Two years had passed. Jed was now sixteen.
At school, he was quiet—just another average student trying to catch up. He sat in the back of the classroom, his eyes heavy from sleepless nights. Between school and working as a housekeeper for his aunt, rest was a luxury he couldn't afford.
That day, the weight of exhaustion finally caught up to him. His head dipped, eyes closed, and before he could stop himself, he drifted into sleep during class.
Thwack!
A chalkboard eraser hit him square on the head.
"Wake up, Jed!" the teacher barked, glaring at him. "This is why your grades are average! You're always sleeping in class! Look at Reina and David—top of the school, competing on national levels. What excuse do you have?"
The class fell silent.
Reina —polished, sharp, and composed. Top student in academics. Meanwhile, David a calm air about him. He wasn't just good with books; he was a rising name in the school's kickboxing scene.
And then there was Jed—two years behind due to his unexplained disappearance. The oldest student in class, constantly juggling work and studies, pushing himself without rest. Yet, even if he stumbled, he never stopped.
After school, Jed trudged to the school gate, where his only close friend Yun waited with a grin.
"How's life going?" Yun asked, tossing him a canned drink.
"Still manageable," Jed answered, taking it. "And even if it's not, I'll still find a way through."
"That's tough, dude," Yun said. "But hey, when I make it big, I'll help you out. You won't have to do this alone forever."
Jed smiled faintly. "Thanks, bro. I'll be waiting for that day."
They bumped fists and went their separate ways.
Later, as Jed approached his aunt's home to begin his shift, something caught his eye. Across the street, hunched over in a ragged coat, was a beggar—his clothes dirty, but oddly familiar.
Jed stopped.
He had seen those clothes before.
But where?
A strange chill ran down his spine.
Something about the man's posture... the way he turned his head slightly toward Jed without actually looking at him...
It stirred something in his g
ut.
Something old.
Something forgotten.