Ezra followed Aria without hesitation, a strange, almost magnetic pull guiding his steps. The hallway seemed quieter than usual, the hum of conversation fading into the background as his focus narrowed solely on her. He could feel the weight of her presence, not just in the way she moved, but in the energy that seemed to emanate from her.
They turned down a hallway he didn't recognize. It was quieter here, the noise from the cafeteria and classrooms muffled by the thick walls. Aria stopped in front of a door at the end of the corridor, glancing over her shoulder to make sure no one was following them.
"This way," she said, pushing the door open with a smooth motion.
Ezra followed her into the room, which turned out to be a small, unused classroom. Dust motes floated in the slanted light coming through the half-drawn blinds. The air smelled stale, like it hadn't been disturbed in months. Aria closed the door behind them, her movements precise, like she was well-accustomed to keeping secrets.
"You're not the only one," Aria said again, her voice steady but low. "I felt it, too—the power. The thing that's changing us."
Ezra felt a chill crawl down his spine. He knew something was happening to him, something he couldn't explain, but hearing her speak of it so matter-of-factly made it real in a way he hadn't anticipated.
"What do you mean? What's happening to us?" Ezra asked, his voice tinged with confusion and curiosity.
Aria sighed, running a hand through her dark hair. "I can't tell you everything, not yet. But there are others like us. People who've started to… awaken. You're not the first."
Ezra frowned, trying to process what she was saying. Others? He wasn't the only one going through whatever this was? It almost seemed impossible, yet the way Aria spoke, the calmness in her demeanor, made him believe her. Still, a part of him wanted to ask more, to demand answers, but something about the situation made him hold back. He wasn't sure why, but he trusted her—trusted her words, even if he didn't understand them.
"Why me? Why now?" he asked, the question that had been burning at the back of his mind. "What makes me different?"
Aria's eyes met his with a sharpness that almost made him flinch. "I don't know. But I think it's more than just random chance. I think this has been building for a long time. And you're part of something bigger."
Ezra's mind was racing. A part of something bigger? He couldn't make sense of it. He was just a regular high school student, living a life of quiet introspection. He wasn't special, not in any way he could fathom. He wasn't even good at sports, or particularly popular—he was just Ezra. The introverted guy who kept to himself and occasionally cracked jokes with his friends. Nothing about him screamed 'destined for greatness.'
He was about to speak when Aria held up a hand, silencing him. "I know what you're thinking. You're just a normal guy, right?" she said, as if reading his thoughts. "But what if you're not? What if everything you thought you knew about yourself was a lie?"
Ezra opened his mouth to reply but stopped when he saw the look in her eyes. It was a mixture of urgency and… fear?
Before he could say anything else, there was a sudden knock at the door.
"Aria?" a voice called from the other side. Ezra tensed. His heart rate quickened as he took a step back, instinctively positioning himself near the window, ready to bolt if needed.
Aria moved with a calmness that unsettled him. She didn't seem at all phased by the interruption. "It's okay," she muttered under her breath, as though assuring herself more than him. "It's just him."
She opened the door, revealing a tall, broad-shouldered guy in a black hoodie. He had dark eyes, sharp features, and an air of quiet intensity about him. Ezra Instinctively didn't trust him.
"Didn't expect you to bring him here so soon," the guy said, his voice low and guarded.
"I didn't exactly have a choice," Aria responded, her tone even. "He's already feeling it. We don't have much time."
The guy raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting from Aria to Ezra. He seemed to study him for a moment before stepping into the room, his presence overwhelming in the small space.
"Name's Jace," the guy said. "You're Ezra, right?"
Ezra nodded warily, still unsure of what was going on. "Yeah. Who are you?"
"I'm someone who knows a little more about what's happening to you," Jace said, his eyes narrowing as he stepped closer. "And what you're going to have to deal with. This isn't just some phase. It's just the beginning."
Ezra's mind was spinning. "Deal with? What do you mean? What's going to happen to me?"
Jace's lips curled into a faint, grim smile. "You'll see soon enough. But for now, just know that this is only the first step. And there's more coming."