The bell rang, signaling the start of lunch. The hallway buzzed with the usual noise—voices overlapping, laughter echoing off the walls, the familiar shuffle of feet—but Ezra was miles away, his mind still reeling from the encounter with the bullies.
What had happened to him? He was sure his reflexes hadn't been normal. That feeling—being able to slow down time, to anticipate movement with perfect clarity—was something he'd only ever read about in comics. It was as if his body knew things his mind hadn't yet caught up with.
Noah nudged him again. "Dude, you sure you're alright? You're acting even weirder than usual. Which, uh, says something."
"Yeah," Ezra muttered, still caught in his thoughts. "Just… trying to figure out what the hell is going on with me."
"Maybe you got superpowers or something," Liam offered from behind, smirking. "You know, like in those superhero movies? Could be fun. You'd finally be able to keep up with me on the basketball court."
Ezra gave him a sidelong glance. "Maybe you'd actually need to get better at basketball first."
Liam shot him a look of mock offense. "Ouch. That one hurt."
Ezra cracked a small smile. It was nice to have moments like this, moments where he didn't have to overthink everything. Just banter with friends. But the back of his mind kept pulling him back to what had happened earlier. He needed answers. He needed to understand what was changing within him.
They reached the cafeteria and grabbed their trays, finding a spot at their usual table. The place was crowded, but Ezra didn't mind the noise anymore. For some reason, his senses had become sharper, like he was hyper-aware of everything around him. The sound of the silverware clinking against the trays, the slight chill in the air from the air conditioning, the way people chewed their food. Everything felt… vivid.
"Hey, is it just me, or is it kind of… quiet today?" Noah asked, looking around at the usual chatter-filled cafeteria.
Ezra's eyes flicked to the entrance. A few students were standing near the doorway, whispering to each other, their gazes flickering nervously. Aria Vega, the girl from his history class, was one of them. She looked just as sharp as ever, her eyes scanning the room with purpose. But there was something different about the way she carried herself today. She seemed… tense.
"Yeah, I noticed that too," Ezra replied, keeping his voice casual. "Maybe there's something going on."
Noah shrugged. "Could be. But whatever it is, it's gotta be better than the drama of last period."
Ezra didn't answer. He didn't really care about high school drama. He was more concerned with the way Aria's gaze lingered on him for just a moment before she turned and walked out of the cafeteria.
"Dude, she's definitely looking at you," Liam said with a grin. "I think someone's got a crush."
Ezra stiffened. "Shut up."
Noah raised an eyebrow. "Whoa, touchy."
But Ezra wasn't listening. His mind was focused entirely on Aria. What did she know? How could she have possibly noticed what happened in class earlier?
He felt a strange pull in his chest, like an invisible force urging him to follow her. Without thinking, he stood up, grabbing his tray and throwing it into the trash. He had to go after her.
Noah and Liam exchanged confused looks but didn't question him. Ezra moved through the crowded cafeteria with surprising ease, avoiding obstacles like he was moving through a dance. His movements felt purposeful, smooth, almost as if he were… floating.
When he finally reached the door, he paused. He didn't see Aria anywhere.
A sinking feeling twisted in his gut. Had he lost her? Why was he even following her?
And then he saw her, at the far end of the hallway, her back turned as she spoke to someone. Ezra couldn't see the other person clearly, but the way Aria was standing—so tense, so focused—made his heart race.
Is this normal? His mind screamed at him, but his feet moved before he could answer. He was already walking toward her, step after step.
He could hear his breath now, each inhale too loud in the otherwise quiet corridor. There was a strange heaviness in the air, something unsettling about the way the world seemed to press in on him.
He was almost there when Aria turned around, her eyes locking onto his. There was no surprise in her gaze, no confusion. She had been expecting him.
"Ezra," she said, her voice low and calm. "You felt it too, didn't you?"
Ezra stopped short, his heart skipping a beat. She knew.
"You… felt it?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
She nodded. "You're not the only one. But we need to talk somewhere more private."
Ezra didn't hesitate. He followed her without question.
The sudden shift in his world, the way Aria had spoken, the feeling of everything around him being more alive than it had been moments ago—he knew, in that instant, that he was no longer alone in whatever this was.
And the more he followed Aria, the more he realized that his world was about to get a whole lot stranger.