Artemys

Chapter 1

1. A new Beginning

The world outside the window was a green ribbon unfurling before her, almost hypnotic. On the asphalt, the hum of the tires marked the rhythm of a journey that seemed never-ending.Sitting in the back seat, Zoe watched the blurry landscape. Her red hair framed her face like a silent flame, highlighting the depth of her green eyes. One glance was enough to see something different in them: a vibrant curiosity, tinged with a subtle, inexplicable thread of unease.At the wheel, Richard, her father, drove with unflappable calm. A man with dark hair that was always out of place and an easy smile, capable of serving as an anchor in the stormy sea of his daughter's thoughts.Zoe watched the clouds drift away. Along with them, her past drifted away as well.Destination: Moonridge.The reason for the trip had a name: "The Corner." Her father was going to take over the place, and Zoe would be part of this new venture. Helping him at the bar, learning new things, starting over from scratch. A golden opportunity, everyone said. Yet, Zoe couldn't shake that strange feeling: it was as if the city were waiting for her with open arms... but not necessarily to welcome her warmly.And then, there was the biggest concern. The shadow looming over everything else: the "Royal Stage Academy"
A school for aspiring artists. The stage of her dreams, but also a maze of unknowns. New classmates, new paths to discover, and, above all, a fresh start.

"So, are you excited?"

Her father's voice, gentle and affectionate, drifted into the car, breaking the silence that had grown almost icy.

"A little... but I think I'm more nervous than anything else," his daughter replied, turning to look at him.

"That's normal. New city, new school, people you've never met... but you'll manage, as always." Richard gave her one of his unfailing smiles.

Zoe offered a half-smile, twirling a strand of her red hair. "Hmm. New city, new school... and maybe even a new me?"

"'New you,' huh? I like the sound of that," he chuckled, without taking his eyes off the road. "I just hope the old Zoe doesn't disappear completely. You know, I really like that girl."

"Maybe I'll try to keep the best of both!!"

The tension in her shoulders melted away. The laugh that followed was the first truly "normal" sound since they'd crossed the county line.

Just then, the car turned the corner. A large carved wooden sign gave them an official welcome: "Welcome to Moonridge."

The wheels came to a stop when Richard pulled up in front of a small house with a sloping roof. It was a two-story building, enveloped in the silence of a small, still-wild garden that seemed to be watching them with curiosity.

It certainly wasn't a palace, but it had a certain cozy charm to it. Zoe got out of the car with mixed feelings: on one hand, the excitement of the new; on the other, that subtle longing for what she had left behind.

As she crossed the threshold, the pungent smell of fresh paint hit her full force. The house, still almost empty, seemed suspended in an unreal silence, broken only by the echo of their footsteps on the polished floor. In the trunk, the boxes contained their entire previous life, ready to be unpacked and settled into this new one.

"Well, it may not be Versailles, but with a couple of pillows and a nice steaming pizza on the table, we're all set! At least for tonight, we'll be kings," Richard exclaimed, breaking the silence of the rooms.