The metal was cold against my skin. I turned the thing in my hands smooth silver, curved to fit the face, the mouth carved into a simple grin. Not a cheerful grin. Not mocking. Just blank. Robotic. A smile that never moved.
It had taken me a night of fiddling with scraps from the academy's workshop and more than a little trial and error. A piece of enchanted steel here, a filter rune stitched there. I called it "a protective mask" if anyone asked. But the truth?
It was a wall.
The mask would hide me, blunt my edges, keep me from standing out. Glasses balanced neatly over it sealed the look. A nerd. Forgettable. Just the way I wanted.
When I stepped into class, the stares began immediately.
Whispers rippled like ripples across a pond.
"Why's he wearing that?"
"Creepy…"
"Looks like something out of a dungeon."
Professor Tedor frowned from the lectern. "Nox. What in the world—"
I dipped my head, voice flat but steady."Lung disease, Professor. Triggered by dust, pollen, smoke. The mask prevents escalation." The room quieted. The professor hesitated, then nodded. "Very well. Proceed."
Good. I'd given them a reason, something ordinary enough to stop questions. Whether they believed it or not doesn't matter. At least, that was the plan. But some people don't let things go.
"Hey, mask-boy!" a voice hissed as I walked down the hall after class. Huskar. Again. The same bully who'd been on my case since orientation. "What's the matter? Too ugly under there to show your face?" His friends laughed. They always laughed.
I stopped, adjusted my glasses with one finger, and met his eyes through the mask's unchanging grin. My silence seemed to bother him more than words. "Tch. Freak." He spat to the side and shoved past me. I didn't flinch and I continue to kept walking.
Later, when the academy grew noisy with chatter, I slipped away. Past the courtyards, past the stone paths where couples strolled and cliques gathered. I found a quiet patch of grass behind the old bell tower, shaded by ivy and branches. I could breathe here.
I lay back, folding my hands behind my head. The mask's smile pointed skyward, silver glinting under sunlight. White strands of hair spilled across the grass. My mismatched eyes closed. For a moment, I let the warmth of the fresh air sink in. "Disappear," I muttered. And the world obeyed.
The air stilled. And then existence unraveled. The academy, the courtyards, the humans… gone. The wind stopped mid-breath, the sky froze, and the world emptied of life in a single blink.
In my palm floated Earthen, small as a child's toy, oceans swirling, clouds coiling in miniature. But it was empty. A hollow globe rotating.
I turned it gently, watching continents spin under my fingertips.
"Appear," I said. The world flickered back students laughing in the distance, leaves swaying again above me, the smell of cut grass rushing into my lungs.
I narrowed my eyes, then whispered, "Rewind."
Time bent. The world shrank, twisted, snapped back like a string pulled taut. The laughter reversed. A bird's wings flapped backward into stillness. Then everything flowed forward again, as if nothing had happened. I exhaled. A small sigh escaped behind the mask's frozen grin.
"To be honest I don't know how I did this," I admitted quietly. "It just… came up. Like a trick I didn't know I had until I tried. I can't explain it." I just let out a soft exhalation.
I let the tiny Earthen dissolve, leaving only my hands, pale and still.
What was I supposed to feel? Excitement? Fear? Smug pride? None of it fit. The world in my hands didn't make me special because I am also unaware of this revelation lol.
"Honestly," I whispered, eyes closed again, "I just want a lowkey life. To eat my food in peace. To sleep without people staring. To get through this story as an extra."
My body felt heavy, the kind of drowsiness that tugged you down no matter how much you fought it. I let my eyes close, telling myself it would only be for a minute. Just a little nap under the sky.
When I woke again, the world was quiet too quiet. The breeze brushed against my hair, the grass tickled my cheek, and…
Someone was watching me.
Wide, curious amber eyes hovered inches from my own. A halo of golden curls framed her face, sunlight caught in every strand. She wasn't blinking. Just… watching me. Like a puppy waiting for its owner to finally open their eyes.
"—Wha—?!" My body jerked before my brain caught up. I rolled too fast, tumbled down the small slope of the grassy patch, and landed flat on my back with a painful thud.
"Ugh…" I groaned, rubbing my side. "Great. Real graceful, Nox."
