He didn't answer.
The car turned a corner automatically and slowed as the school came into view. The parking lot was already filling up—students walking in groups, laughing, checking their phones, yawning into coffee cups.
Ethan tapped the dashboard, switching the car out of autopilot as it pulled into his usual spot.
He cut the engine.
Sat in silence.
And exhaled.
This wasn't just another school day.
Not anymore.
He reached for his bag, slung it over one shoulder, and opened the door.
As he stepped out, a few heads turned.
Girls, mostly.
Some blinked. Some smiled. One or two whispered to their friends, stealing glances in his direction.
He kept walking. Headphones in while his hands are in his pockets.
Face calm.
But inside? He already felt the weight of the day pressing in.
Then—he felt it.
Two distinct energies are coming up fast on either side.
He didn't need to turn his head to know who it was.
