The noise of rain hitting the window was heard as a sweet, innocent girl lay in bed breathing softly. The room radiated a golden glow, and the air was humid from all the tears shed in this room. Monitors around her were beeping constantly, checking her heart rate and pulse. Other than that, the immense silence and worry within the girl's mother spoke louder than a thousand words as she played with her beautiful dirty blonde hair. "Oh sweetie... When will you wake up? Please open your eyes, "the woman said as tears built up in her eyes. "Ma'am... Please, calm down, I'm sure Nor wouldn't want to see you cry," a girl's voice was heard from beside the sleeping girl's mother. "I know Iris, but I can't help it... not when... not when my little Nora has been in this coma for three years... With no one knowing if she'll wake up, "Nora's mother said as she cried. "She'll wake up... don't worry, we all know Nor is strong and she will survive... She'll wake up... I know she will, " Iris said.
"I don't know, Iris... It's been three years already, when will she wake up? Is she gonna wake up? Those questions don't have answers, "Nora's mom said. "We just have to wait and see... I believe she'll wake up, "Iris said with confidence. Silence filled the room once more, and only the sound of the pouring rain was heard as the day went on. Neither of them left Nora's side; they waited patiently for her to wake up, hoping to see her eyes open at any moment. "Ma'am, I need to speak with both of you please, "a doctor said, causing the two of them to turn toward the doctor. As they walked out of the room, worry and anticipation filled both of their faces. "What happened, doctor?!? Will she wake up? Is she gonna stay like that? Do I have to unplug her? Am I going to have to let her go?? "Nora's mother said desperately. "No, no, there's no need to worry. You won't have to give your daughter up, she'll be fine. We estimate that she'll wake up around two or three days from now, if not maybe by the end of the week, " the doctor said as she smiled at Nora's mom.
"Ah, thank god. Thank you so much, doctor, for your hard work and for not giving up on my daughter," Nora's mom said. "Of course, she's a student here at our school, we'll never give up on our students," the doctor said, smiling in a strange way that neither Iris nor Nora's mom noticed. Walking back inside Nora's room, she smiles on both their faces as they look at Nora warmly."Oh, my sweet baby, you'll be waking up soon, I can't wait to see your beautiful eyes open again," Nora's mom said as tears ran down her cheeks. "I'm glad... Nor, I'll get to see your smile again," Iris whispered as she wore a sad expression. The day seemed to go by quickly now with such great news making their day better.
As the rain died down, Nora's mom looked at Iris who looked back with a confused expression. "Iris I think you should head back to the dorms sweetie, your parents should be expecting you by this time... besides you've stayed with me and Nora for the whole day," she said smiling at the said child. "But ma'am I don't think it's fitting for me to leave you alone here, I can stay here a bit longer, if you want I'll ask my parents right now. "Iris said as she seemed to be desperate. "No sweetie... I think it's time for you to go home. I don't want your parents to worry about you, you've been gone the whole day after all. Just go home, I'll take care of her... besides I'm not really alone, the doctors and nurses are here if I need help," Nora's mom said as she smiled at Iris softly.
"Alright, I'll go home. See you tomorrow ma'am" Iris said as she walked out of the room waving goodbye to Nora's mom. At the back of her head, Iris knew that she didn't want to leave. 'Why would I risk not being there for her? I've waited so long for Nor. But it's too late now, and living visitation would end tomorrow night anyway,' Iris thought as she walked down the hall. She exited the Infirmary and walked towards the dorm buildings. As she made her way to her dorm, she checked her phone for any new notifications. A message appears at the top, "Hey, mom's making baklava, better come quick if you want a bite! (Dad" 'There's no way I'm letting Dad eat all of Mom's baklava!' Iris thought as she opened the door. "Made it just in time, mija! Looks like you'll get a taste after all," Iris's dad said as he ran to hug her. "Hey Dad, I've got some good news!" Iris said with a small smile. "Ay, Sebastian! Take the baklava out of the oven while I bring out the food!" Iris's mom says from the kitchen. "Sorry, mija. Mom's calling, you wanna set the table while I take out the baklava? You can tell us the good news at the table," Iris's dad says with a smile. "Sure, Dad," Iris says as she gets utensils and plates/bowls.
