MIGUEL HAD vanished. Seemingly leaving without any trace, but with some prying, everyone found out that he'd gone to Mexico to find his father... which he couldn't really be blamed for, but his mother had always warned him about his father, about what he'd done, what he was capable of doing, but the boy needed to see that for himself.

Thalia, on the other hand, had been okay. She was fine, truly, as unbelievable as that sounded. She spent so much of her time worrying about what Tory would think of her during and after all things karate that she lost herself.

Thalia wasn't fully back to her normal routine, but she wasn't so worried of what Tory thought of her anymore... in the sense of karate that is. Tory was her older sister, she wanted nothing more than to impress her and she now knew there were other ways of doing that.

There was a gentle knock against the door and a small mutter of a "come in" from the other side.

Thalia stepped into the room, her eyes immediately catching the sight of Tory sitting on the edge of her bed, the All Valley trophy balanced in her hands. Tory's expression was tight, guarded, as her fingers trailed along the engraved letters on the plaque.

"Hey," Thalia said softly, her voice cutting through the silence as she closed the door behind her.

Tory looked up. "Hey," she replied, her voice low, her grip tightening slightly on the trophy.

Thalia stayed near the door for a moment, unsure of what to say. Her gaze shifted to the trophy, gleaming under the dim light. "So..." she started, hesitating. "How does it feel? Winning, I mean."

Tory's lips twitched into a faint smirk, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Heavy," she said simply, her fingers tracing the edge of the plaque. "Feels heavier than I thought it would."

Thalia took a few steps closer, her hands clasped in front of her. "Can I...?" she asked, nodding toward the trophy.

Tory hesitated, her grip tightening for a moment before she loosened it and held it out. "Sure," she said, her voice softer.

Thalia took the trophy carefully, surprised by its weight as she turned it over in her hands. The engraved words All Valley Champion gleamed up at her, and for a moment, a wave of emotions washed over her. She'd come so close—so close—but it wasn't hers. It never would be.

"You earned this," Thalia said finally, looking up at Tory. There was no sarcasm, no bitterness in her tone, only sincerity.

Tory took the trophy, setting it back on her lap, though her fingers lingered on the edge. She glanced up at Thalia, her eyes flickering with a mix of emotions—gratitude, unease, and something unspoken.

"You fought hard," Tory said after a beat, her voice quiet but firm. "You made me work for it. It could've gone either way."

Thalia let out a small, humorless laugh as she stepped back, leaning against the doorframe. "Could've," she repeated, the weight of the word settling in her chest. "But it didn't."

The room fell into a heavy silence, the weight of the past weeks hanging between them. After a moment, Tory shifted, her gaze dropping to the trophy. "You know," she started, her tone careful, "you could join Cobra Kai."

Thalia blinked, startled by the suggestion. "Cobra Kai?" she repeated, a hint of disbelief in her voice.

"Yeah," Tory said, her tone firmer now. "You're good, Thalia. You could be great with the right training. And you'd have backup—me, Sensei Silver, everyone."

Thalia let out a small, humorless laugh, shaking her head. "Tory... Cobra Kai's your thing. It always has been. You don't need me there."

"It doesn't have to just be my thing," Tory said, her voice softening. "You could make it yours too."

Thalia took a step back, crossing her arms. "I'm not stopping karate," she said carefully. "But Eagle Fang... that was where I belonged. And now that it's over, maybe it's time I figure out what's next. Something that's just mine."

"So that's it?" Tory asked, her voice sharper than intended. "You're just... done?"

"No." Thalia answered softly. "I spent so much time trying to prove myself to you, to everyone, and I think... maybe it's time to stop doing that."

Tory froze, her head snapping up. "You didn't have to prove yourself to me," she said firmly, her voice edged with something raw.

Thalia held her gaze, her voice steady. "Maybe that's what you thought. But it didn't feel that way to me."

Tory opened her mouth to argue but closed it again, her expression flickering with something between guilt and understanding. The silence between them was heavy, the weight of unspoken words filling the room.

Finally, Thalia gave her a faint smile, her tone softening. "For what it's worth, I'm proud of you. Not just for winning, but for everything. You've been through hell and back, and you're still standing."

Tory blinked, startled by the words. She scoffed lightly, trying to brush it off, but there was no mistaking the slight crack in her armor. "Thanks," she muttered, barely audible.

As she turned to leave, Tory's gaze lingered on the trophy for a moment before she glanced up. "Thalia," she called out, her voice halting.

Thalia paused, looking back over her shoulder.

"You were good out there," Tory said, the words awkward but sincere. "Better than I expected."

