"Argument"

Miro spent the entire day in the forest, losing track of time. He didn't realize how long he had been there until the setting sun started to cool to forest. Finally, too tired to keep his eyes open, he leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes. The whisper of the forest seemed to fill his mind as he drifted off to sleep.

When he woke, the moonlight was filtering through the leaves, casting silvery shadows on the forest floor.

Miro stood up, disoriented for a moment in the silvery light of the moon. He glanced around, getting his bearings, and then began to make his way back to the Academy. The school grounds were quiet, the other students asleep in their beds. Miro moved quietly and quickly, avoiding any areas he knew to be frequented by teachers.

He made his way through the maze-like corridors of the academy, the stone floors cold and silent under his feet. As he neared his dorm room, he slowed down, listening carefully for any signs of life. As Miro approached the door to his room, he tensed, sensing a presence in the shadows.

As he opened the door, there she was, sitting on his bed, waiting for him.Luna looked up as he entered, her expression a mix of relief and worry. "Where have you been?" she asked, her voice betraying her concern.

Miro, caught off guard, closed the door behind him. He didn't know how to explain where he'd been all day, what he'd been doing. He looked at her, her face illuminated by the soft light of his desk lamp, and guilt washed over him.

As soon as Miro closed the door behind him, Luna stood up, her hands on her hips. The worry in her eyes had turned to annoyance, and her voice was sharp as she began to speak."You've been gone all day, without a word to where you've gone or what you're doing," she began, "I was worried sick about you. I've been looking for you all day!"

Miro opened his mouth to speak, to offer an excuse, but she cut him off, her voice getting louder with each word. "I thought something terrible had happened to you, that you were hurt or worse! And all this time you were just..." She stopped, gesturing towards him and the rumpled state of his clothes, "hanging out in the forest or something!"

Miro could feel defensiveness rising in him, mixing with his guilt. "I just needed some time alone," he said, his voice firm but not unkind. "I wasn't trying to worry you."

Luna huffed, not convinced. "Some time alone? You disappeared without a word. You didn't show up for class today, no one knew where you were. You scared me half to death, Miro!"

Miro bristled at her tone, his annoyance growing. "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to scare you, I just needed to clear my mind. You don't have to be so angry about it."

Luna didn't back down, her own annoyance rising to match his. "You don't get to disappear and then act like it's no big deal. I was worried! I care about you, you idiot!"Miro felt a pang of guilt mixed with irritation at being called 'idiot'. "I understand that you were worried," he said, trying to keep his voice steady, "but I can take care of myself, okay? I don't need you to mother me all the time!"

Luna's eyes flashed with anger at his words. "Oh, so I'm just supposed to sit here and worry while you go gallivanting off on your own, doing who knows what?" Miro ran a hand through his hair, his patience fraying. "I wasn't 'gallivanting', okay? I was in the forest, thinking! It's not like I was doing anything dangerous or reckless."

"The forest?" Luna repeated, her voice laced with disbelief. "You were in the forest all day? You do realize that's not reassuring, right? The forest is dangerous!"

"I know it's dangerous, but I was fine," Miro retorted, a hint of defensiveness in his voice. "I can handle myself, you know. I'm not a child." Luna crossed her arms, her expression stubborn. "You're acting like one. You just take off, without telling anyone where you're going or when you'll be back. How am I supposed to not worry when you do stuff like that?"

Miro took a deep breath, trying to keep his cool. "Look, I understand that you were worried, okay? But I was just in the forest, thinking. I needed some space to sort out some things in my head, that's all. You don't have to get so worked up about it."

Luna, her annoyance getting the better of her, retorted, "So you needed 'space', huh? Well, next time, why don't you try communicating that instead of just disappearing into the forest like some brooding teenager?" Miro tensed, his irritation boiling over at her words. "I didn't disappear, okay? And stop acting like I'm some teenager having a tantrum. I was just thinking, damn it! And I didn't want to burden you with my crap, that's all!"

Luna rolled her eyes, her patience clearly at its limit. "Oh, sure, because that's so much better. Instead of sharing your problems like a normal person, you run away and make me worry even more. Great plan, Miro, really well thought out."

As their argument continued, Luna's annoyance turned to anger, her words cutting like a knife. "You're so self-centered, you know that? You never think about how your actions affect others, only about what you want. Well, news flash, Miro, the world doesn't revolve around you!"

Miro felt his own anger flare, her words stinging like a slap. "I'm self-centered? Really? You're the one who insists on mothering me all the time, treating me like I can't take care of myself!"

"Maybe it's because I care about you, Miro! Maybe it's because I don't want to see you do something stupid and get hurt!" Luna retorted, her voice rising. "You don't think about anyone but yourself, and it's maddening!"

Miro stepped closer to her, his voice rising to match hers. "I do think about others! But sometimes, I just need some space, okay? I can't have you breathing down my neck all the time, it's suffocating!"

Luna took a deep breath, her face set in a scowl. "You know what, Miro? You're just a selfish, childish, irritating..."

She stopped mid-sentence, her words hanging in the air like a dagger. The silence that followed was heavy, the tension in the room almost palpable. Miro stood there, his expression a mixture of anger and hurt.

For a moment, Luna seemed like she was going to take it back, to apologize. But then the moment passed, and the words that had been said couldn't be unspoken. Miro clenched his fists, his eyes locking onto hers. "Well, if that's how you really feel," he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper, "then maybe you shouldn't bother caring at all. Obviously, I can't seem to do anything right in your eyes."

Miro grabbed his jacket, his movements jerky and filled with anger. He didn't look back at Luna, didn't say another word. He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him with a loud bang that echoed through the silent corridor. He walked quickly, his footsteps echoing through the mostly-deserted halls. His mind raced, replaying the argument over and over. The angry words, the hurt expression on Luna's face, the ache in his chest. He didn't know what he was doing, where he was going, he just needed to get away.

He moved through the academy like a ghost, avoiding the few students and teachers who were still awake. Eventually he found himself on the outdoor training fields, the night air cool against his heated skin. He stalked through the fields, the grass and dirt crunching under his shoes. The field was as silent as the rest of the academy, the soft sounds of the night creatures barely breaking through the tension that filled his mind.

Miro sank down onto the grass, leaning back against the rough bark of a large tree that stood at the edge of the training fields. He closed his eyes, trying to block out the images and thoughts that swirled in his mind.

...no thoughts...