True Identity

Chapter 10

Nia woke as if from a bad dream. She looked about her room. Everything was in order. She was dressed and sleeping on clean sheets. If it wasn't for her aching jaw and shoulder, she wouldn't have believed that what had happened had happened. She gingerly touched her shoulder. It would scar badly, and that's what Loki wanted. He didn't want her to forget what he did to Jun. Jun. Nia sits quickly and jumps up out of bed, but then sits on the edge of the bed again, feeling light-headed. She stands up slower then makes her way to Jun's room. The hall is eerily quiet. She knocks on Jun's door but he doesn't answer. She opens the door and goes in quietly. His bed is made and his things are in a neatish pile in one corner. There is a single red rose on the pillow. Nia goes over and picks up the rose with a shaky hand, her breathing coming raggedly.

"He killed him," came a quiet voice from the door.

Nia turns quickly, clutching the rose to her chest, seeing Callida in the doorway.

"I tried to help him, we took him to a hospital... but he didn't make it."

Leanne slowly sinks to the floor, tears starting to roll down her cheeks.

Callida comes over tears in her eyes also. "I am so, so sorry. I would have told you guys, but he is much faster than I am, and.... I'm so sorry."

Nia shakes her head. "It isn't your fault..... it's mine. I said yes."

Callida nods a bit. "Okay, but it's not yours either."

Nia nods, both knowing who they want to blame, but not willing to say because of the wrath they had seen poured out the night before.

Callida gently moves Nia's head to face her. "That bruise looks pretty bad. You should go back to bed, I'll bring you something to eat."

Nia nods, going back to her room in a haze. Why does everyone I love have to die? She sinks onto her bed, staring at the rose in her hands.

Callida comes in a bit later with a bag of things and a plate of food expertly balanced on her lap. "I thought you might want some of his things," she says softly. The rest will be thrown away or donated."

Nia takes the bag, ignoring the plate of food. A leather-bound book and a sweatshirt were the main things, in addition to his ring. Nia slips the ring onto her chain with the other two then, using her pocket knife, she cuts the stem of the rose short, then presses the rose into the back of the book, which she found to be his journal. She put the journal at the bottom of her backpack with the sweatshirt folded on top. Then she replaces her things. "Thank you," she says softly. "I'm not very hungry, but thank you."

Callida sets the plate on the ground next to the bed. "You should eat it at some point. Get some rest."

A few days later, Nia wakes from a bad dream. She pulls on her boots and Wolves jacket as it is just starting to get chilly and starts outside. She grabs a granola bar from the box by the door as she goes, eating it as she makes her way to the bench where she and Jun sat on his last night. She stands there a while, looking at the sun rising this time, his words ringing in her mind. Just because you are good at something doesn't mean it is who you are. You need to find your own true identity. She realizes that there was a reason she was good at what she did. That's what she was made to do, fight. That was her true identity. Kestrel was. She throws her wrapper away then goes back to the base, the others are just waking up. She quickly goes up to Matt.

"I'm ready," she states.

Matt raises his eyebrows. "R-really?"

Nia nods. "And I'll go by Kestrel now," she says, turning to look at the others.