What else am I forgetting? Notebooks, pen, pencils… my violin… wait, what am I even doing? Chrissy muttered to herself.
Around her, everyone was packing up—Sydney's oboe, Syd's lyre, George's tiny harmonica. Lunch. Right. She snatched her bag and hurried out of Mrs. Park's symphony class.
Dash was already a blur, weaving through students and spreading another rumor. Typical. And, of course, he spotted her first.
"Hi, Chrissy! Have you heard—"
"I'm not interested, Dash," she said, brushing him aside.
"But it's about the new kid!" he insisted, grinning.
"Ethan," she said, turning fully to him.
Kai leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "His Will can absorb and copy other people's Personas. Scary and amazing at the same time. He even killed his plant in Revivus earlier. Glad I'm his roommate—this year's going to be interesting."
Dash zipped off, eager to share the intel with anyone within shouting distance.
Absorb someone's Persona… manipulate it… Chrissy paused, thinking. Kinda like Damian… only with portals.
She walked down the corridor, eyes flicking over the ceiling, the chandeliers, the artworks she'd passed a thousand times. And yet, today, everything seemed sharper, brighter—new details revealing themselves, like the world was waiting for her to notice.
Woah… the chandelier's extra shiny today, she whispered.
Then the melodic lunch bell rang. The hallway filled with chatter and movement. And there—head down, shoulders tense—Ethan, looking nervous, almost out of place.
Something inside her shifted. Her heart lifted.
"Ethan!" she called, waving, the words spilling out before she could stop them.
He looked up, startled. And just like that, the corridor felt… smaller. Brighter.
Christine Webber stood at the far end, black wavy hair bouncing, brown-red eyes warm but sharp. She waved, then jogged toward him, a playful yet familiar grin on her face. "Hey, plant killer," she said, bumping him lightly. "Word's going around you drained a sprout dry in Mr. Ivor's class."
Ethan groaned. "Already? I literally just left the room."
"News moves faster than light at Grimmor," she smirked. "Especially when Dash is involved."
Her gaze flicked to his hand. "You okay? You look pale."
"Yeah. Just tired… potion fumes," he said quickly.
Chrissy tugged his sleeve. "Come on. Millie saved us a spot by the window. Kai's already stealing everyone's fries."
She skipped along, but something tugged at her attention: Ethan's unease.
What could he be thinking right now…? Ah. He must be anxious about what happened earlier.
"Hey, Ethan, wanna know something?" Chrissy said, stopping mid-skip to face him.
"Hmm?" Ethan replied, looking at her curiously.
"We played a piece today," she began, hesitating slightly. "Honestly, I wasn't that interested in it, so it was hard to concentrate when the band played. Mrs. Park kept making us repeat it because I couldn't get the notes right. I… I don't know if anyone noticed, but I was the one messing up the sharps."
Ethan blinked, trying to follow her train of thought.
"Why are you telling me this?" he asked quietly.
Chrissy shrugged, her voice gentle but firm. "I'm just saying… don't be too upset if things don't turn out the way everyone expects. The way you do things will always be different from others. That's okay. What matters is that you tried."
Ethan's lips curved into a small, relieved smile. He nodded.
They walked together toward the cafeteria.
They stepped into the cafeteria, and the space opened like a golden stage. A grand chandelier hung in the center, scattering light across polished tables and chairs. The scent of herbs and spices hit first warm, savory, slightly sweet, mingling with the faint tang of fresh pastries and roasting dishes.
Students filled the room in clusters. Some laughed loudly, tossing crumbs at each other; others whispered behind open books or animatedly gestured over shared plates. Kai was already leaning back in a chair, slyly snagging fries from the table beside him. Millie was quietly arranging her food, careful and precise, while Syd scribbled in a notebook, occasionally glancing up to take in the room.
Chrissy guided Ethan through the maze of chatter and clattering cutlery. Every step revealed new details: a half-eaten tart glinting under the light, steam curling off a bowl of soup, a group of twins bickering over the last slice of bread. The walls were lined with tall windows, sunlight spilling across the wooden floor, dancing over the heads of students moving like currents through the room.
