Historia Knows

 The return to Nightfall Academy was marked with the usual bustle of students spilling across the courtyards, their voices rising and echoing against the ivory stone walls as friends and acquaintances alike reunited from a months worth break. Fresh snow clung faintly on the edges of the rooftops, and the air held the sharp bite of early winter. The spires of the school loomed against a pale gray sky, and the ivy trailing down their sides was brittle now. The tree's leaves are now all but gone. The Academy's grounds were alive again, despite the cold. Students wrapped in dark coats and scarves as laughter and chatter carried through the frosted air. You could have told me we were filming for a cookie cutter industry movie and I would have believed you.

For once, I wasn’t trailing Historia and the boy’s like a shadow. Instead, I walked between Sylvia and Amanda, their energy bright and warm enough to cut through the chill. Amanda gestured wildly as she recounted her excitement when receiving the letter of recommendation because of Baron Drewitt’s sponsorship. How she almost wanted to bear hug me for convincing my father to do so. Her freckles glowed with amusement even though her cheeks were red from the cold. Sylvia chimed in with sly quips, her silver-blue hair catching what little light there was as she adjusted her gloves. I couldn't help but genuinely smile, the feeling so strange after so many days spent burying my feelings. So many restraints to portray Rosaria’s image as best I could ate me away, despite butting up a front.

Not only that, but being back with Amanda and Sylvia felt like a bit of home had come to accompany and sooth my loneliness. I was me, Rose Evergreen, not Rosaria Drewitt, or even Rosaria Romancio. It felt like we were back home, just having another day of having fun as we went to college.

I could feel the curious stares from those that kept up with everything at the academy, ready to start drama or gossip with whatever meager scraps they could scavenge like wild animals. They glanced at me, confused as their whispers drifted in the air. Some knew me as Historia’s quiet companion, the girl who always walked just a step behind her and the boys. The one who never made her own group of friends. Now, they saw me surrounded with new people they haven’t seen. Comfortable with them as we chatted about things. A few scratched their heads, clearly wondering how I could seem better off with strangers than with the most saintly and popular girl of the academy. And most of all, who the new girls at the academy were and their relations to me.

From the corner of the courtyard, I could see Historia stood beneath an archway dusted with frost. She had her books tucked to her chest, her silver hair spilling down her shoulders and earmuffs to keep herself warm. She made the softest smile seeing us, but her eyes were sharp and as hollow as I had seen them last time. I felt the weight of her gaze like a thread tugging at my chest. I quickly turned away, pretending not to notice.

Classes began as they always did, the echo of shoes against stone corridors, the faint puffs of breath from the hot breath students let out to warm themselves even if for a moment. This time, I sat between Amanda and Sylvia. Their quiet bickering over notes and the occasional shared smile made the dreary lectures of mathematics feel lighter, as though the dark wood paneling and oil lamps were less suffocating than usual.

“Rosaria.”

I heard my name being called, and instantly knew who it was. Who was I if I couldn't? I turned, my heart stuttering. Estel stood by the edge of our row, his mismatched eyes steady on me. His uniform was neat, and his expression calm, but I knew him well enough to see the curiosity eating him beneath his polite mask. That slight quip to his lip told me everything. I had seen it in concept art and in the past few days. There was nothing Estel could hide from me at this point.

“These ladies are…?” His gaze flicked toward Sylvia and Amanda.

I cleared my throat, forcing my smile to stay easy. “Friends of mine. Amanda and Sylvia. We met recently, and they’re staying in the capital for a time.”

Sylvia leaned forward with that mischievous glint in her eyes, offering Estel a dazzling smile. “She talks about you all the time, you know. Loooooves to talk about you.”

Amanda snorted, elbowing me. “We were beginning to wonder if she even had other topics to bring up besides Estel this and Estel that.”

Heat seared my face instantly. “I do not!” I snapped, but my voice was higher than I intended. Great….Good job being subtle about hiding that fact Rose…

Estel blinked, his ears tinting pink as his composure faltered. “I… see,” he muttered, straightening his posture as though that could hide the faint embarrassment creeping into his features. His hand raised to his lips as he faked clearing his throat.

Sylvia and Amanda exchanged smug looks, giggling between themselves, and I wanted to melt into the floorboards. Seems like they liked Estel’s reaction too. Great. Now they’ll tease both of us…

From the other side of the room, I caught Historia watching. Her lips carried that serene, patient smile, but her eyes lingered on me, and I swore there was a crack in her mask. Like she was watching a play where her character had been shoved out of the spotlight. The creepy smile from before still lingered in my mind, just waiting for it to reappear.

When class ended, Estel lingered near our desk. Amanda busied herself with tying her ribbons back, and Sylvia hummed as she scribbled notes, but I could feel Estel’s gaze on me.

“You seem…” He hesitated, his tone softer. “Different. Happier. It’s good, but…” His eyes darted toward Historia, who had already been swept away by Darren and the crowd. “She seems… sad. I've never seen Historia look like that.”

