[City High School - Empty Classroom]
Leo sat alone in the back of the classroom, the rhythmic *tap-tap-tap* of his fingers against the wooden desk the only sound in the room. The silence wasn't peaceful; it was heavy, pressing against his chest like a physical weight.
"God... school is literally the worst place I've ever been," he muttered, the words disappearing into the stagnant air.
He leaned back, his gaze fixed on the ceiling tiles. His mind drifted, wandering to places he spent every waking moment trying to avoid. "Well... I guess it's still better than the hospital," he whispered, his voice dropping an octave. "Especially those damn needles."
A flicker of genuine discomfort crossed his face—a sharp, jagged memory of sterile white rooms and the cold sting of steel. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to force the image back into the dark corners of his mind.
"Who the hell are you talking to?"
Leo froze. His heart slammed against his ribs, a sudden spike of adrenaline surging through his veins. He spun around, his eyes wide, to find Jane standing in the doorway. She was staring at him with a look that sat somewhere between concern and judgment.
"How long have you been standing there?" Leo asked, his voice slightly strained.
Jane folded her arms, her expression flat. "Seriously? You're answering my question with another question?" She tilted her head, her gaze narrowing. "And you actually expect me to respond to that?"
Leo scratched the back of his head, offering a weak, awkward grin. "My bad."
Jane let out a long, weary sigh. "The history teacher is looking for you. He's not happy."
Leo smirked, trying to shake off the lingering tension. "Looks like I'm in for another one of his legendary three-hour lectures. Lucky me."
"Just stand up," Jane said, her tone brook no argument. "Let's go. We're already late."
As they stepped out into the hallway, Leo glanced back at the empty classroom. A strange chill settled in his gut. "By the way... why is the room empty? I hope nothing happened."
Jane gave him a look of pure disbelief. "That's because we have history class in the lecture hall, idiot. Everyone else moved ten minutes ago."
Silence followed them as they walked, but it wasn't the awkward silence of a missed joke. It felt distant. Leo walked beside her, but his mind felt miles away, untethered from the reality of the linoleum floors and lockers.
Then came the stairs.
Leo hated them. Every step felt like he was lifting lead weights. His breath hitched, his lungs feeling just a little too small for his chest. "Thank God it's not the third floor..." he wheezed under his breath.
Jane clenched her jaw, her eyes fixed forward. She didn't say a word, but the tension in her shoulders told him she was holding back a sharp remark.
They entered the history lecture hall, and the transition was jarring. Instantly, dozens of heads turned. All eyes were on Leo—judging, watching, whispering. The air in the room felt tight, suffocatingly small.
Leo forced his trademark grin, the mask sliding perfectly into place. "I'm sorry, sir. I was... uh... in the bathroom."
"For two hours, Mr. Thorne?" the teacher replied, his voice dry as parchment.
A few students snickered. Leo's smile faltered for a fraction of a second before he recovered. The teacher sighed, waving a hand dismissively. "Everyone, you can go. Class dismissed. Jane, stay back for a moment."
Leo turned to follow the crowd, hoping to make a quick escape.
"Apart from you, Leo," the teacher added.
Leo paused, his shoulders dropping. "I thought history class was three hours today..."
This time, no one laughed. The room emptied quickly, leaving only the three of them in the vast, echoing hall. The teacher walked closer, his stern expression softening into something that looked dangerously like pity.
"Leo... I know you're trying to act like everything is normal," the teacher said, his voice low.
Leo didn't respond. He kept his eyes fixed on a scratch on the teacher's desk.
"I understand you've lost people... more than anyone should," the teacher continued. "But you still have your mother. She needs you to be present. Try to make her proud, Leo."
For a heartbeat, the mask shattered. Leo looked human again—vulnerable, raw, and exhausted. The jokes were gone. The hiding was over. "Yes, sir," he said quietly, the words barely a whisper.