"Over here," Chrissy said, steering him toward a quieter table by the window. " Thanks for saving us a spot Millie."
Ethan's eyes lingered on the lively chaos around them, nervous energy still clinging, but slowly settling under the warmth of sunlight and the comforting presence of Chrissy. The room smelled of possibility, and maybe… a little hope.
As Ethan slid into the seat, Kai's attention snapped fully to him.
"Hey, Ethan," Kai said, still munching fries and salad. "What you did with that plant? Killer move."
Millie nudged Kai's shoulder lightly. "Hey, don't tease him. It's just his first class. You summoned a whole pile of cobras on your first day."
Syd tried—and failed—to hold back a laugh.
"Hey, don't snicker," Kai shot back. "You were freaking George out, saying he'd 'quote-unquote' get blown away by his inventions because of a loose screw."
Which, of course, George had—his butter-passer robot's screw really was loose.
"Well, anyway," Millie said, taking a careful bite of her beef Wellington with a side of Caesar salad, "Ethan, how was class?"
"It was fine," Ethan replied. "I… learned a lot today. About anomalies, potions… and my overactive Persona."
"Hey, don't beat yourself up," Syd said reassuringly. "I got lost fifteen minutes in the future on my first day."
Chrissy chuckled. "Sydney's waiting for your ass with a crumpled notebook to smack you. You got her so worried."
"Overprotective? My ass," Syd said through a mouthful of beef shawarma. "She was mad because I accidentally had her compact mirror with me when I transported." He glared at Millie, who only shrugged.
"Well, we all had crazy first-day stories," Chrissy said, eyes twinkling.
"What was your first-day story?" Ethan asked, leaning in.
Chrissy grinned mischievously. "Well… It's a bit complicated. Let's just say I tied everyone upside down."
"Oh, nah, you didn't!" Kai exclaimed. "You tied us all up? And you and Damian were quarreling over something? Thank goodness Ciel was there to stop you two from wrecking half the school!"
Half of the school?!" Ethan stared at Chrissy, wide-eyed.
"Well," Chrissy said, grinning, "I tied everyone up so they wouldn't get caught up in the portal Damian made. And… Damian and I don't exactly get along that well."
"Tch," a sharp voice interrupted. "' Not quite close' isn't a term you use for a lad who only calms down around you, especially when he's about to go berserk."
Ethan looked up. Standing there was a girl with bright blue hair, almond-toned skin, and nails polished the color of the sea. Multiple piercings adorned her ears, and her gyaru-styled uniform was immaculate. Her green eyes flashed with unmistakable attitude. She moved with the same confident, teasing energy Syd carried, only she was all sharp edges and sass.
"Hi, Sydney," Chrissy said, smiling warmly.
"Hi, Webs," Sydney replied, turning to Ethan. "You're the new boy, right? What's your name… Enrico? Elias…?" She paused, trying to remember. "I'm Sydney Fortune. Sorry to interrupt your chitchat, but… unfortunately, my little brother forgot to return my—" She pinched Syd's ears sharply.
"Ouch! Okay, okay, here!" Syd quickly handed her the pink washi tapes. "I was gonna return them earlier, I swear."
She grabbed the tapes and counted them carefully. "The bright peach one is missing," she said, glaring at Syd.
Syd hurriedly patted his bag, letting out a relieved sigh when he felt the missing tape, and handed it back to her.
"Better give it back earlier next time, or I swear you'll be banned from borrowing anything."
"Okay, okay, fine," Syd muttered.
Then Sydney's sharp green eyes turned to Ethan. "Oh… I remember. Ethan Von Claude, right? The one who can't remember his past? I can help you… if it's something older, like… hmm… three years."
Millie adjusted her glasses, explaining softly, "Sydney can analyze a person's past by touching their belongings—and sometimes even themselves."