Sad? I almost laughed at the thought. Her sadness was hollow eyes and a smile that didn't reach them, ready to swallow me whole. Still, I forced myself to keep my tone gentle. Estel and Rosaria have been friends with Historia. It would make sense that both of them would find it at least a bit weird that the most timid of the group would suddenly have some new friends.“Then she can join us. I’m telling her to stay away, in fact, I would be more than happy to have her join us.”

Estel frowned faintly. “You know she’s not good at making friends. Not like us.”

I blinked, startled. Us? Good at making friends? It almost sounded like a cruel joke. Before I could respond, Sylvia piped up, her voice airy but sharp with intent. “She is welcome too, of course. We don’t bite, or follow the prejudices that others put among others in terms of social class.”

She must have still been upset about the incident when we went to get dresses. Though, I would be more inclined to say that it was the shop's fault more than Historia’s…

Amanda chimed in, her freckles brightening as she smiled, hiding her malice. “Exactly. She can sit with us. Frankly, I would like to know more about the one everyone keeps calling a saintess. It’s a shame she's so shy though”

He looked between the three of us, clearly unsure how to respond to their teasing and subtle jabs at Historia, but he’s too polite to refute it. Finally, his gaze landed back on me, steady and searching. “I only hope you at least made some new promising friends,” he said quietly. “You deserve to smile like this.”

My heart squeezed painfully. He said it so simply, so sincerely, and I wanted to cling to it, wanting to believe he could finally see me. Yet I could not ignore the way his eyes still wandered after Historia, even when he stood here with me. The way his words sounded like I was isolating myself from them… or more frankly, from Historia. My blood boiled. How could he still think of her, when all she's done is show over and over how she only prefers Darren?

Even back when Sylcia and I caught them shopping for dresses, Estel looked like an afterthought as Darren bought her all the finest bolts of fabric. And Estel? A bagboy for them. Not even a consideration of his feelings were held. And nothing infuriated me more than that…

“Estel.” Her voice rang out softly across the classroom, too practiced to be an accident. Historia approached, her steps delicate as she held her books close to her chest. Her silver hair framed her face like a halo, and her expression so innocent, she was purposely making herself seem fragile. She lowered her gaze, letting her lashes cast shadows across her cheeks, then tilted her head up just slightly toward him.

“I… I don’t know how to act around new people.” she said, her tone meek, almost fragile. “Frankly I’m really sorry I can’t walk with you Rose. I feel… A bit intimidated. Estel, would you… walk with me to the next class?”

Estel shifted, his jaw tightening as though he wanted to resist, but Historia’s eyes were wide and pleading. She looked every bit the helpless saintess the Academy loved to idolize. The girl he loved and adored even though it brought him the cruelest misery. Slowly, he nodded, stepping toward her.

“I’ll… catch up with you later,” he said, his mismatched eyes flicking back toward me for a brief moment. Just enough to hollow out my chest before he turned away.

Historia smiled faintly, looping her arm with his as they walked. It wasn’t like something overdramatic, just a brush of her hand against his sleeve, but I saw the way she clung as if she was terrified he might slip away from her clutches.

My stomach churned. I looked away before the tears could sting. I bit the inside of my lip hard, and my clutched fist trembled. I didn’t want to make a sound, and swallowed my breaths, trying to let them out as silently as I could. Please… don’t fall down the same path again….

Amanda leaned closer, her voice sharp in its softness. “He really is blind, isn’t he?”

Sylvia’s hand found mine again, her grip warm and steady. “Rose… we know how much you care. We know. But you cannot break yourself every time he follows her like a dog. You know what happens to Estel every time. He loves her all the same. Maybe….”

I could hear Sylvia’s silent hush. But I knew what they wanted to say, that he would probably meet his demise in this world just as he did every single time. Their arms wrapped around me like a shield, though it did little to dull the ache in my chest.

The rest of the day blurred into fragments. Class after class passed in a stiffening silence. My laughter with Sylvia and Amanda was real, but under it pulsed in an ugly sting watching Estel walk beside Historia as though nothing had changed in this universe as well.

By the time I reached my student apartment, my body felt hollow and drained from the effort of trying to keep myself composed. After a while of being slumped on my bed however, it made me hungry. I wasn't motivated at all to go to the cafeteria to get dinner, so I notified one of the staff to send. When I heard the sound of the fridge making a ‘thump’, I knew the ingredients had arrived. Man, If only life on the other world had delivery this convenient…

The small kitchen smelled faintly of herbs as I busied myself making dinner, a mushroom soup Sylvia engrained in my brain for days I wanted something easy on the stomach. The repetitive motions steadied me, chopping vegetables, stirring the pot, trying to anchor myself in something mundane. Just as I sat down, a knock rattled the door.

