(Happy JULY!)
It's been weeks since I last saw Diamond's face awake — since I heard her voice, felt her hand in mine.
But the silence she left behind still screams in my mind.
I'm different now. Not the same Anos who charged headfirst into every fight, who cracked jokes to keep us sane. Not the brother Izuku used to lean on. Not even the friend who once dreamed of being a hero.
Now? I'm just a shadow trying to disappear.
The assassin academy took me back without question. Maybe they knew I was broken. Maybe they just wanted my skills.
I don't care.
I throw myself into training. Into missions. Into the cold, calculated world where feelings don't matter and orders are all that count.
Because if I stop, if I let myself feel—then the weight of that letter, of her sacrifice, crashes down like a tidal wave.
Diamond gave me everything to keep me alive, and all I can give back is silence.
At night, when the world goes quiet, I hear her. I see her smile — fierce, stubborn, beautiful.
I wonder if she's still fighting somewhere beyond this pain.
I wonder if I'm still fighting too.
Maybe burying myself in work will make the pain less sharp. Maybe it will make me forget.
But deep down, I know it won't.
Because loving her changed me.
And no amount of darkness can swallow that light.
This war isn't over.
Not for me.
Not yet.