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Xayah couldn’t sleep. Two in the morning. She listened in silence to the quiet of the late night, thoughts spinning endlessly in her head before spilling out through her wide, staring eyes into the void, only to end up trapped, lingering around the dimly lit room. They grew thick, suffocating. Sitting up abruptly, she pulled open the curtains and threw the windows wide. She stared intently at the sky, paying no mind to the neighbor startled by the sudden noise. She searched among the stars. She searched for a silhouette, an answer, a sound like the delicate chiming of a wind chime, endlessly yearning for where it belonged. Xayah wished for a shooting star to fall, carrying him along and bringing him back to her. She knew these feelings were sappier than anything, yet they kept churning, twisting her inside out. She also knew damn well those foolish wishes would never come true, not unless she took matters into her own hands.
The phone rang once, twice, and only on the third chime did it snap Xayah back to reality. She glanced at her lock screen, a photo of her with slightly knitted brows alongside Rakan’s wide, toothy grin. It was a message from Seraphine. Her friend had sent a clip of some sort, followed by, "OMG watch this, I'm literally dying laughing," and "🤣🤣". Normally, late-night, unimportant messages like this would be ignored by Xayah until class the next morning. That was just Xayah’s habit, whereas Sera had no qualms spamming her with videos labeled "so funny, cute to die for." At first, she found it annoying, but over time, she’d gotten completely used to it.
Xayah tapped the notification and watched the video. Just some parrots pulling crazy stunts. Her eyes involuntarily drifted toward the wooden perch, where Saki was peacefully fast asleep. A faint smile touched her lips, easing the messy storm in her mind. "Go to sleep," blunt words. She was clearly feeling a little cheerier, yet her fingers typed out a response like that anyway.
“Wait, why are you actually replying?”
Sera sent a voice note. Her high-pitched, slightly sharp voice buzzed through, clear with unfiltered shock. She definitely hadn’t expected this, as it was as rare as spotting Sirius in the heat of midsummer. "No way it's just 'can't sleep'." "Is something wrong?" "You miss Rakan, don't you?" Three lines flashed in quick succession, fast as incoming arrows. Every single word struck Xayah’s chest like a meteor. She hesitated, a wave of thoughts rushing through her mind, only to end up typing back a single, blunt "Yeah." Just one word, one syllable, yet it overflowed with emotions so stifling they threatened to burst. Whenever their friends brought up Rakan, she’d just brush it off, saying, "That handsome bastard will drag his tail feathers back here eventually anyway." But deep down, she knew that wasn't true. Her gut was pushing her to act; there would be no more waiting around for the prince to brave trials and save the princess. This time, the princess would rescue the prince herself.
The screen chimed with an incoming call from Seraphine. Startled for a brief second, Xayah picked it up anyway.
“Honey, are you okay?” The girl’s voice bled sweet concern.
“Told you to stop calling me that, it’s sickeningly sappy,” Xayah let out a short breath.
“We’ll go look for Rakan again tomorrow, okay? I have a feeling we’re super close. Trust me, my gut is never wrong.” Sera’s tone was firm, laced with gentle comfort.
“Thanks.”
Xayah murmured, the sharp edge in her voice softening completely. She didn’t hate Seraphine, far from it. In fact, she was almost annoyingly impressed by how ridiculously affectionate the girl was, along with all the chaos that came with it.
“I really wish I could give you a hug right now.”
Xayah didn’t object to that. She allowed her heart to simply rest upon Seraphine’s warmth. Having a friend so thoughtful and caring was no small thing. Thinking this, she curled onto her side in bed, drawing her knees up slightly. Her phone rested on the nightstand, the call screen still glowing softly.
“Sera, are you still there?”
Feeling as though the silence had stretched out for a while, Xayah spoke up.
“Of course I am.”
“Stay on the line a bit longer, okay?”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
And then Seraphine began to hum. She sang beautifully, though Xayah would never say it out loud. Her voice blended seamlessly with the stars, weaving into a ribbon of shimmering starlight that danced in Xayah’s eyes, nothing short of a miracle.