Thalia's smile grew just a little. "Thanks, Tory. That means a lot."

Thalia gently shut the door behind her before she entered her room and flopped down on the bed. She let out a heavy sigh as she reached for her phone, unlocking it to find a missed call from Miguel and a flood of messages in their group chat.

Demetri and Eli were going back and forth about their hypothetical survival skills, debating the difference of between beef versus fish on a deserted island. Miguel had even chimed in at one point, but there was something off about his tone—even in a text.

Her thumb hovered over his missed call when the phone buzzed in her hand. It was Miguel again.

She pressed the answer button, holding the phone to her ear. "Hey."

"Hey," Miguel replied, his voice quieter than usual. She could hear the faint hum of traffic and distant chatter in the background. "You busy?"

Thalia furrowed her brows. "Not really. You okay?"

"Yeah," he said quickly, though it lacked conviction. "I just... needed to hear a familiar voice."

"How's Mexico?"

"It's... different here."

Thalia shifted on the bed, her fingers tightening around the phone. "Miguel, what are you doing? Do you have a plan? A lead? Anything?"

There was a pause, and she could almost picture him rubbing the back of his neck. "I have some clues," he said vaguely. "But it's not exactly easy. I didn't expect it to be, but..."

"But what?" Thalia pressed gently.

"But I don't know if I'm doing the right thing," he admitted, his voice quieter. "I thought I'd feel something—like, a pull, you know? Like I'd just know when I found him. But so far, it's just... nothing."

Thalia exhaled slowly, her chest tightening. "Miguel," she started, her voice softer now, "I get why you're doing this, but... running off like that? Alone? It wasn't the best way to handle it."

"I thought I could talk to you about it now," Miguel said, his voice quieter, almost hurt.

"You can," Thalia said quickly. "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to call you out when you make a reckless decision."

"Reckless," he repeated bitterly.

Thalia sighed. "Not reckless, but impulsive." She let a beat of silence pass between them before she leaned back against her pillows. "Will you at least keep me posted?" She asked softly.

"I'll try. It's just... a lot right now."

"I get that," Thalia replied, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her blanket. "But you don't have to go through this completely alone, you know?"

"Yeah... Yeah, I know." Miguel didn't respond right away, and the silence stretched just long enough to feel heavy. "Thanks," he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "For picking up. I just... needed to hear you."

"Always."

Soon the line was cut. Thalia pulled the phone away from her ear and saw the word disconnected across her screen.

She hadn't even realized she was holding her breath until she let it out in a slow, shaky exhale. Miguel's voice, quieter and more uncertain than she'd ever heard it, still echoed in her mind.

Nightfall would come quickly, quite in the Nichols' apartment. The only sound coming for the living room TV that had been long forgotten.

Thalia, as well as the others, had been in deep sleep, but she would jerk up as her phone vibrated from her bedside table. She blinked groggily, rubbing her eyes as she reached for it on the bedside table. Miguel's name glowed on the screen.

"Miguel?" she said, her voice a mix of surprise and concern.

"Hey," he said, his voice soft but steady, though it carried an unfamiliar weight. "Did I wake you?"

"It's fine," she replied, sitting up in bed. "Are you okay?"

There was a pause, and she could hear the faint hum of movement in the background. "I'm here... back in town."

Her brow furrowed. "Wait, what? You're back? When—"

"I'm close," he interrupted, his voice quieter now. "Can I see you?"

Thalia's confusion gave way to urgency. "Yeah, of course."

The line went dead before she could ask anything else. Then there was a gently knock against the front. She set the phone down and hurried to the door, her pulse quickening. The apartment was silent except for the hum of the fridge, and her footsteps seemed louder than usual as she reached the door. She hesitated for a moment, her hand on the knob, before pulling it open.

Standing there in the dim hallway was Miguel.

He looked exhausted. His shirt was rumpled, his hair messy, and his eyes carried a heaviness she hadn't seen before. For a second, neither of them spoke. Then, without a word, Miguel stepped forward, and Thalia opened her arms, pulling him into a hug.

Miguel wrapped his arms around her tightly, burying his face against her shoulder as his body seemed to relax, just slightly, in her hold. Thalia's arms tightened around him, her chin resting against his shoulder as she shut her eyes. She could feel his exhaustion, the weight he'd been carrying, and she didn't let go.

— lucy has something to say !!

and i welcome you to act four where nothing can get worse 😁

didn't know how to end this lol

also short chapter ????

sorry :)

tory brother is just nonexistent at this point... where the hell is brandon

bye :))))