[se] could be ghosts or monsters or a robot-vampire

Nikolai

We are only haunted by the things we refuse to accept
-Bridgett Devoue

Nikolai slumped,  his scowl taking on a sad tint. "Of course it is." His eyes wouldn't meet Wessex's as he mumbled under his breath, hopefully too quiet for her to hear. "I don't know how to talk to people, so they don't want to talk to me. So I never learn how to talk to them. It's a cycle." His scowl returned in full force as he eyed the Queen, his voice now fully audible. "So what about it?" Nikolai tried to sound unaffected but he was never great at hiding his emotions.

He really wanted this interaction to be over. He was just digging himself into a deeper hole and all he wanted to do was go to the  Atheneum and lose himself in the books there. The books didn't judge him at least.

Resilience is born even when we feel like we are dying
-Alex Elle