Honkai, why do you only throw me into high-level battles?

"Jell! Jell!"

Jell felt someone shaking her shoulder, calling her name.

"Wake up!"

"Ugh… what…?" She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt heavy, as if glued shut. She mumbled, "Can't a girl get some sleep…?"

The voice was familiar. Who was it?

She was too tired to care. She just wanted to sleep.

"Hee hee, I can't believe Jell, the model student, is sleeping in class!" another familiar voice teased. "Come on! We're going to get our ears pierced, remember? If you don't hurry, they'll close!"

"Yeah, come on!" the first voice echoed.

So annoying… let me sleep…

"Ear piercing? No," she mumbled. "I'm afraid of needles…" She paused, her mind catching up.

Ear piercing? What ear piercing?

"Wait…"

She took a deep breath, forcing her eyes open.

The world snapped into focus. She felt a surge of energy, her mind clearing. She sat up abruptly, looking at the faces surrounding her, confused.

"Ah!" The girls around her jumped, then laughed.

"She's awake!"

"I told you she'd wake up!"

Jell stared at them, her classmates from her school days, long gone. "You… what are you doing here?"

"Are you still half asleep? It's just after school. We're waiting for you, of course…"

"Yeah, we're getting our ears pierced!" the girls chirped.

Sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating the classroom, the dusty blackboard covered in scribbled notes.

She felt a wave of nostalgia, the familiar scent of chalk dust in the air. How did I get here?

"Jell, come on! Let's go!" a classmate urged.

"Where?" she asked, still dazed.

"To get our ears pierced!" another replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I…" She instinctively wanted to refuse, then, as if remembering something, changed her mind. She stood up, then turned back to her classmates. "Let's go!"

They gathered around her, chattering excitedly, and they left the classroom, the school building, the campus.

The boys waved goodbye, and the girls continued towards the piercing shop.

"Jell, I thought you were afraid of needles? What's gotten into you?" one of them teased.

"Who said I'm afraid of needles?" she protested. That was ancient history.

"Wow, she's talking back now!" another exclaimed. "I thought she was always so quiet and timid. Remember that time a bat flew into the classroom? She was the only one who cried! Hahaha!"

"Hey!" Jell blushed, mortified. Could they please forget about that?

"People change…" the girl with the gentle voice said, rescuing her from further embarrassment.

They reached the shop, a small boutique filled with girly trinkets.

"Click." "Click."

Two quick, sharp sounds. Jell sat silently, savoring the sensation.

"Does it hurt? Does it hurt?" a classmate asked, studying her expression.

"Yes," she replied, rolling her eyes, then smiled. "But it's… not that bad." She couldn't understand why she'd been so afraid before.

"See? I told you she's not scared anymore!"

"Alright, enough teasing," the gentle-voiced girl interrupted. "Let's get down to business."

"Oh, right!" The most boisterous of the group ran to the counter, examining the jewelry. Her eyes lit up, and she picked up a small box, returning to Jell. "These will look perfect on you!" She opened the box, revealing two delicate, white lotus flower earrings.

"Do you like them?" the gentle girl asked.

Jell nodded.

"Then try them on!" the other girl exclaimed. "Here, we'll help you."

They helped her put on the earrings, and another girl held up a mirror.

Her long, light blue hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing her face, the small lotus flowers nestled against her earlobes, like delicate blossoms on a snowy mountain.

She touched them gently, smiling. "This feels… strange…" She couldn't remember the last time she'd had long hair.

"They look beautiful!" one of them protested, dissatisfied with her reaction.

"Take another look." Another girl held the mirror closer.

"Do you like them?" the gentle girl asked again.

"Yes," Jell replied, and her friends smiled, pleased.

They left the shop, chatting and laughing, discussing teenage trivialities – boys with pimples, crushes on classmates, expensive concert tickets.

Jell listened, a wave of nostalgia washing over her, as if she were truly back in her carefree school days.

"Jell, have you thought about what you want to be when you grow up?" a classmate asked.

"Me?" She thought about it. "A teacher, maybe? Or a doctor…" That's what she'd dreamed of, once.

"You'd be better off as a teacher," another girl teased. "If you were a doctor, you'd probably faint during anatomy class!"

"Can't you remember anything positive about me?" Jell sighed. How embarrassing had she been?

Or was that… the life she should have had?

"What's wrong? Something on your mind?" the gentle girl asked.

"Nothing." She shook her head, smiling at her friends. "Just… feeling nostalgic…"

"That's good enough!" They reached a building, pushing her forward. "Alright, you're home! See you tomorrow!" They waved goodbye.

"See you tomorrow," she replied, waving back, then turned to face the familiar building. She walked to the door, took a deep breath, and pushed it open.

"Mom, Dad, I'm home."

Her mother, her face wreathed in a warm smile, greeted her at the door. "Welcome home! Come in! Your father is cooking dinner."

"Mm!" Tears welled up in her eyes. She changed her shoes, and her mother led her to the dining table.

"Our daughter is home!" Her father, wearing an apron, emerged from the kitchen, carrying a large pot of fish stew. He placed it on the table, smiling. "Dinner is served!"

Her mother placed a large piece of fish in her bowl. "Be careful, it's hot."

"Mm!" She took a bite, the familiar taste bringing tears to her eyes again.

"You must be tired," her father said, sighing, gently wiping away her tears. "We're sorry we couldn't be there for you…"

"No, it's okay." She shook her head, smiling through her tears. "I've been… I've been doing well…"

It was a warm, happy dinner. Her father kept bringing out more dishes, her mother kept filling her bowl, urging her to eat more, telling her to slow down, listening to her stories about her life as a Valkyrie, about her captain, her teammates, her own journey from rookie to captain.

