CHAPTER SIXTY FIVE: BENEATH THE SURFACE

I woke up with the grace of a half-dead sloth and the enthusiasm of a rock. My eyes cracked open, and immediately, I regretted life. My body felt like I'd been trampled by a herd of flaming rhinos, then left to marinate in my own regret.

I sat up slowly, groaning like an old man, rubbing my face as if that would magically restore the eight hours of sleep I definitely didn't get. My head throbbed faintly, my limbs felt like pudding, and to top it all off—I was starving.

And I knew exactly who to blame.

"Helen..." I muttered with venom, dragging my legs off the bed like they weighed fifty pounds each. "Of course she'd crawl into my brain and start nesting there like some emotional therapist pigeon."

I didn't even like being thoughtful. That was Nicole's department—or Ken's when he was in the mood to act all mysterious and broody. Me? I preferred not giving a damn. But now? Now I was thinking about helping people.

Disgusting.

My stomach growled like a feral beast as I stumbled toward the mini fridge. "If there's no food in here," I warned aloud, "I'm setting something on fire today."

Spoiler alert: There wasn't.

I was starving. Not the "oh, I could eat" kind. The "if I don't eat in the next five minutes, I'm going to start biting people" kind.

So, I got dressed, threw on my jacket like it owed me money, and stomped out of my room with the enthusiasm of a gravedigger on overtime.

By the time I reached the school cafeteria, the sun had barely climbed over the buildings. Students were trickling in, chatting, laughing, generally acting like normal, well-adjusted human beings. Disgusting.

I marched straight to the counter, ignoring the curious glances tossed my way. "Give me whatever's hot, heavy, and enough to shut my stomach up," I said flatly.

The lunch lady blinked at me, clearly unsure if I was joking or preparing for war. She handed me a tray stacked with eggs, toast, bacon, some kind of weird fruit I wasn't going to touch, and a steaming mug of something that might pass for coffee.

I took it all and slumped into the nearest corner table, digging in like a man possessed.

"Stupid feelings," I muttered between mouthfuls. "Stupid Helen. Stupid Nicole. Messing up my sleep like that."

The toast was dry. The eggs were rubbery. And the bacon tasted like paper. But somehow, it was still the best meal I'd had in days.

I chewed like my life depended on it, not even caring that the bacon crunched like it had been left out in the sun for three days. Whatever—my stomach was too busy rejoicing to complain.

Every few seconds, I'd glance up, scanning the cafeteria with lazy eyes. Students were pouring in now, carrying trays, chatting like the world wasn't on the verge of chaos. Some were even laughing over what looked like burnt pancakes and mystery juice. I paused mid-chew and narrowed my eyes.

"How the hell are they all so casual?" I muttered under my breath. "Is there some secret 'ignore impending doom' seminar I missed?"

One guy two tables over was telling a story way too enthusiastically, nearly knocking his milk over while waving his arms. A couple to my left were giggling like idiots over a shared donut. And right across from me—some girl was doodling on a napkin with the kind of focus that made it look like the napkin owed her money.

I took another bite, the dry chuckle that escaped my throat more of a reflex than a genuine expression of amusement. The world outside these walls was on the brink of chaos, but in here, it was just another day.

My tray was already half-cleared, and I hadn't even taken a proper breath yet. I leaned back, the chair creaking beneath me, and stared out the window at the morning light. The warmth on my face only highlighted the emptiness inside.

I poked the fruit on my tray with the end of my fork. It jiggled, and I left it alone.

Just as I was about to declare war on the jiggly fruit, I caught movement near the cafeteria entrance. I looked up and instantly regretted it.

Mack Remmick.

And with him—Reyna Vael and Orin Graves. The school's "golden trio," if you were into labels and social hierarchies. They looked like they were scanning the cafeteria for a place to sit, but the moment Mack's eyes locked with mine, I knew the gods of sarcasm were testing my patience.

I dropped my gaze immediately, tilting my head down like I was really interested in my jiggly fruit. Maybe if I played dead, he'd ignore me.

Too late.

I heard the chair across from me scrape.

"Hey," Mack said, plopping down with a stupidly friendly smile.

I didn't look up. I kept poking my fruit.

"Are you… talking to me?" I finally said, raising a brow without lifting my head.

"Yeah," he said, as if that was a perfectly normal thing to do. "Figured you could use the company."

"Oh, how sweet. What gave it away?" I asked, deadpan. "My warm smile? The welcome mat? Or the fact that I was clearly enjoying my tragic breakfast alone?"

Mack laughed like I'd just told him a joke instead of an insult on his existence. "You're funny"

"No. You're just nosy."

He shrugged, unbothered. "Maybe. You always sit alone."

