The ORION Project | ✔

epilogue

The MEDUSA Society welcomes you back on campus.

Ever since the main banner at the university's gates had been removed, Jamal Popola had thought it a great opportunity to advertise his own society, but there was a certain weariness that hung in the air, nobody cared now about secret societies, they were more worried about the state of the country. Three months ago, the vice president of the nation had been mysteriously murdered after documents detailing old and newer government conspiracies leaked to the public, the president had in turn announced his resignation after much pressure - the first of such event to happen in the country and a ruthless military man had taken over as the new President of Nigeria. Although, it didn't stop insensitive morons like Jamal Popola from being insensitive.

Grace stopped in front of it, looking right, then left, ignoring the glances she got from passing students. She bent to pick a flat slab of stone and proceeded to scratch a hole in the banner. Pleased with her artwork, she continued on, gazing with disdain at the usual campus security awaiting wayward students.

Grace Kingston walked the path down to her department with a distracted step in her gait. She was late and Tope would be furious. It was the first time in a while that the best friends had seen each other. After Tolu's funeral - which was a few weeks after her final exams - she'd jetted off to Seychelles to brood. It was her first time travelling alone and the anxiety of it had distracted her from the widening chasm of grief in her chest. So she continued that way, doing things the old Grace would never do, skydiving, rock climbing and the likes. She punished herself with anxiety to distract herself from the grief, it had worked well, until she pushed herself to the limit and had her first panic attack in years.

It had taken Tope suddenly visiting to set her straight, or at least, on the path to being straight. She still hated to think of Tolu, of the father he could have been to her, she still wanted to cry when she thought of him but at least she wasn't running anymore. The new Grace now had a therapist, the new Grace was slowly learning the ropes to help run the empire her dead parents had left behind for her, the new Grace loved her siblings and showed them fiercely. And the new Grace wasn't really thinking of Kendrick anymore, she still liked him, but she'd reached the point where she'd stopped excessively stalking his social media and waiting for glimpses of him with the pretty Korean girl that was his new friend.

Kendrick had tried to be there for her, but she'd pushed him away, to save herself and to give him the nudge he'd needed to make the decision to travel to his home country and not America like his father wanted. They still spoke a few times and who knew? Maybe they'd get together, maybe they wouldn't, it didn't really matter now.

Grace quickened her steps and crossed over to the Faculty of Education, she'd yet to graduate even though she'd written the exams and passed, it was why she was in school, to finalize her clearance for convocation. The tree in front of the faculty was gone but the other ones still remained, it was those little changes that reminded her that she wasn't the only one who'd changed.

She spotted Tope first and when the other girl did, she ran and closed the small distance between then, enveloping Grace in a tight hug that brought tears to her eyes.

"I've missed you," Tope said with a beaming smile. Grace rolled her eyes but she couldn't help it, she smiled too.

Tope slung an arm over Grace's shoulder.

"You okay?" She asked softly. The question used to annoy her at first, until she realized that it was done with love, not to nag. Besides, she wasn't the only one who'd lost Tolu Kingston, Tope had known him all her life, he'd been like a father to her. It was only right that they checked on each other.

There was a sudden beep from her phone that told her it was probably Sanmi, demanding that she meet him at his faculty. A year ago, they'd both made jokes about graduating together, now they were, he'd gotten permission from his rehab center to write his exams and he'd aced them too, he was still in rehabilitation but he was let out a few times to do important things concerning finalizing his school. When it seemed like everything was perfect, she lived in fear, waiting for everything to come crashing down, or for ORION to come crashing into her life.

In the end, ARTEMIS and ORION had merged, but the petition against Joshua Phillips had been cancelled, she still received mail from ARTEMIS every month, inviting her to attend their meetings, and each time she remembered the promise she'd made to Joshua.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"You just seem contemplative, that's why," Tope jolted.

"Well, I'm good, just thinking of food," Grace lied. Tope bought it immediately.

"Good, because I'm starving too, tell you what, let's grab something to eat first. I hear this clearance thing is going to be stressful." Tope said as she linked her arm with Grace's. They began to walk away from the faculty.

Grace thought of how to tell Tope what she'd been really thinking of, but in the end, she didn't. It was better to keep it to herself, it wasn't anything that would cause alarm. Joshua Phillips had followed her yesterday on instagram, despite her promise, despite the fact they had had no interaction since three months ago. Grace suspected it had to do with the recent murders, the one that had happened fresh last week, a student had been discovered on the tennis court, dead from a stab wound and bearing a note from the supposed killer, a new society that dubbed themselves 'The King Society'.

Apparently, there was no known member, and Grace feared that there would soon be an influx of cults in the university with this one declaring a kill proudly.

Joshua Phillips didn't plan to stay away, Grace knew it. But whatever he'd gotten his hands into, she wanted no part in. Lest she revived an old buried war, one that had died with their fathers.