Hi, tanuki chan here, I'm sorry for not writing yesterday's chapter. I was watching Kiara's stream from Hololive. Kyaa. Ame appeared!!! I love her!!!
Enjoy the chapter!!
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Antonella walked alone through the empty streets around campus. Her backpack hung over one shoulder, hands buried deep in her coat pockets. It was early, but she'd decided to gather her things once and for all.
Not because she hated the place. Not exactly. But every corner was full of echoes—of voices she couldn't bear to hear anymore. Her own reflection in the mirror threw back questions she didn't want to answer.
She thought about what had happened with Semiel. That moment when, while handing over the files against Santiago, he also revealed he had the photos. The same ones Xavier had sworn to destroy. The same ones she'd locked away in her mind like a bad dream.
—What did you do with them? —she'd asked.
—I didn't do anything. Just kept them on a USB. But yeah, I saw them.
There hadn't been anger in his tone. Just a kind of resignation. And that was worse. It meant he'd seen her at her most vulnerable—and could use that against her. She didn't know if that made her feel relieved or disgusted.
From that moment on, Antonella knew she couldn't trust anyone anymore. Semiel might've saved her from something worse, but that didn't make him safe. And Xavier? Even less. Not even Saval, no matter how sweetly her heart tried to remember him.
—If I stay, I'll end up destroying myself.
She said it softly, like letting the words out could lift the weight off her chest.
Revenge had kept her going for months. It gave her purpose—a reason not to completely fall apart. But now she understood it was like clinging to a blade: it was cutting her, slowly but deeply.
—That's enough.
Her steps carried her to the bus station. The sky was just starting to lighten, tinted with a soft blue-gray that hinted at a new day. She sat on a cold metal bench, felt the wind on her face, and closed her eyes.
—Maybe I didn't win completely. Maybe no one will ever know everything I did. But at least I won't lose myself.
In her backpack, she carried the last pieces of evidence against Santiago. She wouldn't publish them. Not for his sake. For hers. She needed something kept safe, just in case.
Letting them live with what they'd done… that would be enough. For now.
...
On the other side of campus, Santiago shut the door to his dorm room for the last time. No suitcases. Just a backpack, a laptop, and the hollow air of someone who'd fallen from a great height.
He didn't speak to anyone. No one was there to see him off.
He'd been suspended for "inappropriate conduct." The university, cornered by the anonymously leaked evidence, had no choice. They didn't expel him officially—too soon for something that drastic. But the message was clear: leave, and make it fast.
Santiago walked past the buildings with his head down. For the first time, he didn't feel watched. He felt invisible. That was worse.
When he reached the campus gates, he stopped for a moment. Looked back. The walls that used to feel so familiar now seemed cold, distant.
—This isn't over.
His voice was barely a whisper. But inside, the anger burned like fresh fire. He'd lost. But he'd learn. He'd rise again. And when he did, he'd make sure everyone who betrayed him paid for it.
—Antonella. Semiel. All of them. They'll pay.
And then, without looking back again, he left.
Saval wandered aimlessly through campus. Classes had resumed, but the atmosphere still felt different. Lighter than before, but just as uncertain. Like everyone knew something had changed for good.
He walked past the spot where he used to study with Antonella. It didn't hurt as much anymore. Just a faint echo, a soft memory he was learning to let go of.
—Hey...
A voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He turned around and saw a girl walking toward him. She was new. He hadn't seen her before. Her dark hair was tied in a loose braid, her glasses were slightly crooked, and she was juggling a folder full of papers that almost slipped from her hands.
—Sorry —she said, trying to keep everything from falling—. It's my first day and I'm already lost.
Saval looked at her silently. For some reason, she seemed familiar.
—Where are you headed?
She checked her schedule with a shy smile.
—Comparative Lit. Building B, room 204, I think. Unless I wrote it down wrong.
—It's that way —he said, pointing down a nearby hall—. I can walk with you. I'm going in that direction.
The girl nodded, grateful. They walked in silence for a few seconds, until she introduced herself.
—I'm Mia, by the way.
—Saval.
She smiled at him. It wasn't a big smile, or particularly flirty. But it was a genuine one.
And Saval, for the first time in a long while, smiled back.
...
In the distance, the university bells marked a new hour. The sun finally broke through the clouds, like a quiet promise. The day had begun.
And with it, something else too.
Beginnings.