CHAPTER 3: THE SOUTH
She's smart, I guess I didn't choose wrong.
Gonna keep her for a little while, or so I predicted.
We both finished up our meals, heading back to our dorms. I got to know more about Natasha. Even though we just met today, it felt like I'd known her for a long time.
She talked about herself—how coming to Ravenwood College was supposed to be a form of punishment from her father. It turned out she was a rich, spoiled brat who lived a reckless life, and sending her far from the city was meant to be her punishment. Surprisingly, she loved Ravenwood College. According to her, she'd always hoped to get into the school someday, and now she was finally here. In return, she promised her father to be responsible and become the best version of herself.
Who knew that behind the sweet, candy-like character was once a badass?
After spending the whole afternoon together, I got exhausted.
The walk back to our dorms only took a few minutes. We said our goodbyes and both retired to our rooms.
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Leah's POV
Closing the door behind me, I leaned against it, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. I'd had too much experience for one day.
The atmosphere in the room was really cozy, making me miss home. I smiled when I thought of home.
Talking about home… let me call my pa.
Dialing his number, he didn't pick on the first ring. I tried again, and this time he did.
"Hello, Pa."
The smile on my face almost reached my eyes. Talking to him gave me undeniable joy.
"My little dragonfly, how you doing?" he said, sounding happy. I could bet he had a smile on his face too. This was the first time we'd been apart since the incident.
I rolled my eyes at the nickname he called me. My father really had weird names for me.
"I'm fine, Daddy. How you doing?"
"I'm really good, dear. Forgive your old man for not calling earlier. I wanted to, but I didn't want to disturb you on your first day," he said.
"Oh, Daddy, you're not that old," I replied with a smirk. "I'll forgive you if you tell me who's with you."
My father could be overdramatic, calling himself old when in reality he was the opposite—a well-built man who looked too young for his age. Many thought he was in the army, but he was just a businessman. Some people didn't even believe he was my father.
"What are you talking about, dear?" he said, pretending not to understand.
"Where are you, Father?" I asked sharply.
"Kitchen, daughter."
"Doing?"
"Cooking dinner."
"With whom?"
I knew this was where I got him.
"Alone. Why are you interrogating me, my child?" he said.
"Because I can clearly hear a lady's voice in the background, Father," I replied, knowing my father never let anyone into his personal kitchen.
"It's the maid helping out," he lied.
"Father, what did I say about lying to me? You're cooking dinner. The maids don't enter your kitchen unless to clean it in the morning. You don't let anyone in your kitchen—not even Chef Zoe," I said, pacing the room like I was scolding a child.
"This daughter of mine knows me too well," he said nervously. "I didn't want you to find out like this, but I have something to tell you."
There was a brief silence. Leaning against the wall, I stared at the evening sky through the window. It felt oddly calming.
"I'm listening, Father."
"Leah, I didn't practice what to say because I didn't want you to find out now or like this. But your old man is seeing someone."
He dropped the bomb.
"What? Like… dating? How long has this been going on, and with who exactly?"
I never thought my father was dating anyone. I wasn't mad—just surprised.
"It hasn't been long, dear. A couple of weeks. I wanted to be sure before telling you," he said.
"Daddy, I'm not mad," I said, smiling. "I'm just surprised—and glad. I'm happy you're moving on."
I wasn't one of those daughters who didn't want their fathers to date. In fact, I'd encouraged him. It had only been the two of us since Mom betrayed him and left. I knew he got lonely sometimes. Now I was happy there was someone in the picture.
"Thank you, dear," he said. "So… are you going to ask for her name?"
"Yes," I replied.
He paused before saying, "Maryann James."
My eyes widened.
"My kindergarten teacher?"
"Yes, love."
"Well, she's beautiful and nice. It wouldn't be bad to have her around," I said. Miss Maryann had always been kind to me—nicer than most teachers I'd ever had.
"Thank you, princess, for understanding. Enough about me—how was your first day? Tell me all about it."
"Dad… I made a friend," I whispered.
"What? How? What's her name? Is she real?" he asked rapidly.
I smiled.
"Of course she's real. Her name is Natasha. We met after class. She asked for friendship, and I didn't reject her—like you said."
"I'm proud of you, Moonfall. That's how you embrace change."
There he went again with the weird names.
My attention drifted back outside the window while Dad talked about the old days.
That's when I saw her.
A girl walking across the grounds.
For some reason, I couldn't take my eyes off her. Then I noticed two other girls coming from the right. From the third floor, I could see clearly.
What the hell just happened?
There was no way the first girl appeared in front of the other two that fast.
That wasn't human speed… or was I hallucinating?
They were talking casually and chuckling.
Then—
They disappeared.
My eyes stayed fixed on the spot.
Was I going mad? What kind of hallucination was that?
"Leah, honey, are you still there?" my father's voice pulled me back.
"Yeah, Dad. Can I call you later? I need to check something."
I hung up.
Running down the stairs, curiosity burned inside me. I reached the spot where the three girls had stood. There was no sign of them.
I turned to head back—
Then I saw it.
Footprints.
My eyes widened.
So I wasn't hallucinating.
And if I wasn't… that speed definitely wasn't human.
I followed the footprints until they disappeared into the grass.
Where were they going?
I looked up in the direction they led.
The south.
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