Leci didn't spend much time socializing, so she never truly understood people's feelings. Sometimes, she didn't even understand her own. To her, emotions were things that shifted too easily — difficult to word, even harder to grasp.
The night sky wasn't beautiful, yet Leci still found herself staring at it from her bedroom window, quiet and unmoving. Her thoughts floated far away, returning to the moment she met Kieron just hours ago.
"Are you alright?" His voice had been gentle — almost careful — as he held her close. He didn't loosen his arms; instead, he pulled her in just a little tighter, resting his chin on her hair as if trying to reassure her.
He was so gentle.
Maybe… too gentle.
That gentleness stirred something inside her. Something she didn't know how to face. When she remembered Amanda's anger earlier — those words, the hurt — the feeling inside her rose sharply, almost painfully.
And when warmth stung her eyes, Leci gathered the last of her strength and pushed Kieron away — forcing their embrace to break.
"I'm fine," she said, the reply sharper than she intended. She handed him the soulstone she had acquired earlier. "I'm really tired today. You should go home, Sir."
Kieron looked at her quietly. He noticed she was avoiding his gaze, but he still accepted the soulstone she offered. "When did you exorcise the Lost Spirit?" he asked softly.
Leci didn't answer. Her head lowered as she stared at her shoes — now covered in dust. She struggled to blink back the tears that threatened to fall.
"I kept my promise," she murmured. "That's all." Then she turned around, walking away — leaving Kieron beneath the dim streetlamp, standing still in quiet confusion.
She didn't look back once, even though she could feel his eyes following her. She only focused on walking, trying to calm the strange, tangled ache in her chest.
She even forgot to ask how Kieron knew the path to her house. But remembering that he wasn't human, the thought faded easily.
She had something else to deal with — her own heart, now in gentle disarray because of her biology teacher.
Did she like him? Probably not. Did she hate him? No. She was upset, yes, but not angry. She simply didn't like the fact that Kieron was still Amanda's boyfriend.
If he doesn't want to break up with Amanda, he'd better keep his distance from Leci. And if he truly cared about Leci… then ending things with Amanda should come first.
Alright, stop.
Why was she suddenly thinking about these things? She was supposed to be logical, realistic. Someone who didn't worry about romance.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Hey, Leciara!" A voice called from outside her room. She didn't need to open the door to know who it was.
Reluctantly, Leci stood up and opened the door. "What do you want?" she asked plainly.
Norris stood there with hands on his hips, wearing his usual annoyed expression.
Calling this place a house didn't feel accurate — the mansion was huge, isolated, far from any neighborhood. It was the home of the entire family. So of course Norris was there. They lived under the same roof.
"Have you checked the class group chat? The kids in 2-C are talking about tomorrow's trip," Norris said as he stepped inside and flopped onto her bed as if it belonged to him.
Leci nudged him lightly with her foot for his lack of manners, then sat back down by the window. "I saw it," she replied lazily.
Her classmates weren't excited about the field trip. They were excited because Kieron would be replacing their History Teacher and supervising them. Naturally, chaos erupted among the boys and girls alike.
These trips happened once every semester. One class each week. This week, it was Leci and Norris's turn.
"Hey, Leci," Norris called again. He didn't sound like he wanted to discuss school matters.
Leci felt a familiar weariness just looking at him. They had been together since birth — same family, same schools, same class. People often mistook them for twins. But they looked nothing alike.
Because they'd always been together, Leci knew exactly what he wanted to ask. He must be curious about her and Kieron.
The red-haired girl didn't answer. She simply looked outside, at the plants swaying in the home garden. Eventually, Norris sat up, facing her with surprising seriousness.
"Hey, what's going on between you and Mr. Kieron? Are you two really dating? Do you… like older men or something?" Norris asked in rapid succession, clearly overwhelmed with questions.
Leci almost laughed at the phrase older man. Kieron was around twenty-four — only eight years older. It wasn't that much.
But—hey! He's not human. No one knows how old he really is.
"Taryn misunderstood. I'm not dating Mr. Kieron. He's still Amanda's boyfriend," she said softly after steadying her emotions.
Then she went quiet. Why do I even have to say this? He's still with Amanda.
Norris watched her with narrowed eyes, but said nothing. He ran a hand through his hair before standing up.
"Whatever your relationship is… just take care of yourself, alright? Don't let yourself get into trouble," he murmured.
Leci nodded a few times and made an 'OK' sign with her fingers. "Go on. I want to sleep."
