Nocte Yin: Anti-Villain, Anti-Hero and Anti-Everything Else

Chapter Five

“For what?” Aman was getting confused.

“For the future,” Nocte clarified. “After grad.”

“Oh!” Aman laughed. “Right. I’m going to join the army.”

“The army?” Honestly, Nocte shouldn’t be surprised. It sounded like Aman.

“Mmhm,” Aman hummed. “I’m aiming to be a peach keeper. Not only will I get to travel and meet people, but I also get to be what I’ve been training for – a hero.”

Hearing the certainty in Aman’s voice made Nocte feel like she was being flushed down a toilet. She felt like she was trying to grasp onto the sides, but she kept on spinning and spinning down into the sewers. Into a place that glued her shoes down and held her stagnant. A place where she could not move.

“That-” Nocte tried again. “That sounds like something you’d enjoy.”

It wasn’t what Nocte had wanted to say. She had wanted to ask why her dreams had changed. She had wanted to ask what had happened to them teaming up and slaying dragons and marrying knights and rescuing princesses-

Wait.

They had done that already.

Well, one off the list, she supposed.

“What about you?” Aman asked, cautiously.

“Laurel Tree,” Nocte answered hollowly.

It sounded empty even to her own ears.

“Oh,” Aman said dully. She might as well have not said anything at all.

Had Aman been expecting something more like Pyralis had?

Just then, the door to Pyralis’ class cracked open, calling for the end of the lecture.

“I gotta go,” Nocte said. “We’ll talk later?”

“Yeah,” Aman said. “Maybe get together over the weekend or something?”

Nocte smiled ruefully. “Sure. Sounds good. Seeya.”

“Bye,” Aman bid farewell.

Nocte snapped her phone shut, wanting to stand from the floor, but her knees were weak.

How could Aman’s dream include her one moment, and then not the next? How could Pyralis be her lab partner one moment, and then a famous researcher the next?

Why did it seem like everyone was slipping away from her?!

Nocte stood then, spotting Pyralis coming from the lab, but then faltered when Deadwood came following after.

“She’s a White Mage,” Pyralis explained when she saw Nocte staring at Deadwood questionably. “Alchemy will help her with potions and antidotes.”

“Oh,” Nocte said, understanding at once. “I get it now.”

Recognizing Nocte’s voice, Deadwood snapped around. Once her eyes confirmed Nocte’s existence, she scowled and glared. As if in retaliation, Pyralis took a step forward and stared Deadwood down.

Pyralis had known Nocte when Deadwood had betrayed her. She still remembered how awful Nocte had been from Deadwood’s sudden change of character, and for Deadwood to continue to agitate Nocte was something unacceptable and uncalled for.

Not missing the fact that several students had stopped to watch, Nocte quickly tried to quell the upcoming fire.

“I like your scarf, Deadwood,” Nocte complimented. She wondered if the scarf was Deadwood’s new “thing”.