GOOD NIGHT

Wannia's POV:

I sat on my bed, my phone clutched in my hand. I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled over me since Grandpa's visit earlier that day. I needed to talk to Kai, to share what had happened, to make sure he was okay.

"hey what's up?" I said, my voice was a little shaky, as he answered the phone.

"Wannia" Kai's voice sounded a little strained.

“Kai, you sound like someone just died,” I said. “Are you crying right now? Did Grandpa come to see you?”

Kai’s breathing hitched. He was quiet for a moment. "Yeah, he came here earlier. He talked to Mom and Dad."

"What did he say?" I asked, my heart pounding in my chest.

"He said… he said it's time for us to go back," Kai replied, his voice a bit choked.

I could hear the tremor in his voice. "Kai? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, but I could hear the sniffle in his voice. "Just a little tired."

“Kai, I can hear you crying,” I said, my heart sinking. “What happened?”

Kai hesitated, then sighed. “It was… rough. He said he understands Mom and Dad loved me, but the Crimson Claw is my destiny, my family. He said it’s time to return.”

My own heart ached. I knew how close Kai was to his foster parents, how much they meant to him.

"How are they doing?" I asked, my voice filled with concern.

"Not good," Kai admitted. "They're heartbroken. They gave me everything. And now… it's like I'm leaving them behind."

My stomach twisted. The thought of Kai going back to the Crimson Claw, of him leaving his foster family, felt like a punch to the gut.

"I know," I said, my voice filled with sympathy. “It's not fair. It's not right. But it's not our choice."

"Yeah, I know," Kai said, his voice filled with sadness. "It's… it's just going to be so hard to leave them behind. I don't know how I'm going to do it."

I felt a surge of empathy for Kai, for the difficult choice he had to make.

“We'll get through this, Kai,” I said, trying to sound brave. “Together. Like always.”

“Yeah, together,” he said, a faint glimmer of hope creeping into his voice. “We’ll figure this out.”

The silence after the call hung heavy. I felt the weight of the decision we both had to make. The Crimson Claw called, its shadowy grip beckoning us back. But a part of me, a part of both of us, yearned for the normalcy we had built, for the love we had found, for the life we had almost known.

...----------------...

I set my phone down on the comforter, the screen going dark like a closed eye. The room felt smaller somehow, the walls pressing in around me. Outside my window, kids were laughing as they chased each other down the street the kind of carefree sound that used to be part of my world too.

A soft knock at my door made me jump. "Wannia? Can I come in?" Aunt Amelia's voice was gentle, but I could hear the tightness in it, the same strain that had been in Kai's.

"Come in," I said, swiping at my eyes quickly even though I knew she'd already seen I'd been crying.

She stepped inside, holding a mug of chamomile tea my favorite for when I was upset. She handed it to me, and the warmth seeped through the ceramic into my palms.

"He called us too," she said, sitting carefully on the edge of my bed. Uncle Thomas appeared in the doorway behind her, his big frame looking smaller than usual, his shoulders slumped. "Your grandfather. He said he said you'll need to leave soon too."

I nodded, the tea mug trembling against my lips. "I know. He came to see me at school today. I didn't get a chance to tell you."

Aunt Amelia reached out and brushed a strand of hair from my face. "We know, sweetie. We could tell something was wrong when you came home. You've been quiet all evening."

"I don't want to go," I whispered, the words finally breaking free. "This is my home. You're my family."

Tears welled in her eyes too. "We know, baby. And you'll always be our family no matter where you go, no matter what happens. That doesn't change."

Uncle Thomas came over and sat beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "Your grandfather explained some things to us. About the Crimson Claw. About why you two have to go back."

"Did he tell you what it means?" I asked, looking up at him. "About the training? About being assassins?"

He sighed heavily. "He said it's not what we think that it's more about protection than anything else. That your family has been guardians for generations."

"Guardians or killers," I said bitterly. "It still means leaving everything behind."

"We've been talking," Aunt Amelia said, taking my free hand. "We know we can't stop this your grandfather made that clear. But we want you to know that we'll support you however we can. We'll visit as often as we're allowed. We'll call, we'll write..."

"And we want you to finish this school year," Uncle Thomas added firmly. "We talked to your grandfather about it, and he agreed. Said you both deserve to wrap up what you started here before moving on."

My eyes widened in surprise. "He agreed? Kai was worried he wouldn't let us."

"He cares about you two more than he lets on," Aunt Amelia said with a small smile. "Beneath all that formality and tradition, he's still a grandfather who wants what's best for his grandchildren."

I leaned my head against Uncle Thomas's shoulder, feeling a little of the weight lift from my chest. Finishing the school year meant more time with my friends Celine, Leah, and Andrea. More time in my life I've grown to love. More time with Aunt Amelia and Uncle Thomas.

But it also meant more time to dread what was coming.

"I need to tell my friends," I said quietly. "They're going to be so confused when I say I'm leaving at the end of the year."

"Take all the time you need," Aunt Amelia said. "And in the meantime let's make these last few months count. No more putting off movie nights or family dinners. We'll make every moment matter."

I nodded, squeezing her hand. They were right. Even if I had to leave, I could still cherish the time I had left here. And Kai and I would face whatever came next together just like we always promised we would.

I stayed like that for a while, letting the warmth of Uncle Thomas's arm around me and the memory of Aunt Amelia's gentle touch settle in my heart. Eventually they stood up to leave, knowing I needed time to process everything on my own.

Aunt Amelia leaned down to kiss my forehead, her lips soft and warm against my skin. "We love you so much, Wannia. Always remember that."

Uncle Thomas gave my shoulder one last squeeze. "Sleep well, kiddo. Tomorrow's a new day."

They turned off the overhead light and closed the door quietly behind them, leaving me with just the soft glow from my bedside lamp. I pulled the covers up higher and took one last sip of tea before setting the mug on the nightstand.

My eyes felt heavy now, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up to me. I looked around my room, at the posters on the wall, the stack of books on my desk, the photo of me and my friends smiling back from the shelf. Every corner held a memory, every inch felt like home.

I reached over and switched off the lamp, letting darkness wrap around me like a blanket. Outside my window, the streetlights cast gentle shadows across the ceiling. The world was quiet now, peaceful even.

I whispered into the stillness of the room, "Good night, Kai. Good night, Aunt Amelia. Good night, Uncle Thomas. Good night, home."

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