Another quiet morning dawned. Sunlight painted patches of light across the floor, no different from any ordinary day before.
Kosma woke up on time as always. As he sat up, his hand instinctively rose to touch the horns on his head.
Back when they'd first grown in, he'd constantly bump them into doorframes or cabinets while walking—directly breaking them on impact. He'd apologized for the damages more times than he could count.
But now, he was long used to their presence. His movements held a cautious, practiced awareness; he no longer knocked into things so easily.
A true relief, a true relief.
He gave himself a little mental pep talk every day.
While washing up, the mirror reflected his profile with its distinct horns. For a fleeting moment, his mind wandered back to not long ago—to that moment he'd held Dystopia in his arms.
His heart had been pounding like a war drum then.
Though looking back now, the intensity of that feeling had faded considerably.
The distance between the two of them remained just as it was before, neither closer nor farther apart.
Roughly four years had passed since joining MOTH, making them something like veterans by now.
Daily life was nothing more than training, missions, evaluations, and writing reports. A repetitive cycle, plain as a glass of water.
Evenings were occasionally spent practicing the harmonica, its notes drifting through the silent dorm before sleep took over. And just like that, another day would pass.
If there was any spark of excitement in their routine, it probably came from the activities organized by Elysia and her crew.
Like Eden's birthday party some time ago—a lively affair where Elysia had practically dragged him along.
After returning, Erwin and the others swarmed him, firing questions with eyes full of envy, saying how lucky he was to attend such an amazing gathering.
But he hadn't found it particularly special himself. He just remembered the cake being very sweet, and everyone's smiles being very bright.
His participation… you could call it a natural performance.
Kosma's gaze fell on the harmonica case on the bedside table, its metal surface worn to a soft shine.
He reached out and touched it, the cool metal meeting his fingertips. A vague, indescribable emotion stirred in his chest.
'Hmm…'
He frowned, then shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it.
Overthinking was useless. Life had to go on, regardless.
The threat of the Honkai was always there. Kosma, you have to keep pushing forward!
Finishing his morning routine quickly, he found he still had time to spare.
Kosma left his dorm—he had plans.
'Let's go find Dystopia.'
He murmured the words softly to himself.
Though there was one noteworthy thing: ever since entering that Herrscher-constructed dream, he felt his control over his own power had noticeably improved.
Using his abilities used to feel a bit stiff and unpracticed, but now it flowed much more smoothly, feeling as natural as an extension of his own limbs.
He'd heard Dystopia seemed to be the same way. And since then, her frequency of collecting all sorts of little trinkets and gifts seemed to have increased…
Just as he turned a corner in the hallway, he ran into a bouncing Vya.
"Good morning, Brother Kosma!"
Vya tilted her little face up, beaming like a miniature sun, her eyes curved into crescent moons.
"Mn, morning."
Kosma responded with a gentle smile he'd grown practiced at.
It was a bit strange, really. Vya seemed to pop up in most areas of the base—the cafeteria, training grounds, library, even sometimes when he went to the supply room to fetch materials. He'd run into her there too.
The frequency was unusually high. But everyone in the base seemed to take it for granted, never finding it odd, so he never asked. He was just a little surprised each time it happened.
"Sister Dystopia is over there!"
Vya pointed not far away, then waved her hand. "Bye, brother!"
The words had barely left her mouth before she darted off like a little rabbit, leaving Kosma standing there without a chance to react.
'Never mind, never mind.'
He smiled wryly and looked in the direction Vya had pointed. Sure enough, he spotted that familiar figure with orange hair.
The girl had naturally arrived earlier than him. Spotting him, she raised a hand in greeting.
"Kosma, over here."
Hearing her voice, Kosma quickened his pace toward her.
"Coming."
Almost the moment he reached Dystopia's side, the girl naturally fell into step beside him, walking with him toward the training rooms.
After just a few steps, Kosma suddenly spoke. "Dystopia?"
"What's up?"
Dystopia turned to look at him, a bit puzzled, curiosity in her eyes.
It wasn't often Kosma initiated conversation. What was up with him today?
Had Erwin and those guys been egging him on again?
A tiny flicker of anticipation stirred in the girl's heart, her cheeks warming ever so slightly.
Truth was, Kosma remembered a book on interpersonal relationships Elysia had shoved into his hands a few days ago. The book said expressing appropriate concern could help bridge the distance between people.
He'd felt a bit awkward about it at the time.
Even if it was Elysia's recommendation.
But now, looking at Dystopia beside him, he found himself asking almost as if guided by some unseen force:
"Did you rest well?"
The moment he said it, he felt a bit awkward himself, mentally grumbling,
'Was that a strange thing to ask?'
Dystopia hadn't expected that question. She blinked, then deliberately furrowed her brow, putting on an exaggerated look of distress to test his reaction.
"Oh, that… I was up pretty late reading last night. It was exhausting, honestly."
Kosma rarely saw this kind of expression on her and took it somewhat seriously, offering earnest advice.
"Then you should go rest more. Training can wait."
"Pfft—"
Dystopia couldn't help covering her mouth as she laughed.
"Ah, it's fine, I'm just teasing you. Come on, let's go train!"
As she spoke, she gave Kosma's shoulder a light pat, then skipped ahead of him with light steps, turning back to wave at him.
"Hurry up! If you dawdle any longer, I'll take the lead!"
The pat left Kosma momentarily stunned. Watching the girl's retreating back, the earlier awkwardness gradually melted away. The corner of his mouth lifted unbidden into a slight smile as he lengthened his stride to catch up.
Another perfectly ordinary day.
…
T/N: I feel like Erwin has shown up before but I think I translated it to a different name. I forgot who they where though.
…
2 Chapters Per Day. For more chapters/fics, goto ErbiumTL on Patreon.