Where Our Hearts Fall

Chapter 18

Night had settled over the training camp, casting a tranquil silence across the grounds. Y/N stood just outside her cabin, arms wrapped around herself as she looked up at the stars. Her classmates had retired after a day of intense training, but something kept her rooted to the spot, an uneasiness she couldn't shake.

The air felt thick and heavy, every rustle of leaves or creak of branches setting her nerves on edge. As she glanced back toward the cabins, her heart pounded with an unfamiliar dread. She caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye and felt her pulse quicken.

"Hey," Bakugo's voice cut through her thoughts as he appeared beside her, his brows furrowed in irritation. "What the hell are you doing out here, staring into space?"

Y/N managed a small, shaky smile. "Just...something doesn't feel right. Do you feel it?"

Bakugo rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "You're overthinking things," he muttered, though his stance was tense, his eyes scanning the trees. He stayed by her side, almost as if he sensed her unease.

But then, a loud explosion shattered the stillness, its force rumbling through the ground beneath them. Their heads snapped up, and in the distance, they saw smoke and flashes of light. Shouts and screams erupted as students scrambled out of their cabins, panic spreading like wildfire.

"It's the League of Villains!" someone shouted.

Y/N's stomach dropped as she tried to keep track of her classmates, her gaze frantically darting between her friends. She could see Bakugo rushing into the fray, his hands crackling with explosive energy as he prepared to fight. But before she could follow him, she felt something strange—a pull, like an invisible force tugging her away from the chaos and deeper into the forest.

She stumbled forward, almost against her will, her heart pounding harder with every step. The sounds of the camp faded behind her as she stepped into a small clearing, her breath catching as two shadowy figures emerged from the darkness.

At first, she thought it was a trick of the moonlight. But then, the figures stepped forward, and her breath hitched in her throat.

They were her parents.

She hadn't seen them in years, not since she was a child. Her memories of them were faint, tinged with warmth and love, filled with moments of laughter and comfort. But the people standing before her now were different—their eyes cold, their expressions unreadable.

"Mom...Dad?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "What...what are you doing here?"

Her mother's gaze was piercing and detached, her expression unreadable. Her father's lips twisted into a strange, unsettling smile as he stepped forward.

"Y/N," her mother spoke, her voice smooth and chilling. "We're here to set you on the right path. You've wasted too much time with these... heroes."

Y/N's mind reeled as she tried to process their words. This couldn't be real. They couldn't be here, talking like this, not after all this time.

"The right path?" she echoed, disbelief coloring her voice. "What are you talking about? You...you abandoned me."

Her father's expression darkened. "Abandoned you? We gave you purpose. We set you on the right course. But then you chose to follow these misguided heroes," he sneered, glancing disdainfully toward the camp in the distance.

Anger rose within her, mingling with hurt and confusion. "Heroes protect people," she shot back, her voice wavering but resolute. "They don't hurt innocent people. They don't abandon their own."