Rowan had just gotten home after hanging out with a few friends.
They were at one of those flashy modern arcades, the kind of place teens kill time at during school breaks. Loud machines, blinking lights, that whole chaotic vibe.
Since it was still vacation, no problem. Just the final stretch of freedom before school came crashing back.
When he walked into the house, something felt... off. No sound from the TV. No smell of food. Silence.
Instead, his parents were in the living room, chatting with some older guy. The three of them sat around sipping tea and laughing way too loud, like they were already best friends.
"So he tried to jump the fence thinking no one would see him!"
"That's exactly the kind of thing Rowan would do."
Rowan stepped in, clearly confused.
"Uh...? Did I miss a family reunion or something?"
His mom smiled warmly at him.
"Rowan! Just in time. This is Mr. Elric. He came over just to talk to you."
The man stood and held out his hand.
"Nice to meet you, Rowan."
"Nice to meet you..."
Rowan shook his hand, still not sure what was going on.
"Mr. Elric brought a letter of recommendation for you."
"You got accepted into a new school."
"School...? What do you mean? I didn't apply to any new school."
"Me and your dad did it for you."
"What?! I thought we agreed I'd finish at the same one."
"This one's different! A one-of-a-kind opportunity, Rowan. It's called Meridiana Academy."
"Meridiana... what? Never heard of it."
"That's normal. It's pretty private. But I can assure you, it's perfect for someone like you."
Rowan looked at his parents, hoping for a real explanation. But they were way too excited to notice how weird he felt.
"It's a very special school. They offer advanced education, and some alternative methods you'll probably love."
"When... do classes start?"
"Tomorrow morning."
"Tomorrow?! The school year hasn't even started yet!"
"At Meridiana, the calendar's a bit different. Everything's ready. Uniform, supplies, transportation. You just have to show up."
Rowan stood there, staring.
"You guys are seriously doing this?"
"Don't even think about complaining, young man. You're already enrolled. It'll be great for you."
He let out a long sigh and headed upstairs without saying anything else.
His footsteps felt louder than usual. Like the house was already trying to forget he was still in it.
"Sorry about that, sir. He's still young."
"Don't worry. He's a good kid. He'll settle in just fine."
Up in his room, Rowan dropped onto the bed, eyes stuck on the ceiling.
The room felt emptier than usual, like something invisible had shifted.
What even was that school? He'd never heard of it before. Not in this city.
And why was everyone so hyped about it... except him?
He turned his head toward the half-open window.
Outside, the sky looked darker than usual.
A red moon was hanging there. Way too big. Way too bright.
A blood moon.
Rowan frowned and slowly got up. He walked over, pulled the curtain aside, and stared up at it.
'Huh...? Wasn't tonight supposed to be a regular full moon?'
He didn't remember seeing anything about this on the news. Nothing online either.
It felt like the sky was trying to say something.
A warning, maybe.
But about what?
"Urgh... Why do I have chills all of a sudden..."