❝𝕛𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕒 𝕜𝕚𝕤𝕤❝ | haikaveh fic | boarding school AU

⁰⁰⁴. ᵃˡʰᵃⁱᵗʰᵃᵐ: ᶜˡᵃˢˢ

Fire. Burning. Smoke. Fire everywhere...

I run around, screaming out my parents' names, but my voice disappears into the night sky.

Tears are spilling out of my eyes. They trail down my cheeks. Some evaporate before they land, some drip onto the ground, staining the dirt forever.

It doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore. I am surrounded by flames. Everything is burning. Everything is gone. I need help. I cry and cry and cry but no one ever came. No one ever helped.

I can't seem to escape this nightmare...

It goes on and on and on.

Or perhaps it's reality. I don't care anymore.

*

"Wake up, you dumbass."

I blink open my eyelids. My vision is distorted, my cheeks are wet.

"What happened?" A blurry voice asks me.

I blink again, reaching out my hand to rub my eyes.

Upon me is a boy. He wears blonde hair that lasts to his shoulders. He gazes at me with candy-red eyes full of worry. He wears gray pants, shirt, and a dark blazer. It looks like a uniform. He steps towards me and snaps his fingers at my face.

I startle, sitting up.

"You're crying. Why?"

"I..."

It takes me a second to recognize the person in front of me. Kaveh.

He reaches out his hand, as if to wipe my face clean of tears, but after a moment, his hands go back to his side again. I stare at him.

"What are we..." I try to manage out words, but they trail off.

Kaveh sits down at my bedside, "We have class today, remember?"

I look around the room. Right. I'm a scholar at Celestial Teyvat Academy now. Grandma sent me here for a new environment. Kaveh, the boy I haven't seen in 3 years, is now my roommates.

And... He hates me.

It's no surprise. I hate myself, too.

But right now... Kaveh is treating me kindly, almost as if I'm his friend. It's so embarrassing, crying in front of him. I wonder what hatred thoughts he is thinking of me right now.

"Why are you caring for me?" I ask, the words blurt out of my mouth. Kaveh's eyes widens visibly, surprised at my question.

"It's normal to care for someone when they cry, ok?" He hmphs, "What? You'd rather I just leave the room without saying a word to you? Besides, class starts soon. I thought I would wake you up since if you're late, I'll be the one getting in trouble..."

I smile at him, "Thank you."

I look away, sighing, then look back. Kaveh is standing up now. He glances at me, the worry gone in his eyes, replaced by an unfamiliar coldness.

"Class starts in an hour. I'm going to the cafeteria for breakfast." he pauses, thinking about something, "Hurry up and change soon. You know where your first period is, right? We went over your schedule together yesterday. Mr O'brien doesn't like it when students are late..." His words are gone, but his mouth remains open, as if he wants to continue talking.

He doesn't. A few moments pass, he turns away and goes out of the door.

I am alone in the room.

After lazing in the bed for a few more minutes, I get up and go to the bathroom. As I rinse my face with cold water to wake myself up, I think about the nightmare I had.