CHAPTER SIX
631 Words
CHAPTER SIX
Questions Left Unanswered
The corridors emptied slowly.
Students drifted out of the lecture hall in quiet groups, their conversations little more than hushed murmurs that disappeared beneath the echo of footsteps against ancient stone.
Luna lingered by the doorway.
Not because she wanted to.
Because Rowan's words refused to leave her alone.
If Damian Ashford ever speaks to you... don't answer him.
He hadn't explained.
He hadn't needed to.
The fear in his eyes had said enough.
Or perhaps...
It had said too little.
She stepped into the corridor, adjusting the strap of her satchel over one shoulder.
The castle seemed different after every lesson.
Long shafts of afternoon light spilled through towering stained-glass windows, painting the worn stone floor with fractured shades of crimson, sapphire, and gold. Dust drifted lazily through the colored light, while somewhere deep within the academy, an old bell chimed the passing hour.
Students moved around her with practiced familiarity.
Some laughed quietly.
Others hurried toward distant classrooms.
Yet every now and then...
Someone glanced in her direction.
Then quickly looked away.
Luna pretended not to notice.
She was beginning to grow used to it.
Almost.
A group of second-year students approached from the opposite corridor.
The moment they saw her, their conversation faltered.
One of them whispered something.
Another subtly tugged at his friend's sleeve.
Without a word, the entire group changed direction.
They chose the longer hallway rather than pass beside her.
Luna watched them disappear around the corner.
A quiet sigh escaped her lips.
"What is wrong with this place...?"
"You'll wear a hole in the floor if you keep staring at it."
The familiar voice startled her.
She turned.
Rowan hurried toward her, three thick books balanced precariously against his chest. As usual, his round glasses had slipped halfway down his nose, and a lock of chestnut hair refused to stay out of his eyes.
"You have a habit of appearing out of nowhere," Luna said, the corners of her mouth lifting into a small smile.
"And you have a habit of talking to yourself."
"I was thinking."
"Out loud."
"I didn't realize."
"It happens more than you'd think."
Despite everything, Luna laughed.
It was soft.
Unplanned.
Tiny dimples appeared in both cheeks before vanishing almost as quickly as they had come.
For a brief moment...
The weight pressing against her chest eased.
Rowan blinked.
Then smiled.
"There it is."
"What?"
"The first genuine smile I've seen since you arrived."
Luna looked away, slightly embarrassed.
"I've had a strange first few days."
"You could say that."
His smile faded almost as quickly as it had appeared.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The silence wasn't awkward.
It was thoughtful.
Finally, Luna turned back to him.
"You're going to explain now, aren't you?"
Rowan's expression changed.
He already knew which question she meant.
"No."
Luna frowned.
"You warned me about Damian."
"I did."
"You told me not to answer him."
"I did."
"And now you're refusing to tell me why?"
Rowan adjusted his glasses, buying himself a few precious seconds.
"It's not that I won't tell you."
He looked down the empty corridor before lowering his voice.
"It's that..."
He hesitated.
"...some truths become dangerous the moment you know them."
Luna folded her arms.
"That's a very dramatic answer."
"I wish it were only dramatic."
Before she could press him further...
The academy bell rang.
Once.
Its deep, solemn tone echoed through the stone corridors like a heartbeat.
Students around them immediately began moving again.
Rowan glanced toward the courtyard.
"We're going to be late."
"For what?"
"The Headmaster's welcome assembly."
Luna blinked.
"...The Headmaster?"
Rowan nodded.
"He doesn't address the first years every year."
His voice grew noticeably quieter.
"This year..."
His eyes met hers.
"...he specifically requested it."
- Writer
