Secluded

Secluded

Chapter One

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Sometimes they never told Levana what is behind those great walls.

They never told her and it was choking her.

"Not now" The towns people would say. "We don't know , as well"

How could they not know? Seriously. sometimes she felt like she was out of place. Once, She asked her friends but they just gasped and she never asked it again.

She thinks everything is unfair. Well, She is a human as well how come she never deserved to know all of this things?

Levana reached fifteen and she knew that she had enough.

It's not like she was the only one who was curious about those wall blocking their view.

The wall was surrounding their small little town named Needmore.

"Pf-ft. Yeah. I do need more information about this town and what is beyond this town" Levana thought.

Levana knows that she would prepare for her sixteenth birthday but it is still six months away. The people who passed the age , sixteen, weren't allowed to tell them what happened when they meet the king, or prince.

Why was this town keeping many stuffs from them? Levana doesn't know and the others as well. They acted as if they don't know anything at all and acted like nothing happened. They always do their usual hobby or routine which was getting boring each passing day.

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Levana woke up feeling cold. She shifted her eyes on the alarm clock that was placed on top of a small, wooden cabinet beside her bed. The sun was already rising, rays of light entering her small room. Even though from her two-story house, she can't see what's over those walls and everyone was doing their usual routine; again. She forgot to close the windows. It's October and it is getting colder. Christmas is approaching. When she closed the window, She went back to sleep.

The alarm clock rung at 7 o'clock. It was time for her school. Levana drowsily sat on the side of her bed, putting on her cozy, sleeping slippers. She looked out of the window and something was gently falling down from the sky. She smiled as she saw this. Levana knew that she is going to celebrate another Christmas with her friends and it is going to be fun. Snowball fight.

Levana went out of her room, with her sleeping outfit. She didn't mind having a big house just for herself. She's used to it. Talking about being alone, She never had her parents which made her curious when she was young but she completely accepted the fact that they were just out there... if that is even possible. She never met her parents but she never felt anything about it. She never felt being sad because she never knew her parents , anyways.

Grabbing the kettle from its cabinet, She placed it on top of the stove and brewed some water for her morning coffee. She much likely prefer a creamy and foamy coffee instead of the black and strong one. She went to the bathroom and turned the heater on. She didn't want to scream early in the morning when those icy water touched her skin. It would turn her neighbor's day into a bad one. She wont risk something like that. Never.

She waited for ten minutes for the water to boil then turned the stove off and turned off the gas. She then combine water with her powdered coffee. The coffee made her day into an enjoyable one. It was a fresh start. Of course, She'd me full of energy because she is wide awake, right? One time, She forgot to but some coffee and noticed that there was nothing left at all. Her day turned out crappy since she slept at her first class. She got detention.

After taking her time drinking coffee, She took a bath. She always had wild ideas and crazy thoughts every time she is taking a bath. Fantasies and girlie stuff like that. But sometimes, In front of her friends, She'd be the tough type but getting to know her will take that mask off.

Once done taking a bath, She picked out her cozy , baby blue sweater than glowed just like her eyes .

'Stare in her eyes and you'll fall from her charm' Her friend, Dysis, once said. Levana doesn't know what her friend means with " Your eyes looks so alive". Were there dead eyes? I wonder. Her hair was soft and smooth from the touch. She liked to receive compliments. Sometimes, when she received comments about how soft and white her skin is, She'd say things in her mind and be arrogant to herself.

She went out of her house and locked the door. Her school was just a walking distance and she didn't mind having a morning exercise anyway. Just as she was about to take her first step inside the school campus, her friend Dysis suddenly hugged her from the back, almost making her trip forward.

"Hey" Levana said, Her voice is like a harmony of angels or clear as water. Then again, she didn't know what this meant but she just nodded.

'I guess the word 'angels' is a good thing' Levana thought.

"Hey, Levana the Rising Sun" Dysis said.

Levana searched for it as well. Her name did meant the Rising Sun and she only knew it when she was ten. What shocked her and the Sunset was Dysis. It was such a coincidence.

"Good morning, Sunset" Levana replied. The both of them knew that it sounds silly.

"You look pretty well today" Dysis said looking at Levana from head-to-toe.

"Was I not yesterday?" Levana would say arrogantly as a joke.

"No. But today you are prettier to me" Someone said from Levana's ears that made her shiver. It was because his voice was husky and his breath gently brushed her face. Levana turned around and Azaiah waved his hand at Levana.

"Why, Lev? You look stiff today." He said, raising an eyebrow with a smirk.

Levana stood there, dumbfounded. Seems like one of her friends just did a little trick to her too early in the morning. When she already snapped out of her friends tricks she said "It's all your fault" As she used her weak arms to punch Azaiah's muscular chest.

Levana narrowed her eyes at Azaiah and he stared back. His hair was dark brown and curly, gelled upwards. Same as always. His eyes is also brown. Azaiah is 6"1 inches tall so Levana and Dysis should always tilt their head up to see Azaiah's handsome face... face. Levana broke their eye contact.

"Tick Tock... ring ring ring" Dysis said, as she looked at her wrists, as if she was looking at a watch. "Stop that already and let's get going you love birds."

Levana and Azaiah followed Dysis as they went inside their classrooms. Luck was with them, they thought, because they will be together for the whole year; again. Lucky for them, they're HomeRoom teacher told them to pick the seats they want. The HR teacher didn't mind when they sat together in a line. Careless ,but at least.

Levana brushed her arms with her hands because she was getting cold again. She was sitting beside the window and seeing those small, white snowflakes was making her less warm.
Azaiah wasn't that careless. He gave her his arm so she'd get warm but it wasn't much help so she took it off anyways. Azaiah frowned and still annoyed her with his arm in her shoulders, and for the second attempt, She let his arm fall.

"You're too far away from me that's why you are getting cold" Azaiah whispered and moved her chair close to his.Levana felt like her cheeks was burning. It's because Azaiah was her first friend as a guy. Nothing much....? It suddenly turned warm and since she was too close to Azaiah she could feel his body heat against her skin.

After waiting for another twenty-five minutes, she was glad first period was over. Recess. Time to take her sleepiness off.

"Wake up, sleepy head. Even though you are the Rising Sun, doesn't mean you really are" Dysis said as she made air quotations when she said "Rising Sun". She's so frank that Levana got used to it.

"Just let me sleep for ,a while" Levana said as she lay her head in her desk. "For a short while". She whispered and she closed her eyes. She just closed her eyes but her mind was wide awake because of the noise in the background. It's fine with her. It's better keeping her eyes closed than they are open, anyways.

"Oh, Lev is asleep?" Azaiah?

"Yeah, just now" Dysis said. "Why?"

"Too bad.. I wanted to show her something" Azaiah said as he chuckled.

"What? Can I see it as well then?" Dysis said. Levana can vision that Dysis wore a pleading face.

"Sure. Come with me" He said.

Levana opened her eyes and stared at her friends. Curiosity was with her.

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

"So... You were eavesdropping?" Azaiah said as he smiled and narrowed his eyes.

"No. I didn't.. I just heard it"

"So.. you wanna see what I meant?"

"What is it ,then?"

"Beyond those walls." He said pointing on the long wall surrounding the town.

Levana wondered what he meant by that.

"Sure. count me in!"

Dysis and Azaiah glanced at each other and smiled.

When they arrived in their destination. Levana's mouth dropped.

This wasn't what Levana expected.