I, Haniya Nadibun, felt an overwhelming sense of empowerment after defeating Prima Optima, the perfect homunculus.
She had believed she held all the power, thinking she could expose my music career and my feelings for Sansula to my family, leaving me at her mercy. But she never expected that I would gather the courage to expose myself—to my own father, no less.
Neither did I.
But it had to be done. If I hadn't, Maria would have had absolute control over me, and that was not an option.
Now, with my headscarf removed, every student in the hall recognized me instantly. The whispers spread like wildfire.
"Isn't that Ashley?"
"Oh my God, it's her!"
"I had no idea she was at the Utrecht Metropolitan Self-Development School!"
"She's even more stunning in person!"
"Can we take a picture together?"
Within moments, I was surrounded by a crowd of excited students. While their enthusiasm was heartwarming, I still needed to drop off my suitcase in my dormitory before heading to class.
I smiled at them warmly. "I'm so happy to see I already have so many friends here! I'd love to talk to all of you, but right now isn't the best time. I still need to settle in and head to class for introductions. How about we meet in the school park after class?"
The crowd murmured in agreement before slowly dispersing, making way for me to walk to my dormitory—except for one girl who remained rooted in place.
"Well, well, aren't you popular?" she mused, watching me with an amused expression.
She looked strangely familiar. Something about her reminded me of both myself and Benesha—a striking young woman with warm, wheat-toned skin, silver eyes, and a cascade of tight black curls framing her face.
"Excuse me," I said politely as I walked past her.
"You're Ashley, right?" she asked, turning to face me again.
I glanced back. "Uh, yes..."
A small smile played on her lips. "I wanted to thank you. Your songs have been a huge inspiration to me—especially the one about finding your Messiah."
I blinked, caught off guard. "Really?"
She nodded. "I come from a culture where arranged marriages are the norm. If it weren't for your music, I probably wouldn't have even considered finding the right person for myself. I would have just gone along with whatever my father decided. Your music changed my perspective, and for that, I'm grateful. But I guess you hear that kind of thing a lot."
A warm feeling spread through me. "I'm really happy my music could help you," I said sincerely. "What's your name?"
"Amira Badila."
I stared at her in shock. Badila?
"Are you related to Benesha?" I asked, intrigued.
"A distant relative, yes," she replied. "Benesha is from the ruling family of the Central African branch. That's where the Badilites originated. I'm from the ruling family of the North African branch."
"That's amazing!" I said, my excitement bubbling over. "Which country?"
"Morocco."
"No way! I'm Moroccan too!"
Her silver eyes widened in surprise. "Really? What's your real name?"
"Haniya Nadibun."
She smiled. "Haniya? That name suits you."
"Thanks!" I chuckled. "By the way, what class are you in?"
"Class 1-B."
A grin spread across my face. "Same here! Let's get along, then."
"Mhm!" She returned my smile.
Together, we dropped off our suitcases and belongings in our dorm rooms. On our way to class, more students stopped us, eager to take pictures with me. I happily obliged, though it did make us the last two students to arrive in Class 1-B.
The moment we walked in, the room erupted into excited whispers.
"The rumors were true! Ashley is really in our class!"
The homeroom teacher barely spared us a glance. "Take a seat," he said. "We were just about to start introductions, so you made it just in time."
Amira and I took seats beside each other. I already liked her. She gave off such warm, welcoming energy, and I could tell we'd get along.
I couldn't wait to tell Benesha that I had met her.