Scene 1 — Returning to Routine
The halls of Anden High slowly filled with life again. Broken lockers had been replaced, scorch marks painted over, and the faint smell of burnt wood dissipated into the scent of polished floors.
Students shuffled into classrooms, murmuring about the previous night's chaos like it were a surreal dream. Teachers huddled, whispering quietly to each other, exchanging reports and cautionary advice. The school administration worked frantically, ensuring evacuation plans were updated, security increased, and counseling offered for the terrified.
Kylori Meykami Genesis moved through it all like a shadow blending into the background. Nothing about him drew attention now—the subtle terror, the way the air around him shifted, the twitching shadows—had been ignored by the returning human bustle.
Akira trailed close, a casual but protective presence. Her backpack swung lazily, shoes clicking softly against the polished floor. She whispered under her breath:
> "Still… doesn't feel normal. But I guess… it's back to 'normal' for everyone else."
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Scene 2 — School Authorities and Staff
The principal, pale and tense, held an emergency meeting with teachers.
> "We will resume classes immediately. Counseling will be available. And security… we double every patrol."
Teachers nodded, murmured agreements. Some exchanged nervous glances, knowing full well that what had occurred wasn't something they could fully explain. Reports of students "vanishing" and "unnatural shadows" were downplayed to "panic-induced confusion" or "pranks gone wrong."
Kylori passed quietly down the hall, catching snippets of their conversation. He didn't intervene, didn't correct them. It wasn't necessary.
> Let them cling to their explanations, he thought.
Reality is far… more precise.
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Scene 3 — Student Recovery
In classrooms, students whispered in clusters, some nervously recounting rumors, others teasing each other to break tension. The fear of last night lingered in small ways—a lingering glance at shadows, a slight hesitation in movement, a shiver at unexpected noises—but the mundane, human habits of school life were slowly reasserting themselves.
Akira slouched in her seat, notebook open but unfocused. Her thoughts wandered, as usual, circling Kylori.
> He… he's not human. But I don't care. I won't leave, not until I find out what made him like this
She peeked toward him occasionally. Kylori sat at his usual desk, calm, pale, untouched by the panic or chatter. Even his shadow remained almost static, a subtle hint of its own weight and consciousness.
---
Scene 4 — Foreshadowing Shadows
Outside the school, the city was quiet but uneasy. Reports of unexplained phenomena—disappearances, odd shadow sightings, fleeting glimpses of creatures—were quietly investigated by authorities. None of it compared to Kylori's presence, but the remnants of the last chaos still pulsed subtly.
Kylori stood at a window, looking out toward the city. His thoughts were distant.
> Everything has been settled… for now.
But there are always doors that will open again.
Akira, sitting beside him silently, glanced out as well. She didn't ask questions. She didn't need to.
She already knew: being near him was dangerous. Being near him was… necessary.
The city recovered. The dormitories recovered. The school carried on.
But the world had changed forever—and some shadows were only just beginning to stir.