In the midst of heartbreak, new bonds are forged.
At the end of their first year at UA High, the students rely on their tight friendships and hard work to get through finals. New alliances and friendships are made between the outgoing hero classes a...
"Oh really?" The girl asked, a dangerous edge to her voice. A fire had lit itself in her eyes, but I wasn't about to back down. My quirk was well suited for scaring people; it did that often enough when I used it to communicate. My nerves might not hold out long, being as terrified as I was, but I was also far too stubborn to let her get the last laugh.
I held my chin high, defiant, letting my position be known. She just raised an eyebrow at me as she turned back to the screen and I let my facade drop.
Will I really be able to hold out very long in whatever battle I've just started?
The answer to that: maybe.
After returning to the 1-B dorms, I grabbed some supplies and set to work. I managed to make a creepy cutout of a doll quickly enough, and enlisted Ivana to help me attach it to Rose's window. Kita wanted in on the fun and was sure to confirm which room was hers.
The golden-eyed girl listened intently with her floppy pink ears, letting us know when she heard Rose's particular gait walking down the hall. Kaito, who had joined in just to be included, climbed onto Ivana's back as she scaled up to the window, finding miniscule footholds with her spider legs. He placed his palm on the black paper, illuminating the eyes.
"Now," Kita whispered, signifying that Rose had opened the door.
"Rose..." I illused a high pitched voice, crooning. "Play with me, Rose."
The girl's scream echoed through the air, followed by the sound of something metal hitting the glass. A spiderweb fracture cut across the pane. The orange haired boy jumped in shock, losing his balance. He tumbled from Ivana's shoulders, letting out a yelp. She extended another leg, snagging his coat before he could get too far.
"Kaito!" Kita cried out in a whisper-shout. "You'll blow our cover. C'mon, let's go!"
Ivana scrambled to the ground, lowering the boy so he could get his footing before we all ran off on the snow dusted ground. I heard the screech of a window opening behind us and Rose's voice called out into the night. "Yamada! You get back here!"
We tried to muffle our laughter as we hid around the corner of the 1-I dorms. A student with indigo hair peered out his window, surely hearing the scream. He raised an eyebrow at us, and, through my laughter, I was able to put a finger to my lips.
Kaito hugged his sides, burying his face in his scarf as he tried to muffle his laughter. "You didn't...see anything," he gasped out. The business student merely shrugged and returned to whatever he was doing.
Ivana pointed in the direction of the second year dorms and we followed her lead, sneaking across the lawns to get some cover from the other buildings as we made our way to the hero course residence halls. When we got back, we kicked the dirt off our boots and congratulated each other on a job well done. After thanking them profusely, Kita and Ivana headed back to the 1-A Alliance as Kaito and I collapsed in the 1-B common room, still fighting laughter.
It was only a small moment of triumph.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ♫ ⋅.} ───── ⊰
I struggled immensely to find sleep, the movie haunting my every thought. I tossed and turned for what seemed like forever, sure that every shadow was watching me. When exhaustion finally took over, my rest didn't last long. I woke to something feathery soft on my cheek. My eyes fluttered open to be met with a horrifying sight.
Floating above me was a figure covered in wisps of black fabric, like it had swallowed the night. It bore down on me, causing me to shriek in terror. I sent countless booms and bangs at the creature with my quirk, but nothing seemed to affect it. I scrambled out of bed, getting ready to throw something when it turned and rushed for the door.
The moment it hit the paneled wood, the figure collapsed in a black heap on the ground. Out of self preservation, I didn't dare get closer. Not even as it whipped under the door as if pulled by an invisible breeze.
Footsteps thundered down the hallway and I heard loud banging on the door. I opened it to find Sakura, Tanami, and Akihiko breathless and disheveled, surely roused from sleep by my screams. The warm light from the hallway spilled over the floor, stretching my shadow. It glinted off of the sharp crystals in the twins' hands, weapons they probably created in case there was trouble.
"Are you okay?" The male twin asked in an even tone, his periwinkle eyes searching the darkness for a threat.
Sakura grabbed my hands tightly and looked me over for signs of a struggle.
I just shrugged, wiping my face with my hands. I was shocked to find them wet. My heart still beat wildly in my chest. "Rose," I illused, walking back into my room and sitting heavily on my bed. My classmates followed me in, Akihiko hanging back a little farther. "We watched a scary movie and she decided to prank me. It's been getting worse throughout the night."
I sighed heavily and continued, "There goes sleep for me tonight."
I covered my face again and heard footsteps retreat. When I looked up, Sakura was gone, leaving me with the crystalline siblings. Tanami sat down on my messy comforter with me.
"Is it okay if I hold your hand?" She asked quietly. I merely nodded, letting her grab my hand and grasp it tightly. I knew her and Akihiko had their share of anxiety, though I wasn't sure why. Not that I ever was going to ask; that wasn't for me to know. But it only made sense that she knew how to deal with nightmares and I appreciated that she had asked permission.
"Do those kinds of movies scare you?" She inquired, to which I nodded, still shaking. "I know it might not mean much for me to say it's just a movie, cause let's be honest, we're gonna see a lot of stuff in our hero careers. But you'll never be alone. If you ever need us, we'll be here."
The image of the floating figure burned the back of my eyelids whenever I closed my eyes. I knew she was trying to make me feel better and it helped somewhat. But what would happen when I was faced with something like that that I can't fight?
The sound of more footsteps approached and Sakura came back through the door, another girl trailing behind. Iris stumbled in, her stocking feet padding at the ground. Her cream colored hair was tangled around her horns. She brushed it out of her face with a hand covered by the sleeve of her sweatshirt.
Akihiko excused himself and backed out, seeing I was left in good hands as Iris joined me on my other side, wrapping her arms gently around me. I leaned into her side, letting her comb her fingers through my hair.
"Don't worry," Sakura whispered, climbing on my bed behind me. Tanami shifted to make room for her. "We'll get her back somehow."
I hung my head in my hands, not knowing if I could hold out. I was so confident in my abilities earlier, but now I wasn't so sure I could keep up. My heart couldn't take it. The most I could do was cause her to hear more voices. If it led to more of this, I wasn't sure if I'd be up for that.
When I didn't answer, Iris began quietly humming and rocking me side to side while I was still in her grasp.
I raised a finger at her, illusing, "I know what you're doing."
Looking up at her, I saw that she was just smiling slightly. Her pink eyes glimmered like gemstones in the soft light. It was the last thing I saw as my eyelids grew heavy and I drifted to sleep.
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