Path of the Unmentioned: The Missing Piece
Chapter 129: The Confession [8]

Chapter 129: The Confession [8]

Kyle stepped off the bus. The academy gates standing tall ahead of him.

The afternoon sun stretched long shadows across the cobblestone path. Making the air feel warmer than it was.

A soft breeze rustled the golden leaves scattered across the ground, carrying the faint, crisp scent of autumn.

Everything looked the same. But Kyle felt different.

His mind was still stuck at the hospital. Thinking about Lila’s small smile when she held the bracelet. The way her eyes lit up just a little.

Mira had cried. Hugging him tightly before whispering, "Thank you."

And when Seris arrived. The whole mood in the hospital changed.

The doctors moved fast. Transferring Lila to a better room, talking in hushed but hopeful voices.

It was like the moment Seris stepped in, everything shifted.

Kyle let out a long breath and ran a hand through his messy hair.

’Did I really change Mira Farrow’s fate?’

He wasn’t sure.

The walk back to the academy quarters felt longer than usual.

He hadn’t slept properly in two days.

His uniform was wrinkled. His boots dusty. And he just wanted to fall face-first onto his bed and forget about everything for a while.

"KYLE!"

The sudden shout made him flinch.

He looked up and saw Luna and Reo standing near the academy’s main fountain.

Luna was waving both arms like she was trying to flag down a moving airship. Her short white hair bouncing with each step as she jogged toward him.

Reo followed behind her, slower and more relaxed. But his sharp green eyes didn’t miss a thing.

Luna skidded to a stop in front of him, hands on her hips, eyes narrowed.

"Where the hell have you been?! You missed Advanced Mana Theory! Professor Zeke looked like he wanted to kill someone."

Kyle blinked.

’Right. Class. I completely forgot.’

"Uh... yeah. Something came up," he said. Rubbing the back of his neck.

"Something came up?" Reo raised an eyebrow. "And why do you look like that?"

Kyle glanced down at himself. His blazer was wrinkled. His boots were scuffed. And there were clear shadows under his eyes.

He probably looked like someone who’d spent the night in a gutter.

"Just had some stuff to take care of," he mumbled.

"What stuff?" Luna leaned in closer, her eyes narrowing.

"You’ve been disappearing for days. First you vanish into the library, and now you look like a zombie."

"Be honest. Are you secretly training for midterms or..." She lowered her voice dramatically. "Did you finally get a girlfriend?"

Kyle coughed. Nearly choking. "What? No!"

"Ohhh," Reo grinned, elbowing him.

"So that’s why you’ve been sneaking around! Who is she? Someone from Class B? Wait... Don’t tell me it’s that girl who gave you a letter in the cafeteria!"

Kyle groaned. "It’s not like that."

"Then what is it?" Luna asked, folding her arms. "You are being all weird and mysterious."

He hesitated. He wanted to tell them, to explain everything. But it wasn’t his story to share.

Mira didn’t need more people poking into her life. And Lila’s condition wasn’t something to gossip about.

"It’s just... personal," he said quietly. "I was helping someone. That’s all. But it’s not something I can talk about."

Luna and Reo exchanged a look, eyebrows raised.

Reo shrugged. "Fine. Keep your secrets."

"But you do owe us," Luna added, poking him in the chest. "We had to cover for you today. Zeke looked ready to assign a fifty-page essay on mana convergence."

"Yeah," Reo said. "We told him you had sudden mana exhaustion. From training too hard." He grinned. "You’re welcome."

Kyle winced. That was definitely going to bite him later.

"Thanks," he said. "I’ll make it up to you."

"You can start now" Luna said, grabbing his arm.

She tugged him toward the east gate without giving him a chance to argue.

"We’re going to that cafe I told you about last week. No excuses."

"Wait. I was going to go back to the dorms and—"

"Nope." Reo slung an arm around Kyle’s shoulders and steered him forward. "You have been ghosting us for days. It’s time to pay up."

Kyle groaned. But he didn’t pull away. He had been ignoring them lately, caught up in everything with Mira, Lila and Library. And honestly?

A hot drink sounded amazing right now.

———

The cafe was tucked into a quiet corner near the academy’s east gate.

