Chapter 10: Shadows of Yesterday

Sora Nagi woke up to the dim light filtering through his curtains, his body drenched in cold sweat. His breath came in shallow gasps, his mind still trapped in the remnants of his nightmare. The voices from his past rang in his ears, sharp and unforgiving.

"You should never have been born."

He sat up, gripping his bedsheet tightly as he struggled to shake off the lingering terror. His heart pounded violently in his chest, as if trying to escape the echoes of words that had long since embedded themselves in his soul. No matter how much time passed, these memories clung to him, resurfacing when he was most vulnerable—when he had no distractions, no way to drown them out.

Sora exhaled shakily, running a hand through his messy black hair. The morning felt heavier than usual, weighed down by the past he wished he could erase. He stood up sluggishly, his legs almost unwilling to carry him to the bathroom. Splashing cold water on his face, he stared at his reflection in the mirror. His dark eyes looked hollow, his expression vacant.

The nightmares were getting worse again.

He had managed to push them away for a while, but last night, they came back stronger—his parents' cold voices, the jeering laughter of his old classmates, the overwhelming feeling of being utterly alone. He gritted his teeth, gripping the sink. Was this how it was always going to be? A constant cycle of pain, brief moments of peace, then more pain?

A sharp knock on the door startled him. His mother's voice drifted through. "Sora, you're going to be late."

He didn't respond immediately, taking a deep breath before muttering, "Yeah… I know."

Dragging himself to school felt like walking through a fog. The hallways were filled with chatter, students laughing, friends talking about their weekend. It was all just noise to him. A world he had never really been a part of.

As he made his way to the cafeteria, he kept his head down, avoiding eye contact. The weight of his nightmares still pressed against his chest, suffocating him. He found his usual seat in the farthest corner, away from everyone else. He wasn't hungry. He only stared at his untouched tray, his mind wandering.

"Sora."

The soft voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He blinked and looked up to see Nanako standing in front of him, her brown eyes filled with concern. Without waiting for permission, she sat across from him, placing her tray down.

"You look worse than usual," she said bluntly.

Sora let out a humorless chuckle. "Thanks."

Nanako ignored his sarcasm. "Did something happen?"

He hesitated, unsure if he should answer. But Nanako wasn't the type to pry just for the sake of curiosity. She truly wanted to know.

"…A nightmare," he admitted after a moment.

Nanako leaned in slightly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Sora stared at his hands. "It was about my past… my parents. My classmates. It felt real, like I was back there again. And I kept hearing them say it—'You should never have been born.'" His voice was quiet, but the weight of his words hung heavily between them.

Nanako didn't react with immediate sympathy or empty reassurances. Instead, she was silent for a moment, as if carefully choosing her response. "That's… awful," she said finally. "I can't imagine how painful that must be."

He expected her to say something cliché, something like "They're wrong" or "Don't listen to them," but she didn't. Instead, she simply acknowledged his pain, and somehow, that meant more than any comforting lie.

"I'm used to it," Sora murmured.

"That doesn't mean you should be."

Sora looked up at her. Her expression was firm, but not forceful.

"I know I can't change what happened," Nanako continued, "but I want you to know that you don't have to deal with it alone. You don't have to keep everything inside, Sora."

Sora swallowed hard. He wanted to believe her. He wanted to trust that he wasn't completely alone. But years of isolation weren't easy to undo.

"I… don't know how to talk about it," he admitted.

Nanako smiled gently. "Then don't force yourself. Just know that I'll listen whenever you're ready."

For the first time that day, Sora felt the suffocating pressure ease—just a little. It wasn't a solution. It didn't erase the nightmares. But knowing that someone cared, that someone was willing to stay despite his brokenness… it was enough for now.

As the bell rang, Nanako stood up. "Let's get to class."

Sora hesitated before nodding. He wasn't sure what the future held, but maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't have to face it alone.