The walk to school felt effortless. Oswald's feet seemed to barely touch the ground, his stride smooth, balanced. The morning air was crisp, every sound sharper than usual—the crunch of gravel beneath his shoes, the chatter of kids ahead, even the buzz of cicadas in the trees.
When he reached the front steps of the school, he realized he wasn't out of breath. Not even a little.
Inside, the halls buzzed with the usual chaos: lockers slamming, laughter echoing, papers shuffling. Oswald blended in, or at least he tried to. But people noticed.
"Whoa—did you see that?" someone whispered as Oswald moved past, weaving through a crowd without bumping anyone, his steps almost too fluid.
"Is it just me," another said, "or is Omni… like… different today?"
In homeroom, he slid into his seat, tossing his bag down with precision that almost looked rehearsed. Even his teacher, Mr. Calders, paused, squinting. "You're on time for once, Omni. And… awake?"
A ripple of laughter moved through the class, but Oswald didn't bother with a comeback. His focus was elsewhere—on the way he could hear the squeak of chalk against the board more sharply than ever, on how he could read the fine print of the posters across the room without squinting.
During gym, it became undeniable.
The students lined up for sprints. Oswald wasn't usually slow, but he wasn't the fastest either. Today, though, his body felt coiled like a spring. When the whistle blew, he launched forward—and finished the sprint lengths ahead of the others.
"Holy crap, Omni!" one of the boys gasped. "Since when can you run like that?"
"Dude, he's moving like… like an athlete," another muttered.
Oswald forced a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess I finally woke up on the right side of the bed."
But inside, his stomach churned. He wasn't just faster. He was sharper, stronger, untouchable. And everyone was starting to notice.
By the time lunch rolled around, whispers followed him through the cafeteria.
Oswald kept his head down, gripping his tray. He had survived last night, healed in seconds, and woken up better than ever. But this wasn't a strength he could hide forever.
And somewhere out there, Lyra was gathering allies—preparing to face him.