In the early morning, the sun's rays shyly filtered through the curtains of the room, and the air still held the humidity of the night, with the warm scent of wood filling the atmosphere. Ronwa was in a deep sleep, her childish features serene, her small lips pursed as if she were dreaming of something warm.

  Her mother quietly entered, walking on tiptoe, and approached her gently. She sat on the edge of the bed, extended her hand to touch her silvery hair, and whispered softly:

  "Ronwa... my little one, it's time to wake up... you're going to be late for school."

  Ronwa stirred a little under the blanket, then buried her face in the pillow and mumbled sleepily:

  "Just five more minutes... Mom... just five..."

  Her mother laughed lightly and shook her shoulder more gently:

  "You said that yesterday too... and in the end, you ran to school like a butterfly with two different shoes."

  Ronwa slowly opened one eye and looked at her mother, then sighed as she sat up slowly:

  "I feel like I only slept for one minute..."

  Then she looked out the window, where the traces of the moon had vanished, and commented in faint surprise:

  "The moon is gone..."

  Her mother smiled warmly as she held her daughter's hand:

  "Yes, it went to rest just like us... and now it's the sun's turn to see you go to school with your smile."

  Ronwa rubbed her eyes and lazily got up, grumbling at the thought of the cold soup for breakfast...

  Her mother went downstairs, leaving Ronwa in her room to change and get ready. But the little girl didn't move immediately; instead, she started looking around, her eyes searching eagerly and anxiously in every corner of the room:

  "Ron...? Where did he go?"

  She whispered as she spun around, then looked at the wardrobe, opened it, and found nothing. She approached the window and looked outside, no sign of him. Doubts began to creep into her mind: *Did I dream about him?* But her heart told her that what happened yesterday wasn't just imagination.

  As she was about to give up, she bent down to look under her bed...

  And suddenly, her features froze.

  There, in the shadow, sat a pale boy, about her age, his black hair slightly long, covering part of his forehead, and his red eyes glowing in the darkness with a calm gaze. He was crouching, silently staring at her, not appearing scared or even surprised to see her.

  Ronwa gasped and quickly scooted backward until her back hit the wardrobe, her heart pounding violently, and her eyes widening:

  "Wh- Who are you?! What are you doing under my bed?!"

  The boy replied in a calm, almost whispering voice, as he poked his head out a little:

  "Is this the first time you've seen a ghost?"

  Her fear increased, but she kept watching him; he didn’t move a single step toward her, instead, he raised his hands slowly as if to show he posed no threat:

  "Don't worry... I don't have a key like Ron. So, I can't hurt anyone."

  Ronwa was confused, torn between believing him and retreating, her eyes studying him with fearful curiosity:

  "So... you're a ghost...?"

  The boy nodded slightly.

  Ronwa stared at the ghost boy, still puzzled, and asked in a soft voice, as if afraid the answer would be terrifying:

  "Where... Where did Ron go?"

  The boy placed his hand on his chin, pretending to think, then replied with calm indifference:

  "Hmm... At this time, he usually goes to the cemetery."

  Ronwa's eyebrows shot up in astonishment, her eyes widening:

  "The cemetery?! Why? Who visits?"

  But he shrugged lightly, as if it didn’t matter much, then said:

  "I’m not going to tell you."

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  Ronwa pursed her lips and frowned, taking a small cautious step closer to him:

  "Please... tell me! Is it someone he knows? Is it... a friend?"

  But the boy turned his face slightly away from her, his tone still calm and mysterious:

  "If you want to know, you’ll have to ask him yourself."

  Then he smiled and looked at her with sparkling eyes:

  "Some secrets aren’t told, they’re discovered."

  Silence settled, as Ronwa kept staring at him, her little heart beating with more curiosity than fear, her mind spinning with many questions...

  Who does Ron visit? And why the cemetery?

  Ronwa furrowed her brows in a sharp, childish frown and turned to leave the room with angry steps, while the ghost with the black hair and red eyes floated behind her lightly, circling around her like a mocking shadow.

  He spoke in a teasing tone, as if joking with her:

  "Oh… why the cold shoulder? I’m a poor ghost, no one cares about me… You didn’t even ask me my name, is that fair?"

  Ronwa suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway, then turned slowly to look at him… that gaze! It was strangely terrifying, the same sharp look Ron used to give when he was angry.

  The ghost froze in place, then Ronwa whispered coldly, like knives:

  "Because I don’t trust ghosts… especially those who hide under beds."

  A confused smile appeared on the ghost's lips, but before he could respond, Ronwa turned away, heading down the stairs with confident steps, the soft light dancing on her long silvery hair.

  The ghost hovered above, watching her as she walked away, then whispered to himself:

  "Ron’s gaze... indeed, it resembles him more than I imagined."

