The warm air carried a scent of dry grass and wet earth, still moist from a recent storm. There was a hint of spiced incense, pleasant and familiar.

I was standing on the open plains of the Central continent, roughly halfway between the school and Mairtala. My twin swords were held at the ready as I scanned the earth around me. To my left, a creature burst from the ground, claws poised to strike. It was a Trapper, a mole-like metafauna notorious for ambushing travelers, and regular job for low ranked mercenaries to drive them away from the city.

It didn’t seem to move through the air with any great haste. Easy work for a quick tech. Before I could launch my attack, Hitori swooped in from the right and cut it down with a pair of downward strikes.

“Gods, Little Seishin,” he said, “there’s such a thing as being too cool, don’t you think?”

“I totally had it!” I tried to resist a pout. “And don’t call me that!”

“Ah, sorry, sorry.” Hitori laughed. “I’m sure the mighty Nova third year doesn’t need a big brother any more, but I still see the small girl who ran around getting into mischief with my sister.”

I frown, which only drew even more laughter from him. I turned my glare to his face. It failed to still his gaiety, but did afford an opportunity to study his features. It’d been almost a year since we reunited, and I still couldn’t accept how much he’d grown in the half decade we were apart.

He was taller than the average Seitojin, fitting for a noble, and built like a professional soldier. If it wasn’t for his handsome face, I wouldn’t believe this was the scrawny bookworm from my memories. Not that I was complaining.

Hitori settled and returned my gaze. He smiled. “Now what are you staring me down for?”

I blushed and turned away, drawing a chuckle.

“For someone so scary, you can be awfully cute too.”

My cheeks burned. We sat in silence a few minutes.

Eventually, Hitori turned to me and said, “I’ve been thinking about the future.”

“About what you’ll do after you graduate?” I replied. “You’re taking a commission in Mairtala, right?” Staying here… with me.

He looked down, conflicting emotions obvious on his face. “That is what I told you, and”—he sighed—“I thought it’s what I wanted but…”

A ripple of thunder tore through the world. The scene fractured and reformed.

“The Sixth Wing!” I almost choked on the absurdity of it. “They’re psychotic brigands!” And weak.

“Imperial lies,” Hitori said. His eyes burned with passion. “The Sixth Wing is fighting to overthrow an unjust system, to end the depravity the corrupt nobility.”

“What are you talking about? Hitori, we’re both nobles.” I was almost pleading with him. “Sure, things were strict, but I could hardly call them evil.”

“You’re from a branch family, so far removed from House politics you may as well have been common.” Hitori sighed and shook his head. “Do you remember Mizuna?”

“Your… little sister? She died, right? What’s that got to do with this?”

“You never found it odd?”

“I… I…” I didn’t want to think about it, but dying so young was unheard of. Everyone politely ignored the blatant lie it was normal.

“And your friend Tsumi, you ever wonder why she had a full Shadow Mark the day you met. Is that normal for a ten year old?”

“D-don’t…” Nova Shades wouldn’t finish their mark until well into their teens.

Hitori!

The scene lurched forward.

He stood with his right hand out, eyes fixed to my own.

“I… I can’t go with you,” I said. Why not?

His body sagged as he dropped his arm. “And I can’t stay.” He sighed. “I hope you find the peace in life I could not.”

He walked away.

I… I knew… He wouldn’t really. He couldn’t. Next week, he would call me from the city to help with a mission, and things would go back to normal. The next time we saw each other, he would be the sa—

Hitori!

A sudden impact. The vision of a young Seitojin man slowly fading from view. He looked weatherworn, an air of manic desperation in his eyes.

Why am I thinking about this?