Roy walked down the old concrete staircase, his footsteps echoing faintly in the empty corridor. His hands rested loosely in his pockets as his mind replayed everything that had happened on the rooftop. It was like a weight pressed on the back of his neck: not heavy enough to crush him, but impossible to ignore.
When he reached the bottom floor, a familiar voice broke through his thoughts.
"Bro, took you long enough."
Roy lifted his eyes to see Omar leaning against the wall, arms crossed, a teasing grin on his face.
Roy exhaled slowly, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Omar walked up and gave Roy a firm pat on the back. His voice was loud and warm, like always.
"You know how hard it was to make sure no one saw what happened on the roof?"
Roy gave a quiet chuckle.
"How did you even do it? When I asked if you could help me, I didn't think you'd just say you already had it handled."
Omar straightened up, that smug look never leaving his face.
"I made a hologram of the entire school the moment the last students left. Made sure no teacher that was still inside saw anything."
Roy raised an eyebrow.
"And how exactly were you able to do that?"
Omar shrugged casually, his grin widening.
"I bought the tool and put the school pictures in it. The new delivery system is really fast"
Roy stared at him flatly, but there was amusement behind his eyes.
"…Fuck you, rich boy."
Omar burst into laughter, and Roy couldn't help but let out a quiet one too. Despite everything that had just happened, when the two of them were together, the tension always found a way to ease. Like a quiet promise that, somehow, things would be fine.
Meanwhile, on the rooftop they had just left, Marie stood alone. Her posture was stiff, her expression distant. She took a deep breath before finally walking away from the edge. Her steps were slow, and for once, her bright, energetic face carried something heavier. She was still trying to process everything she now knew.
---
The Next Morning
The sun had barely risen, its light stretching softly across the streets. Students in uniforms filled the sidewalks, some chatting excitedly, some still half-asleep.
Roy walked among them with his hands buried deep in his pockets. His messy black hair stuck out in every direction, and his tired eyes said everything about how little he cared to fix it.
Up ahead, Marie walked with a bright smile on her face. Her white hair was styled neatly, catching the early light. She looked almost untouched by yesterday's chaos. It was hard to believe they'd both stood under the same night sky
---
In the Classroom
When Roy entered his classroom, Omar was already in his usual seat near the window. Roy walked over without a word and sat in the chair beside him: their unspoken routine.
The two shared a quick dap, a wordless greeting that said everything.
Before they could talk, the teacher walked in, carrying a stack of papers and the same tired energy she always had.
Roy leaned back in his seat, pretending to pay attention, but his thoughts were elsewhere. His mind kept wandering back to Marie: to the rooftop, to the look on her face.
From the corner of his eye, Omar noticed. Years of friendship made it easy for him to read Roy when others couldn't. Outwardly, Roy looked calm, maybe even bored. But Omar could tell something was spinning behind those eyes.
He leaned over just enough to whisper,
"If you're that worried, just go ask her during the break."
"OMAR. Stop talking," the teacher snapped from the front.
"Yes," Omar answered simply, sitting straight.
The class chuckled quietly.
Roy shook his head slightly, but a faint, amused exhale escaped him.
---
Break Time
When the bell rang, Roy stood up almost immediately and walked out. He wasn't one for overthinking what he felt, but something in him needed to see Marie, to make sure she was okay.
He wandered the courtyard, scanning groups of students until he finally spotted her near a tree, laughing with a small group of friends. She looked… normal. Like nothing had happened.
Marie caught sight of him, excused herself from her friends with a polite smile, and walked toward him.
"Is there something you want me for?" she asked lightly, her voice as bright as ever.
Roy kept his hands in his pockets.
"Nothing. I just came to see if you're doing alright. Which, clearly, you are."
"You'd be correct," she said with a small, genuine smile.
"Anything else before I go back to my friends?"
Roy hesitated, his eyes narrowing slightly, not out of anger, but confusion.
"How?"
Marie tilted her head.
"How what?"
"How are you able to go back to normal so fast? How can you just… talk to me like nothing happened? How are you okay after finding out your biggest dream didn't even start with you?"
Even though he was speaking a lot, Roy's voice stayed low, steady. No one else could hear.
Marie's answer came calmly, without hesitation.
"But it is my dream."
He blinked, taken aback.
"…What?"
"It's my past life's dream, sure. But my past life is me," Marie said simply, as if it were obvious.
Roy stared at her, confused.
"…But if that's how you see it, shouldn't you hate me? I'm the same person who killed you."
"Not really," she replied.
Roy frowned.
"Elaborate."
"It's simple," Marie said, looking him straight in the eyes.
"I don't know why we fought or why you killed me. But the important part is that you had the chance to do it again. And this time, not only did you not do it, you fought against it. That tells me two things: either you've changed, or there was a reason back then that we don't understand yet."
Roy went silent. For a few long seconds, neither of them spoke. He finally exhaled and muttered,
"Okay. Sorry for interrupting your time with your friends."
Marie shook her head lightly.
"Don't worry about it."
She turned to leave, then paused and looked back at him.
"Will you and Omar take your IDs tomorrow?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Nothing. I'll be going tomorrow too, so… see you there. And tell Omar I said hi."
She flashed him one last smile before heading back to her friends, slipping effortlessly into their laughter.
Roy watched her go for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then he turned and made his way back to class.
---
Later
When Roy entered the classroom again, Omar was already there, waiting for him with two sandwiches in hand.
"Hey," Omar said, waving the food with a grin.
"Come here and tell me what happened."
Roy sighed softly, but a small smile broke through as he walked over and sat beside his friend, accepting one of the sandwiches. They ate together, laughing a little about nothing important.
For a while, it felt like the world wasn't as heavy.
The rest of the school day passed without anything unusual. Lessons blurred together, the bell rang, students filled the halls with their noise, and one by one, they all went home.
---
Nightfall
Darkness stretched endlessly around Roy. He opened his eyes to see nothing: just the black of the void and the cold glow of a full moon hanging above him.
The silence wasn't peaceful. It was too still, too sharp, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Roy stood there in the dark, alone.