Greshina stepped out of the bathroom and paused out of habit in front of the full-body mirror embedded into the wall across from her bed.
The size of her bedroom no longer mattered to her in any meaningful way, despite the fact that it was larger than most apartments. She had grown up with space and luxury so those things had long since lost their novelty. What never lost its strangeness, however, was the person reflected back at her.
Her hair spilled down her back in a cascade of amethyst, still slightly damp at the ends. The color was unnatural in a way that could never be replicated by dye no matter how much money someone threw at it. She tried a lot of times but it never worked. Her eyes matched her hair and her skin was so pale that under certain lighting it looked almost translucent enough to make people assume she was sickly rather than overwhelmingly healthy. More than once, strangers had asked her if she felt faint or tired, as if her appearance alone suggested fragility. Every time she had to resist the urge to curse them out loud.
Ironically, if anyone in this situation looked like they had anemia, it was her, not Veneri.
She studied her reflection with a neutral expression, noting the familiar lines of her body. Her figure had developed far earlier than most girls her age, something that had become both a blessing and an endless nuisance. Even as a first-year high school student, she looked mature in a way that drew attention she never asked for, especially when she walked through shopping districts or stepped out of cars. She had learned early how to ignore it until it made people uncomfortable enough to back off, though the irritation never fully went away.
She let out a slow breath and raised one hand. Amethyst energy emerged effortlessly in her palm before spreading like heat. The moisture on her skin evaporated instantly, leaving her completely dry without a single drop clinging to her hair or shoulders. She reached for comfort next, pulling on an oversized gray T-shirt that fell past her hips and a pair of soft pink shorts. Her clothing was chosen for no reason other than the fact that she did not feel like performing for anyone tonight.
Several days passed since her first visit to Veneri's hospital room and since then, the visits had become a routine, though she would never say that out loud. She stopped by when she could, dropping off homework, notes and updates about what he had missed in class, sometimes staying only a few minutes, sometimes longer when neither of them felt like filling the silence with excuses.
Other classmates had visited him as well, something she had noticed with mild surprise, though she was quietly relieved that he never mentioned her visits to them. The arrangement remained private in a way she appreciated more than she was willing to admit.
He had stacks of books now. They were notes from different students, carefully organized by subject and yet he had said, almost casually, that he preferred hers.
The thought lingered as she gathered her hair and tied it into a ponytail before moving toward her study desk. The desk itself was wide and immaculately polished, covered in neatly stacked textbooks, handwritten notes and annotated printouts arranged with precision that bordered on obsessive. She had already finished reading through the entire second-year syllabus weeks ago. Now, all that remained was waiting for time to catch up with her.
She was the top student when she was selected for this school and nothing had changed since. With final exams approaching and summer vacation looming just beyond them, she flipped open a textbook and skimmed through a few pages. None of it challenged her though she still took it seriously out of habit.
A quiet sigh escaped her lips as she leaned back slightly, lifting her hand once more as a small purple orb formed above her palm. It hovered there for a moment before she dismissed it, dissolving without a trace. She had forgotten to ask him about his regeneration again.
The thought crossed her mind briefly then passed just as quickly. Some things did not need answers right away and she was certainly not about to explain to him that she herself wielded a power far more dangerous than accelerated healing, which was a power rooted in poison creation and manipulation. That conversation could wait indefinitely, if it ever happened at all.
She slid her glasses onto her face, settled into her chair and returned her focus to the pages in front of her. After a while, her phone vibrated. She sighed almost automatically as she reached for it, half expecting another reminder or an automated alert, only for her eyes to widen just a little when she saw Veneri's name flashing on the screen in the form of a video call.
She accepted it with a lazy tap, leaning back in her chair. She had that composed look she always wore around him, though the truth was that seeing his face still caught her off guard in a way she never quite managed to prepare for. He was sitting upright against the pillows of his hospital bed.
"Are you busy?"
"Just studying for the exams," she replied, lifting one of her textbooks slightly into view as proof. "You?"
"I am doing the same," he said, tilting his own screen so she could see a tablet filled with equations and notes. "Hospital or not, they do not pause the school year for me."
That made her huff a little.
"Figures."
"I actually called because I wanted to tell you something first. They're discharging me tomorrow. My condition is better now, although the doctor made it very clear that if I push myself too hard, I will be back here again."
"That is… good news," she said, and she meant it more than she expected to. "Try not to collapse on the first day back."
"I will attempt to behave. Oh, there's something else, actually. I was stuck on a calculus equation and thought you might know how to solve it."
She leaned forward, her as she read the question. A flicker of genuine surprise crossed her face.
"This is a third-year problem. Why are you even looking at this?"
"I finished the first and second year syllabus already. To be honest, American education is far easier than what I am used to in Europe. It feels strange that people struggle with material this basic. And it's a multiple choice question."
For a moment, she almost laughed, though she held it back, settling instead for a small smirk.
"Even I don't know how to solve that one yet. We'll have to ask the teacher tomorrow."
"Good idea," he said easily, as if the thought of not knowing something did not bother him in the slightest.
They fell into a comfortable silence for a few seconds before he spoke again. His tone was softer this time.
"Also… thank you. You made my hospital stay far less boring than it would have been otherwise."
She blinked at that, then looked away for a moment, pretending to adjust one of her books.
"I am glad you think that. It's easier talking to someone who actually understands the same things I do."
"I agree. Good night, Greshina. And you look great, by the way."
The call ended before she could respond, leaving her staring at her own reflection for a split second before the interface disappeared. Only then did she realize how she had been sitting. The oversized T-shirt was loose and comfortable which was far too relaxed for a video call. She cleared her throat quickly, shifting in her chair.
"At least he did not say anything weird."
It did not work.
Her eyes skimmed the same line three times without actually processing it. With a quiet groan she leaned forward and gently knocked her forehead against the desk.
"Great. I just showed him my unguarded side like an idiot."
She stayed there for a moment, letting the cool surface of the desk steady her thoughts, before sitting back up again, pushing her glasses into place and trying, with only partial success, to convince herself that it was not a big deal at all.