Blanche's dorm room was steeped in the quiet stillness of late evening. The curtains were drawn halfway, letting in only a sliver of moonlight that painted pale streaks across the polished floor. She paced back and forth, the hem of her uniform brushing lightly with each turn, her thoughts a whirlpool that refused to settle.
Her mind replayed Yuki's words again and again, the name Irina Volkovskaya ringing like a chime that wouldn't stop echoing. The weight of it pressed down on her shoulders.
A sudden knock at the door froze her mid-step. She blinked, glancing toward it, her lips parting with faint hesitation before she called out softly:
"...Come in."
The latch clicked, and the door opened with a quiet creak. Standing there were two familiar figures—Vilaphine Nhrfreya, her silver gaze cool as always, and Tanaka Ruka, clutching her ever-present plushie close to her chest. Both stepped inside, their presences filling the quiet room with a warmth Blanche hadn't realized she needed.
Vila tilted her head faintly, her voice calm but curious.
"You called us. What's wrong?"
Ruka followed with a softer tone, almost tentative.
"Yeah… did something happen, Blanche?"
For a moment, Blanche tried to mask her unease with a faint smile, but the weight in her chest would not let her. She exhaled slowly, lowering herself onto the edge of her bed.
"I… needed to speak with you both. Something important. Our path in the tournament… it may not be easy."
Ruka blinked, frowning slightly.
"Why do you say that?"
Blanche hesitated, then her voice came quieter, edged with the tension she'd been carrying since earlier.
"Because our opponent could be Irina Volkovskaya."
The room stilled.
Ruka's eyes widened instantly, the name striking her like a bolt of cold lightning.
"Irina? Wait—that Irina? The one from Varyshka?"
Beside her, Vila only frowned, clearly puzzled.
"I don't know that name. Who is she?"
Ruka shifted slightly, hugging her plushie tighter as if the motion helped her organize her thoughts. She glanced at Vila, her tone carrying both respect and unease.
"She's… not just another student. Irina Volkovskaya is from Varyshka, the frostbound kingdom up north. She's in another class, but you'd recognize her right away. She's always wearing this traditional winter hat—an ushanka. It's thick, fur-lined, trimmed with white fox fur. Has these ear flaps she sometimes ties up, sometimes lets down. Kinda stands out here in Aurellia, since our weather's nowhere near as harsh as hers. Some people mock her for it, but…"
Ruka trailed off, her brows knitting as if searching for the right words.
"…honestly, it's not just a hat. It's her pride. A reminder of her homeland. You see her in it once, and you never forget. It's… part of her image. Just like her posture, her aura—cold, disciplined, commanding."
Vila's expression softened slightly, understanding beginning to dawn.
Blanche, listening to Ruka's explanation, felt the tension in her chest resurface. She clasped her hands together tightly, her golden hair falling slightly across her face as her thoughts spiraled again.
Irina Volkovskaya…
The name echoed once more, heavier than before.
Vila's steady gaze lingered on Blanche, her tone as calm and measured as ever.
"Are you… worried, Blanche?"
The question landed softly, but it pierced through Blanche's composure. For a moment, she tried to hold her silence, her noble discipline keeping her lips pressed together. But the truth pressed too heavily on her chest. She let out a quiet breath and nodded faintly.
"…Yes. I am. More than I'd like to admit."
She rose from the bed, her pacing resuming as if movement might ease the weight of her words. Her voice trembled just slightly, but each sentence carried the clarity of memory etched too deeply to forget.
"I saw her fight once. At a military exhibition. I was there as part of a diplomatic delegation for Aurellia—my family often attends such events to strengthen ties with other nations. Varyshka was presenting their training programs, showcasing their cooperation with our kingdom's soldiers. And Irina… she volunteered to spar against Aurellian military cadets."
Blanche's eyes grew distant, replaying the scene in her mind.
"It wasn't just a spar. It was a demonstration of discipline. She moved like a soldier who had drilled her body and spirit since childhood. Every shot, every stance—it was precise, efficient, merciless. She overwhelmed trained soldiers as though they were unprepared recruits. Her aura alone… it felt suffocating. Like winter itself had taken the field."
