"Sometimes, the future arrives like a whisper. Sometimes, like a storm. But it always leaves footprints."
The school gates didn't look any different.
The wall was still cracked on the east side. The mango tree near the canteen still leaned too far. The classrooms still had uneven fans.
But something felt different.
Maybe it was because this would be the last week they ever walked through them.
Maybe it was because none of them were quite the same anymore.
Farewells That Weren't Spoken
They didn't say goodbye.
Instead, they held on to habits.
• Ameira still brought Vikran his favorite peanut candy.
• Rudren still teased Ameira about her hair always being perfect.
• Vikran still walked behind them — smiling, quiet, watching.
But their laughter came softer now. And silence sat between their words like a fourth friend, always present.
The classroom door creaked open for the final English lesson.
Their teacher, Mr. Sivan, who never smiled, gave a half-smile today.
"You won't remember this lesson," he said.
"But maybe you'll remember how today felt. And that's enough."
The Soul Within Stirs
Inside each of them, a presence pressed a little harder.
Still silent.
Still unseen.
But now… alert.
• Ameira paused as her name was called for attendance. She didn't know why, but her heart had skipped — just once.
• Rudren flinched when the chalk snapped in class. Not from fear — from instinct.
• Vikran reached out to steady a glass before it fell — and it stopped in mid-fall, just for a second, before tipping over.
None of them said anything.
But something was growing.
The Plans Ahead
They met under the school tree for the last time — no books, no homework, just thoughts.
"I leave next week," Ameira said.
"I start work two days after the results," Rudren added.
Vikran nodded. "I stay."
It wasn't sad. It wasn't cheerful either.
It just was.
They sat like that for a long time. Watching the leaves fall.
One leaf landed on Ameira's shoulder and didn't blow away.
Another circled Rudren's hand like it knew him.
A third fell into Vikran's lap — and curled into itself like it had come home.
That Night
All three slept early.
All three dreamt strange dreams.
• Ameira walked through mist and heard wings overhead — not frightening, but protective.
• Rudren stood in a desert with clouds crackling silently above him.
• Vikran stood in a forest with no trees, only roots, reaching toward him from below.
When they woke, they said nothing.
But they all felt the same thing:
Something was coming.
And they didn't know if it was the beginning…
Or the end.
To be continued