It was a Friday afternoon, and the school grounds of St. Isidore were beginning to empty out. Students flooded the gates, clutching their bags, eager for the weekend. Some were headed to church activities, some to cram school, and others—like Kriss, Leo, and Michael—had their own routine.
"Wanna go home?" Leo asked, dragging his feet like a zombie. He looked half-asleep, his uniform untucked, and his backpack barely hanging on his shoulder. His voice lacked enthusiasm, but that was normal. This was Leo's usual mode: 1% battery life.
"I would, but I have dance practice," Kriss replied as he shifted the weight of his stuffed bag. A cookie fell out and bounced on the floor.
"...Is that a biscuit?" Michael asked, blinking.
Kriss glanced down. "Huh. I was wondering where that went."
Leo bent over, picked it up, and casually popped it into his mouth. "Still good."
"Dude—!" Kriss exclaimed, horrified.
Michael shook his head. "You two are impossible."
Their group had always attracted attention, especially when all three were together. Michael, towering over the rest of their classmates, was like a walking anime protagonist—cool, composed, and academically unstoppable. Girls would often pass by him and "accidentally" drop their handkerchiefs or books, hoping for their very own shoujo moment. Meanwhile, Leo looked like the side character who knew every cheat code and secret path in a JRPG. His face was unreadable, but his brain? Lethal.
And then there was Kriss, the so-called "quiet one," who, to strangers, looked like he was about to teleport out of conversations. But to Leo and Michael, he was a talkative ball of chaos and memes—especially once you fed him a little sugar.
Today was one of those "sugar days."
"You know what's wild?" Kriss said as they passed the school gym. "Last night, I caught up on four manga chapters, two anime episodes, and an entire light novel volume."
"You what?" Leo asked, stopping in his tracks. "When did you sleep?"
Kriss shrugged. "Didn't."
Michael sighed, "That explains why you almost danced off the stage during practice."
"I was experimenting with 'falling with style,'" Kriss grinned.
The trio laughed, continuing their walk toward the school's gate. They had no special plans today, but they rarely needed any. Their time together was usually spent bantering, playing games, and occasionally dragging Kriss away from trying to sneak snacks into the computer lab.
"I swear," Kriss muttered, rummaging in his bag. "I had Pocky earlier. I'm not leaving until I find it."
"Pretty sure it melted," Leo said. "Like your brain after reading ten volumes in one night."
"Hey," Kriss countered. "It's called multitasking."
"Multitasking would be doing that and remembering your math homework," Michael deadpanned.
Kriss slowly pulled out a crumpled worksheet. "...Oops."
"Confirmed," Leo said. "He's an NPC."
"You're lucky you're good at literally everything else," Michael added, nudging him.
Despite their constant roasting sessions, the three had a strong dynamic. Kriss, with his endless energy and snack generosity, was the glue. Michael, their quiet strategist and unintentional heartthrob, was the brain. And Leo—the lazy mastermind—was the wildcard.
But today, there was a strange feeling in the air. The clouds overhead looked... heavier than usual. The wind was too cold for late afternoon. A low hum buzzed at the edge of Kriss's awareness, like a faint vibration in the earth below.
He stopped walking.
"You okay?" Michael asked.
"Yeah," Kriss said slowly. "I just... got a weird feeling. Like something's gonna happen."
Leo, ever the skeptic, yawned. "It's probably hunger. You ran out of snacks."
"No, seriously," Kriss said. "Doesn't it feel… off today?"
Michael looked up at the sky. "The wind's changed."
For a second, the three stood still, the noise of the school fading behind them.
Then, Leo broke the silence. "So… still down for a rematch later?"
And just like that, the moment passed.
They walked home together like they always did, unaware that tonight would be the last normal night of their lives. Somewhere, in another realm, an ancient summoning circle had begun to glow. Its chants called across dimensions. Its energy reached for them.
And soon… it would find them.