Dex stands outside the door, pacing.
He raises his hand to knock… then stops.
Lowers it.
Tries again.
"Okay," he mutters.
"Just knock. Say your name. Don't be weird."
He knocks.
The door swings open almost immediately.
Daphne stands there, already annoyed. "Sorry, but I can hear your heartbeat and your breathing from inside. It's disturbing."
Dex freezes.
She frowns.
"Wait… who are you? And why are you at my door?"
He swallows.
"This is… the hardest thing I've ever had to say."
She blinks.
"If you're going to start with 'this is the hardest thing,' it better end with you being a serial killer… or that you're making out with my grandma."
Dex shakes his head quickly. "No—no. I'm Dex."
A beat.
"…Your guardian," he adds.
She looks him over, unimpressed. "My guardian… you?"
"There was a switch," he says awkwardly.
She exhales. "Fine. Come in."
He steps inside, careful, unsure.
"I'm—"
"No," she cuts in. "No introductions. No small talk. We can skip it."
He nods. "Right. Skip it."
An awkward silence settles.
He tries anyway. "Is there anything you want?"
She glances at him, expression flat. "Yeah."
He perks up slightly.
"How about you stop talking to me."
The moment drops.
"…Okay," he says quietly.
And just stands there.
***†***†***
I'm on my way out, still thinking about the pairing, when—
When someone collide into me
Hard.
"Sorry—" I start, stepping back.
Astraea.
She looks… wrong.
Not injured. Not upset. Just—rushed. Like she's running from something she can't outrun.
Her things scatter across the floor.
"I'll help—" I bend down, reaching for them.
"No." The word comes out too fast.
Too sharp.
I freeze.
She's already gathering everything herself, hands moving quickly, almost shaking.
"Are you okay?" I ask, watching her.
"I'm fine."
She's not.
I hesitate, then try again. "Who did you get paired with?"
Astraea pauses.
Just for a second.
Then she shakes her head. "I don't know."
"That's not—"
"I said I don't know," she cuts in, not looking at me.
Her voice is distant.
Closed off.
Before I can say anything else, she turns and walks away—fast, like stopping would be a mistake.
"Astraea—"
She doesn't turn back.
I stand there for a moment
Something feels off.
Then I notice it.
A small moonstone, half-hidden near my foot.
I pick it up slowly.
It's cold.
I look in the direction she disappeared.
She forget this.
She left it.