The Damianya Anthology 3 - Damianya Week 2024

Chapter 2: Insecurities (Star Shower)

Even though the scenery in front of her was enchanting, she could not be at ease. Not even the brightness of the stars could illuminate the darkness inside her head. Why? Because that special satellite that was the host of the night was missing in the sky.

The new moon. That time when the moon was no longer visible and her ability to read minds didn't work, leaving her alone with her own thoughts. She was so used to hearing the thoughts of all the people around her that when that time of the year came, she felt as if she was missing something essential in her life. The years went by, and that time of the year was still the one she hated most in her life.

Not having her powers meant she couldn't cheat in her exams. The reason she was getting ahead in the year was no longer available for that week, so she had to take the hard route of studying. But she knew that, if she studied, she would be stressed and panicking about not understanding the subjects; and if she didn't, she would be stressed and panicking about not studying. Both scenarios had a bad ending for her.

She had decided to do a lot of things to try to get extra points in all her courses, but she knew that wasn't enough. Her stay in Eden depended on midterm and final exams, and even world peace depended on whether she did well in those exams, or at least that's what she thought.

That night she decided to go to the dormitory rooftop. Her place of peace after a classroom war, where she would sit and watch the starry sky. Although she understood that she had moved to the dorms to show that she was more mature and could study on her own, reality was hitting her hard. She wasn't ready yet, and there were times when she missed her parents. However, always seeing the stars in the sky helped her. As Yor once told her, she only had to look up at the sky, and she would realize that the stars were watching over the peanut princess.

Unfortunately, that didn't work that night. Especially when there was a new moon. Once again, Yor had lied to her.

She wanted to go to sleep, but she knew that her worry about the next few days would make that impossible. Not having her powers could make some tests more difficult than normal, and she didn't want her father's operation and her family's bond to suffer just because of her idiocy. The last thing she needed was another tonitrus bolt for her record.

"Hey dummy, shouldn't you be sleeping?"

Anya turned her gaze back. Damian's voice had snapped her out of her trance, as he was starting to approach her.

"Anya was just looking at the sky. Nothing else."

The boy sat down next to her, knowing she wasn't going to listen to him if he told her to go to sleep. He decided to stay with her for a while, accompanying her in the arctic cold and under the stars.

He knew exactly where she was going to be because he had followed her for many years. He knew her routine from the time she had arrived at the dormitories, so it wasn't hard to find her. There were times when he would stay with her and talk about life, or just share a bag of candy or a bag of peanuts. That night was one of those.

By the time he was 13, he no longer had a problem being around her. In years past, he would usually stay away from Anya and make fun of her because of her height, even saying he didn't want to be with her. But as time went on, he understood that she wasn't a bad person. Idiot maybe, but not bad. It seemed like she was the only one who genuinely wanted to be with him, so he gave her a chance to be his friend, and it was probably the best decision he made.

He was comfortable with knowing that he could consider her a true friend after everything they'd been through together. Or so he said at first glance, because despite the time, his feelings of love for Anya never died.