"Bueno, time to eat mija," Iris's mom said as she brought the food out, setting it on the table. "Ma! That looks delicioso!" Iris said, smiling. "Ay, muchas gracias mija! Sebastian a comer!" Iris's mom told her husband to hurry."¡Ay voy mi amor!" Iris's dad said back walking to the table with the baklavas in his hands. "Alright, then time to eat," Iris's mom said as she took a seat followed by her husband and then Iris. "Now what did you need to tell us, sweetie?" Iris's dad said as he put some food on his plate. "Oh, well you see Dad... Nor is gonna wake up soon, the doctor told us she might wake up in two days and if not by the end of the week!!" Iris said with enthusiasm. "That's great mija! But please don't get your hopes up... it's not certain if she'll wake up at all. This is the third time the doctors have told us this after all..." Iris's mom said as she put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Your mom is right mija, for all we know she won't wake up anytime soon," Iris's dad said smiling sadly. "She'll wake up... I know she will, the doctor gave us hope, now it's our turn to believe in her," Iris said determinedly.
As her parents saw her determination they looked at each other and smiled, nodding at their daughter. "Alright, then we'll wait for her with an open mind," Iris's mom said as she looked at her daughter. "Yeah, thanks for understanding how I feel about this. Oh! I need to tell the others soon too," Iris said, remembering that her friends were also worried about Nora. "You'll have plenty of time to do that after you eat sweetie," Iris's dad said as he put food on her plate. "Yeah alright Dad, I'll do it after we finish up dinner," Iris said as she smiled at her dad. As the family ate and laughed together, Iris thought 'It's my fault she ended up in a coma for so long'. After dinner Iris went to bed, letting the silence take over, causing her to fall into a deep sleep.
She had a dream that night. One where the halls were endless, and there was no escape. "Why didn't you save me?" a girl said, her voice choked up with tears. Iris turns around to face the girl, "Nor?" "Don't you care about me? Why didn't you save me? Why'd you leave me there to fight alone? If you wanted to, you could've taken me with you" Nora says in an accusatory voice. Iris breaks down and into tears, "You told me to go by myself! I didn't mean to leave you alone!" "You didn't have to listen to me; you're just making excuses again." Nora said in a louder voice, "You never cared about me! You never loved me! You just used me to escape! For your benefit!" Nora yelled at Iris. Iris backs away from Nora. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Iris keeps repeating these words as Nora corners her. "An eye for an eye, it should've been you." three voices were heard alongside Nora's. An arrow grazes her right cheek, coming from a cat-eared girl. "I never miss, zura," Aki says with a small grin. A katana cuts her upper left arm. "Don't worry this won't hurt... one bit" Ian says as he grins widely. A spear pierces her right calf. "Sorry, Iris! Mistakes shouldn't go unpunished!" Sora says in a sweet voice, his smile hidden in the shadows. "It was my fault," Iris says in a grim tone, as she looks down at her feet.
"Yeah, your fault, zura," Aki said as she held Iris down with the help of Ian and Sora. "Now it's time to pay," both Ian and Sora said with a gin. "Don't worry your death will be quick," Nora said as she sneered at Iris picking her gun up. "No!!" Iris screamed as she flung herself upright, startled as cold sweat ran down her back."What's wrong mija? What happened?" Iris's mom asked worriedly from the hall as she rushed to Iris's room. "Just a nightmare ma, no worries," Iris said, trying to calm down."Mija, are you having that dream again?" Iris's mom asked with concern in her voice. "I'm... Yes ma, I am, it just won't stop. I keep thinking that it's my fault Nor is in this state" Iris said sadly. "Oh sweetie it's not your fault, it was an accident, it's no one's fault," Iris's mom said kindly.
