Chapter 10 - New members of the group

[Mira's POV]

My first impression of Sid was that he seemed like a really nice person. Even though he picked up on my true personality so easily - which annoyed me a little - he still gave off the vibe of a trustworthy person.

He wasn't like the others, who barely tried to realize that that smile was just a façade. On the contrary, the very moment he saw me, he realized it. And unlike the others, who would have been uncomfortable discovering my true personality, he didn't seem to mind. It was as if he wanted to say: be yourself.

But I had to admit, what that boy had to say was annoying, he also had to say was clever. To see if what he was saying was really true, I decided to use my Gift on him.

My Gift, although it seemed simple, was also incredibly complex. It followed the logic of theater, which justified its name: "Theatrical". In other words, no matter how hard you try to hide it or even if you're the best actor in the world, my Gift is able to tell if your actions really correspond with your true feelings and desires.

In other words, against my Gift, there was no hiding the truth. Or at least, that's what I hoped. When I used my Gift on Sid, in an attempt to find out what he was hiding so much, I ended up being surprised - or rather, I wasn't surprised by anything, because I couldn't see anything at all.

That had never happened to me before. It was the first time I'd met someone so... how can I put it, neutral. I couldn't see anything - no desire, no lust, nothing. But in some way that I couldn't explain, it just piqued my curiosity even more. He didn't seem to want to do anything special, and that only made it more intriguing.

That Sid was a very strange person. I had never met someone so neutral in my life. Even the least ambitious people have some desire, but he somehow seemed more like an empty shell.

While I was wondering how someone like Sid could exist, I caught a glimpse of two girls coming in and sitting down at a free table right in front of us. I stood there, trying to remember who they were, but unfortunately no familiar faces came to mind.

The girl in front turned around to introduce herself first. Her shoulder-length hair was tied up in a ponytail that extended down to her hips. The color of her hair, a light pink, enhanced her beauty even more, making her impossible to miss.

(Too bad Sid has his head down...)

I thought, as I analyzed the girl.

What's more, as if her striking beauty wasn't enough, she still had those beautiful, unique gloves, which immediately caught my eye.

The glove was red and curled around her arm like a spiral of uncontrolled flame. The most curious thing was that she was only wearing it on one hand, but instead of looking strange, it only added to her style, making the look even more stylish and unique.

The girl opened a warm smile and introduced herself:

"Nice to meet you, my name is Carlotta Jeni, and this is my best friend, Camellya Korona. We've just transferred here today and we hope we can get along with all of you."

As Carlotta spoke, my attention was drawn to Camellya, who was standing next to her. She seemed the opposite in terms of presence. Her long black hair, with white strands that blended in subtly, created a contrast that discreetly drew attention.

For me, there was nothing special about the girl's presentation, but it seemed that Sid had noticed something. After all, his shoulders suddenly tensed. At a glance, I saw Sid raise his head so that only his eyes were visible.

Politely, and still wearing my mask, I decided to introduce myself.

"Hello, my name is Mira Airīn, but most people just call me Airīn. These are my friends Sid and Astrid."

After my introduction, I noticed Astrid smiling sincerely, while Sid, for some reason, was holding back even more in his chair. It was strange, to say the least, but as I hardly knew him, I decided not to pry. Maybe something has happened to him that he doesn't want to share.

Astrid was the first to introduce herself - in her own way, but she did it.

"Nice to meet you."

Sid, for his part, said nothing. He just nodded, then rested his head on his hands and probably went back to sleep.

Camellya, with a sweet smile, said:

"Camellya says the same."

When I heard that cute little thing talking, I could hardly control myself. It was completely new to me; I'd never seen anyone speak in the third person, let alone in such an adorable way.

I tried to disguise my surprise, but the involuntary smile that appeared on my face wasn't enough to hide the impression Camellya had made. However, just as I was about to strike up a conversation, I was interrupted by the sudden entrance of Roccia, her sister Suzana and their childhood friend Brant.

Realizing that Roccia hadn't noticed us, I decided to draw her attention.

I raised my hand slightly, trying not to be too obvious, but the sound of my voice, although soft, was enough to make Roccia turn in our direction.

"Hey, Roccia!"

I called out, keeping the fake smile on my face as I watched her. She looked at me with a smile on her lips before quickly heading in our direction, followed by her sister and her childhood friend.

"Hi, guys."

Said Roccia in her soft voice, greeting everyone present.

Taking the hook left by Roccia, I decided to introduce her properly.

"Everyone, this is my friend Roccia, her sister Suzana and their friend Brant."

I began the introductions, observing Roccia and her sister smiling at us, while the boy seemed distant, with a downcast look on his face. He had two chin piercings, three on each side of his nose and a red bandana with a white pattern.

I didn't know exactly why, but the impression he gave off didn't match what I saw with my Gift. It was hard to explain, but it felt like he was pretending to be something he wasn't, like he was hiding something for some reason. But it was probably just me.