The Day We Died

.x.X.x.

~CrazyPlotQueen~

Pyei Steele was curled up on her porch, enjoying the sunny, beautiful day in Vale, the sun illuminating her glossy black hair and her vivid sea green eyes. These were the days she enjoyed, the days she treasured. These were days where she could leave Remnant and anything in it behind, and simply be engrossed in her book.

The girl ran her fingers across the spine of er battered copy of Romeo and Juliet, the corners of her lips turning upwards ever so slightly. She loved this story. For a decade now, she'd been reading the book, show by the folded corners of the pages, the water stains on certain pages from the freshly fallen rain, the ink marks from where she had underlined phrases and passages she loved. Yes, this book was certainly well used and not in the best condition, but it was beloved by Pyri. One could even say it was a part of the Steele family. By now, at age seventeen, this copy was carried everywhere with Pyri. She simply couldn't go anywhere without it, it was like a security blanket for her

Needless to say, Pyri loved this book so much, it was almost tangible.

The scroll in her jean pocket vibrated, pulling the teen out of her thoughts. She rarely got phone calls from anyone besides her parents, and was a bit startled. Prepared to hear a request or lecture from her mom, Pyri put the scroll to her ear.

"Hello?" She answered, tucking a black curl behind her ear automatically

"Pyri?" A voice asked on the other line. Harvard. Her brother in law. They were cloe, having a sort of playful, competitive relationship. That of actual siblings. He sounded hoarse, like speaking was hard for him. "We need to talk."

"Well...That's never a good sign. Usually when you say that, you need to lecture me on something," She snorted dryly, rolling her sea green eyes. "But hey, we're talking now. Doesn't that count?"

"Pyri...Y-You don't understand. I have something I need to tell you, and I don't know how," Harvard's voice cracked. That slightly worried her. Her brother in law never showed emotions, he was always serious and cold, Years of fighting as a huntsman did that to him.

"Then say it."

"Gally's dead," The words just flew out of his mouth. Pyri thought he was joking for a moment, wanted to laugh. Gally? Dead? Impossible. She was one of the strongest huntresses t go through Haven Academy. She couldn't be dead. "She was on a mission with a first year team, Team AJTE, and the Grimm overwhelmed her...I did my best. I'm so, so, eternally sorry-"

Harvard's words were't registering for her. Gally? Dead? That was fucking impossible.

But here she was, listening to her brother in law sob over the phone. Sh was dead. The only person she trusted and loved was dead.

The scroll clattered onto the wooden porch, cracks spider webbing across the screen. Tears dripped down her cheeks, cascading onto the worn and old pages of her beloved book. Pyri lost all sense of time, faith, hope, happiness in those few moments. She would have traded that all away to just hear Gally breathe again.

Pyri curled up on her porch, sobbing for what seemed like hours, years, decades, centuries. Her shoulders convulsed with grief, and at some point she vomited a little.

Eventually, she calmed down, having dried herself of tears and will to keep going. Staring up at the sky, she let her ragged, tired breaths soothe and calm her. What was she going to do now? How was she going to go on without her favorite sister? Why did she die? Why?

That stupid fucking mission, she gritted her teeth. Gally had died saving someone else. There was no damn justice. But, she could make her own justice. Rage and fury bubbled up through her. It was her.

Pyri snatched her cracked scroll off the ground. She launched herself up off her porch and onto her feet, the heavy combat boots she was wearing stomping across the worn wood. The teen paced furiously, dialing a number on the scroll, and lifting it to her ear.

"Hello, this is Haven Academy student Registration. How may I help you?"

The girl paused for a moment, her voice caught in her throat. Did she really want t do this? She was practically signing her own death wish with this call. But yes, Gally deserved justice.

"Hi. My name's Pyri Steele. Sign me up for the next semester. Now."