Unwanted Academy

"So, are we friends or what?"

She scoffed. "Dream on."

***

Failure.
Royce had never wanted to associate that word with himself, to be honest, nobody does, but it still came.
An utter failure.
And that was when a glimmering rope swung down for him to catch, yanking him out with one swift, graceful motion. Yet it seemed so slow, so disastrously slow, but it was the only thing bright in the darkness, the only light, the only flame, the only string he can still pull.

***

"I'm fine, just give me another moment to die."

"No way."

If only the rope was a little longer.