The soft light of morning filtered through my curtains, and I blinked, adjusting to the brightness. My body felt heavy with the remnants of sleep, but as I slowly stirred, my eyes fell on the chair beside my bed. Ender was still there, sitting upright, his gaze focused on me the moment I stirred.

“You’re awake,” he said, his voice low, almost soothing.

I nodded, feeling a mix of emotions settle over me—relief, gratitude, maybe even a little embarrassment that he had stayed the whole night.

“I didn’t mean to make you sit here all night,” I murmured, shifting under the covers. “You should’ve gone to charge.”

Ender’s head tilted slightly, a familiar gesture now, one that I’d come to associate with him processing something deeper. “Your well-being took priority. I will charge while you are away today.”

I offered him a small smile, grateful for his quiet, unwavering presence. “Thanks. For staying.”

He simply nodded, standing up fluidly from the chair. “Would you like breakfast?”

I chuckled softly. “Not yet. I think I just need a minute to wake up.” I stretched, trying to shake off the lingering edges of the nightmare. The fear had faded with the night, but I still felt unsettled, like the emotions were lurking just beneath the surface.

Ender didn’t push. He simply nodded again, retreating to the kitchen to give me space.

A little while later, after some breakfast and getting ready for the day, I found myself on the way to my therapy session. The morning traffic whizzed by, but my mind was already at the therapist’s office. Angie would ask me how things were going, and I knew I had plenty to say. Ender. The nightmare. My group project. It all felt like it was overlapping and colliding, but in a way, it seemed like progress.

By the time I got to the office, my thoughts were swirling but organized enough to talk through them. I took a deep breath before heading inside.

Once in her office, Angie leaned forward, her eyes warm and encouraging. “So, how’s it been going, Seren? Any updates?”

I took a breath, trying to gather the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions from the past week. “A lot has happened. Like… a lot.”

Angie smiled. “Start wherever you’re comfortable. Highs? Lows? You choose.”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

I paused, thinking about the positives first. “Well, I started classes—finally, in person. That feels like a big step. And I’m… hopeful? I really like the group I was assigned to for our robotics project.”

Angie nodded. “That’s great! I can’t tell you how excited I was when I got your text that you switched to in person! That’s huge, Seren! Have you thought about developing those friendships outside of class?”

I bit my lip, unsure. “I don’t know. It’s a little too soon. But… maybe. I do like them, and I don’t feel as anxious around them. It’s a good group.”

“That’s a big step in itself,” Angie said, her voice encouraging. “Even just recognizing that you might be open to friendships is progress. Is it only women in the group?”

“No, there is one guy, but he doesn’t make me uncomfortable.”

“I’m so glad to hear it! This is the best possible outcome we could’ve hoped for,” Angie encouraged.

“Yeah,”I paused, feeling a bit lighter, but there was still a weight from the night before. “Ender’s been helping a lot, too. He listens when I need to process everything. He even stayed with me last night when I had a nightmare.”

Angie’s expression softened. “That’s good. It sounds like he’s been a real source of comfort for you.”

“He has,” I admitted, feeling a bit of that comfort now as I spoke. But then the low crept in. “But the nightmare… It’s the same one, Angie. It won’t go away.”

Angie nodded, not pressing but clearly wanting to guide me to a place I wasn’t sure I wanted to go. “I know we haven’t gone into details yet. You’ve mentioned the trauma before, but only in broad terms.”

I looked away, my throat tightening. “Yeah…”

“Have you considered telling Ender about it?” Angie’s voice was gentle but firm. “He’s a safe space for you, and, as you said, he listens. He could take it in purely factually—no human responses, no judgment.”

I frowned, my hands fidgeting with the edge of my sleeve. “I’ve thought about it. But Ender… he still has opinions, you know? He’s shared them on a bunch of things. I don’t know if I’m ready for him to have an opinion about… that.”

Angie raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “What kind of opinions?”

I rolled my eyes, letting out a small laugh. “Oh, you should hear him on vampires. He’s obsessed with that cheesy vampire show I watch—he critiques their biting techniques like it’s a matter of efficiency or something.”

Angie chuckled. “That sounds… entertaining.”

I shrugged. “It is. But I’m not sure how I’d feel about him having opinions on this.”

Angie studied me for a moment, then nodded. “I understand. Take your time. But maybe, when you’re ready, he could help you process it in a way that feels safe.”

“I’ll think about it,” I said, my voice quiet. And I meant it—I would. But thinking about it was different from doing it.

After the session with Angie, I felt a mix of relief and hesitation. The idea of telling Ender everything? That was going to take some time. But right now, I had something else to focus on—meeting up with my group.

As I walked across campus, the cool breeze helped clear my head. I pulled out my phone and checked the group chat—Gemma had already texted, confirming the meeting spot in the library.

When I arrived, Theo waved me over to the table where Gemma and Lain were already settled. “Ready to crush this project?” he asked with a grin.

I smiled, sliding into the seat across from them. “So ready.”