The ordinary days were almost over.
And somehow...
Nobody knew it yet.
Jay Jay's POV
The following morning began with violence.
Not actual violence.
Unfortunately.
Academic violence.
"JAY JAY!"
My mother's voice echoed through the house.
I buried my face deeper into my pillow.
"No."
"YES."
"No."
"YOUR UNIT TESTS ARE NEXT WEEK."
My eyes opened immediately.
The enemy had appeared.
Exams.
Five minutes later, I was sitting at the dining table looking personally betrayed by life.
Mom placed toast in front of me.
"Eat."
"I don't deserve food."
"You got ninety-six in your last exam."
"Exactly."
"What does that mean?"
"It means expectations exist."
Mom laughed.
Traitor.
Outside, sunlight painted the neighborhood in warm gold.
Children rode bicycles.
Shopkeepers opened stores.
Mrs. Dela Rosa watered her flowers while judging the entire street silently.
A normal morning.
The kind of morning that made the world feel safe.
Which was strange.
Because deep inside, something felt wrong.
The bracelet on my wrist felt heavier lately.
Almost alive.
Almost waiting.
The school bus arrived.
I climbed aboard and sat near the window.
The city passed slowly.
Small cafés.
Busy intersections.
Street vendors.
Students in uniforms.
People rushing toward ordinary lives.
I rested my forehead against the glass.
For a moment, everything looked peaceful.
Then my bracelet became warm.
Again.
I immediately sat upright.
The silver symbol engraved into its surface flashed faintly.
A single pulse.
Then darkness.
My heartbeat accelerated.
Nobody else seemed to notice.
But the feeling remained.
Like someone had whispered my name from very far away.
Holy Saint Academy
Chaos greeted me at the entrance.
As usual.
Raf was running.
Noah was chasing him.
Aileen was threatening both of them.
And several innocent students had become collateral damage.
Normal.
"JAY JAY!"
I sighed.
"There they are."
The disaster trio.
"Noah stole my notes."
"They were lying unattended."
"That's called stealing."
"That's called adoption."
Aileen rubbed her temples.
"I need new friends."
"No refunds," Raf replied.
I laughed despite myself.
Maybe Holy Saint wasn't so bad after all.
Inside Class 8-A, the atmosphere felt strangely energetic.
Because everyone had realized the same thing.
Unit Tests were coming.
Panic had officially arrived.
Mrs. Salonga entered carrying a stack of papers.
The class immediately became silent.
The kind of silence usually reserved for funerals.
She adjusted her glasses.
"Good morning."
"Good morning, ma'am."
"Your Unit Tests begin in six days."
A collective groan filled the room.
Noah slowly raised his hand.
"Can we postpone adulthood?"
"No."
"What about responsibility?"
"No."
"What about mathematics?"
Mrs. Salonga pointed at the door.
Noah lowered his hand immediately.
The classroom erupted with laughter.
Even I couldn't stop smiling.
Meanwhile...
Mark's POV
Breakfast at the Watson Estate was unusually tense.
My father rarely spoke during meals.
Today he was speaking.
Which was worse.
"The disturbances are increasing."
I looked up.
My father placed a document on the table.
Ancient symbols covered the pages.
Symbols I recognized immediately.
Clan records.
"The barrier is weakening."
My expression hardened.
"Are you certain?"
"Yes."
The room became silent.
Even Ethan stopped eating.
For generations, supernatural clans had existed hidden from ordinary society.
Most humans never knew.
Never noticed.
Never understood.
And that was intentional.
But if the barriers were weakening...
Something dangerous was approaching.
My father looked directly at me.
"Be observant."
"I always am."
"No."
His voice lowered.
"This time, be careful."
For some reason...
The first person who appeared in my mind was Jay Jay Mariano.
And that bothered me more than it should.
Back at School
By lunch break, panic levels had increased dramatically.
Students filled the cafeteria discussing study plans.
Or pretending to have study plans.
Raf sat dramatically across from us.
"I have created a schedule."
Aileen looked impressed.
"Really?"
"No."
She sighed.
Noah leaned back in his chair.
"My strategy is simple."
"Which is?"
"Luck."
"That's not a strategy."
"It has emotional value."
I nearly choked on my drink.
Across the cafeteria, Mark sat with Lucas and Selene.
Lucas was speaking.
Which usually meant trouble.
"I have an important question."
Mark sighed.
"What now?"
"If Jay Jay punched someone..."
"..."
"...would you stop her or help her?"
Selene nearly laughed.
Mark looked exhausted.
Lucas grinned.
"The hesitation is concerning."
After Lunch
An announcement suddenly echoed through the school.
"Attention students."
The principal's voice filled the building.
"To help students prepare for Unit Tests, senior mentors will assist junior classes after school."
The entire school groaned.
Then the second announcement arrived.
"Mentor assignments have already been selected."
Aileen smiled.
"Oh."
Noah looked terrified.
"Oh no."
Meanwhile...
Several floors above.
Mark stared at the assignment sheet.
His expression froze.
Lucas immediately noticed.
"What happened?"
Mark remained silent.
Lucas leaned closer.
Then his grin widened.
Dangerously.
"Oh."
"What?"
"You got assigned."
Mark continued staring.
Junior Class 8-A
Mentor Assignment:
Mark Keifer Watson
Lucas nearly collapsed laughing.
"You've got to be kidding."
Jay Jay's POV
The moment Mrs. Salonga announced our mentor assignment, the classroom exploded.
"What?!"
"No way!"
"The student council president?!"
Raf looked personally blessed.
"THIS IS CINEMA."
Aileen buried her face in her notebook.
Noah stood up dramatically.
"I refuse."
"Sit down," Mrs. Salonga replied.
"I tried."
The classroom door opened.
And suddenly—
Silence.
Mark Keifer Watson stepped inside.
Tall.
Calm.
Perfect posture.
Annoyingly handsome.
Half the class forgot how breathing worked.
Including me.
Lucas appeared behind him.
Smiling.
Because apparently suffering brought him joy.
"Good afternoon."
The girls straightened instantly.
The boys looked intimidated.
Raf whispered beside me.
"The main character has arrived."
I kicked his chair.
He looked emotional.
"Violence again."
Unfortunately—
Mark heard that.
For the first time—
A small smile appeared on his face.
And somehow...
That felt more dangerous than anything else.
Because across the room—
The silver bracelet on my wrist suddenly became warm.
Again.
This time—
Mark noticed.
His eyes lowered briefly.
Toward the bracelet.
Toward the symbol hidden beneath my sleeve.
And for one split second...
Something flashed in his bluish-grey eyes.
Recognition.
Then it disappeared.
Leaving only one terrifying question behind.
How much had he just seen?