Because it was already late — and because the room's owner had kicked him out — Norris had no choice but to leave. When the door finally closed, Leci drew the curtains shut, the room falling into a hushed dimness.
She slipped into bed, letting the quiet wrap around her body like a blanket. Sleep claimed her far too easily.
⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄⋅⋆⋄⋅⋆⋄
Their field trip destination was the City Museum. The bus ride took an hour and a half. Leci sat by the window, her chin resting on her hand, watching the scenery blur past like watercolor.
At the front rows, Kieron was surrounded — again — by several female students leaning in, trying to catch his attention.
"What's your hobby, Sir?"
"Hmm… I'm not sure. Fishing, maybe?"
"If I were a mermaid, would you try to catch me?"
Pfft.
Leci held back a laugh, lips trembling. Seriously… nothing more meaningful to talk about? And what's with 'catch me'?
Her suppressed laughter made Xana, the girl beside her, glance sideways. They weren't close, hardly even acquaintances, so Xana simply returned to her book — pretending she hadn't noticed anything.
"Sir, are you still with Amanda? We haven't seen you two together recently."
Ah… Leci hated to admit it, but she was also waiting for the answer. Especially after hearing Amanda didn't come to school today — rumored to be sick. Considering yesterday's incident, Leci thought Amanda must have been shaken.
"I've been separated from Hayes for quite some time."
A breath she didn't know she'd been holding slipped out. Light, quiet, almost fragile. Whether it is true or not, why did she feel relieved?
Last night her chest was heavy with thoughts of Kieron and Amanda. And this morning… she was handed an answer as gentle as a passing breeze.
No, she wasn't that cruel. She didn't wish heartbreak upon anyone. So why… why did her heart loosen a little?
In the front row, the girls erupted in excitement. Some immediately touched up their makeup, bold enough to prepare for battle. The boys muttered irritably in response.
"What kind of woman do you like, Sir? Tell us!"
"Well, considering his ex is Amanda Hayes, he must like beautiful and intelligent girls!"
The chatter grew louder. Leci tried to ignore it but found herself listening more intently. Even while staring at the passing clouds outside the window, her ears betrayed her.
From the back, Norris wandered down the aisle, munching potato chips as he approached Leci's seat. He leaned casually near Xana, eyes darting between Kieron and his cousin, clearly entertained.
"So, your type, Sir?"
"Hm… that's a secret. But lately… I've been fond of red pandas," Kieron said, chuckling softly.
"Oh! I know those! Red pandas are cute!"
"Yes. They're quiet. Solitary. Hard to understand. Gentle creatures, but—" His eyes softened, voice dipping—"they don't like being approached easily."
Norris inhaled sharply — perhaps the only one who caught the subtext. He glanced at Leci, whose ears twitched like she'd just heard her name disguised as an animal.
Red pandas… coincidentally, their temperament resembled someone Norris knew very well. And both shared the same signature color — red.
"Leciara! Did you bring water?" Norris suddenly called from behind, loudly enough for the entire bus to hear. He placed a hand on Leci's shoulder, gripping slightly just to startle her.
Leci flinched. And now, every pair of eyes in the bus turned to her. She quickly brushed off Norris's hand.
"I heard you. You don't have to shout."
When she handed the water bottle to Norris, Xana — without looking up from her book — asked, "You two are siblings, right?"
Both Leci and Norris nodded automatically.
Xana studied them with casual interest. "No wonder. Your hair color matches. Although Norris's is slightly brighter."
Because of Xana's comment, the other girls' stares suddenly turned cold. Whether it was Leci's imagination or not, she felt hostility brewing in the air.
Perhaps because Xana was blunt and indifferent by nature, she didn't register the tension at all. She simply continued her questioning.
"But if you're siblings, why are your last names different?"
The question struck Leci and Norris at the same time. Both stiffened, their faces draining of color.
Xana had — without knowing — touched the most guarded part of their lives: the truth they hid beneath initials, the truth that marked them as Exorcists.
In school records, their names were written only as:
Leciara Maclean L.
And
Norris Donavon L.
'L' for Liam.
No teacher ever mentioned it. No student ever noticed. The initial was treated like it didn't exist.
Only fellow Exorcists would understand. And so far… Leci had never met another Exorcist at her school. Just Norris.
Or perhaps — there was someone else, closer than she realized.
Someone whose quietness, warmth, and presence had begun to stir her calm waters…
Someone who spoke of red pandas with a voice too gentle.