𝗖𝗨𝗣𝗜𝗗 ᝰ bnha

16 | unraveling

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
UNRAVELING

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The blood drained from your face.

"What.. did you just say?"

Riri blinked, then burst into a lighthearted laugh at your reaction, as if the very idea was ridiculous. ["I'm not gonna kill them off if that's what you're thinking! That's taboo magic, don't get any silly ideas."]

... Oh.

They waved a hand dismissively, lips curling into a knowing grin. ["I wouldn't resort to something so crude—I'd get banned! But if their presence is endangering you—whether by drawing attention from villains or influencing your choices—then removing them would be the most efficient course of action, don't you think so?"]

Your expression hardened, skepticism tightening your features. Every instinct screamed that something about it was deeply wrong.

Riri let out a thoughtful hum. ["It's simple, really. At the end of the day, the choice is yours."]

With a flick of their wrist, a rolled-up parchment materialized in their hand. The aged paper unfurled midair, glowing faintly with arcane symbols that pulsed like a heartbeat.

["Sign this contract, and I'll set everything right."]

You stared at the parchment, then at Riri, your stomach twisting uneasily. "Set everything... right?" you echoed.

["I'll rewind time to before we ever met, before I ever interfered with your life. On top of that, I'll erase every trace of you from their memories—Midoriya, Bakugou, Todoroki."] They smiled, as if presenting you with the most merciful offer in the world.

Your breath hitched.

You should have felt relief. This was what you wanted, wasn't it? To escape the ridiculous constraints of a wizard dictating your romantic future?

If Riri had never appeared, none of this would have happened. Your life wouldn't have spiraled into this mess, and you wouldn't have to deal with this absurd pressure of choosing a partner.

And yet—

It's really not that easy to abandon everything. As if you could just walk away from all of it, all for the sake of some illusory safety.

Because that's what this was. A lie.

Even if you left U.A, even if you try to live a quiet, normal life—abandon your future as a hero, would that truly protect you? Would the world simply let you be because you weren't wearing a hero's costume anymore?

No.

Villains don't work like that. They didn't care about boundaries, about rules. If they wanted to hurt you, they would. And walking away wouldn't change that.

More than that—it wasn't just about you.

You had never actively questioned the depth of your relationships with Izuku, Katsuki, and Shoto—not in a romantic sense, but in a broader, more profound way. Up until now, you hadn't considered what your life would be like without them. But now the mere thought sent a twisting, suffocating feeling through your chest.

Could you really just wake up one day and forget them? Lose the warmth of their voices, the familiarity of their presence, as if they had never been there at all?