Above me, laughter spilled out like silver bells. She leaned over the edge of the slope, hand covering her mouth but doing a terrible job hiding her amusement. "You roll just like a kid," she teased "Didn't know you could be this funny."
Aleah Rex. Of course it was her. The heroine with sunshine in her smile and trouble in her eyes.
I sat up quickly, adjusting my glasses and tugging the mask back into place. "What are you doing here?" I calmly muttered.
She tilted her head, still smiling, still watching. "I could ask you the same thing. Everyone's in the courtyard, and you're out here, lying in the grass like you've got no worries in the world."
My mouth opened, then shut. No excuse came out. I stared at Aleah, ears still ringing from the fall. The mask's robotic grin felt heavier than ever, like it was made of iron instead of steel. My heart drummed, but I didn't let it show.
She squinted under the sunlight, golden curls catching every stray ray. "You don't look like someone hiding," she said softly. "You look like someone who's trying not to be seen."
I let out a breath, shaking my head. "There's a difference."
Aleah tilted her head, studying me as if I were a puzzle she refused to leave unsolved. Finally, she leaned closer, freckles dotted across her nose, her voice dropping into curiosity instead of teasing.
"Why the mask, really?"
I looked away, toward the academy rooftops cutting the sky. The ivy stirred in the breeze, shadows swaying across the grass. "…It's safer this way. And it keeps troublesome people from bothering me." I chuckled under my breath. "Like you."
Her smile faltered, eyebrows rising. "Did you just—?"
"Never mind." I adjusted the straps, still half-smiling to myself. "If people think I'm broken, they won't expect anything else."
The air grew quiet. A breeze lifted a strand of my white hair, sunlight glancing off it. I brushed it back, and for a moment the mask didn't matter because her gaze froze on my eyes. One indigo, deep as midnight. One blue, bright as the open sky.
Aleah's breath caught. Her amber eyes softened.
"Hey," she whispered, her tone gentler, "do you ever think you'll take it off? Just once?"
My throat tightened. I didn't laugh. Didn't answer right away. I just stared up at the drifting clouds.
"…Maybe," I muttered, the mask muffling my voice. "If I ever feel ready."
She smiled, quiet and almost relieved, then turned away first. For a while we stayed there, silence flowing between us like a second breeze.
When she finally stood, she glanced back with a mischievous spark in her eyes. "If you want company out here again… I'll come."
I watched her walk away, golden curls bouncing with every step, until the shadows of the bell tower swallowed her. The breeze stirred again, brushing the grass around me, and I realized my hands were still resting behind my head, stiff from lying too long.
"Company, huh…" I muttered to myself, the corner of the mask's smile feeling heavier than usual.
For a moment, I considered getting up, shaking off the drowsiness. But something kept me rooted, Not fear but Curiosity. That strange feeling when someone looks at you and actually sees you, even if you're hiding behind a mask.
Before I could stand, footsteps approached louder, heavier. My stomach sank slightly.
"What now... Huskar Doe." I said with a sigh.
Figures flanked the son of a marquis. His lackeys, four of them, all puffed up in their uniforms like peacocks on parade. Huskar himself smirked, crimson hair catching the sun, his expression a mixture of arrogance and irritation.
"Well, well… if it isn't the mask-boy." He stepped closer, voice dripping with condescension. "Enjoying your little nap? Or plotting something under that… grinning mask of yours?"
I didn't move. Didn't flinch. The mask stayed frozen, glasses perfectly aligned, eyes hidden enough to keep him guessing.
"You think hiding behind that thing makes you clever?" His hand twitched at his side, like he wanted to strike, but his pride demanded words first.
I finally lifted a finger, brushing a stray strand of white hair from my face. "Nope. Just… prefer not being bothered by nobility who think the world owes them attention."
Huskar's smirk faltered for a heartbeat. "You—"
"I said nothing about you specifically," I continued, voice flat, each word deliberate. "But congratulations. You found me. Now, do I owe you something for interrupting my nap?"
The lackeys shuffled uncomfortably. Huskar's face flushed red, pride clashing with disbelief. No one had ever answered him like that.
"Answer me properly, mask-boy!" he snapped.
I sat up fully this time, letting the grass cushion my back. One indigo eye, one sky-blue, met his stare. The mask's grin didn't move. "I already did. Go bother someone else."