"Thanks, ma, you're the best, I love you so much," Iris said, having a small smile on her face. "I love you too sweetie, now stop blaming yourself. Come out to the living area, breakfast is ready" Iris's mom said smiling at her daughter. "Kay ma, I'll be down in a bit. Just gotta shower and get ready first!" Iris said as she went to grab a towel. She stepped into the shower and turned on the water. 'I wonder if Nor's going to wake up tomorrow. Ma said that it's unlikely, but I still hope she will.' Iris thought to herself as she started to wash her hair. She finished up with her shower and dried off before she began to brush her hair. 'Ugh, I know Ma said not to feel guilty, but it's impossible not to. If only I'd done track like Nor– maybe I would've gotten there faster. Or maybe if I ran cross-country like Sora...' Iris thought to herself as she brushed her hair more aggressively than usual. 'There's no point in regretting it now, I guess.' Iris thinks as she begins to brush her teeth and wash her face.
"Iris!! Come down here now!! We've got news!!" Iris's mom said from the living area." Great news to be exact, mija!!" Iris's dad said, relieved. "Comin pa, ma!!" Iris says as she tries to calm herself down. As she walked down the hall, she couldn't help but think, 'Did something bad happen to Nor? What if they needed to pull the plug?' These thoughts ran through her mind as she reached the living area. "I'm here, what's the matter?" Iris said as she sat down on a couch. "Well... Nora's mom just called and said that you should get to the hospital quickly... because it seems that there are signs that Nora might wake up today!!" Iris's mom said happily as she turned to look at her daughter. "It seems that all our prayers have been heard! Nora's gonna be able to live her life now," Iris's dad said as he smiled at his daughter.
"Seriously?!? That's amazing! Nor is gonna wake up soon!!" Iris said with a big smile. "Uh, mija, you've got something on your face.." Iris's dad said with a chuckle. "Oh, my bad! I'll wash off the facial cleanser," Iris says as she runs back into the restroom. She washes off the cleanser on her face and rushes back down the hall to eat breakfast with her family. After this, she packs her bag and heads out for her morning class. In her morning class, she sits next to Aki and Sora, who seem to be a bit more worried and sad than usual. "Hey Aki, Sora good morning," Iris said as she sat down and smiled at them." "Good morning, Iris!!" Sora said, hiding his worry with his usual cheery smile. "G-good mo-morning I-Iris, zura," Aki said shyly, giving her a slight smile. 'She's still as shy as ever, and Sora is just as cheerful too' Iris thought as she smiled warmly at Aki. "Come on Aki, we've known each other for two years now, why are you still so shy?" Iris giggled a bit. "A-ah w-well I...Um....I'm n-not s-sure w-why I am, zura" Aki stuttered out, smiling apologetically. "Oh, Aki-chan! You shouldn't be shy, you're really sweet and pretty!!" Sora said as he hugged said girl causing her to almost lose her balance. "He's right you know, you're very kind and pretty, heck you're too kind for your own good Aki" Iris said teasingly. "Well, I suppose I am but I can't help it... I'll try to be more cautious of people...if I can, zura'' Aki said as she patted Sora's head gently.
"So Iris, how's your morning going so far?" Sora said as he moved his head up from Aki's neck, still hugging her. "It's great, which reminds me I have to tell you two and Ian something at lunch," Iris said cheerfully. "Really? S-something good or bad? zura" Aki asked with curiosity on both her and Sora's faces. "Yeah, because if it's bad, I don't wanna hear it," Sora said, still hugging Aki. "It's a good thing, do you guys think I would tell you something bad? Heck no, I wouldn't" Iris said pouting slightly. "You do have a point there Iris, sorry... anyway Sora can you let Ian know next period since you have it with him? zura" Aki said looking down at Sora who still wouldn't let her go. "Yeah, no worries, I'll let him know. Do you want me to ask him to walk you to your next period, Aki-chan?" Sora said, looking up at Aki.
"No need, I told him that he doesn't need to. I'll be walking with Iris today since Ms. Lopez told him he needs to stop being late to her class, zura" Aki said, looking down at Sora with a smile. "Okay!! Can we walk together to our 3rd-period? Please Aki-chan!" Sora said, clinging onto Aki. Aki giggled at his childish antics before answering his question "Yeah, of course, we can! You'll have to wait for me tho, my next teacher's class is always eager to leave his class, so it takes me a while to be able to get out, right Iris? zura" Aki said looking at Iris with a smile on her face. "Tell me about it, they all seem to be wild animals... honestly," Iris said letting out a giggle. "Well you can't blame them Mr. Sack is very... Well, he's a good teacher, but his subject is very boring. It's History after all, " Sora said, smiling slightly.
