Chapter 302:Leaving the house.

Chapter 302: 302:Leaving the house.

Ravenna woke the following morning to sunlight spilling through curtains she didn’t recognize.

For several seconds, she remained completely still beneath the blankets, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling while her mind slowly caught up with where she was.

The room was larger than anything she had slept in during the journey, the mattress beneath her was ridiculously comfortable compared to tents and cheap checkpoint beds, and there was no sound of Contractors shouting outside, no vehicle engines starting, no distant beast cries, and no Antony complaining about something before sunrise.

Then everything returned at once. Her hand moved almost automatically toward the bedside table where the tracker was. She picked it up and activated it.

She got the same blank response she had seen dozens of times since leaving Death Row Valley greeted her.

Ravenna stared at it.

"Good morning to you too."

She sighed and dropped back onto the pillow.

For another few minutes, she considered staying exactly where she was for the entire day. There wasn’t anything she wanted to do in Alpha Three. She didn’t care about sightseeing, about shopping, and about the restaurants Mallory had excitedly mentioned yesterday.

There was only one person she wanted to find.

Shawn.

That thought finally got her out of bed.

Ravenna showered, dressed, strapped her sword to her side out of habit, and made her way downstairs. She could already smell breakfast before she reached the bottom of the stairs, and when she entered the dining area, she found Mallory placing food on the table while Antony was already sitting down and eating as though he hadn’t seen food in several weeks.

Ravenna stopped.

"You started without me."

Antony looked up while chewing.

"You were sleeping I didn’t see the need to wake you up."

"You could have waited."

"I could have."

Ravenna waited. Antony continued eating.

"...And?"

"And I chose not to."

Ravenna narrowed her eyes. Mallory turned around before she could say anything.

"Good morning."

"Morning."

Mallory looked her over carefully.

"Did you sleep?"

"A little."

"That’s better than nothing."

Ravenna sat down. Her eyes immediately moved toward the food.

Mallory had apparently decided that after weeks on the road, they needed a proper breakfast. There were eggs, bread, fruit, meat, and several other dishes spread across the table.

Ravenna picked up a piece of bread.

"Where’s the academy?"

Mallory stopped mid step. Antony looked up. Ravenna took a bite as though her question hadn’t caused a pause.

"What?"

Mallory slowly placed the plate she was carrying onto the table.

"Good morning to you too."

"I already said good morning."

"You’ve been awake for approximately five minutes and you’re already planning to disappear."

Ravenna frowned.

"I’m not disappearing."

"You’re going to the academy."

"Yes."

"Why?"

Ravenna stared blankly at her as thought saying, seriously Mallory immediately raised a hand.

"Wrong question. I know why... but you’re not going."

Ravenna stopped chewing. Antony quietly reached for another piece of meat.

She looked at Mallory.

"What?"

"You’re not going."

"Why?"

"Because you won’t find him this early in the morning."

"How do you know?"

"Because academy students are still inside."

Ravenna frowned.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Mallory sat across from her.

"Students aren’t simply walking around Alpha Three whenever they feel like it. Especially during this period."

Ravenna’s expression darkened.

"So when do they leave?"

"Evening."

"How late?"

"They’re normally given around two hours outside I’m not completely sure."

Ravenna stared at her.

"Two hours?"

Mallory nodded.

"That’s what I was told when I was asking around."

Ravenna immediately looked toward the clock. It wasn’t even nine. Her shoulders dropped at the thought of having to wait that long.

Antony noticed.

"That’s a long wait."

Ravenna turned toward him.

"Thank you, Antony. I hadn’t realized it, you’re so clever."

"Happy to help and thanks for the compliment"

"Nobody asked you, plus, that wasn’t even compliment."

Mallory hid a smile. Ravenna looked down at her breakfast.

"So what am I supposed to do until evening?"

"You’re going out."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

Mallory leaned back.

"You haven’t even heard what we’re doing."

"I don’t care."

"Ravenna."

"I’m not interested."

"You’ve barely seen Alpha Three."

"I saw enough yesterday."

"You saw roads and buildings from a car."

"They looked very impressive."

Mallory sighed.

Antony continued eating while watching them like someone enjoying entertainment over breakfast. Mallory pointed toward Ravenna.

"You spent yesterday crying."

Ravenna’s expression immediately changed.

"I know you don’t have to tell me about it."

"And you’ve spent this morning staring at that tracker."

Ravenna looked down. She hadn’t even realized she had placed it beside her plate. Mallory’s voice softened.

"Sitting here all day won’t change anything."

"I know."

"Then come with us."

Ravenna shook her head.

"I don’t feel like sightseeing I just want to sleep."

Mallory studied her, then her expression suddenly changed. Ravenna knew that expression; Mallory had thought of something.

"What?"

Mallory smiled.

"Fine... We won’t explore Alpha Three for you."

Ravenna frowned.

"What does that even mean?"

"We’ll explore it for Silver, you can stay here alone and wallow in self pity while me and Antony take pictures."

Ravenna froze. Antony stopped chewing, even he looked toward Mallory. Mallory continued casually as though she hadn’t dropped a bomb.

"Think about it. Silver hasn’t seen Alpha Three."

Ravenna said nothing.

"He’ll eventually come here, or have you already given up?"

"That’s mean."

Ravenna’s fingers tightened slightly around her fork.

Mallory noticed.

"When he does, somebody needs to show him around."

Ravenna looked up. Mallory smiled.

"You could be that person."

Antony slowly swallowed his food as he watched Ravenna’s reaction.

"That worked surprisingly quickly."

Ravenna glared at him.

"I haven’t agreed."

"You already have."

"I haven’t."

Mallory stood.

"Then we’ll stay home, I’m not going to force someone who wants to be a grinch out of the house. Better yet, let’s just spend the whole days sleeping and ugly crying."

Ravenna frowned.

Mallory began gathering something from the counter. Ravenna watched her for several seconds before she spoke.

"Where were you planning to go?"

She stopped. Antony covered his mouth to hide his laugh. Mallory turned around slowly.

"You’re asking because...?"

"I’m curious."

"Of course."

Ravenna crossed her arms.

"Just answer."

Mallory smiled.

"There’s an entertainment district not far from here. It has one of the largest arcades in this part of Alpha Three."

"An arcade?"

"Old World games, modern games, Awakener simulations, competitive arenas..."

Ravenna looked mildly interested. Mallory immediately noticed.

"There are combat simulations."

Ravenna’s eyes shifted toward her.

Antony laughed.

"There it is."

Ravenna kicked his leg beneath the table.

"Ow."

"Eat your food."

"I was eating."

"Then continue it quietly."

Mallory laughed.

"So?"

Ravenna sighed dramatically.

"Fine."

Mallory smiled.

"We’ll go?"

"We’ll go."

That was how, less than an hour later, Ravenna found herself sitting in the passenger seat while Antony drove through Alpha Three, with Mallory sitting in the back and giving directions.

Ravenna still carried Silver’s tracker but she had finally stopped staring at it.