: Crystal Shadows
The sparring ground had long fallen silent. Echoes of laughter, friendly taunts, and shared drinks faded into the hush of the sleeping academy.
Hours passed.
Anay lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep hadn't come, even though his body ached lightly from the earlier friendly spar. The quiet should've been calming, but his heart hummed like something unresolved was calling out to him.
He sat up, pulled on his black hoodie over his academy wear, and quietly stepped into the hallway. The marble beneath his feet felt cool, the corridor bathed in silver light pouring through the open arches. The night air was crisp, gentle, as if the world itself was exhaling.
As he passed the courtyard, something shimmered in the corner of his eye.
There, near the fountain in the center of the academy's garden, sat Sato.
Alone.
Still in his uniform. His sleeves were rolled up, and his fingers gently stirred the surface of the water. Crystals—small, pale-blue, and faintly glowing—floated softly across the pool. Sato's gaze was unfocused, fixed somewhere deep within himself.
Anay approached casually. "Yo. Couldn't sleep either?"
Sato didn't answer.
And then... a drop.
A single, quiet tear fell down Sato's cheek and vanished into the water.
Anay slowed. His smile faded.
"...Hey," he said, voice softer now. "Are you alright?"
Sato quickly wiped his cheek and turned slightly. "Yeah. I just... came to get some fresh air. That's all."
But his voice trembled—not enough for most to notice. But Anay wasn't 'most.'
He stepped closer, crouching beside him.
"I'm not buying that," Anay said gently. "You don't have to tell me anything. But if it hurts this much... maybe it'll hurt less if you do."
Sato stared at the ripples.
"You ever wonder why people cry in silence?"
Anay tilted his head.
"Because they don't want the world to see they're breaking... even if they are."
Anay stayed quiet.
Sato looked down at his reflection in the water.
"Please," he said. "Let me tell you. If I say it out loud... maybe I'll finally believe I survived."
Anay nodded. "Alright."
Sato exhaled slowly.
Sato's Backstory – The Boy from the Glass Village
"My home wasn't famous. It didn't have warriors, or temples, or fortresses. Just people. Good people. We lived in a village called Shiyou — the Crystal Bloom.
Every spring, the trees would flower with translucent petals, catching the sunlight like a thousand mirrors. It was like walking through a dream of light.
My parents were artisans. Not fighters. My father sculpted crystal statues with bare hands. My mother painted them, telling stories through every shade. They weren't powerful, but they made people smile. They made beauty from silence.
I had two best friends. Jin and Riku. Jin was loud, always challenging everyone to boulder-lifting contests. Riku? Sharp-tongued, smarter than all of us. We were inseparable. We talked about leaving the village someday. Riku wanted to explore. Jin wanted to fight monsters. I... I wanted to stay.
Then one day... the sky tore.
Monsters poured in through the portal. But not like the wild ones. These were coordinated. Controlled. As if someone was guiding them.
That afternoon, we were near the pond. Riku had just dared Jin to climb the tallest tree.
The monster came silently.
Jin reacted first. He had fire affinity. Formed a blade, struck fast. But it wasn't enough.
The beast struck Riku.
Blood... there was just blood.
Jin screamed. He lost control. Fire erupted. And in the chaos, he turned to me, voice cracking:
Jin : sato run
But me I want to fight along with him
Jin look at me with a painful smile
Jin-"Absolute Command — Run, Sato!"
My body moved. I didn't want to leave. But Jin's power forced my legs to run. I look at him.
Then blood came from his mouth not from the monster attack but it was the power that he used.This was the last time I saw him.
Anay blinked at the word "Absolute Command" but said nothing.
I ran home. My father was already fighting. With a carving blade.
My mother took me to the cellar. Locked it. Said:
"No matter what happens, live."
I tried to fight it. I screamed. But the door sealed shut.
And then...
Light. Heat. Screaming. Then silence.
When I opened the hatch... everything was ash.
My mother... she was still holding the cellar door from the outside.
I walked through ruins. I kept calling names. No one answered.
The trees had no flowers. The statues were shattered. The rivers ran black. And I...
I found my father's pendant. That was all.
Days passed. I don't remember eating. Or sleeping. I just walked.
Then I collapsed.
Academy scouts found me. They said I had awakened. That my powers were born in the moment of total despair.
But I didn't feel strong.
I felt broken.
Since then, I trained. I learned. I smiled.
Because if I didn't... I would forget how to survive."
Sato's voice cracked again. He looked down, tears barely hanging at the edge.
"Every time I summon crystals, I remember her. I remember the trees. I remember my father humming while shaping light. And I remember I couldn't save anyone."
Anay sat silently beside him, gaze soft.
Then he placed a hand on Sato's shoulder.
Anay: "I'm sorry. For what you lost. And for carrying it all alone."
Sato's shoulders trembled.
Anay didn't speak further.
Not everything needed words.
The two of them sat quietly, as the moonlight wrapped around them like a blanket.
Final Memory
"They fought... even though they didn't know how to fight," Sato whispered.
"They weren't trained. They weren't powerful. But they stood between monsters and their children. That's strength too, isn't it?"
Anay nodded.
Sato closed his eyes.
"I want to be someone like that.
Someone who stands.
Even if I'm scared. Even if I fail.or pass
Because that's what they did."
A silence followed.
And finally, finally, Sato allowed himself to breathe. Deeply. Freely.
When the two boys walked back to their dorms under the pale stars, neither spoke.
But something unspoken had changed.
Not power.
Not titles.
But understanding.
Anay: "You were strong, Sato. You protected someone. You're still protecting everyone — even if no one sees it."
Sato blinked. A tear escaped again.
Anay: "You don't have to carry it alone."
Sato smiled weakly. "Thanks. That… means more than I can say."
They sat in silence a little longer, the fountain gently trickling beside them.
And for the first time in years… Sato slept without the nightmare.