"Because I like sitting alone."

He leaned back, still smiling. "Right. But maybe one day you'll be glad I didn't leave you to your weird fruit and antisocial vibes."

I finally looked up, giving him the flattest look I could muster. "Why are you talking to me like we're friends?"

Mack leaned forward, elbows on the table like this was some cozy little brunch meet-up. "Because we share the same last name," he said with a small shrug. "And we're both from the Shadow Realm."

"Ohhh," I said, dragging the word out like a revelation. "So that means you're no longer pissed I kicked your stupid ass at the tournament?"

His friendly smile twitched—just for a second—but that second was enough. The air shifted. Mack's jaw clenched, his easygoing vibe replaced by something sharp.

"I tried being nice to you," he muttered, voice low and tense. "But you're such a douchebag."

I leaned back and smirked. "There it is," I said, casually waving my fork. "Your true character. I knew that sunny-boy act was fake."

His eyes flared for a heartbeat before he stood up, muttering something under his breath. I watched him stalk off to join Reyna and Orin, who were both pretending very hard not to look this way.

I stabbed my fruit again and shook my head. "Remmicks," I muttered. "So emotionally unstable."

As Mack stomped back to his team, trying to salvage what was left of his pride, Reyna turned her head slightly—just enough to catch my eye. With a devilish grin, she winked and blew me a kiss, the gesture slow and deliberately obnoxious.

I blinked once. Then twice.

"Yuck," I said out loud, recoiling like I'd just been served cold soup in hell. I shoved the last bite of food in my mouth like I needed to cleanse my soul.

Reyna only laughed, tossing her hair back as she walked off with Mack and Orin, her hips swaying like she knew exactly the effect she had on people. Or at least, the effect she thought she had.

"I need a refund on my morning," I mumbled. "This day's already going downhill and I haven't even finished my eggs."

I slumped into the chair and stared at my tray, seriously considering if second breakfast was a thing normal people did—or if it was just another one of those weird student traditions that made zero sense to someone like me.

Then again, I was starving.

As I sat there, contemplating whether I could get away with ordering another round of eggs without looking like a total glutton, my eyes landed on Nicole.

She walked into the cafeteria like someone who hadn't slept in days, dragging her feet with an almost painful slowness. Her face was pale, and the dark bags under her eyes made her look like she hadn't seen sleep at all the previous night. The usual spark that lit up her features was absent. She was just... empty.

I felt my stomach tighten in an unfamiliar way. For a second, I almost forgot about my own hunger, just staring at her as she moved through the cafeteria. Something in me twisted, a quiet ache that I wasn't sure what to do with. I could see the exhaustion in her posture—the way her shoulders drooped as if carrying a weight only she knew.

Something about it hit me harder than it should have. It wasn't just her usual stubborn determination. It was... fragility. Something was off. She wasn't okay.

I tried to shake it off, but it stuck to me like glue. Maybe she had been pushing herself too hard. Maybe it was the pressure of everything that had happened—what Dain did, the fight with Maverick, everything she had to deal with.

I didn't know what it was exactly, but it felt like I needed to do something. Anything. Even if I didn't understand how to help.

Nicole paused at the door, scanning the cafeteria, and for a moment, I thought she might look my way. But she didn't. Instead, she walked slowly toward the far corner, sitting alone at a table, her hands curled around the edge like she needed something to hold on to.

I stared at her for a few moments longer, feeling like I was supposed to do something, but not having the slightest idea what that something was.

Without even realizing it, my legs moved on their own. The next thing I knew, I was walking toward her.

I tried to stop myself, but my feet had already made the decision. There was something about seeing her like this that made it impossible to just sit back. Maybe it was the way her shoulders were hunched in defeat, the way she seemed so distant, like she had vanished from herself. I had seen her face countless times, full of fire, anger, determination... but this? This wasn't her.

Before I knew it, I found myself standing by her table. She didn't notice me right away, her gaze fixed on the table, her fingers tracing circles in the condensation on her cup. I stood there, awkwardly, unsure of what to do or say.

"Hey," I said, my voice sounding way too loud in the silence between us.

Nicole looked up slowly, her expression blank for a moment before recognition flickered in her eyes. For a second, I thought she might say something or at least acknowledge my presence, but all she did was give a small, tired nod.

"Hey," she murmured quietly.

I felt like an idiot standing there. I had no idea why I was even here. I had no comforting words to offer, no clever joke to lighten the mood. I just stood there, feeling every bit of the weight she was carrying.

"How... how are you?" I asked, my voice suddenly feeling too soft, like I had forgotten how to talk to people properly.

She sighed, a deep, almost defeated sound, before shaking her head slightly. "I'm fine," she said, though I could hear the lie in her voice.

