The next day, school didn't feel the same.
No one said it out loud.
But it was there.
Quieter.
Not silent—but restrained.
Like everyone was waiting for something.
Phones were out more than usual.
Groups formed and broke apart quickly.
Conversations stopped when teachers walked by.
Kairo noticed all of it.
Not because he was looking for it.
Because it stood out.
"They're talking about it in every class," Malik said, dropping into his seat.
Kairo glanced at him.
"They're trying not to."
Malik smirked slightly.
"Yeah. That too."
A pause.
"…you see the new one?" Malik asked.
Kairo nodded once.
The video had spread overnight.
Harder to dismiss.
Harder to explain.
A man standing in the middle of a street.
No buildup.
No explanation.
Just—
A sudden distortion.
The air around him folded inward.
Not violently.
But enough.
Enough that nearby objects shifted.
A bottle rolled.
A car door creaked inward slightly.
Then—
The man screamed.
The distortion snapped.
He dropped.
The clip ended there.
No edits.
No cuts.
Just—
impact.
"…that one wasn't fake," Malik said quietly.
"No," Kairo replied.
Before either of them could say more—
The classroom door opened.
Not a teacher.
Two men.
They didn't look like they belonged there.
Not because of what they wore.
But because of how they stood.
Still.
Alert.
Watching.
The room shifted.
Not physically.
But socially.
Conversations stopped.
One of the men spoke briefly with the teacher.
Low voice.
Serious tone.
Then—
They left.
The teacher stood there for a second longer than usual.
Then cleared her throat.
"Everyone," she said, a bit too quickly, "phones away."
No one argued.
Kairo didn't look at Malik.
But he knew.
They both felt it.
Something had changed.
By midday, the tension had thickened.
Rumors spread faster than facts.
"Someone got taken out of class."
"They're pulling people who showed symptoms."
"It's happening in other schools too."
No confirmation.
No clarity.
Just—
movement.
Kairo stood near the corridor window, watching the courtyard below.
Everything looked normal.
Too normal.
Then—
a scream.
Sharp.
Close.
Malik was already moving.
"Come on."
They reached the stairwell just as people started pushing past them.
"Move—move—!"
"What happened?!"
"I don't know—someone collapsed—!"
They pushed through.
At the bottom—
a crowd had formed.
Kairo slowed.
Not because he was afraid.
Because he already knew what he would see.
A girl lay on the ground.
Her body twisted slightly.
Not unnaturally.
Just—
wrong.
Her hands were clenched.
Too tight.
The air around her—
was bending.
Not like before.
Stronger.
Visible.
A faint ripple surrounded her, distorting everything just slightly out of place.
People backed away.
No one touched her.
"Call someone!"
"They're already coming—!"
"Don't get close!"
Malik stopped beside Kairo.
"…this is worse," he said under his breath.
Kairo didn't answer.
His eyes were fixed on her.
On the way the air shifted around her.
On the way it didn't behave like air anymore.
Then—
she moved.
Not violently.
Not suddenly.
Slow.
Her hand lifted slightly.
The ripple expanded.
A nearby bench—
cracked.
A sharp sound.
Wood splitting.
Someone screamed.
The ripple snapped.
The pressure vanished.
The girl dropped.
Still.
Silence followed.
Not confusion.
Not noise.
Silence.
Then—
sirens.
Closer this time.
Louder.
Kairo exhaled slowly.
"…it's not just happening," he said quietly.
Malik looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
Kairo's gaze didn't move.
"…it's getting worse."
This time—
when the authorities arrived—
they didn't look confused.
They moved fast.
Controlled.
Like they had already seen this before.
The two men from earlier were with them.
Watching.
Not the girl.
The crowd.
And for the first time—
Kairo felt something new.
Not curiosity.
Not confusion.
Recognition.
This wasn't the beginning anymore.
Somewhere—
someone was already ahead.