Crystal Creek

A piece of paper that Elijah gave was neatly tucked in Vero’s pants pocket, and it felt like she was carrying a pistol. Vero tried to act normal amidst the big question mark that now haunted her mind.

Elijah didn’t say anything else after handing over the paper. He bid farewell and advised Vero to take care of herself. When Vero pushed him to open up about the whereabouts of her parents, he simply said, “They’re fine.”

With a heavy heart, Vero walked back to her room to grab her bag. At this moment, she needed a distraction, and attending lectures seemed like an escape for her burdened mind.

“Verona!” someone exclaimed while patting her shoulder. Vero jumped and screamed, then turned around to find Jia staring wide-eyed at her. Her face showed a mix of surprise and curiosity. “Why did you scream?”

For a moment, Vero was frozen. She stared at Jia as if it were the first time she had seen the girl. Then she blinked, and the daze that had momentarily overwhelmed her vanished. “Nothing,”