Weird.. I’m not expecting any guests. And Sylvia and Amanda are busy trying to catch up to all the things we learned in school the past couple of months. I slowly got up, my hand hovering at the handle before I pulled it open.

Historia stood there.

Her smile was sweet, but her eyes were far from showing me any kindness, just like that time when I saw her at the gate. They were sharp, cold and almost menacing enough that chills ran down my spine. She stepped past me into the room without waiting for an invitation, setting her books on my table as if she owned the place.

“You’re quite annoying, you know,” she said lightly, almost playfully. Her words however, not minced at all, as if to show her true colors. “Always trying to act so… buddy buddy with others. Like you can just insert yourself anywhere you please~ What, did you feel so upset that Estel won’t talk to you, that you decided to get new friends? ”

I frowned, my voice tight. I wouldn’t give her the gratification of knowing that Estel being around her all the time just angered me. This Historia… was probably the worst of all the other versions… “What is wrong with trying to make new friends? You always have the boys and other classmates you hang out with. Am I not allowed the same?”

Historia tilted her head, her finger to her lip as she mumbled.. “You probably have your memories from a previous timeline… No…. That would be far too much of a coincidence. Krono wouldn’t allow that.”

My blood froze. Why was she mentioning Krono now? She never brings up her powers until things start going into chaos. “What… what are you talking about?”

“It’s suspicious.” Her smile turned serious, her voice dropping into a venomous tone. “You are acting exactly like you did before. The same as the last timeline. When you became queen. When you tried to take Estel from me.”

Her words slammed into me like cold bricks. I stared at her, my heart thundering. She knows. She knows about all the other versions of the novel. That only ever happened in ‘His Amour’, when Rosaria became Queen… Wait… So she knew this whole time that Rosaria was Darren’s half sister? Wait… Timelines? She thinks of them not as stories… but as timelines?

Historia stepped closer, her eyes gleaming. “You need to stay away from Estel. He’s doomed anyway… He always is.You’re only wasting yourself clinging to him.” Her hand lifted, faint golden threads of light curling between her fingers like smoke. The air shifted towards a heavy and thick pressure before she touched my head . Kronos’s power. She was trying to make me forget what she had just said. I was worried it would make me forget, but when she lifted her fingers… I still remembered everything…

Panic flooded me, but my instincts were faster. I widened my eyes, let my body go slack, and forced my expression to soften, and seemed confused. I even blinked a few times for good measure. “Historia…?” My voice trembled, sweet and small. “Why are you here? Were…. You upset about earlier?”

The golden light flickered. Her lips twitched. She really thinks it worked…

“I… well… I suppose so.” She smoothed her skirt, the tension in her shoulders fading. “I guess I felt a bit lonely with you hanging out with other girls. You know me, shy and all”

She even had the gall to act all cutesy and shy, tucking her hair behind her ear like she hadn’t just revealed so much earlier..

“Oh…” I said. “Well… I can introduce you to them. Honestly Historia. You’re my best friend. If you thought I was replacing you in some way or another, don’t you dare even think about it, okay?”

I grabbed her hands, clutching them together as I held them, smiling at her.

She couldn’t help but smile back subtly, probably thinking I wasn’t hiding anything. “It means the world to me that you’re still my friend, Rosaria. I guess.. I just have my own demons to fight I guess.”

I swallowed, forcing a small laugh. You can say that again, you two faced heroine. “Of course. You’re welcome to join us, Historia. Sylvia and Amanda would love to meet you. We can all be a group, together!”

Her smile turned into a slight smirk, soft and triumphant. “Yes. That sounds perfect. Just.. let them know I need a bit of a breather in between…You really are a dear friend, Rosaria. I’m so glad to have you.”

She gathered her books, humming lightly as she moved to the door. “I should let you eat dinner, your food looks like it’s about to spill out the pot.”
At that moment, the soup began to sizzle as it poured out of the pot.”Oh shoot!”

I ran towards the stove, lowering the heat as Historia let out an angelic laughter. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Rosaria.” The latch clicked shut behind her. And I felt like a weight had been lifted.

I stood frozen, the silence of the room pressing in around me. My hands trembled against the counter top. She knows. She remembers. And her power… For some reason.. It didn’t work on me. Was it because I was an outsider in the body of someone else? Or what could have prevented it from happening?

.Had I not played along, if I had slipped even once, I might have lost everything. Pretending to be Rosaria, maybe even losing my life again…

And now I knew something far more terrifying. Historia was not just playing the role of the heroine. She was rewriting the story itself. And that begged the question, why? Why was she aware of the previous timelines? Why did she know Estel was doomed?

I had so many questions that felt like they seared my throat to ask. I calmly went to lift the lid of the pot… and… my hand phased through it. Or.. at least I thought it did until I did a double take, and realized my hand had lightly touched the surface of the hot lid, retracting it as I felt the numbing pain from the burn, and ran to the sink.

Things were becoming far too dangerous. And I needed to tell Amanda and Sylvia ASAP…