In the hall, the silence felt heavier. Caan dug through his backpack, fingers brushing past old notebooks, a broken watch, scraps of candy wrappers. His hair fell into his eyes, longer than it should be, wild and untamed.
—BZZT. BZZT. BZZT.
A harsh electronic alarm screamed through the halls, followed by the crackle of the school's PA system.
"EMERGENCY. EMERGENCY. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. ALL STUDENTS RETURN TO YOUR CLASSROOMS IMMEDIATELY."
Caan's pulse jumped. He stuffed a dull pencil into his pocket and hurried back to class.
Inside, everyone was gathered around the TV at the front of the room. The air felt thinner, tense, as if the room itself was holding its breath.
On screen, swirling yellow and white lights danced over cities he'd only seen in textbooks. The news anchor's voice kept cutting in and out, fractured by static.
"NATIONS ACROSS THE WORLD ARE REPORTING STRANGE—"
"SCIENTISTS AND MILITARY FORCES HAVE SURROUNDED THE GATES—"
"CITIZENS… STAY INSIDE. DO NOT APPROACH—"
The image flickered, then died.
Silence filled the room.
Outside, thunder boomed so close the windows rattled.
Lightning arced across the sky, so bright it turned night into day for a split second.
Caan felt something coil inside him—a tightness in his chest, a tremor in his soul.
He stared at the blank TV, heart pounding in his ears.
His hands clenched the edge of his desk until his knuckles burned.
He was used to wishing for nothing. Used to drifting, invisible. But now, staring at the fear and confusion around him, Caan realized he didn't want to disappear.
Not yet.
What if something does change?
What if I'm meant to see it?
Maybe… I just want to know how the world ends. Maybe I just want to prove I can last a little longer than everyone expects.
Or maybe… I just don't want to die afraid.
For the first time in years, he didn't wish for death.
He only hoped—quietly, stubbornly, desperately—that whatever was coming…
Wouldn't take him just yet.