She stopped pacing, turning toward Vila and Ruka with a solemn expression.
"That day, I realized she wasn't just a princess dressed in noble titles. She was something more. A warrior molded by Varyshka's militaristic traditions. If I'm being honest… she's closer to a super-soldier than a student like us."
The words hung heavy in the air, a truth none of them could easily dismiss.
Ruka's fingers tightened around her plushie, her lips parting in quiet shock. Vila's face, though impassive as always, flickered with a faint recognition of the seriousness Blanche carried in her voice.
For a moment, silence pressed in on the room—the only sound was the faint tick of a clock against the wall, marking time that suddenly felt too swift, too sharp.
Blanche let out a low sigh, her hand dragging lightly across her forehead as if she could wipe away the heaviness sitting there.
"…I don't know. Against Irina… it feels impossible. Maybe I'll lose before I even begin."
Her words faltered, heavy in the still air. She lowered her gaze, her voice dipping softer, almost swallowed by the quiet.
"…I'm not sure I can beat her."
The admission hung in the room, strange and brittle, as though Blanche Van Equinox had just stripped away her noble mask for the briefest moment.
Vila's eyes narrowed slightly, her tone calm but cutting through the silence.
"Someone like you… doubting yourself?"
Blanche blinked, almost caught off guard.
"What, you think I can't? I do, sometimes. I'm not made of stone, Vila."
Her words came quick, defensive in their honesty.
Vila tilted her head, her voice still cool but with the faintest edge of challenge.
"It doesn't sound like the Blanche I know."
That made Blanche pause—then a quiet chuckle slipped past her lips, warm but a little bitter.
"…Hah. Is that so? The Blanche you know would never hesitate?"
Vila didn't look away. Her voice was steady, her words sharp yet somehow steadying, like the solid ground beneath shifting snow.
"Whoever your opponent is, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that we trust ourselves to win. No hesitation. No doubt. That's how it has to be. So be optimistic, Blanche. The Blanche I know… always has a plan."
The words struck Blanche deeper than she expected. Something in her chest shifted, and her lips curved upward despite the gloom pressing at her heart. She chuckled again, this time softer, lighter, almost teasing.
"…What's this? Since when did you start giving motivational speeches? That's not the Vila I know."
Vila stiffened slightly at the jab, turning her face aside, her long blond hair spilling across her shoulder as she avoided Blanche's gaze.
"…I just don't want to see that expression on your face again."
Her words were quiet, almost reluctant, but the weight behind them was unmistakable.
Blanche's smile softened, her eyes lingering on Vila with a warmth that broke through the earlier tension.
"…Thank you, Vila."
And for the first time since hearing Irina's name, Blanche felt her heart lighten, just enough to breathe again.
Vila leaned back slightly in her chair, her voice calm but curious.
"By the way… where's Yuxin?"
Blanche froze for a split second, realization flashing across her face. In all the talk of Irina and the tournament, she had nearly forgotten the other burden she carried. She drew a breath and answered carefully.
"Ah… right. I almost forgot to tell you both. Yuxin's… undergoing treatment right now. For the time being, she won't be with us."
Ruka's head snapped up at that, her plushie squeezed tighter against her chest.
"Treatment? Is she okay? Tell me she's okay."
Blanche's voice softened, reassuring but firm.
"She's in good hands. The best, really. You don't have to worry—she'll be fine."
Ruka nodded slowly, but her brows remained furrowed. Her voice dropped, hesitant, almost guilty.
"It's just… lately, she hasn't seemed fine. I—I've noticed her slipping out of the dorm at night."
Blanche blinked, surprised.
"…Out of the dorm? Doing what?"
Ruka hesitated, her gaze dropping to the floor as she fiddled with the ear of her plushie.
"She goes up to the attic. I—I followed her once, by accident. She didn't notice me. She was just sitting there, on the window ledge, staring at the night sky. And her face…"
Her voice cracked slightly, her lips trembling before she forced the words out.
"…She looked so sad. Like she was carrying something too heavy to share."
