NOVEL WEB Chapter 2: Chapter 2 – Cracks in the Halo
(Morana's POV)
The second I left Ravenwood Café, I regretted it.
Not because I cared what Astria or Aurelle thought—hell no. It was because the minute I stepped outside, the town's lovely springtime drizzle had turned into a full-blown downpour.
And guess who didn't bring an umbrella?
I groaned, pulling my hoodie over my head and power-walking down the sidewalk. The streets of Crestmoor were practically empty, the rain making everything look gray and blurred. The bookstore I usually killed time in was closed, and my dorm was a good fifteen-minute walk away.
I could turn back and wait it out in the café.
Except that would mean seeing her again.
Not happening.
So, I sucked it up and kept walking.
Two minutes in, I was soaked. My boots splashed through puddles, my hoodie was useless, and my sketchbook—my freaking sketchbook—was at risk of getting ruined. I pulled it under my jacket, but the damage was already done.
Great. Just perfect.
And then, because life clearly hated me, a car rolled by—right through a massive puddle.
I barely had time to curse before a wave of ice-cold water hit me.
"Are you serious?" I muttered through gritted teeth, shivering.
Then I heard it.
A car door slamming. Footsteps. A voice.
"Need a ride?"
I didn't have to look. I already knew.
Astria.
Of course.
I exhaled slowly, turning just enough to see her leaning against a sleek white car—the kind that looked too expensive for this town. She held a large black umbrella, somehow still perfectly dry while I stood there looking like a half-drowned sewer rat.
Her expression was neutral, but there was something else there—amusement.
"I'm good," I said flatly, turning away.
Astria hummed. "You sure? You don't look good."
I turned back, glaring. "Thanks, Miss Observant."
She grinned. "Come on, Morana. Just get in."
The way she said my name—like it belonged in her mouth, like it was something soft—sent a weird shiver down my spine. I ignored it.
"I don't get in cars with strangers," I muttered.
She tilted her head. "We're not strangers. We're… acquaintances, at least."
Acquaintances? Since when?
I sighed, glancing down the empty road. The rain wasn't letting up, and my dorm might as well have been on the other side of the planet at this point.
Finally, I muttered, "Fine. But no weird small talk."
Astria's eyes sparkled with something that made me nervous.
"Deal."
---
Inside the Car
The inside of Astria's car smelled like vanilla and leather. Everything was too clean, too perfect—just like her.
I sat stiffly, clutching my ruined sketchbook in my lap. My hoodie was still dripping onto the expensive-looking seats.
Astria didn't complain. She just reached into the back and pulled out a soft, expensive-looking hoodie.
"Here," she said, tossing it onto my lap.
I blinked at it. "What's this?"
"A hoodie. Your clothes are soaked."
I hesitated. "I don't need charity."
Astria rolled her eyes. "It's not charity, Morana. It's common sense. Put it on before you freeze to death."
I clenched my jaw but eventually grabbed the hoodie. It smelled like clean laundry and something vaguely floral. I changed quickly, tossing my wet one onto the floor.
"So," Astria started, glancing at me from the driver's seat. "Did you really sacrifice a goat under the full moon?"
I turned to her, deadpan. "You're actually bringing that up?"
She laughed. "I mean, Aurelle said—"
"Aurelle is a certified menace."
Astria grinned. "Agreed."
I blinked. "Wait. You actually admit that?"
She shrugged. "I tolerate her, but I don't worship her."
I studied her, trying to figure her out. People like Astria were usually all the same—polished, privileged, untouchable. And yet, she sat here, so at ease, wearing her perfect image like a loose coat instead of a second skin.
For some reason, that bothered me.
"You're weird," I muttered.
Astria smiled, resting her chin on one hand as she drove. "And you're dramatic."
I huffed, looking out the window. The rain was still relentless.
A silence settled, but for once, it wasn't uncomfortable.
Until Astria spoke again.
"You really don't care what people think of you, do you?"
I scoffed. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
She hesitated, fingers tapping the steering wheel.
"I don't think it is," she said finally. "I just… wish I could do the same."
Her voice was quieter this time. Less lighthearted.
I turned toward her. "What do you mean?"
Astria kept her eyes on the road, but her smile had faded. Like a mask slipping for just a second.
"Never mind," she said, brushing it off. "Forget I said anything."
I frowned.
Something about the way she said it stuck with me.
I wanted to push, to ask. But the words caught in my throat.
Instead, I just watched her.
And for the first time since meeting her, I felt something that wasn't annoyance, frustration, or reluctant attraction.
I felt… curiosity.
And I hated that.
---
At Morana's Dorm
Astria pulled up to my building, putting the car in park. I reached for the door handle, hesitating for a split second before mumbling:
"Thanks. For the ride."
Astria's eyes softened slightly. "Anytime."
I frowned. "Don't make a habit of it."
She just smirked. "No promises."
I rolled my eyes, shoving the car door open. The rain was lighter now, but I still pulled Astria's hoodie tighter around me.
I should've handed it back.
But I didn't.
Instead, I walked up the steps, feeling her gaze on me the whole way.
And damn it, my heart fluttered again.
I slammed my dorm door shut, leaning against it.
This was bad.
Very, very bad.