"You're not," I muttered, before I could stop myself. The words came out too fast, like they were desperate to escape. "You're obviously not. What happened?"

Nicole didn't respond at first. She just stared down at her half-eaten breakfast. I could see her mind was miles away, and I knew that whatever was going on in her head, it wasn't anything good.

"I just... couldn't sleep," she said, her voice almost drowned out by the noise of the cafeteria around us. "I don't know, everything's just... too much."

I stood there, feeling strangely helpless, not knowing what to say next. I wanted to do something, anything, but I felt so out of place.

"You should've said something," I finally said, though even as the words left my mouth, I wasn't sure if it was the right thing to say.

Nicole gave a small, tired laugh, but there was no humor in it. "And do what? You can't fix this, Liam."

The words hit me harder than I expected. I wasn't sure why, but they stung. Maybe because I couldn't fix it. Maybe because I had no clue how to help her, even if I wanted to.

"Look," I said, running a hand through my hair, not sure what to do with myself. "I don't know what to say, but if you need... something. I'm here, okay?"

She looked up at me then, her eyes searching mine for a moment, before her lips curved into the faintest of smiles.

"Thanks," she whispered. "I guess that's all I need right now."

I nodded, not sure what else to do but stand there for a moment longer before turning to leave. Something about this whole conversation felt unfinished, but I didn't know how to make it right. So, I left it at that.

But as I walked away, I couldn't shake the feeling that I should have said more, done more.

As I walked out of the cafeteria, still reeling from the awkward interaction with Nicole, I couldn't help but replay every word I should have said, every moment where I could've done better. Maybe if I'd said something different, maybe if I'd just... I don't know, been more supportive.

But then, without warning, I collided with someone—again.

"Ugh, my luck today," I muttered under my breath, ready to apologize, not looking up to see who it was.

"I'm sorry, I didn't—"

"Well, well. Look at that, the amazing Liam actually knows how to apologize now?" Selena's voice rang out, her tone light and teasing.

I froze mid-sentence, my face scrunching up in frustration. Of course, it had to be her. The bratty sage, always with the perfect timing. She was standing there, arms crossed, her expression amused.

"Great," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "The brat sage is here."

Selena smirked, unfazed by my usual sarcasm. "It's cute when you pretend to be all grumpy," she teased, raising an eyebrow. "You do realize I'm not some random person you can bump into and ignore, right?"

I sighed, trying to shrug off the tension in my shoulders. "Yeah, whatever," I said, more to myself than to her. "I didn't see you coming out of your magic portal, so I guess this one's on me."

Selena gave a soft chuckle, her eyes twinkling as she stepped back and gave me some space. "Well, consider yourself lucky," she said. "I'm in a good mood today, so no lectures. But you really should work on your spatial awareness."

I shot her a glance, half-amused and half-annoyed. "I'll work on it when you stop popping up everywhere, ruining my attempts to have a normal day," I shot back, with a slight smirk of my own.

She raised her hands in mock surrender. "Fair enough. But seriously, what's with the storm cloud over your head? I know when you've got something bugging you. You want to talk about it?"

I hesitated. Selena had this way of getting under my skin, but in a way that made it hard to stay mad for too long. Maybe it was her confidence or the way she could always read me, but something about her was... different.

But I wasn't ready to spill the whole truth. Not now.

"Nah," I said, shaking my head. "Just a rough morning."

"Right," she said, not convinced but letting it go. "If you change your mind, I'm around. You know where to find me."

"Yeah, I'm sure," I muttered, starting to walk away.

Before Selena could walk too far, my feet dragged me back, and I called out, "Hey!" My voice was gruff, almost reluctant.

I stood there, staring at Selena for a moment, my mind still swirling. I didn't even know why I called her back in the first place. Maybe it was because I had no idea what to do with Nicole, and I sure as hell wasn't going to figure it out on my own. I muttered under my breath, "Fuck."

Selena turned around, raising an eyebrow at me. "You called me back, now what?"

I sighed, walking closer to her, feeling the tension in my chest. "Can we get out of here?" I asked, trying to keep my tone steady. "Somewhere quieter, somewhere nicer."

She gave me a curious look but didn't argue. "Lead the way," she said, amusement dancing in her voice.

I didn't really know why I was leading her here. I guess it was just because this place was quiet, and I needed that. I took her down a few winding hallways, away from the cafeteria, until we reached my favorite spot—a secluded courtyard tucked between a couple of buildings. It was quiet and calm, the perfect place for me to think. And apparently, for whatever the hell this conversation was going to be.

She took one look around and raised an eyebrow. "Is this a date, or are we just having a picnic?" she teased, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

I glared at her, already regretting bringing her here. "Shut up," I muttered, running a hand through my hair.