It looked small from the outside. Just a little building with a slanted roof and big windows. But the warm light spilling from the door made it feel inviting.

The scent of roasted coffee beans, fresh pastries.

The bell above the door gave a soft ding as they stepped inside.

The place was cozy. Dim lights hanging from the ceiling, soft music playing in the background.

A few students sat in the back. Hunched over books or whispering in low voices.

Luna didn’t hesitate. She made a beeline for a corner booth and threw herself onto the cushioned seat. Stretching her legs out like she owned the place.

Reo followed, sliding in beside her with a small yawn.

While Kyle took the chair across from them.

A waitress walked over. Probably a student too, judging by her uniform.

She had short blue hair tucked behind her ears and the kind of bored expression that said she’d rather be anywhere else.

She dropped three menus onto the table without saying anything.

"What’ll it be?" she asked after a few seconds.

"Three caramel lattes," Luna said right away, like she’d been here a dozen times already.

She scanned the menu with hungry eyes. "And ooh. The chocolate croissants! Let’s get two of those. No, three."

"Make it four. I’m starving," Reo added.

The waitress scribbled their order down without looking up and walked off without another word.

Kyle leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. The smell of sugar, chocolate, and coffee filled the air.

It was the kind of place that made you forget how tired you were.

For a moment. Kyle just sat there, letting himself breathe. No stress. Just this.

Luna rested her chin on her hands and narrowed her eyes at him. "Okay. Now talk. What’s really going on with you?"

"I told you. It’s nothing big," Kyle said.

"Liar." Reo flicked a sugar packet at him, and it bounced off his blazer.

"You never skip class. And you definitely don’t walk around looking like a half-dead ghost unless something serious is going on."

Kyle looked down. His blazer was still wrinkled. He probably had bags under his eyes too. He couldn’t really argue with them.

He sighed. "I’ve just been dealing with some stuff. Outside the academy."

"Family stuff?" Luna asked. Her voice a bit softer now.

Kyle shook his head. "Not mine."

The two of them shared a glance, not saying anything for a moment.

"You know you can tell us, right?" Reo said. His usual teasing tone was gone. "We’re not just here to mess around."

"Well, I am," Luna said with a grin. "But yeah. If you’re in trouble or something, just say it. We’ve got your back."

Kyle looked at them both. They were serious. He felt a small pang in his chest. Guilt, maybe.

He hated lying to them. But this wasn’t something he could explain. Not without dragging Mira and Lila into it.

"I know," he said quietly. "Thanks."

Just then. The waitress returned. Setting down three steaming mugs of caramel latte and a small basket with warm chocolate croissants, their edges flaky and golden brown.

Luna’s eyes lit up. "Yesss. Food!"

As soon as they started eating, the mood shifted.

Luna launched into a ridiculous story about Professor Zeke’s latest lecture. Complete with hand gestures. Groans. And over-the-top impressions.

Reo added his own sarcastic comments every few seconds.

Mimicking Zeke’s voice. Rolling his eyes dramatically. And even pretending to fall asleep in the middle of Luna’s rant.

Kyle couldn’t help it. He laughed. His body still felt tired, but the tension in his chest loosened a little.

Sitting here, with warm drinks, flaky pastries, and the sound of his friends joking around. Things almost felt normal.

For a little while. It was easy to forget about everything else.

By the time they stepped back outside, the sky had already changed.

The sun had dipped behind the trees. Leaving streaks of orange, purple, and soft pink across the horizon.

The air was cooler now, and the wind rustled the leaves as they walked down the quiet path back toward the academy.

"Okay, now are you gonna tell us what’s really going on?" Luna asked, poking Kyle in the side.

"Nope," Kyle said with a tired smile.

"Worth a shot," Reo said with a shrug.

Luna huffed. But she didn’t press him again.

As they reached the gates. Reo clapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Whatever it is. Don’t be dumb and try to do everything alone."

"Yeah," Luna added. "We’re way more useful than we look."

Kyle smiled faintly. "I’ll keep that in mind."

They split up at the dormitory crossroads. Luna and Reo heading toward the student dorms, chatting about something he barely heard.

Kyle turned toward the instructors’ quarters, walking alone.

His thoughts drifted back to the hospital.

But right now?

Right now. All he wanted was sleep.

———