The dry leaves began to swirl.
Joy’s eyes widened in fear.
Assembly had ended.
Classes had started.
Still no sign of Joy.
Madame Rose was already angry.
“Tracy!” she called.
Tracy stood up lazily. “Yes, ma?”
“You said Joy followed an old woman?”
“Yes.”
Madame Rose picked up her cane.
“Go and find her. Bring her here immediately.”
Tracy frowned. “Me?”
“Yes, you!” Madame Rose snapped. “You were the last person with her.”
The class went silent.
Tracy hissed quietly but grabbed her bag.
“Fine,” she muttered. “Let me go and look for that village girl.”
Joy’s heart was pounding.
The old woman walked slowly toward her.
Each step felt… different.
Not weak.
Not slow.
But powerful.
“You chose kindness over comfort,” the woman said.
Joy swallowed hard. “Mama… who are you?”
The woman stopped in front of her.
Then—
“I am not who you think I am.”
Joy’s breath caught.
Before she could react—
Voices echoed from outside.
“JOY! JOY!”
It was Tracy.
She had followed the same path.
And now she stood at the entrance of the compound, breathing heavily.
“Joy, are you here?!” she shouted, stepping inside.
Then she saw them.
Joy.
And the old woman.
Tracy frowned immediately.
“So this is where you are wasting time?” she snapped. “Are you mad? Do you know they are waiting to punish you in school?”
Joy tried to speak. “Tracy… something is not—”
“Shut up!” Tracy shouted.
She turned to the old woman angrily.
“And you!” she barked. “What is wrong with you? Why are you disturbing students?!”
The old woman said nothing.
She only looked at Tracy quietly.
That silence… made Tracy even angrier.
“I’m talking to you!” Tracy yelled.
Then—
SLAP!
The sound echoed through the compound.
Joy gasped.
“MADNESS!” Joy cried. “Tracy, what have you done?!”
The old woman didn’t move.
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