I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks, but I pushed through it, trying to focus. "I—uh, I don't know how to—look, Nicole's been, uh... struggling," I said, the words coming out in a jumble. I felt like an idiot, but I kept going. "She's been exhausted, and I don't know how to help her. I don't know what to say to her."

Selena's expression softened a bit, though she didn't drop the playful edge. "You came all the way out here to ask me that?" she asked, her voice still light, but there was an understanding there.

I nodded, feeling the weight of the situation. "Yeah, I don't know how to handle this. I keep thinking if I just give her space, she'll be fine. But... I don't think she will. I don't think I can just leave her like that."

Selena crossed her arms, studying me. She seemed to be processing everything I said before responding. "Well, you're not wrong," she said after a moment, her voice softening a little. "But, what do you think she needs from you?"

I let out a frustrated breath, running a hand through my hair. "I don't know," I admitted, feeling stupid. "I don't want to mess it up. I don't even know what I'm supposed to say to her. What's the right thing to do here?"

For a while, Selena didn't speak. She just studied me with those sharp, calculating eyes. Finally, she let out a sigh, her expression turning serious. "You can't just give her space and expect it to fix itself. Nicole's the kind of person who wears herself thin for everyone else, but when it's time to open up? She hides everything. She's not gonna come to you unless you show her that you're willing to stick around, no matter how messy things get. People like her... sometimes they just need someone to make the first move."

I stood there, stunned by how much that hit home. "I just don't know if I'm the one who can make that move," I muttered. The thought made my stomach twist with uncertainty.

"You are," she said firmly. "If you're worried about messing it up, it's already halfway done. Just talk to her. Be real. Don't overthink it."

I stared at her for a moment, unsure how to respond. "You make it sound so easy."

"It's not," she said, her voice softening. "But sometimes, you just have to go for it. Besides," she added with a smirk, "if you screw it up, I'll be right here to watch and laugh."

I rolled my eyes, finally managing a small smile. "Great. Just what I need. More of you."

Selena chuckled, her tone softening again. "Just don't make it harder than it needs to be, okay? You've got this."

I stood there, absorbing her words. It wasn't like I had all the answers, but I was starting to see that maybe I didn't need them. Maybe I just needed to show up for Nicole, be there for her, and let things unfold. I wasn't going to get everything right, but I could at least try.

"Yeah. I'll try," I said quietly.

Selena didn't stop there, her teasing voice carrying in the air. "It's nice seeing you care about other people's feelings for a change. Who knew you weren't just a selfish prick?"

I felt the heat rush to my face, and I quickly crossed my arms, hoping it would hide the embarrassment creeping up on me. "Shut up, Selena," I muttered, not wanting to admit how much that jab had hit.

Selena's laugh followed, light and mocking. "Oh, come on, don't hide it. You're actually blushing. The Great Liam Remmick, blushing. I didn't think I'd ever see the day."

I scowled, trying to cover my face with my hand, but it was too late. I knew she saw it. "What the hell has this school done to me?" I grumbled under my breath.

Selena took a few steps back, still laughing. "I think it's working wonders. Look at you, all soft and caring. I'm impressed.

I glared at her, but deep down, I couldn't help but feel a little lighter. Maybe, just maybe, things weren't so bad after all.

"Just wait until you see me in action," I shot back, my tone still rough but with a hint of humor.

She smirked, shaking her head. "I'll believe it when I see it, Mr. 'I'm too cool to care.'"

"Yeah, yeah," I said, rolling my eyes as I turned to walk away. "You're lucky I'm trying to do something good for once."

She raised an eyebrow as she leaned against the nearby tree, her gaze narrowing slightly. "What about Ken? He's not exactly in the best shape either, is he?"

I sighed, the weight of everything from the past few days still settling in. "Yeah, he's not doing great. But it's Ken, he'll pull through. He always does."

Selena exhaled loudly, shaking her head. "You're impossible, you know that? Here I am, trying to get you to talk about feelings and you're still acting like everything's fine." She waved after me, her voice teasing. "Don't take too long, Mr. Hero."

I laughed under my breath, the sound catching me off guard. I knew she was going to go after Ken next, probably with the same kind of sarcasm and care she threw my way. But I didn't mind. Hell, I couldn't even pretend I wasn't a little bit glad she was sticking around, annoying as it was.

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, already heading off. "I'll be back before you know it."

She waved her hand dismissively, the playful smirk still on her face. "I'll believe it when I see it."

As I walked away, I couldn't help but chuckle at her. But deep down, something about what she said was true. I was starting to care a little more than I wanted to admit. But damn, I wasn't about to let her know that for sure. Not yet.

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