Gared entered the history classroom just a few minutes before the door closed.
The room was moderately sized. The seats were arranged in a semicircle, and students were scattered among them—some talking quietly, others flipping through the pages of the assigned book.
He chose a seat in the middle row, not too close to the podium and not too far in the back. He placed his bag beside him and took out a pen while the professor wrote the title of the first lecture on the board.
A few minutes passed before the professor turned around.
He was a man in his late forties, wearing round glasses, with a clear and steady voice.
"We won't start with a traditional lecture today," he said in a practical tone. "I want to see how you think. You have ten minutes to answer the questions on the first page, and you'll work in groups of three."
A soft murmur spread across the room.
The professor glanced down at the list of names in front of him before looking up again.
"Gared… Ryan… Daniel. You'll be one group."
Gared lifted his head automatically.
Ryan's name sounded familiar—Usher had mentioned it earlier. He looked around the room, searching for the other two.
A young man sitting near the window raised his hand slightly.
"That's me. Ryan."
He was tall, with neatly styled hair and a posture that carried quiet confidence, as if he were used to speaking first. He smiled calmly and gestured for Gared to move closer.
From the front row, another student turned around quickly. He held a pen between his fingers as if he had been writing since the beginning of the lecture.
"And I'm Daniel," he said in a light, quick tone.
Gared moved his chair slightly closer to them.
A strange feeling passed through him—not surprise, not nervousness. Something closer to recognition.
He remembered Usher's words at the registration office.
"You'll meet them in class."
The three of them gathered around the small shared desk attached to their seats.
Ryan glanced at the questions on the paper.
"Alright… looks like we need to analyze the text and compare it with the historical events mentioned."
Daniel nodded quickly.
"I think the second question requires connecting the two time periods."
Gared studied the page for a moment.
"The first question is straightforward," he said. "But it depends on how we interpret the main idea."
They exchanged brief glances.
There was nothing extraordinary between them—just an unspoken rhythm in the way they thought.
Ryan spoke with quiet confidence.
Daniel followed quickly, adding details.
And Gared connected their ideas with small observations.
Ryan smiled.
"Looks like we won't need the full ten minutes."
Daniel laughed softly.
"Don't be too sure. There's always a trick question."
Gared glanced at them and said lightly,
"At least we're not a silent group."
They shared a brief smile before returning their attention to the paper.
There was nothing unusual about the scene.
Three students sitting in a history class, answering simple questions on their first day.
But Gared felt something he couldn't quite explain.
A quiet sense of comfort.
It wasn't just a casual introduction.
Somewhere deep inside, it felt as though sitting here—between these two in particular—was not as unfamiliar as it should have been.
He said nothing.
And neither did they.
It was simply an ordinary beginning…
like most things that don't seem important in the moment.
After nearly an hour and a half of explanation and text analysis, the professor's voice gradually softened, signaling the end of the lecture.
Students began shifting in their seats. Notebooks closed, and chairs scraped lightly against the floor.
Gared gathered his papers carefully and placed them back into his bag, trying to keep everything neatly organized.
Just before he closed the zipper, he felt a light touch on his arm.
"Hey, Gared."
He looked up to see Daniel smiling at him with a friendly expression.
"Your answer was really good," Daniel said. "Especially the last question."
Gared smiled faintly.
"Thanks… I think we made a good team."
Ryan passed by them at that moment, his bag slung over one shoulder. He glanced briefly in their direction but didn't stop, walking with calm confidence.
Daniel adjusted his glasses.
"Do you want to grab some coffee?" he asked. "I have math soon, and I need something to keep me awake."
Gared chuckled softly.
"Honestly… I could use some coffee after that lecture."
Daniel laughed.
"Exactly what I was thinking."
They stepped out into the hallway together.
Students moved in different directions, voices echoing softly through the wide corridor. Daylight streamed through the tall windows along the wall.
Suddenly, Gared noticed a familiar face.
Usher stood a short distance away, talking with Austin, while Ryan had joined them.
Ryan leaned toward Usher and said something quietly before gesturing toward Gared.
Usher looked up and spotted him.
He smiled and waved.
"Gared! Looks like you met the crew."
Gared walked over with Daniel beside him.
"Yeah," he said with a small smile. "I didn't expect to meet them this quickly."
Usher gestured toward the others.
"Guys, this is Gared. He's new—just like the rest of us."
Ryan spoke calmly.
"I know. And he's very sharp… he has an excellent memory for history."
Several eyes turned toward Gared at once. He felt slightly embarrassed and shrugged.
"It's nothing special," he said. "I just like the older periods."
Austin smirked.
"Good. Looks like we have our official expert now."
Daniel chuckled.
"So… what do you say we head to the cafeteria and grab some coffee before the next lectures start?"
They exchanged brief glances before walking together toward the staircase leading down to the ground floor.
There was nothing unusual about the scene.
Five students walking down a university hallway, talking about lectures, professors, and upcoming classes.
And yet…
there was an unspoken harmony in their steps.
Something small and difficult to name, but enough to make the silence between them comfortable and the conversation flow naturally.
It was the first time they stood together as a group.
And none of them knew yet…
that it would not be the last.
But the day was far from over.
They sat around a small round table in the corner of the cafeteria. Cups of coffee rested in front of them, thin spirals of steam rising into the air.
The surrounding noise was moderate—loud enough to feel alive, but quiet enough that they didn't have to raise their voices.
Daniel blew gently across his coffee.
"I swear," he said, "this is the best moment of the day."
Gared stirred the sugar slowly.
"After that history lecture… I think I need two cups."
Ryan leaned back in his chair.
"Consider it training. That professor likes to make you think like you're debating history."
Usher glanced at Gared with curiosity.
"You said you moved here recently, right? Where did you come from?"
Gared hesitated briefly before answering.
"I actually arrived yesterday. My mother and I just moved to Veradin this week."
Daniel raised his eyebrows.
"Yesterday? So this is literally your second day here?"
Gared nodded.
"And I'm still getting lost in the hallways."
Austin smirked.
"Don't worry. We get lost too. We just do it with confidence."
They all laughed.
Ryan studied Gared for a moment.
"So… how does Veradin feel to you so far?"
Gared thought for a second.
"Quiet," he said slowly.
"Quieter than I expected."
He paused.
"Almost like it's… waiting for something."
Usher tilted his head slightly, about to respond—
when suddenly the lights above them dimmed.
They didn't turn off completely.
But they definitely weakened.
Shadows stretched across the table, and the coffee cups trembled slightly.
Daniel quickly grabbed his cup.
"Whoa—"
Austin pressed a hand lightly against his chest.
"What was that?"
Ryan blinked.
"Did the air pressure just change?"
Daniel exhaled slowly.
"It suddenly felt… heavier."
Just as quickly as it began, the lights returned to normal.
The cups stopped shaking.
The noise of the cafeteria continued as if nothing had happened.
They looked at each other for a brief moment.
Ryan spoke first.
"Electrical problem."
Usher nodded.
"Yeah. Old building."
Gared didn't say anything.
Without realizing it, he had grabbed his wrist.
A faint pulse spread through the same place he had seen in his dream.
He pressed his fingers against it slightly and whispered to himself,
"…not again."
Daniel noticed.
"Hey… you okay?"
Gared lifted his head quickly.
"Yeah. Just a weird feeling."
Austin stood up and stretched.
"I'm going to wash my hands. Maybe the coffee's stronger than I thought."
The conversation slowly returned to normal.
But none of them realized something important.
The moment the lights dimmed—
every one of them had felt something.
Different.
But connected.