“You’re from Mistral, right? So am I! What part are you from?” she says brightly, flashing Cerna another one of her cheery smiles. 

    “Northern Mistral,” he murmurs. 

    “Northern Mistral...I don’t remember if I’ve been there.” Vira frowns, realizing how stupid it was of her to ask such a question. It’s not like she remembered anything about Mistral, let alone the specific regions. 

    “It’s cold,” Cerna starts. “Very cold, my family raised sheep. Do you remember being somewhere with sheep?” he asks, turning towards her. His gaze is gentle, but beyond that she cannot glean anything else. She turns her focus to trying to recall a place with sheep.

    Closing her eyes, she thinks hard. Pushing through the fog in her mind is impossible, and all she can see is a dark wall. If she had been somewhere with sheep, the memories were locked away, or not there at all. 

    “No, I don’t. I guess I’ve never been there,” she responds cheerfully. For a moment, she sees pity swimming in Cerna’s eyes, but then it’s gone; replaced with that peaceful look of his. She’s grateful for this. To Vira, being pitied stings like a slap to the face. It’s better to make someone happy, to make them smile, than to fill them with pity. Besides, by morning, she’ll forget whatever it is he’s pitying her for, she just knows it. 

    “Too bad, it’s a lovely place. You should come visit someday, see my family’s sheep,” he says. Vira smiles hearing him talk. He really did have such a wonderful voice. 

“Vira, are you okay? Can you tell me what’s going on?” Cerna asks, sitting down next to her. She shakes her head, staring at a spot on the dorm room floor. 

    “Can I say no?” Vira asks, glancing over at Cerna. Cerna’s face twists, concern flashing in his eyes. He tentatively reaches out and places a hand on her shoulder, squeezing her. 

    “Vira, I’ve been being very patient with you. I understand that whatever is going on with you, it’s a lot, and that you aren’t ready to talk about it. But I know that something is wrong, and I know that something must be wrong with Mayumi, too. I will never force you to do something you do not want to do, but I think it would be best if you told me what was happening,” Cerna asks. Vira shakes her head, pushing her face into Cerna’s chest. She can feel his stomach rise with a deep, shaking breath. 

    “Ok. I will be here to talk to when you are ready,” he says, patting her back. Vira feels tears start to form and shakes her head, gripping the cloth of his shirt.