The teacher continued writing on the blackboard, the chalk slowly wearing down with each word she wrote.
The steady tapping sound filled the classroom, almost hypnotic.
Zachary kept his head down, writing quietly in his notebook.
But the atmosphere hadn't gone back to normal.
His classmates were still watching him.
Not directly.
Side-eyes. Quick glances. Whispered looks.
Like he had suddenly become… something unfamiliar.
Then—
SLAM!
The classroom door burst open, the loud sound echoing across the room.
Several students flinched.
One even dropped their pen.
But Zachary didn't move.
His pen stopped mid-stroke.
His eyes shifted slightly toward the door.
A familiar figure stood there.
Zachary's eyes widened.
"…C—" he started, his voice catching.
Then—
"Cole!?" he blurted out.
The entire class turned.
The teacher paused, chalk still in hand, and looked between them. "You two know each other?" she asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.
Zachary hesitated.
He slowly shook his head—
But before he could say anything—
"Yeah! We know each other!" Cole said brightly.
Zachary's eye twitched.
This guy…
He stood up immediately and walked toward Cole.
"What are you doing at my school!?" Zachary whispered under his breath.
Cole leaned in slightly, grinning.
"I've been looking everywhere for you," he whispered back, clearly relieved.
Zachary froze for half a second.
…Seriously?
Then—
"How did you meet?" the teacher asked again, her tone more suspicious this time.
Cole turned his head toward her casually.
"Oh, we met in the dun—!"
Before he could finish—
Zachary's hand shot up and covered his mouth.
"—mmph!?"
Zachary forced a small, awkward smile toward the teacher.
"Outside," he said quickly.
Then—
He grabbed Cole and pushed him out of the classroom.
Not violently.
But with just enough force to make it clear—
We are NOT saying that here.
Cole stumbled slightly from the push, clearly not expecting the strength behind it.
Zachary followed him out immediately, closing the door behind him.
"What are you doing here, actually!?" Zachary demanded, his voice sharper than before.
Cole didn't answer right away.
Instead, he grabbed Zachary by the arm and pulled him along. "Come on," he muttered under his breath, glancing around.
"Somewhere private."
Zachary frowned but didn't resist.
They moved quickly, leaving the campus behind.
The noise of students faded, replaced by the quieter hum of the outside streets.
When they were finally far enough, Cole stopped.
He turned.
Faced Zachary directly.
For a moment… he didn't speak.
…Blake is dead."
The words came out low.
Heavy.
Cole's head lowered slightly, his usual energy gone.
Zachary froze.
"…What?" he whispered.
"H-how!?" His voice rose, panic slipping in. "How did Blake die!?"
Cole shook his head, his jaw tightening. "We don't know," he said. "It just… happened."
He lifted his wrist, checking his watch.
"11:09 AM."
Zachary's eyes widened.
"That's—" he started, then stopped.
His mind raced.
That wasn't just random.
That was precise.
Too precise.
He began pacing in a small circle, running a hand through his hair. "That doesn't make any sense…
he was fine… we all left the dungeon alive…" he muttered, trying to piece it together.
11:09…
Why that time?
What triggered it?
Then—
The ground trembled.