CHAPTER 21: THE RIVER BETWEEN US

[ Monster Academy:— A Date by the river side]

"Wow, Sky... how did you pull this off in such a short time?" Valkyrie asked, her voice low but tinged with wonder. She turned in a slow circle, taking in the scene: lanterns hung from tree branches swayed in the soft night breeze, scattering their light in golden ripples across the river. A neat blanket was spread across the grass, a basket set in the middle like something out of an old storybook.

Sky’s grin was quick and boyish, but his eyes betrayed nerves. He scratched at the back of his neck. "Would you believe me if I said I had help?"

Her brows rose. "Help? That explains a lot. This doesn’t look like you could’ve done alone."

He pressed a hand to his chest, feigning offense. "You wound me, Val. I could be this romantic."

"Mm-hm." Her tone was teasing, but her lips curved with amusement. "So? Who bailed you out?"

Sky let out a laugh, giving up the act. "Alright, alright— you caught me. My buddies pitched in." He leaned back against the tree trunk, watching her carefully. "But before you think they’re sweethearts, it wasn’t out of kindness."

Valkyrie tilted her head, with curiosity bright in her eyes. "Then why?"

"They bet me you wouldn’t come." His grin turned sheepish, but there was a glimmer of pride beneath it. "Guess I proved them wrong."

Valkyrie froze, her mouth parting slightly. "Wait— you dragged me into a bet?"

Sky held up both hands in surrender, laughing. "Not dragged! Just... motivated. I wanted this for me. The bet just gave me the guts to ask."

She narrowed her eyes at him, then shook her head with a half-smile. "You’re unbelievable."

"Unbelievably lucky," he corrected smoothly, smirking.

That earned him a genuine laugh, soft but melodic. The sound made his chest tighten, though he covered it with a grin.

For a while they sat in quiet, sipping water from bottles he had chilled in the basket. The air carried the gentle perfume of wildflowers, mixed with the earthy smell of the river. The silence was heavy with nerves at first, but the night seemed to press closer, soothing it into something calm.

"So..." Sky finally broke the stillness, his voice was light. "On a scale of one to ten, how mad are you that I used a bet as an excuse?"

Valkyrie lifted a brow, pretending to think. "Hmm. Eleven?"

He clutched his chest dramatically. "Ah! Cruel. Straight through the heart."

Her smirk softened into something warmer. "Maybe you’ll think twice next time."

"Next time?" His grin returned, mischievous and hopeful. "So you’re already planning another date?"

Her eyes widened as she realized she’d walked into that one. "Uhm... What? I said next time? Wait...I mean next...Uhm" she couldn’t find another word to replace time, so she smiled sheepishly.

Sky laughed hard, his head tilting back while still laughing, and the sound felt like it belonged to the river itself.

The tension between them thinned further as the conversation flowed. They spoke of small things first: Soda’s impossible wardrobe chaos, Tekna’s blunt remarks that often left Soda spluttering, Lily’s habit of sneaking flowers into the most unexpected places. Valkyrie found herself laughing more than she thought she would, sometimes covering her mouth as if surprised at her own reaction. They also discussed about sky friends and what they do most times that annoy and amuse him. Randy, Klien, Tyson, iyo, Bryan.

Sky’s eyes lingered on her each time, memorizing the sound.

Then, slowly, the tone shifted.

He asked her about her favorite books, and she lit up in a way he hadn’t seen before, her voice growing animated as she described ancient tales she had hidden away in her dormitory. In return, she asked him why he trained so relentlessly, why he always seemed to push harder than anyone else.

Sky hesitated, then his smile faltered just enough to show truth. "Because I’m scared of not being enough," he admitted quietly. "People expect a lot from me. If I mess up, if I fail... it doesn’t just fall on me. It falls on everyone around me. And that thought keeps me running harder."

Valkyrie turned her gaze toward him, softer now. And she understood that weight more than she wished to admit.

"I think..." she said after a pause, "...you carry more than you let anyone see. That’s not weakness, Sky. That’s strength."

He looked at her, really looked, and the mischievous glint in his eyes melted into something earnest. "Then maybe that’s why I wanted you here tonight. With you, it doesn’t feel so heavy."

Her heart stuttered, though she masked it with a small scoff. "You’re too smooth for your own good."

"Or maybe," he said softly, "I’m just finally being honest."

The river whispered as though in agreement, the lanterns flickered, and for a heartbeat the world seemed to shrink to just the two of them.

The awkwardness of the beginning had long faded. What remained was a warmth neither wanted to step away from.

As the moon climbed higher, Sky leaned back on his elbows, staring up at the stars. "You know," he said, voice lighter again, "if I tell the guys you actually enjoyed this, they’ll never let me hear the end of it."

Valkyrie smirked, lying back beside him, their shoulders nearly brushing. "Then maybe don’t tell them."

He turned his head slightly, catching the faintest curve of her smile in the moonlight. "Our secret then."

For the first time since coming across Sky, She didn’t push him away, for some reasons she don’t know..

The air between them grew heavier, thick with something unspoken yet undeniable. The river’s soft rush blended with the steady thump of Valkyrie’s heartbeat. Sky leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper that seemed meant only for her

"Val..." he whispered, her name like a prayer.

Her heart stuttered. His gaze locked with hers, steady and unflinching, and before she could stop herself, her body leaned toward him as if pulled by something deeper than reason. The space between them dissolved until his lips hovered just an inch from hers.

And then— something inside her snapped. Not with sound, but with force. A shiver of alarm surged through her chest, scattering the warmth she had let herself feel. She blinked hard, her breath uneven, words tumbling from her mouth in a fragile rush.

"I—I’m sorry, Sky. I can’t. I just... can’t."

She pulled back suddenly, standing too quickly, her pulse was roaring in her ears.

Sky reached for her, his hands half-raised, the guilt flickering in his eyes. "Val, wait—please. I didn’t mean to... I’m sorry. I just..."

But she couldn’t listen. She turned and bolted, her boots pounding against the river path. The shadows swallowed her as she ran, Sky’s voice chasing her in broken echoes.

"Val! Please—I didn’t mean it!"

The words faded behind her.

The cool night air whipped against her face as she fled farther, her chest tightening with confusion, anger and fear— the emotions tangled into knots she couldn’t untie. She didn’t know if she was angry at Sky, at herself, or at the strange feeling that had stopped her heart mid-beat.

She kept running. Faster and farther.

And then—

BAM!

Her shoulder slammed into something hard. Valkyrie stumbled back, her heart was leaping into her throat. For a split second, she thought she had hit a tree— until the figure shifted. No... someone had been standing there.

Her pulse quickened. The stranger was taller, broad-shouldered, unmoving as though they had been waiting. The moonlight revealed only their outline, sharp and unyielding, casting a shadow that swallowed her smaller frame.

Valkyrie’s breath caught. "I... I’m so sorry—" she stammered, brushing her hair from her face, trying to gather herself. But when her gaze lifted again, the words died on her lips.

The person didn’t move for a split second. They didn’t speak. Thier eyes glimmered faintly in the dark— an unnatural glint, like steel catching firelight. A chill raced down her spine. This wasn’t Sky. This presence was heavier and more colder, as if they’ve been standing their observing for quite a while.

"Who..." Valkyrie’s voice broke, quieter than a whisper. "...who are you?"

The figure leaned forward just enough that the light revealed the hair color curling out of their cloak, and immediately they came out and stretched a hand to pick valkyrie up from the ground.