"It's not that bad, they can suck it up and deal with it for an hour and a half. Math on the other hand is boring, right Aki," Iris said looking in said girl's direction causing her to flinch. "Um... sorry Iris, I have to agree with Sora on this one. History isn't the most entertaining subject, and it isn't my best subject. Math, now that's a subject I'm good at. It's entertaining and interesting too, zura" Aki said, smiling apologetically at Iris. "See, Aki-chan agrees. It's not my best subject either, math is only okay thanks to Aki-chan, who helps me all the time. To me, the subject is English; it's fun, interesting, and has different parts to it!!" Sora said, smiling brightly. "I mean you are a bookworm so it's to be expected," Iris said teasingly smirking at Sora. "Hey! I'm not a bookworm, and what do you mean it's to be expected!!" Sora whined nuzzling closer to Aki.
"There, there Sora, no need to feel sad. You're great at English and thanks to being a bookworm, you helped me understand it!! So you see, it's good that you're a bookworm! I find it adorable! zura" Aki said, looking down at him as she smiled at him while petting his head gently. "Aki-chan!! You're so sweet! See Iris! You should be more like Aki-chan! She's sweet and a great big sister!" Sora said, looking at Iris, letting go of the hug to cling to Aki's arm. "But it's the truth! You are a bookworm! Although, I guess it does have its positives, my bad," Iris said smiling apologetically. "There we go see, isn't it better when you guys don't fight? zura" Aki said, smiling at her friends. "Hehe, yeah I guess you're right Aki-chan!" Sora said, smiling at Aki and then at Iris. "Yeah, I suppose it is," Iris said as she took her notebook out and gave them a sign that the teacher was there. "Alright kids, quiet down, let's start with the lesson," the teacher said. "Let's continue talking at lunch," Sora said as the girls nodded while smiling. "I said quiet down!!" the teacher yelled out seeing that they weren't listening. "Yes ma'am, sorry about that ma'am!!" All the students were scared of what their teacher could do to them.
"Alright, then let us begin," said the teacher in a much more calming voice. "Yes ma'am!" the students answered as they took their notebooks out as well as something to write with. 'Why is she always in a bad mood first thing in the morning?' Iris thought as she listened to her teacher talk about how to maintain control over their power since powers get stronger and evolve in a way. "So then Ms. Yukimura, can you answer this question for me?" The teacher said, looking in Aki's direction. "Y-yes m-ma'am!" Aki said, startled by the sudden spotlight. "What causes a person's power to spiral out of control?" said Ms. Nozomi. "What causes a person's powers to spiral out of control is their physical, mental, and external stability, ma'am," Aki said, fidgeting with her hands a bit. "That is correct Ms. Yukimura, well done," Mrs. Nozomi said smiling slightly at Aki, causing the said girl to smile back.
"Thank you, ma'am," Aki said, sitting back down and letting a sigh of relief escape her lips. "Well done Aki-chan! You did great" Sora whispered to Aki. "Thank you, Sora! zura" Aki whispered back smiling at the boy. "Alright, now Ms. Park, could you answer this question as Ms. Yukimura did?" Mrs. Nozomi said, looking straight at Iris. "Yes, yes I can ma'am," Iris said looking back at Mrs. Nozomi. "How can someone help a student if their powers are out of control?" Mrs. Nozomi said. "We should remove the student from a public environment if they're in one and take them to a safe place. We should also try to help them calm down, like with breathing exercises," said Iris in a confident tone. " That would be correct, but in most situations, breathing exercises won't help, so would you like to try again?" Mrs. Nozomi said. "I guess we could try to comfort them and ask them how they're feeling before giving them advice on how to handle their situation," Iris said calmly. "That is correct, well done Ms. Park" Mrs. Nozomi nodded at Iris. 'She seemed kinda disappointed with Iris's first answer, I wonder why?' Aki thought as she observed Mrs. Nozomi with curiosity.