Huskar opened his mouth, then closed it. He'd clearly expected tears, apologies, maybe fear. Not a calm defiance.
"Very well," he muttered, grinding his teeth. "You'll regret this. Tsk peasant."
But he didn't advance. Instead, he turned sharply and walked back toward the academy gates, leaving the lackeys behind to murmur amongst themselves.
I exhaled through the mask, letting the tension drain out of my shoulders. The breeze picked up again, carrying faint laughter from the courtyard.
For the first time, I let myself wonder… maybe this lowkey life wasn't going to be that simple.
A shadow fell across my face. I glanced up. Aleah had returned, standing at the edge of the patch of grass, hands tucked behind her back, amber eyes alight with curiosity.
"You okay?" she asked. Not concerned. Not teasing. Just… genuinely curious.
"Fine," I said, brushing off the grass. "Just… low-level nobility issues. Nothing worth your time."
She tilted her head, grin tugging at her lips. "Low-level, huh? Then I guess that makes me high-level curiosity."
I snorted, letting the sound travel behind the mask. "You really like showing up at the worst—or maybe best—moments, huh?"
Her amber eyes sparkled. "Someone has to keep an eye on you, mask-boy. Can't let you disappear on me again."
I didn't answer. I just lay back, staring at the clouds, feeling the breeze lift my hair, and realized… maybe having a little company out here wasn't so bad.
Later on, after the confrontation with Huskar Doe, I returned to the academy. It was buzzing as usual students shuffled into the lecture hall, enchanted quills scratching across parchment, and hushed conversations floated through the air like sparks. I kept my mask on, glasses perfectly aligned, doing my best to blend into the background.
Of course, Huskar Doe had other plans.
"Ah, mask-boy!" His voice rang out across the hall before anyone could even take their seats. Heads turned. I froze in place, the usual weight settling into my chest.
Huskar strutted toward the front, crimson hair practically glowing under the enchanted ceiling lights, lackeys trailing behind like a poorly choreographed parade. "Care to explain why you think hiding behind that… thing makes you untouchable?"
I slowly turned toward him, the mask hiding the slight twitch of irritation that threatened to escape. Calm, measured, flat. "I'm not untouchable. Just… uninterested."
A ripple of laughter ran through the hall. Some of the students snickered nervously, others whispered. Huskar's face darkened.
"You think you can sass Huskar Doe and walk away?" He leaned forward, almost a growling. "You're going to regret this."
I tilted my head slightly, tone low but steady. "I didn't s—"
"Enough talk!" he barked, jabbing a finger in my direction. "Stand up, mask-boy. Let's see how tough you really are."
My heart thumped, but I didn't move. Not because I was afraid but because I didn't have to prove anything.
That's when Aleah shifted in her seat, leaning slightly forward. Her amber eyes scanned the scene with interest, curiosity, and a faint spark of concern.
Huskar's lackeys looked uneasy now, clearly expecting me to shrink, to bow, or to falter. I didn't. I stayed seated, and eyes calmly meeting Huskar's gaze.
The room seemed to hold its breath. Even Professor Tedor had paused, pen hovering over parchment.
"Do you… do you always antagonize people who don't react?" I asked quietly, calm but carrying.
Huskar blinked, his hand lowering slightly. "W-What?"
"You wanted a reaction," I continued, keeping the mask's robotic grin forward. "You got one. I didn't react. Now… what?"
The lecture hall went silent. Murmurs faded. Even the other students who usually egged Huskar on had no words.
Aleah's lips twitched into a small, amused smile, almost imperceptible. I could feel her watching—not for Huskar's reaction, but for mine.
Huskar's face flushed red, pride battling disbelief. "You… you'll pay for this later!" he growled, storming toward the door. His lackeys followed, muttering excuses and half-hearted threats over their shoulders.
When the door slammed shut, the room exhaled collectively. I leaned back in my seat, letting the mask's unchanging grin hide the faint smirk that tugged at the corner of my lips.
Aleah leaned over, and she whispered. "You're… different from what I expected."
I tilted my head, glancing at her through the glasses. "Different? That's… flattering."
She laughed softly, the sound carrying just enough to make the edges of the room feel warmer. "Flattering is one way to put it. Annoying is another."
I let her words sink in, knowing full well the next confrontation with Huskar was inevitable.