  Ronwa stood silently in front of the sink, the cold water running over her small face, wetting her rosy cheeks and waking her little mind from the remnants of sleep.

  She lifted her face to the mirror, staring at her reflection silently, while a strange question kept pressing on her mind:

  "Who could be visiting Ron at the cemetery? And why?"

  She took a small towel and slowly dried her face, her eyes still distant.

  Is it someone he knows?

  Is it a family member? Or... another ghost?

  But why didn’t he tell her? Why did he seem sad when she asked?

  She gripped the towel tightly in her small hands, whispering to herself with childish determination:

  "I’ll ask him… and I’ll find out... even if he doesn’t want to tell me."

  Then she placed the towel aside, still thinking:

  "Do ghosts ever cry? Do they feel longing like we do?"

  Ronwa descended the stairs hesitantly, still thinking about Ron, but the smell of the cold soup—something she hated—suddenly cut off her thoughts, making her face twist in disgust.

  She entered the kitchen, finding her grandmother standing at the table, her arms crossed and her eyes shining with strictness as usual.

  "Sit down." She said sharply without looking at her.

  Ronwa sat down on the chair with a sigh, and her grandmother placed the cold soup, now tasteless, in front of her.

  "But…" she mumbled quietly, "it’s cold..."

  Her grandmother slowly raised an eyebrow and turned toward her as if she were about to turn into a storm, saying in a stern voice:

  "If you don’t eat it, you won’t go to school. And you won’t leave the house today. Understood?"

  Ronwa felt as if something thick were choking her throat. She looked at the soup, then at her grandmother, then back at the soup…

  "But it tastes awful..." she mumbled, tears filling her eyes.

  Suddenly, her grandmother approached her, slammed her hand on the table so hard the bowl shook, and said in a cold, almost terrifying tone:

  "Eat. Now."

  Ronwa bit her lip, and with tearful eyes, she began to eat... spoon after spoon, the cold steam rising as if mocking her.

  Ronwa left the house after her mother helped her put on her school uniform, gently tying her silvery hair ribbon and patting her shoulder with a smile:

  "Be a good girl today, don’t forget your drawing book."

  Ronwa nodded absentmindedly, though she wasn’t fully focused; she had barely slept well, and her mind was still full of ghostly thoughts, especially about Ron… and the cemetery… and the keys.

  She walked down the path lined with wildflowers and old houses, but barely took a few steps before she felt something floating behind her.

  "Stop following me!" She suddenly turned around to find Lucas behind her as usual, floating calmly just above the ground by a few centimeters, his black hair flowing like smoke, and his red eyes gazing at her with a semi-playful look.

  "Oh, there’s no use running, little princess." He yawned as if tired of repeating himself,

  "I'm stuck with you for noble reasons."

  Ronwa crossed her arms in front of her chest and said with clear annoyance:

  "Noble? What nobility is there in bothering a girl who’s going to school?!"

  He floated closer to her, like a light shadow, and said:

  "First, because you’re the chosen princess... and that means my presence near you is necessary."

  "Second..." he smiled with half a grin, "Ron ordered me to."

  Ronwa stomped her foot on the ground and said sharply:

  "Who says you have to obey his orders?!"

  He raised an eyebrow with slight sarcasm and replied in a calmer tone:

  "Because I’m an ordinary ghost, I don’t have a key like him. And ordinary ghosts can’t defy the owners of the keys."

  Then he continued after a moment, resting his hands behind his head:

  "Secondly… because he’s my friend. And I keep my promises."

  Ronwa stopped for a moment, feeling the words "my friend" touch something strange within her...

  Are all ghosts like that? Do they keep their promises… take care of each other? Are ghosts… kind sometimes?

  But she quickly looked away, trying to brush it off:

  "As long as you don’t bother me… it’s fine."

  Lucas smiled lightly and floated beside her as if he were her new shadow,

  while she continued her way to school… unaware that her day there would be stranger than usual.

  Ronwa suddenly realized... that Lucas's presence wasn’t just a burden or nuisance, but a clear sign that Ron, her twin she never knew, had decided to protect her... even when he wasn’t there.

  She stopped for a few seconds at the edge of the road, looked up at the gray sky above her, and the breeze gently moved the ends of her silvery hair, then smiled.

  A very small smile, barely passing her lips… but it was warm, sincere, like the moment when a little heart feels at peace, simply because it’s no longer alone.

  Then she continued her way to school, her steps more confident, her heart a little lighter.

  Behind her Lucas floated quietly without saying anything. But he glanced at her for a moment… and a faint smile appeared on his face that no one could see.

  It seemed that the little girl was beginning to believe… that there were spirits who truly loved her, even from beyond death.