'Man, she really was in a bad mood. This early in the morning too! And it seems like she's already picked favorites...' Iris thought as she looked kinda upset. "Thank you, Ms. Yukimura and Ms. Park," Mrs. Nozomi said softly. "Alright now class, I've prepared a quiz to check your knowledge of this unit so far. Ms. Chavez, could you please pass out the quiz?" Mrs. Nozomi said with a smile. "Of course, Mrs. Nozomi," Ruby says as she gets up and passes the quiz out. "Ah, great. A quiz is just what I needed today, note the sarcasm, zura" Aki whispered with a worried expression. "Come on Aki-chan! You'll do great! Besides, you're really smart when it comes to this subject, I, on the other hand, do have to worry" Sora whispered back with his usual cheerful smile. "No, don't worry. I'm sure you'll do great Sora! zura" Aki whispered smiling at Sora trying to give him confidence. "Thanks Aki-chan!" Sora whispered before getting interrupted by Ruby's voice. "Sora! Here you go," Ruby said, handing Sora a quiz, with an annoyed expression on her face, " Here you go, Yukimura," she said with a rude expression. "T-thank y-you, C-Chavez," Aki said with a shy expression. "Oh also, could you read this after class?" Ruby said as she handed over a note to Sora. "Oh uh, sure Ruby," Sora said with a confused look on his face as he watched Ruby walk by. "What do you think that was about?" Sora asked Aki. "No idea, but she seemed upset at me for-" Aki said before getting cut off. "Now class, settle down. The quiz will begin now. You have 20 minutes to finish it." Ms. Nozomi said. 'Man, what did Iris say about helping a student who lost control of their powers?' Sora thought with a pained expression on his face. "Sora you really need to pay attention, zura" Aki whispered as one of her celestial spirits gave him the answer.
"Ah! Aki-chan you're the best! Thank you" Sora whispered, smiling at her. "No problem, but please pay attention next time, zura," Aki whispered back, smiling worriedly. "Yeah, I will. Sorry, Aki-chan," Sora whispered, smiling apologetically at her. "Oh, no, no need to apologize, Sora, zura," Aki whispered, smiling at him. "Alright, you have five minutes left!" Mrs. Nozomi said as all the students flinched. "Mrs. Nozomi, I'm done," Aki said, being the first one to finish. "Ah, Ms. Yukimura, I see you're the first one to finish again," Mrs. Nozomi said, smiling proudly at her. "I'm also done, Mrs. Nozomi," Ruby's voice was heard, bumping into Aki causing her to almost fall. "Hey! That was rude! You almost made Aki-chan fall, Ruby!!" Sora said as he noticed that Aki was about to fall. "Oh, sorry Sora," Ruby says softly. "You should be apologizing to Aki-chan! You bumped into HER after all!" Sora said as his voice rose a little from frustration. "Oh, sorry Yukimura," Ruby says with a sneer. "Sora, please calm down, I'm okay and it's alright Chavez," Aki said, not wanting things to escalate, nor wanting Sora to be mad at Ruby. "Now, now settle down and head back to your seats. Students are waiting behind you," Mrs. Nozomi says, breaking up the tension. Sora and Aki look behind the line realizing that they really were holding up the line. " We're sorry, ma'am!" Sora and Aki said looking at Mrs. Nozomi apologetically.
Aki and Sora head back to where Iris is sitting. They start to pack up their bags, when Iris asks, "Hey, what was that all about with Ruby?". "Well she bumped into me and I almost lost my balance, zura," Aki said, smiling sadly at Iris. "Yeah, and Ruby didn't even apologize right away! She acted like it wasn't a big deal. I bet she wouldn't have apologized if I didn't mention it," Sora says with a pout. "Sora, I'm fine besides she didn't push me that hard and I'm okay, you can't be mad at her, she's nice, zura" The bell rings, so Iris and Aki exit together. Ian is at the entrance of Mrs. Nozomi's room, waiting for Sora. "Hey, Aki, How was class?" Ian said, smiling at Aki. "Hey, Ian, it was good! zura," Aki said, smiling. Sora approaches the entrance, running up to Ian. "Hey, Sora. What's up?" Ian said, fist-bumping Sora.
