and the sensation could not be felt.

Only memories of what happened, how he let her tend to his wounds.

But more importantly, how he was there with her at that moment, fighting off the demons.

They attacked first, of course, so it was probably just survival instincts, all things considered.

But then – it felt like there was something more to it.

She began doodling in the corner of the page again, absentmindedly.

A shape that didn’t make sense. Sharp. Angular. Then rounder. Like something trying to decide if it was a weapon or a flower.

“Why are you Evil?”

The question came back again. Haunting her ears with echoes of something sharp. He told her what he was the moment he set foot on this planet. And yet…

He had saved her.

So that must mean something.

“Hello, Earth to Emi,” Kana said, leaning dramatically over her desk, taking out her lunchbox in the meantime. “You didn’t write anything today. Are you okay?”

Emi blinked herself back to the present, still halfway lost in the edge of her notes, the ink smudge where her pen had hovered too long. Only now finally realizing the bell had rung and everybody in the class was already shuffling out of their seats.

“Maybe she finally dozed off with her eyes open,” Misaki added, pushing her glasses up as she joined them, more subtle but clearly amused.

Emi then shook her head, offering a weak smile.

“I’m just tired is all. Long night.”

Kana opened her lunch and poked her rice ball with chopsticks.

“Tell me about it,” she said while chewing, “I stayed up watching this ghost hunting show and now I’m pretty sure my microwave is haunted.”

“You said that last week,” Misaki said.

“Yeah, but this time the lights actually flickered. You should’ve seen it.”

They both looked at Emi, expecting some banter, but she just gave a small hum and unwrapped her own lunchbox without much fuss. She wasn’t normally this quiet. Even she knew that.

But before either of her friends could press her…

“Um, excuse me?”

A girl from their class appeared beside her desk. Someone Emi had never really interacted with. She was in one of the other friend groups, so Emi did not know much about this girl.

The girl twirled a strand of hair between her fingers, glancing sideways like she wasn’t sure if this was a good idea. Hesitating a bit, before leaning in, lowering her voice to a whisper:

“I was wondering if you could tell me about your friend. Orion, was it?”

Tilting her head, Emi was confused:

“What about him?”

“Well, you two aren’t, like, going out or anything, are you?”

Kana nearly choked on her drink the moment she heard those words, with Misaki also sitting up right.

“Oh my gosh,” Kana said, “that’s right – Valentine’s Day is coming up.”

“Already?” Misaki muttered, checking her planner.

Emi’s eyes widened, and instinctively she raised her hands like she was fending off an attack.

“No, no, you got it all wrong, we’re just friends. Just friends!”

The unnamed girl turned to her friend with a triumphant grin.

“See, I told you they’re not a thing. It’s free real estate, girl, go for it.”

“He’s so cool, isn’t he?” they went on and on. “Mysterious, cool, intense. I heard he’s a delinquent too.”

The girls walked off, leaving Emi, Kana, and Misaki to themselves.

Kana then immediately turned to Emi, shaking her:

“You’re not gonna let them get away with that, are you? They’re gonna steal your boyfriend.”

“You got it all wrong,” Emi squeaked. “He’s just a friend… just a friend.”