"Clark, are you afraid Ms. Cassandra's prophecy might actually come true?"
On the way to biology class, Pete leaned closer and whispered to Clark, his tone half-joking, half-worried.
Clark sighed, eyes distant. "Yeah. As ridiculous as it sounds, she showed me things… bad things. I don't even know how to explain the feeling."
"I know that feeling," Pete muttered. Unlike Jonathan and Martha, Pete didn't doubt him. He believed Clark's unease was real.
"When I first met Ms. Cassandra, she said my drive home would be a long one. Turns out, I locked my car keys inside the car. Guess fate gives you hints sometimes."
"Maybe," Clark replied softly. "Maybe we can really glimpse the future."
The two of them entered the biology lab. The room was alive with chatter — this was a combined course, so students from other classes filled the seats.
After they sat down, Pete nudged Clark. "Hey, Clark. Adrian's right behind you."
"I know." Clark's tone was quiet, uneasy.
"You two fighting again? You used to talk all the time, but lately…" Pete trailed off, shrugging.
"It's not that," Clark said, rubbing the back of his neck. "After what Ms. Cassandra showed me… I just can't face him right now. We had a disagreement."
Pete leaned back, serious for once. "Clark, you can't blame someone for things that haven't even happened yet — especially when he's your brother."
"I get it," Clark admitted. "It's just… complicated."
Pete sighed. "Yeah. It always is." He turned, noticing Chloe and Lana chatting quietly at the far table. Lana, however, wasn't fully listening — her eyes kept drifting toward Adrian.
Adrian sat by himself, flipping through a thick leather-bound book. His expression was focused, brows drawn as if the world itself irritated him.
Pete followed Lana's gaze and exhaled. Poor guy doesn't even know he's part of a teenage love drama.
The book Adrian was reading wasn't for school. It was an old, weathered tome — a magic book obtained from the secretive Owl Council.
Though he had no real interest in sorcery, it intrigued him when boredom struck. Its pages were filled with forbidden rituals, demon contracts, spells of resurrection — even mentions of Lucifer himself.
"Lucifer…" Adrian murmured, his thumb pausing on the name.
He knew the world was home to magic-wielding figures: Constantine, Doctor Fate, Zatanna, Swamp Thing… heroes and monsters alike. Where light existed, darkness followed — Lucifer, the Three Kings of Hell, the First Fallen.
But Adrian had no interest in joining their endless battles. Magic, to him, was poison dressed in wonder — another lie meant to deceive weak minds.
Before he could sink deeper into thought, a student wheeled a projector down the aisle.
Pete groaned. "Oh, perfect. Another ancient film."
"What's wrong?" Clark asked.
"Every year, old man Karwoski ends the course with some black-and-white 'educational' movie. Total torture."
Clark chuckled. "Come on, Pete, it can't be that bad."
Pete opened his mouth to argue, but a sudden hush swept over the room as a woman entered.
She was striking — tall, with wavy golden hair and a confident stride that commanded attention. Her light green dress fit perfectly, every movement deliberate.
"Good morning, class." She smiled, her voice smooth. "Mr. Karwoski had a little… career accident. I'll be taking over biology and health education. My name is Ms. Aikins."
She turned to the blackboard, writing her name in elegant strokes. The class collectively forgot how to breathe. Pete nearly fell out of his chair.
Ms. Aikins turned toward the class, smiling. "The air's a bit stuffy today, but we'll survive — especially since we'll be watching a short film together."
She crossed the room to close the curtains, her movements unhurried and effortlessly alluring.
"I can't wait to 'survive' this class," Pete whispered, dazed.
Clark pretended not to hear, though the corners of his mouth twitched.
"The movie's about to start," Ms. Aikins said. "I expect no one to fall asleep — or I might have to reconsider your grades."
Her voice carried a teasing edge as she walked down the aisle and stopped near Adrian. He hadn't even looked up from his book.
"Even if you're not interested, Mr. Adrian," she said with a hint of a smirk, "I expect patience, at least."
Lana's brow furrowed. "She knows him?" she whispered.
"Not surprising," Chloe replied under her breath. "Adrian might act like he doesn't care, but half the school knows who he is. That poker face of his works a little too well sometimes."
Lana gave a soft, reluctant laugh.
The projector flickered to life. The narrator's monotone voice filled the darkened room:
"All members of the animal kingdom, from single-celled organisms to complex mammals, are dedicated to reproduction — ensuring the survival of their genetic line…"
As scenes of mating animals flashed on-screen, Lana's face turned crimson. Clark swallowed, trying not to look. The heat in the room seemed to rise.
Ms. Aikins stood by the back wall, beads of sweat glistening on her neck. Clark suddenly felt something stir — a strange burning in his chest, in his eyes—
The projector screen burst into flames.
A wave of heat rippled through the class as everyone screamed.
Clark's eyes widened in horror.
--