As Rai and his friends walked away, Ava ended her broadcast with a grin. “Looks like I’ve got a new adventure on my hands. Stay tuned, guys!

She turned off the camera and tucked it away, her mind still buzzing from the encounter with Rai and his friends. Something was intriguing about this group—especially Rai’s cryptic mention of Zyla Beach. As she began to walk back toward the train, curiosity tugged at her, urging her to learn more about their destination.

Following the group toward the café, Ava noticed Rai and Dionne sitting at a table, casually chatting. Zaire was already at the counter, ordering food, his booming voice carrying over the quiet station. Ava approached with a smile, ready to join them.

Just as she reached the table, a familiar voice called out to her from the corner of the café. Ava froze in surprise.

“Samera?” she asked, her voice a mix of confusion and shock.

Her best friend, Samera, sat at a table with her long, curly brown hair pulled into a high ponytail, looking effortlessly stylish as always. She smiled mischievously, waving at Ava.

"Surprise!" Samera laughed, standing to greet her. “Bet you didn’t expect to see me here, did you?”

Ava shook her head, still processing what was happening. "You told me you were on vacation with Ignatius!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening as she spotted Ignatius, Samera’s tall and stoic boyfriend, sitting quietly at the table beside her. His dark eyes glanced up from his phone, giving a polite nod.

“Well, here he is!” Samera grinned, gesturing toward Ignatius. “We decided to mix things up. I thought it would be fun to join the adventure!”

Ava stared at her friend, still trying to wrap her head around the surprise. "You didn’t think to tell me?"

Samara laughed, pulling her into a hug. “I wanted it to be a surprise! Besides, you love surprises, don’t you?”

Ava couldn’t help but smile as she hugged Samera back, a mixture of disbelief and excitement settling in. As they pulled away, Ava glanced over at Rai, Zaire, and Dionne, now realizing that they had all known about this reunion. They were all in on the surprise.

“You guys planned this, didn’t you?” Ava asked, playfully narrowing her eyes at them.

Rai smirked, leaning back in his chair. “Maybe a little. We figured it’d be a good way to kick off the adventure.”

Ava laughed, shaking her head. "I can’t believe you didn’t tell me, Samera."

Samera winked. “Hey, life’s more fun when you keep a little mystery, right?”

Still grinning, Ava took a seat next to Samera, her heart racing with excitement. The adventure felt bigger now, more connected with her best friend by her side. And as the train whistle blew in the distance, signaling their imminent departure, Ava couldn’t help but feel that this journey would be far more than she had anticipated.

                                                                                                                                                                           (Truvale Astra)