Morning came too fast.
Emily opened her eyes to pale light filtering through the curtains. The house was quiet. Everything felt still.
She lay there for a moment, just breathing. Then stretched her fingers, then her legs, then sat up.
Her head felt clearer today. No fog. No weight pressing on her chest. Just the calm knowledge that she had another day ahead of her. School. Normal life. Or as normal as things could be now.
She got out of bed and went to the bathroom. The shower water was warm. She stood under it longer than necessary, letting the steam clear her mind.
When she finished, she tied her hair back and looked at herself in the mirror.
Nothing special. Just her face. But her eyes looked different. Sharper. More awake.
She got dressed and headed downstairs.
Timothy was in the living room, leaning against a chair with his phone in his hand. He looked up the second he heard her.
"You're ready," he said.
"Yeah. Let's go."
He didn't ask how she slept and Emily felt a little bit disappointed.
But she could see it in the way his jaw tensed slightly he was watching her.
Outside, the air was crisp and clean. Emily got in the car, and Timothy walked around to the driver's side.
They pulled out of the driveway in silence.
The road to school looked the same as yesterday, but Emily paid more attention this time. Shops opening. Students walking in groups. The city waking up around them. Everything had changed so fast that paying attention felt like the only way to stay grounded.
The car was quiet. Just the hum of the engine and her own heartbeat in her ears. She looked out the window and tried not to overthink what was coming.
Timothy glanced at her a few times but didn't say anything. He decided to give her some privacy.
When they reached the school gates, he parked and turned to her.
"Call me if anything feels wrong."
Emily frowned. "It's school, not a war zone."
His eyes sharpened. "Emily. You know what I mean."
She swallowed. "Fine."
He got out and walked around to open her door. Students nearby stopped what they were doing. Their eyes went from the car to Timothy to her. Whispers started immediately.
Emily stepped out and saw Stephanie standing just a few steps from the car with her mouth wide opened.
Emily felt a migraine forming already.
Stephanie stood right there.
Her eyes went wide. She stared at the car, then at Timothy, then back at Emily. Confused. Jealous. Shocked.
"Emily who drove you here?" Stephanie's voice shook.
Emily looked at her briefly and replied flatly. "I know you are not blind but Incase you are now blind, you can go to the city hospital to have your eyes checked"
Stephanie let out a weird laugh. "Emily, I just asked you a question. Do you have to be like this to me all the time?"
"Yes. And I'll continue being like this so avoid me."
Stephanie's face went red. She looked around and saw other students watching. She hated that.
Emily walked past her.
A few seconds later, Stephanie snapped out of it and hurried after her, but kept her distance.
Inside the school grounds, students kept staring. Some looked impressed. Some confused. Some annoyed. Emily pretended not to notice all of them.
She went straight to her classroom and sat in the same seat as yesterday. Put her books down. Let out a slow breath.
The tension in her shoulders eased a little.
Stephanie came in a few minutes later, walking stiffly. She pretended she was fine, but her face said otherwise. She sat in the front row and kept messing with her hair. Kept looking back at Emily.
Emily didn't look at her once.
Two boys by the window whispered. A girl passed a note. Someone else kept glancing between Emily and the door like they expected something dramatic to happen.
But nothing did.
Emily just opened her notebook and decided to start reading.
The homeroom teacher walked in carrying papers. "Good morning."
The class mumbled back a response.
"Before we begin, there's an announcement."
Students shifted in their seats.
"Next week is the annual resumption assessment. It determines your academic standing for the term. I'll provide practice questions. Study them."
Groans filled the room.
The teacher's eyes swept across the class and paused on Emily for a moment. A few students noticed. A few more eyes turned to her.
Emily kept her face blank.
The teacher moved on, talking about schedules and class rules.
Emily listened but only halfway. A test next week. Fine. She'd faced worse. Tests were easy compared to surviving wars.
When the bell rang, students packed up and rushed out. Emily took her time. Closed her notebook slowly. Stood up.
She didn't notice the curiosity following her. Didn't notice Stephanie's glare from the doorway.
She stepped into the hallway and pulled out her phone to call her best friend, Chiang Tiang.
*********
At the same time, far from the school,
Timothy's phone buzzed.
He looked at the screen.
His father.
He answered, expecting the usual demand about bringing Emily to meet the family. But today the voice on the other end was different.
"Your cousin arrives in Country F tomorrow. Be alert. And be careful."
Timothy went still. His eyes narrowed..
His cousin. Of course.
He didn't fear many people. But his cousin's arrival was never small.
"Sebastian's arrival could either be a relief or a serious headache."
And Emily was right in the middle of everything now.
The call ended.
Timothy stared at his phone for a second, then slipped it back in his pocket.
His mind was already working through scenarios. How to keep his cousin away from her. How to protect her without making it obvious.
He doesn't know if Sebastian will accept Emily and he wasn't ready to take chances
His cousin's arrival could mean a lot of things but Timothy knew it wouldn't be easy.
He'd seen Emily defend herself against that bully. She was strong. But his cousin was different. Dangerous in ways most people couldn't imagine.
He'd told Emily to call if anything felt wrong.
But something already felt wrong.
And it had nothing to do with school.
He picked up his phone and dialed Jack.
"Come to my office."
The line clicked as Jack answered. "On my way, sir."
Timothy ended the call and stared out the window, his jaw tight.
Tomorrow his cousin would arrive.
And everything would either get more existing or get more complicated.