In a quiet corner of Hollow Creek Elementary, tucked inside a classroom that most students avoided unless forced, sat Reggie Tetravin—ten years old, bright green hair slightly messy from constant thinking, and greenish-blue eyes narrowed in focused silence.
While other kids were throwing dodgeballs or daydreaming about pizza rolls, Reggie was putting the final touches on something unseen, unstable, and possibly illegal in five countries.
A glowing cube hovered in mid-air over his desk. Wires, blinking diodes, and scribbled blueprints surrounded him. He held a soldering wand in one hand and a peanut butter sandwich in the other—multitasking like a professional.
This was not just a science project. This was a portable dimensional resonance tuner. In short: a cube that could detect tears in the fabric of space and time using lunchroom-grade electronics and recycled toaster parts.
"I just want a solid reading," Reggie murmured to himself, making a careful adjustment. A tiny beep chimed. The cube glowed purple, then blinked to green.
Success.
Reggie allowed himself a small, rare smile.
Just then, the classroom door creaked open. The smell of strawberry shampoo and bubblegum lip gloss drifted in before the voice.
"There you are, Reggie!" called Vanessa Simpletin, stepping into the room with the grace of someone who had no business in a science lab but was there anyway—because Reggie was.
Vanessa was the type of girl who could bring life to a funeral with just one sarcastic eyebrow raise. Her curly chestnut hair bounced with every step, and her stylish jacket clashed proudly with her glittery pink boots.
"I've been texting you like, forever," she said, arms crossed. "You missed cake in the cafeteria."
Reggie blinked at her. "Time is subjective when you're working with unstable energy cores."
Vanessa groaned, plopping into the seat next to him. "You've been saying weird science stuff all week. What is that thing anyway? It looks like a Rubik's cube married a Christmas ornament."
Reggie handed her a set of purple-tinted goggles.
"Put those on."
Vanessa rolled her eyes but obeyed. "If my face melts off, I'm blaming you."
He flipped a switch.
With a soft whoompf, the air around the cube shimmered like heat off asphalt. For a split second, Vanessa swore she saw stars—like, actual stars—floating in a bubble around it.
And then it was gone.
"…Whoa," she whispered, removing the goggles. "Okay. That was—kind of cool."
"It picked up a minor distortion in the south quadrant of Hollow Creek," Reggie said matter-of-factly, already scribbling in a notebook. "Possibly magical in nature. Residual trace particles matched Jake's energy signature from the gym this morning."
Vanessa's brow furrowed. "Wait. Jake has an energy signature?"
Reggie nodded. "Everything has an energy signature. But Jake's is… chaotic. Hot-headed. Punchy."
Vanessa snorted. "Sounds about right."
He shut the notebook and stood. "I'm done here. Want to go to the park and recalibrate the resonance levels?"
She beamed. "Translation: you want to hang out and maybe get smoothies after?"
"…That too."
The two cousins walked out into the hallway, Reggie's cube tucked carefully into his backpack, humming quietly like a sleeping creature. Vanessa chatted excitedly about a new cartoon she was obsessed with, and Reggie listened—mostly.
As they passed the janitor's closet, the cube gave a sudden, brief pulse.
Reggie stopped.
"What is it now?" Vanessa asked.
He glanced toward the closet door.
"…Something's wrong."
The air shimmered faintly.
Vanessa noticed it too. Her smile dropped. "Reggie…"
He nodded slowly.
"I think something big is about to happen."