Present Time
Zolani sat quietly at the cafeteria table, her fingers wrapped around a fork she wasn't really using.
The plate in front of her had barely been touched.
It wasn't that she wasn't hungry.
She just… didn't know what to do with herself.
Everything still felt new.
Strange.
Unfamiliar.
People walked past her like this was normal—like this was their everyday life—and she couldn't help but feel slightly out of place sitting there.
Dante stood a few feet away, leaning casually against the counter, talking to Sophie like they'd known each other forever.
Which, judging by how comfortable they looked, they probably had.
Zola glanced at them once.
Then quickly looked away.
She didn't want to stare.
Her grip tightened slightly on the fork.
Why is this so hard?
It's just… people.
Normal people.
Talk.
Smile.
Don't overthink it.
Easy.
Right?
"Hey!"
Zola blinked.
Her head snapped up slightly, startled.
A girl stood in front of her.
Black hair.
Amber eyes that seemed to shine with energy.
And a bright, easy smile that didn't feel forced.
"I'm Lynn," she said cheerfully as she slid into the seat across from her without hesitation. "Nice to meet you!"
Zola froze for a second.
Oh.
This is happening.
Someone is talking to me.
Say something.
"Hi," she said, a little too quickly. "I'm Zolani."
Her voice came out softer than she expected.
Lynn's smile widened.
"Wow, that's such a pretty name!"
Zola blinked.
"Oh—thank you."
Was that the right response?
She hoped so.
"You're new here, right?" Lynn asked, leaning forward slightly, clearly interested.
Zola hesitated.
"Um… no, I'm not working here."
Lynn frowned slightly.
"Huh? You're not working here? Then… are you here for an interview?"
Zola shook her head.
"No, I came with Aless and Dante."
There was a pause.
A very obvious one.
"Yeah…" Lynn said slowly.
Zola shifted in her seat.
She could tell.
Lynn didn't believe her.
Great.
Amazing.
First conversation and she already sounds like she's lying.
Before she could even try to fix it—
"Lani."
Zola looked up instantly.
Dante.
He was already walking toward her.
"Aless called for me," he said. "Stay here."
He gestured to a man standing beside him.
"If you need anything, ask him."
Zola nodded quickly.
"Okay… bye."
She gave a small wave.
Dante nodded once and left without another word.
Zola watched him go for a second before turning back—
Only to find Lynn staring at her.
Eyes wide.
Mouth slightly open.
"Miss Moretti," the man Dante had pointed to said, bowing slightly as he approached the table.
Zola blinked.
"Oh—hi."
"Miss… Moretti?!" Lynn repeated, her voice rising slightly in disbelief. "A-and you know Mr. Russo personally?!"
Zola tilted her head slightly.
"Yeah… I'm Aless' sister."
Silence.
Then—
"Oh my God—!" Lynn straightened immediately. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know—I didn't mean to just sit—"
Zola frowned.
"Huh? Don't apologise."
She shook her head quickly.
"O-okay…"
But her energy had shifted.
Completely.
"I… I actually have somewhere to be right now," she said, standing up a little too fast. "Bye!"
She left.
Zola watched her go, confusion written all over her face.
"Huh?"
She leaned back slightly in her chair.
Why did she leave so fast?
And why did she look like she just saw a ghost?
Doesn't Aless talk about me here?
Her thoughts were interrupted when the man Dante had assigned to her sat down across from her.
Zola straightened slightly.
"Oh—hi."
The man smiled.
Not warmly.
Not kindly.
Just… confidently.
"Well, aren't you a pretty one?" he said, leaning back slightly. "You can call me Andrew."
Zola blinked.
"…Okay."
That was… random.
But she nodded anyway.
"Hi, Andrew."
He studied her for a moment.
Too closely.
Like he was trying to figure something out.
"A little birde told me this is your first time outside," he said casually.
Zola froze.
Her fingers tightened around her fork.
"…Oh."
She forced a small smile.
"I didn't know anyone knew that."
Andrew's eyes didn't leave her face.
"Why is that?" he asked.
The question felt simple.
But something about it made her pause.
Still—
She answered.
"Aless kept me inside," she said honestly. "I don't really know why."
Andrew tilted his head slightly.
"You sure?"
Zola frowned.
"Yeah."
She nodded.
"I mean… he just said it was for my safety."
Andrew's gaze sharpened.
Just for a second.
Then—
It was gone.
"Okay," he said lightly. "If you say so."
And just like that—
The tension disappeared.
Completely.
He leaned back more casually now.
"So," he continued, his tone normal again, "what do you think of the place?"
Zola relaxed slightly.
"It's… big."
He chuckled.
"That's one way to put it."
She smiled a little.
"I don't really understand how everything works yet."
"You'll get used to it," Andrew said.
"Yeah," she murmured.
There was a pause.
"What do you usually do?" he asked.
Zola hesitated.
"Paint," she said softly. "Mostly."
Andrew raised a brow.
"Art?"
She nodded.
"Yeah."
He leaned forward slightly.
"That's interesting."
Zola blinked.
"…Really?"
"Yeah," he said. "Not what I expected."
She frowned slightly.
"What does that mean?"
He smirked faintly.
"Nothing bad."
Zola wasn't fully convinced.
But she let it go.
And just like that—
The conversation continued.
Light.
Simple.
Almost normal.
But underneath it—
Something felt off.
She just didn't know what.