"I've been doing well… really… but…" she repeated, her voice trembling. "But…" She tried to hold back, but she couldn't. She pushed her bowl aside, burying her face in her mother's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "But… I missed you so much…"

She cried like a child, finally home after a long, arduous journey, all her burdens, all her pretenses, gone.

Her parents comforted her, holding her close, letting her release all the pent-up grief and pain she'd been carrying.

After a long time, her sobs subsided. She sat up, her father handing her a glass of water, her mother changing her tear-soaked clothes. They resumed their dinner, a quiet, comfortable silence between them.

"I'm full…" She patted her stomach, looking at the uneaten food. How long did it take them to prepare all this? She offered to help clean up, but they refused, shooing her away.

"Ding dong…" The doorbell rang.

Visitors? At this hour? She was puzzled, but she went to answer the door.

She opened the door and froze.

"Captain?"

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" A tall, elegant woman, her posture relaxed and confident, stood at the door, gesturing towards the living room, a smile playing on her lips.

Jell stepped aside, letting her in.

"Nice place." The woman looked around, still smiling. "Too bad it wasn't like this last time I was here." After the eruption, only rubble had remained. She'd only managed to rescue a little girl hiding in a closet.

"Captain…" Jell smiled wryly. Her captain's words felt… strange, somehow.

"We'll leave you two to catch up," her parents said, smiling at the visitor, then retreated to the kitchen, closing the door behind them.

Silence fell between them.

"Captain, it's been a while…" Jell broke the silence, looking at the woman she'd once admired so much, her voice filled with emotion.

"You're a captain now too," the woman corrected her gently, then asked, her tone curious, "How is it? Being a captain?"

"It sucks," Jell grumbled. "They're all so much trouble…"

The woman burst out laughing, her laughter echoing through the room, her body shaking with amusement.

Jell knew why she was laughing.

"Now you know how I felt, dealing with a rookie like you," the woman said, wiping away the tears of laughter, her smile still wide.

Jell blushed, then mumbled, "Don't act so superior, old woman. I'm just as good a captain as you are."

"What was that?" The woman glared at her, making her shrink back, then sighed, studying her with a warm, approving smile. "You've done well, Captain Jell Meister."

Jell's heart swelled with pride. It felt like she was a rookie again, eager to please her captain.

"Alright, time's up. Go see the others," the woman said, patting her shoulder gently. "They're waiting for you."

"Mm!" Jell nodded, taking one last look at her home, then opened the door and stepped out, her captain watching her go, a smile on her face.

She stepped through the door, and the world changed again. She was back at the orphanage, her other home, the place where her new life had begun.

"Jell, welcome back." A kind voice greeted her.

"Mother Superior…" She looked at the elderly nun, her heart filled with guilt. She knelt before her. "I'm sorry… I failed to protect you…" She felt like she'd ruined everything, unworthy of returning here.

"My child, don't say that. Get up." The nun helped her up. "You are all my children, my pride. I am the one who failed you…"

"Mother Superior…" Jell's guilt intensified.

"It's alright, child. You're home now. It's all over. You did well. This will always be your home." The nun patted her hand reassuringly. "Go inside. The others are waiting."

"Mm!" Jell wiped away her tears and went inside.

"Finally! We were starting to think you weren't coming!" a girl called out, waving at her.

"Ander…" Jell looked at her, a wave of nostalgia washing over her. "Where are the others?"

"They're preparing a welcome party! I was sent to greet you!" Ander smiled, handing her a small box. "Here, fresh-baked cookies! Try one!"

"No way!" Jell wrinkled her nose. "Who bakes cookies without sugar?" She suspected that was why Ander had been sent out.

"But sugar is bad for you!" Ander protested.

"Since when do Valkyries care about their weight?" Jell retorted.

"Hmph, I don't care!" Ander pulled out a cookie and shoved it in Jell's face, grinning. "You have to try them! They're delicious!"

Jell, caught off guard, was momentarily speechless, the cookie surprisingly cold, not warm as she'd expected.

...

"Ugh…" Jell woke up, her body aching.

She was still amidst the ruins, Honkai beasts approaching in the distance. She hadn't gone anywhere. She was still in Manila, still in hell.

It was just a dream… she thought, her heart sinking. She'd wished it were real.

The cold sensation on her cheek lingered, just like in the dream.

She reached up, touching her cheek, retrieving the cold object.

"What…?" She froze.

It was a picture frame, its glass miraculously intact, containing a photo of a smiling young woman, her eyes twinkling with amusement, as if asking if she'd enjoyed the "prank."

"Could it be…?" She sat up, looking around.

The orphanage was in ruins, but the familiar bricks and stones, the collapsed bell tower, evoked a powerful sense of… home.

She chuckled, the sound growing louder, lighter. "So, I really am home…"

"You all came to get me, didn't you?"

"Roar!" A Knight-class Honkai beast, drawn by the noise, charged towards her.

A surge of anger coursed through her. "This is my home! You have no right to be here!" She fumbled for a weapon, struggling to stand, ready to defend her home, one last time.

Her left hand grasped a stone, her right hand found the familiar hilt of her broken blade, its edge still sharp.

She laughed, dropping the stone.

She wasn't an ape anymore. She didn't need to throw stones. Humanity had its own way of fighting.

"This is my home…" She gripped the broken blade, taking a few unsteady steps forward.

The Honkai beast continued its approach, its massive form looming over her, a terrifying predator.

"As long as I'm still breathing… you will not pass!" She charged forward, summoning her last reserves of strength, her expression resolute, defying the monstrous beast, a fool facing a demon, her heart filled with a quiet conviction.

"Ander, I told you, unsweetened cookies are disgusting…" The beast was almost upon her, but she felt no fear, only a calm acceptance, a final thought echoing in her mind. "…I'll teach you what a real dessert is… someday…"