The confession weighed heavy in the room. Silence pressed in as Vila crossed her arms, her expression unreadable but clearly listening. Ruka, meanwhile, hugged the plushie tighter, her eyes shining faintly with worry.
"I keep asking myself… are we not enough for her? Are we not people she trusts, if she won't tell us what's wrong?"
Her voice wavered, fragile in a way that revealed just how deeply she cared.
Blanche reached out, her tone steady but gentle, the words carrying the kind of calm nobility that came from experience.
"Everyone has things they want to hide, Ruka. Secrets they're not ready to share. Yuxin is no different. It doesn't mean she doesn't trust us—it just means she's not ready yet."
She offered a small, reassuring smile.
"When she finds the courage, she'll tell us. She'll open up, in her own time. Until then… we can only be here for her, waiting."
Ruka's lips trembled as she nodded, still worried but comforted by Blanche's conviction. Vila said nothing, but the slight dip of her chin was enough to show agreement.
For a moment, the three of them sat in quiet solidarity, bound not by answers, but by their shared concern for the girl whose shadow weighed on all their hearts.
The quiet stretched for a moment, until Vila finally broke it with her usual blunt clarity.
"If you're so worried, Ruka… why not just ask her directly?"
Ruka blinked, caught off guard, her lips pressing into a thin line.
"…I don't think she'd tell me. Yuxin… she doesn't talk about things like that."
Vila leaned back slightly, her gaze unwavering, her voice calm but edged with quiet certainty.
"Maybe. But maybe not. Sometimes, if someone close enough asks… the walls come down. You're the closest to her out of the three of us, Ruka. If anyone has a chance, it's you."
Ruka's face soured, her expression tightening as if the words weighed uncomfortably on her. She hugged her plushie closer, her voice low.
"…That's the thing. Even with me… I don't really know her. Not fully. Since the beginning, Yuxin has always been difficult to approach. Like she's wrapped in this… wall you can't climb."
Blanche tilted her head slightly, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
"So she's always been like this? Even before the academy?"
Ruka nodded slowly, her gaze distant as old memories stirred.
"Yeah. As far back as I can remember. The first time I saw her, I was seven. her family brought her to the village, introduced her as their daughter. Everyone was gathered, curious. And I remember her face…"
Her voice trailed, softer now, heavy with a strange mixture of nostalgia and sorrow.
"…She looked like she was lost in thought. Like she was carrying something already, even back then. As if she'd just lost someone important. I didn't understand it at the time, but… that expression stuck with me."
Silence lingered after her words, the image of a young Yuxin etched into their minds—a child already shadowed by grief, long before any of them truly knew her.
The room fell into a heavy silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts, Ruka's memory of a young Yuxin hanging in the air like a lingering echo. The quiet stretched long enough that the ticking of the clock felt deafening.
Finally, Blanche broke it, her voice soft but carrying the steadiness of conviction.
"Whatever her burden is… all we can do is stay by her side. For now, that's enough."
She stepped forward, her golden hair catching the dim lamplight as she leaned in, wrapping an arm around Vila's shoulder on one side and Ruka's on the other. Drawing them close, she offered them both a small, genuine smile.
"Yuxin is the strongest among us. You know it as well as I do. She'll find her own way to deal with it. So let's trust her… until she's ready to share it with us."
Ruka glanced up, her lips trembling faintly, while Vila's silver-gray eyes flicked to Blanche, then to Ruka. For a moment, neither of them spoke, but in the shared warmth of that embrace something softened.
The doubts hadn't vanished entirely, but the knot of worry loosened enough to breathe.
Ruka gave the faintest nod, her voice a whisper.
"…Alright. Let's trust her."
Vila exhaled slowly, not smiling, but the rigid set of her features eased just a little.
"Yes. We'll wait for her."
Their eyes met—first uncertain, then finding a quiet agreement. The weight didn't disappear, but it was bearable now, steadied by the simple resolve of three friends choosing to believe.
For tonight, there was nothing more to do but wait—for Yuxin to recover, for her to return to their side, carrying whatever strength she needed in her own way.
And so, the three of them remained close, the shadows of doubt giving way, if only briefly, to a fragile but steady hope.