<h4>Chapter 23: Best friends For Years</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "Sorry-" I started to say, but the words barely left my lips before the person was already moving past me.


    He was tall, dressed in dark clothes with a cap pulled low over his head and a ck mask covering the lower half of his face. The only thing visible was his eyes. They were a piercing icy-blue, sharp and cold as they met mine for a fleeting second before he turned away.


    Something about him made my instincts stir. But before I could even react, he was gone, disappearing down the path without another word.


    Strange.


    That’s what I felt as I stared after him. I couldn’t tell exactly why I felt this way about him just by bumping into him, but something just didn’t set right with me about him.


    Shaking my head, I turned my attention away from the guy. It didn’t matter. I had more important things to focus on right now.


    Gripping my suitcase, I continued toward my assigned cottage, following the path the guard had mentioned. The night air was still and quiet, and the only sound wasing from the asional rustle of leaves in the breeze.


    When I finally reached Cottage Thirteen, I stopped outside its entrance, hesitating. The house was filled with mostly darkness and there was no sounding from inside, making it obvious that people inside were already asleep.


    I took a moment or two before finally stepping inside.


    The interior was simple, dark, but cozy. Themon area had a few chairs and a small wooden table. There was also antern hanging from the ceiling, but it was switched off at the moment. There were four doors, each leading to a bedroom.


    A quick nce around told me that three rooms were marked upied, but the fourth one had one empty bed. The bedroom doors had these markings to make things simple. Making sure not to make too much sound, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.


    The room had two single beds, one on each side, with a small wooden dresser in between. There was a window on the far wall, though the curtains were drawn.


    The other bed was already upied, but not by a person. Someone’s belongings were neatly stacked next to it, including a suitcase and a few folded clothes on the dresser.


    But there was no sign of the other upant.


    I exhaled and set my suitcase and bag down next to my bed. Maybe my roommate was out somewhere. Maybe they were already asleep in another part of the cottage. Either way, I wasn’t going to dwell on it.


    I took off my boots and sat on the bed, running a hand through my hair. It had been a long, exhausting night. And for the first time in what felt like forever, I had a real bed to sleep in.


    Lying down, I pulled the nket over myself, allowing my body to finally rx. I was both excited and anxious about theing day.


    - - -


    When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was that I was still alone in the room. The other bed was still empty, and there was no sign that anyone had returned during the night.


    Stretching, I got up and grabbed some fresh clothes before heading to themon showers. The water was ice-cold at first, making me shiver, but soon, it warmed up, allowing me to enjoy the rare luxury of a real shower.


    I scrubbed my skin and hair clean, washing away the dirt, exhaustion, and the lingering memories of the past two months. By the time I stepped out, wrapped in a towel, I felt fresher than I had in months.


    I changed into simple ck trousers and a long-sleeved gray top. Since my hair was still pretty much damp, I left them loose and put on my shoes.


    Even though my hair and eye color had been changed, I still decided to wear the mask to cover the lower half of my face, and only then did I stepped out of the changing room.


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    By now, more people had woken up, making the once-quiet clearing to buzz with voices and movement, making the ce livelier.


    I made my way toward the dining area, following the scent of food. My stomach had started growling in anticipation, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday.


    And as I walked, I identally bumped into someone... again.


    But this time, it wasn’t a quiet, masked stranger. Instead, it was a girl... a beautiful one. She had mesmerizing blue eyes and her blonde hair was cut short, not even reaching her shoulder.


    I also noticed how the roots of her hair were actually ck, making me realize that her hair wasn’t originally blonde, but she had colored them.


    She looked up at me with a wide, friendly smile. "Oh! Sorry about that! I wasn’t looking where I was going," she said,ughing a little.


    I took a step back, feelinb unsure about how to respond. "It’s fine."


    Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she took in my masked face. "You are new, aren’t you? Well, I guess we are all new here, technically." She giggled. "I’m Mallory, Mallory Campbell, by the way! And you are...?"


    I hesitated for a second before replying, "Evaline."


    "Evaline," she repeated as if testing how my name sounded. "Nice to meet you! You can call me Mallo. Or Lory. Or even Allo, though only my brother calls me that."


    She was talking really fast and with a lot of energy. Her words were bouncing in the air like an excited puppy and I had no idea how to respond to someone like her.


    Instead of waiting for me to answer, she linked her arm with mine as if we had been best friends for years.


    "Come on! Let’s get food before the good stuff is gone," she said, dragging me toward the dining area.


    I blinked,pletely unsure of what just happened.


    Had I just... made a friend?