Villa Nettiea

Chapter 3

Narrine's POV:

I woke up early because I needed to go to school. I have to do an advance review for our upcoming summative test. And i can't contain my happiness because I have a new laptop.

As soon as I entered the school gate, I saw Mia sitting under the mango tree near the main building. She waved at me and quickly came over, giving me a hug. I was surprised by how cold she was. Despite the scorching sun, it felt like I was in an air-conditioned room when she held me, and I suddenly felt a chill.

"You're up early, huh?" she asked me as we walked towards the main building. I didn't immediately respond.

"Hey... Are you mad? Why aren't you talking to me?" she said again. We went to the library where there were no people except for the librarian. I sat in a secluded spot
before I spoke.

"I'm not mad," I said, glancing around to see if anyone was watching us. "I just don't want to feel like I'm going crazy, talking to myself with no one around." I explained. She nodded and smiled.

I opened the book and started reading. She just watched me with a smile.

"You know, your smile is distracting. Instead of staring at me, you should read too. You're lucky you can study here for free. They can't see you," I said while keeping my eyes on the book. She chuckled.

"Who said I'm lucky?" She laughed and looked at me, but her expression suddenly turned serious. "Do you know how I died? Aren't you afraid of someone like me? Despite seeing other souls like mine?" she added.

"Many people see souls, but when they see me, they get scared. I don't know why, we're all just souls. We just have different causes of death. How about you? Aren't you scared?" I asked.

"No," she replied simply. "What about you? How did you die?" Suddenly, the wind picked up. She sighed and gave a faint smile.

"It was an accident. I accidentally fell down the stairs." Why did I suddenly feel a tinge of sadness in her words?

"Sorry," I said.

"No, it's okay. It was my idea to bring up this topic," she replied, nodding, as I continued reading. She was still looking at me.

"You really resemble them. The way you captured their combination is so beautiful," she suddenly remarked, catching me off guard.

"What are you saying?" I asked, puzzled.

"Ah, nothing. It just reminded me of something. Go on, continue reading," she said, but I had lost interest in reading.

"Can I ask you something? Have you and Thara been close for a long time?" I asked, and she quickly nodded.

"Since he transferred here during high school, I was surprised to find out that he could see me. I thought he approached me because he assumed I was just another student studying here. But he was the one who admitted that he couldn't see me as a living person. Since then, we became friends. I'm happy to have another friend in my school," she answered.

"Are you crying?" I asked, as she wiped her cheeks and shook her head.

"Oh, no. I was just touched by remembering the days when we first met. Me as a wandering soul, and him as a living person," she nodded.

"If you don't mind me asking, did you die here? I mean, on one of these stairs? Why haven't you moved on and you are still here?" I asked, feeling a bit scared. I worried she might get angry with my question. But she laughed.