***
Back in the main classroom, Leo dropped into his seat, feeling like a hollow shell. Axiel appeared almost instantly, leaning over his desk with a grin that felt just a little too wide.
"Sup, Leo. You've been skipping again. What's the deal?"
Leo let out a long, tired breath. "Axiel... you are one disturbing human being." He looked up, his voice softening. "But don't worry. I'm fine."
Axiel leaned closer, his eyes searching Leo's. "Prove it."
Leo reached out and gave Axiel's hair a light, playful tug. "I'll tell your crush you've been stalking me if you don't back off."
Axiel jumped back, laughing. "Okay, okay! You've proven it! You're still the same old Leo."
Leo smirked, but the expression didn't reach his eyes. It never did.
***
**[After School - The Intersection]**
Leo walked alone. No friends, no waiting, no distractions. Just the rhythmic sound of his own footsteps on the pavement.
*I hate crossing roads...*
He reached the intersection and hesitated. He stepped forward just as a black sedan roared past him.
**FAST.**
Too fast.
Leo froze. His body locked up, his muscles turning to stone. His chest tightened until he couldn't draw air, his vision blurring as a memory surged forward—screeching tires, breaking glass, and the smell of burning rubber. For a terrifying second, he was back there. Helpless. Trapped in the wreckage.
He forced himself forward, his heart hammering against his ribs, and sprinted across the street. He made it to the other side, doubled over and gasping for air.
"That was... close..."
**BANG!**
The sound wasn't a car backfiring. It was sharp, metallic, and violent. It shattered the afternoon air like a hammer through glass.
Screams erupted. The sound of frantic footsteps and screeching tires filled the street. Chaos descended in an instant. Leo turned, his eyes wide, seeing people running in every direction, their faces twisted in panic.
Then, through the noise, he heard a voice nearby. "Bro, you missed the target! And why the hell didn't you use a silencer?!"
Leo's heart slammed against his chest. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
A girl in a dark hoodie rushed toward him, her movements fluid and lethal. She stopped abruptly, her body stiffening as she looked at him. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice cold and devoid of emotion.
Leo tried to respond, but his throat felt like it was filled with sand. No sound came out. He had no control over his own limbs. Then, his legs simply gave out.
He fell. Hard.
That was when the coldness hit him. He looked down, seeing the dark, spreading stain on his shirt. He hadn't just heard a shot. He was the one who had been hit.
A warm, metallic liquid filled his mouth. Blood. His vision began to shake, the world tilting on its axis. The girl in the hoodie stepped back, her eyes narrowing. She tapped a device on her ear. "Fall back. The target escaped. We hit a bystander."
She vanished into the crowd without a second glance.
Leo lay on the cold pavement, surrounded by the roar of the city, yet he felt completely isolated. A strange, suffocating silence began to drown out the screams.
*I can't die...*
His chest tightened, the pain blossoming into an agonizing heat.
*Not like this... not today...*
Tears tracked down his face, mixing with the grime of the street. *I didn't even say goodbye to her...*
Through the blurring chaos, he saw a familiar figure running past. Jane. She was so close—barely ten feet away—but she was looking toward the source of the noise, her face pale with fear. She didn't see him lying in the shadow of the alley.
Leo tried to scream her name, but all that came out was a wet, rattling gasp.
Then, the world changed.
A glow appeared. It was soft at first, a flickering spark of violet and blue in the corner of his vision. It moved toward him, drifting through the air like a fallen star.
"Can you see me?" a voice asked. It wasn't a human voice; it was a resonance, a sound that echoed directly in his soul.
Leo's lips trembled, his life-force fading with every second. "H... help... me..."
The light paused, hovering inches from his face. It felt ancient, vast, and impossibly powerful.
Then, the light smiled.
It wasn't a physical expression, but a feeling of absolute warmth and predatory grace. The light rushed forward, diving into his chest with the force of a supernova.
Everything went dark.