The sun was setting behind Valewood Academy, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. The day they have been long, filled with classes, tension, and rumors that neither Alya nor Kai could shake. The usual chaos between humans and vampires felt distant now as they made their way to a quiet spot on the outskirts of the campus, away from the main hustle and bustle. This was where they could relax—away from the stares, the whispers, and the unspoken pressures.
Alya walked slightly ahead, her hands stuffed in her jacket pockets, while Kai trailed behind, hands behind his head, whistling as though nothing in the world could bother him. Despite his carefree demeanor, Alya knew better. Beneath all that goofing around, Kai wasn't just some lazy joker.
Kai caught up, nudging her shoulder. "Why the long face? You look like someone canceled your favorite TV show."
Alya sighed, glancing sideways at him. "It's nothing, just... everything, I guess. Dorian's drama, all the tension with the humans and vampires, and don't even get me started on school."
Kai grinned, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yeah, Dorian's a special kind of pain. If you ask me, he's one of those guys who peaked in middle school and never got over it."
Alya snorted. "Pretty accurate."
For a moment, there was silence between them, only the crunch of their footsteps on the gravel pathway. This was the kind of quiet Alya had come to appreciate. Kai might be obnoxious and loud most of the time, but when it was just the two of them, he somehow managed to keep his mouth shut long enough to let her breathe.
They reached the edge of a grassy hill, overlooking a small grove of trees. It was their spot—the place they'd escape to when the academy felt too overwhelming. Kai dropped down onto the grass, patting the ground next to him.
"Come on," he said, giving her that lopsided grin he always wore. "You look like you need a break."
Alya hesitated for a moment before sitting down next to him. "You know, you're not as annoying when you're quiet."
"That's because I'm saving my energy," Kai replied, lying back on the grass with his arms behind his head.
Alya glanced at him, her gaze softening slightly. She rarely saw him like this—relaxed, not trying to make everyone laugh. There was something about it that made her wonder what was really going on in his head.
"Kai," she said, after a moment of silence, "why do you always act like nothing bothers you?"
Kai turned slightly to look at her, his grin fading just a bit. "What do you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean," Alya replied, frowning. "You joke around, act like everything's a game, but I know it's not. Especially with all the crap going on lately. So, why do you pretend?"
Kai's smile didn't come back this time. He stared up at the sky for a long time before answering. "You know, when I was a kid, I used to hate being serious. Everyone around me was always so focused on being the best, doing the right thing, never making a mistake. It was suffocating."
Alya blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change in his tone. She wasn't used to hearing Kai talk about his past—or anything deep, for that matter.
"But, at some point, I realized," Kai continued, his voice quieter now, "that making people laugh, being the guy who didn't take things too seriously... that was my way out. My way of not letting all that pressure get to me." He sat up, running a hand through his messy hair. "And it worked. Mostly."
Alya stared at him, her usual sarcastic retorts falling away as she processed his words. She had always known there was more to Kai than the laid-back guy who didn't care about school or drama. But hearing him actually admit it? That was new.
Before she could say anything, a voice called out from behind them.
"Hey, you two!"
They turned to see Delia and Marcus, two classmates from their Magical Combat Theory class, making their way up the hill. Delia, a tall, athletic vampire with a wicked sense of humor, waved as she approached, while Marcus—a quiet but sharp-witted human—gave them a small nod.
"Thought we'd find you two hiding out here," Delia said, grinning. "You're always sneaking off to this spot."
Kai chuckled, his carefree grin slipping back into place. "It's the best spot on campus. Plus, we've got front-row seats to watch you guys struggle with magical combat from up here."
Delia raised an eyebrow. "Says the guy who nearly blew himself up last week trying to cast a basic flame spell."
Marcus smirked. "I still don't know how you managed to mess that one up."
Alya grinned. "It's Kai. He finds new and inventive ways to mess up."
"Hey!" Kai protested, but there was no real bite to it. "That was an experimental spell, okay? You guys just aren't ready for my level of genius."
"Sure, genius," Alya said with a laugh. "Keep telling yourself that."
The four of them sat down together, the conversation turning light again as they started sharing stories about their latest magical mishaps. It felt good, being with friends who didn't take everything so seriously—especially after the tense few days they'd all had.
"So," Delia said after a while, leaning back on her hands, "are you guys going to the sparring session tomorrow?"
Kai groaned dramatically. "Ugh, please don't remind me. I still haven't recovered from the last one."
"That's because you got your butt kicked," Marcus pointed out, smirking.
"Hey, I went easy on you, Marcus. Didn't want to embarrass you in front of everyone," Kai said, trying to look serious but failing.
Alya rolled her eyes. "You got knocked out by a training dummy."
Kai waved her off. "Details, details."
Delia laughed. "You know, Kai, I'm starting to think Alya should be the one sparring tomorrow instead of you. She'd probably do better."
Alya raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I don't know about that. I'm not exactly a fan of the whole 'punching people in the face' thing."
"Really?" Marcus said, tilting his head. "I've seen you throw some pretty good punches at Kai."
Kai pretended to be offended. "What? You're supposed to be on my side, Marcus."
Marcus shrugged. "I go where the truth is."
Alya couldn't help but smile. Despite everything, this was what she liked about these moments with Kai and the others. There was no pressure to be perfect or to always be on guard. It was just them, laughing, teasing, and being real.
But as the conversation drifted, Alya couldn't shake the feeling that something was still bothering Kai. His earlier admission about his past had caught her off guard, and now, sitting here with their friends, she couldn't help but wonder how much he was hiding beneath that carefree smile.