"Hey, Ian, do you want to go to a study session together? We can work on Mr. August's project since we're studying English. I plan on asking the rest of the group too, at lunch," Sora asks with a slight smile. "Sure, for what class?" Ian said with curiosity on his face. "Oh, it's English," Sora says. "Why English? You're super good at it. You need help on History though," Ian said, laughing a bit. "Oh, I could always use more practice, I'm not that good! But, you know, this study session isn't for me." Sora says shyly. "Then who is it for?" Ian said, looking at Sora with even more curiosity. "It's for Ruby, you know that girl in our next period with the short black hair and blue eyes?" Sora asks. "Oh, her, yeah I know who you're talking about," Ian said, nodding to show Sora he understood. "Yeah, she gave me a note," Sora says as he hands over Ruby's note to Ian. "Hey, I'm too shy to ask you this in person, but could you help me out in English? You've always been top of the class, with the highest scores too. I'm not doing very well, and Mr. August always seems too busy to help me. If your answer is yes, meet me at Vaqen's Vanilla Bean for lunch on Wednesday." Ian reads to himself.
"Hey, Aki! Are you ready to go?" Iris said. "Yeah, I'm ready to go! zura" Aki said, smiling at Iris. Iris and Aki walk to class. 'I couldn't focus on the quiz at all... All I could think about was Nora,' Iris thought as she walked with Aki. "Are you alright? You seemed a bit stressed, zura," Aki said worriedly. "Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just kind of out of it today," Iris says sheepishly. "Alright if you say so, but remember I'm always here for you, zura" Aki said smiling at Iris. As Aki and Iris enter Mr. Sack's room, Mr. Sack starts handing out worksheets for them to work on. The bell rings, and Mr. Sack starts the class with an announcement. "Please turn in the last class' homework into the 2nd-period tray. If you do not have it, it's due at the end of the school day. I've handed out 5 worksheets for you to work on. Before you start, read pages 249-260 of your textbook and annotate in your notebook. This is all due at the end of class; it's not homework." Mr. Sack says firmly. Aki and Iris work together and get through all 5 of the worksheets just as the bell rings. They scurry to pack up and are the first out of the class. "Made it out before the horde," Iris says with a small laugh as they walk to Ian and Sora's science class. As they approach the class entrance, Sora runs up to hug Aki. "Aki-chan!!" Sora calls as he runs up to her. He hugs her tightly before letting go so they can walk together to their next class.
"Hey Iris," Ian said, smiling at Iris while waving his hand a bit. "Hey, Ian! Ready for our special defense class?" Iris asks enthusiastically. "Yup! Sure, am! It seems like it will be interesting today," Ian said excitedly. They start walking out of the building, and as they pass the Infirmary, they notice a team of doctors scurrying into the building. "I wonder what that was all about. Maybe we should check it out," Iris says, curiosity lighting up her hazel eyes. "Yeah, just be careful, they seem to be a bit nervous," Ian said worriedly. They start walking towards the Infirmary, and when they enter, a lady frantically runs to Iris from the front desk. "Hello, miss. Are you Iris Park?" the receptionist asks, distraughtly. "Yes, I am. Is there something wrong?" Iris asks worriedly. "Your friend, Eleanor, has woken up from her coma. Her mother told me to inform you if I ever saw you coming to visit," the receptionist says. Iris looks over to Ian, and before she says anything, Ian nods.
"Go, I'll let the others know, but you must be there for her now!" Ian said, running towards the school. As Ian leaves, Iris begins to ask, "Could you– " "Yes, of course. I'll take you to your friend's room right away," the receptionist says as she calmly walks Iris to Nora's room. At the entrance, the receptionist says that she'll call the main office to excuse Iris from her 3rd and 4th-period classes since this is an emergency. "Thank you," Iris says, and the receptionist gives a small nod before briskly walking back to the lobby. Iris enters the room, and a voice is heard saying, "Who's there?" Iris runs up to Nora's bed and hugs her. "I've missed you so much, Nor. I can't believe you're finally awake," Iris says as tears start to build up in her eyes. Nora pushes Iris off her. "Who are you?" Nora asks as if she has no recollection of ever meeting Iris.