Arden Hayes blinked, then blinked again, but the scene didn't change. Towers of stone and glass loomed ahead, their edges catching the light in ways that made them look alive pulsing, almost. The lawn stretched out like something from a fancy college brochure, dotted with students in sleek gray uniforms that looked more like cosplay than school clothes. Above it all, the sky shimmered with streaks of gold and violet, like someone had spilled paint across the horizon.
"This is a prank," Arden muttered, shoving his glasses up his nose. "I'm on some hidden camera show. Any second now, Tim's gonna jump out and laugh."
Lila Voss snorted, kicking a pebble across the grass. "Keep dreaming, newbie. This is Chrono Academy. No cameras, no Tim, just you and a whole lot of weird."
"Weird doesn't even cover it." Arden turned to her, arms crossed. "You just dragged me through a glowing tree-hole chased by creepy cloak guys, and now I'm supposed to believe this is a school?"
"Yep." She grinned, sharp and unbothered. "Best school you'll ever hate. Come on, let's move before you gawk yourself into a coma."
She started walking, and Arden followed, mostly because standing still felt like admitting defeat. His sneakers sank into the impossibly soft grass, and every step made his head spin. The air smelled different here, crisp, electric, like the moment before a thunderstorm. Students glanced their way as they passed, some whispering, others sizing him up like he was fresh meat. One guy with spiky blue hair smirked and muttered something to his friend, who laughed. Great. High school 2.0, now with extra judgment.
"Where are we going?" Arden asked, dodging a girl who zipped by on what looked like a floating skateboard. "And what's with the sci-fi vibes?"
"Orientation," Lila said, not breaking stride. "You're late, by the way. Semester started two weeks ago, but your little dodgeball stunt woke you up just in time."
"Woke me up?" He frowned. "You're saying that freeze thing wasn't random?"
"Nope. It's your spark, your Weaver power kicking in. Mine hit me when I was thirteen, saw my cat knock over a vase three seconds before it happened. Freaked me out worse than you're freaking now."
"I'm not freaking out," Arden lied, his voice a little too high. "I'm just… processing."
"Sure you are." Lila smirked, leading him up a set of wide stone steps toward a building that looked like a cathedral had a baby with a spaceship. "Processing's step one. Step two's surviving the welcome committee."
"Welcome committee?" Arden's stomach twisted. "What's that mean?"
Inside, the air was cooler, the halls echoing with the hum of voices and the faint tick of clocks, hundreds of them, lining the walls in every shape and size. Clocks with gears exposed, clocks glowing faintly, clocks that didn't even have hands. Arden's eyes darted from one to the next, trying to make sense of it, when Lila nudged him toward a double door at the end of the corridor.
"Through there," she said, stepping back. "You're on your own for this part."
"Wait, what?" He spun to face her. "You're ditching me?"
"Relax, Hayes. I've got my own stuff to handle. You'll be fine, probably." She flashed that infuriating grin and slipped back the way they'd come, leaving him staring at the doors like they might bite.
"Great," he muttered, adjusting his backpack. "Just great."
With a deep breath, he pushed the doors open and stepped inside. The room was huge vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows casting rainbow light across rows of benches. About a dozen kids his age sat scattered around, all in those gray uniforms, all turning to stare as he shuffled in. At the front stood a man, tall, wiry, with gray hair tied back and a face that said he'd seen too much and wasn't impressed by any of it.
"Arden Hayes, I presume?" His voice was clipped, precise, like he was measuring every word. "Late, but expected. Take a seat."
Arden froze, heat creeping up his neck. "Uh… yeah. Sorry?"
"No apologies needed. Sit." The man gestured to an empty spot near the front. Arden hurried over, dropping onto the bench with a thud, acutely aware of every eye on him. The guy next to him, broad shoulders, buzzed black hair, shot him a sideways glance and smirked.
"Nice entrance, newbie," the guy whispered. "You always this smooth?"
"Shut up," Arden mumbled, sinking lower in his seat.
The man at the front cleared his throat, drawing attention back to him. "I am Professor Elias Marrow, head of Chrono Academy's novice program. You're here because you've sparked, awakened a gift that sets you apart. Time-weaving. Rare. Dangerous. And, if you're smart, controllable."
Arden's pulse quickened. There it was again, time-weaving. Like it was a real thing, not some fever dream.
"Most of you sparked weeks ago," Marrow continued, his gaze sweeping the room. "But our newest arrival..." he nodded at Arden "...decided to join us mid-game. Hayes, care to share what triggered yours?"
Every head swiveled toward him. Arden's mouth went dry. "Uh… dodgeball?"
A ripple of laughter broke out, loudest from the buzz-cut guy next to him. Marrow raised an eyebrow. "Dodgeball?"
"It was coming at my face," Arden said, defensive. "I panicked, and… time stopped. For like, five seconds."
The laughter died down, replaced by murmurs. Marrow's expression didn't change, but something flickered in his eyes, interest, maybe. "Five seconds on your first spark. Noted. Untrained, yet potent. We'll work on that."
"Work on it?" Arden echoed, but Marrow was already moving on, pacing the front of the room.
"Chrono Academy exists to train Time Weavers," he said. "To harness your abilities and protect the timeline from those who'd abuse it. You'll learn to bend time stop it, slow it, rewind it, glimpse it. But make no mistake: this is no game. Fail here, and the consequences ripple far beyond these walls."
Arden swallowed hard. Timeline? Consequences? This was sounding less like school and more like a superhero movie with extra homework.
"Orientation ends now," Marrow said, clapping his hands. "Uniforms are in your dorms. Classes start tomorrow, 07:00 sharp. Dismissed."
The room erupted into motion, kids standing, chatting, heading for the doors. Arden stayed put, brain buzzing. The buzz-cut guy stood, stretching, and grinned down at him.
"Dodgeball, huh? That's a new one. I'm Jaxon Reed, by the way. See you around, newbie." He sauntered off, leaving Arden alone on the bench.
"Fantastic," Arden muttered, rubbing his temples. "What did I just sign up for?
He didn't notice the girl in the back, quiet, dark-eyed, watching him with a frown, nor the faint shimmer in the air behind her, like time itself was holding its breath.