ARADIAN

CHAPTER 3

Raven never had a problem talking to people, but when it came to approaching Hunter after class, she found herself hesitating. Despite wanting to make new friends, her attention was solely focused on him. As Hunter got up to leave without saying a word to anyone, Raven followed closely behind. She accidentally bumped into Ember and Katie, and they all watched as Hunter walked away. "Who's that?" Katie asked, giving a seductive look. Raven gazed at Hunter with desire and replied, "He's in my class, and he's so charming." Ember chimed in, "He's cute, but there's something about his aura that feels off." Katie responded sarcastically, "Oh, come on, Ember. Every good-looking guy has a weird aura." They all shared a laugh and walked to the cafeteria to have their lunch. Nora was chilling at the cafeteria, saving a spot for the girls. "Hey, Katie!" Nora called out, giving a little wave to signal them to join her at the table. Raven and the gang grabbed their grub and strolled over to plop down with Nora. Katie filled Nora in on the dashing dude they spotted in the hallway. "We saw a prince down the hall before we got here," she gushed, her eyes filled with dreaminess. Raven chimed in with a shy smile, "His name is Hunter." Katie couldn't contain her excitement, describing his dark hair and broad shoulders. "Oh my... his shoulders!" Ember couldn't help but chuckle at their dramatics. "You two need to relax, and besides, he doesn't seem very approachable," Ember remarked. "Yeah, he didn't talk to anyone, which makes me wonder why," Raven added. "I've got another geography class in 45 minutes," Raven exclaimed, gobbling down her food in a rush. She couldn't help but hope to catch another glimpse of Hunter and this time, she was determined to strike up a conversation. With their lunch finished, they all headed off to their respective classes. Raven made her way to her second class of the day, and lo and behold, there sat Hunter, patiently waiting for the class to begin. Raven nervously sat down next to him, feeling a bit anxious. She reached into her bag to grab her textbook. Summoning up her courage, she turned to Hunter and greeted him, "Hey, how's it going? I'm Raven." She extended her hand for a handshake, but Hunter responded with a cold stare and didn't utter a word. Disappointed, Raven pulled her hand back, wondering why he ignored her. Just as the lecture was about to start, the next teacher walked in and everyone settled down. Pulling out their geology textbook “Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology” by Edward J. Tarbuck, Frederick K. Lutgens, and Dennis G. Tasa. “Hello everyone, I’m Mrs. Chelsea, I will be your geology teacher and also the college counselor, feel free to come to talk to me in my office any time, it is lovely to have you all in this great University of New Orleans,” She said, “let’s proceed” she added with a smile. Mrs. Chelsea tried to make the class very interactive, she requested that everyone introduce themselves so she could know them by their faces and names. While the class introduction was going on, everyone paid attention because they were excited to meet new people and get to know them. When it was Hunter’s turn to introduce himself, most of the girls paid close attention because he was a lady's man and also well-reserved, “I’m Hunter Ashford,” He said with a resonant voice and it made the girls blush, Raven included, She let out a soft smile as he introduced himself. After the class ended, Raven couldn't gather the courage to speak to Hunter this time. Thoughts swirled in her mind, wondering if he might be in a bad mood. Feeling down, Raven returned to her dorm room where she found Nora engrossed in homework on her laptop and Ember immersed in her favorite magic book. Raven entered the room with a sense of disappointment, tossing her medium-sized bag onto the couch before flopping onto her bed. Lost in her thoughts about Hunter and why he ignored her in class, Raven's demeanor didn't go unnoticed by Nora. Concerned, Nora approached Raven on her bed and gently asked about her day. Letting out a deep sigh, Raven shared her frustration, "Well, I tried to make a friend today in class and I got completely ignored. He looked at me as if I were some crazy person." Before Raven could respond, Ember, who was sitting on the couch, blurted out loudly, "Let me guess, that Hunter guy." Overwhelmed with feelings of rejection and disappointment, Raven buried her face in her pillow and let out a scream. Nora and Ember gave a soft laugh, “get over it,” Ember said, “He had a weird aura around him anyway” Ember continued trying to make Raven feel better.

Katie had ventured out to the bustling market not too far from the college to pick up some groceries. After completing her shopping, she hopped into her sleek red sports car, ready to head back to the university. However, her attention was caught by a man walking deep into the bushes. Intrigued and concerned, Katie momentarily took her eyes off the road, trying to catch a glimpse of the man's face. In that brief moment, she found herself on the verge of colliding with an adorable cat. Reacting swiftly, she slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting the feline, causing her head to hit the steering wheel. "Ouch..." she exclaimed in pain, reaching up to touch her head, only to discover that she was bleeding. The cat darted away, leaving Katie to survey the scene. She turned to see if she could still spot the mysterious man, but he had vanished without a trace. "Who could that be?" she wondered to herself, perplexed by the encounter. Katie made her way back to her dorm, her arms laden with grocery bags, and her left hand pressed against her throbbing head. "I hope everyone's day is going better than mine," she muttered as she entered the bustling room. Ember's eyes widened with concern upon seeing Katie bleeding. "What happened?" she exclaimed, reaching out to take the grocery bags from Katie's right hand. Katie proceeded to explain the strange encounter with the mysterious man to her friends. "That's so strange," Raven chimed in. "There's nothing but grass and bushes in that area. Who could it have been?" Katie nodded in agreement, a confused expression on her face. "Exactly! By the time I looked back, he had vanished into thin air. It was like something out of a movie." Ember, with a mischievous glint in her eye, suggested, "Maybe he really did vanish. Perhaps he's a witch..." Katie rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh, come on, Ember. Enough with the witch talk." The room filled with laughter as Nora and Ember joined in. Raven, always up for an adventure, proposed, "Maybe we should investigate. It could be fun, and we've never really explored beyond the university grounds together." Katie raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Huh, you know what? That's true. It might be an exciting experience. Let's do it!" Ember added, excitement evident in her voice. They huddled together, making plans to venture out later that evening. As they discussed the possibilities of what they might discover, a sense of anticipation filled the room. What awaited them beyond the university's borders? They couldn't help but wonder.