The red digits on the alarm clock flipped to 6:00 AM. Raiyan's hand was already there, slapping the snooze button before the silence could be broken. A long-held need for quiet efficiency guided his mornings.
He moved quickly through his routine. In the mirror, his features were sharp—a diamond face framed by light blue hair. His intense blue eyes stared back, awake and calculating. He was dressed simply in a white T-shirt.
Seconds later, he entered the kitchen, drawn by the smell of breakfast. Sarah, a beautiful middle-aged woman, was already at the stove.
"Good morning, Raiyan! All fresh, are we?" she greeted him warmly.
He offered a quick nod. "Yes."
"Excited for the new school?" Sarah's smile was bright. "Well, you have some time. Help me set the table while I finish up. Go on, put the plates out."
Raiyan headed to the living room, setting forks and knives with methodical calm.
Suddenly, a storm of messy hair and bad humor hit the kitchen entrance. It was Rose, looking completely undone.
"Mom, where is my shampoo?" Rose groaned.
"Finally, Madam wakes up," Sarah sighed, serving the eggs. "Your shampoo is where it always is. Hurry up and get ready, we're eating now!"
The breakfast table was a study in contrasts. Raiyan and Sarah's husband sat patiently while Sarah served. Rose arrived last, sliding into her seat, already eating too fast.
"Eat slowly, Rose," Sarah warned. "You should try waking up early like Raiyan. It's the first day of eleventh grade at a new school."
"I know, Mom. No need to remind me," Rose grumbled.
Raiyan stepped in smoothly. "Sarah Aunty, we won't be late. There's plenty of time. Don't scold Rose."
"Don't encourage him, Raiyan," Sarah countered, though she was smiling.
After breakfast, Raiyan and Rose gathered their bags and moved toward the bus stop.
As they walked, Sarah's final jab followed them. "Honestly, how good it would be if Rose had a little bit of your intelligence. You're in science, and she just got stuck with humanities."
Raiyan immediately defended her. "Humanities has its own benefits, Aunty. I think it's equal to science."
Rose looked at him, a slight blush rising on her cheeks. "Thanks, Rai."
Sarah, watching from the door, just smiled at their easy interaction.
A short distance away, Rose confided, "Mom isn't wrong. If I studied better, I'd be in your class."
Raiyan spent the rest of the walk pointing out the positive sides of her course.
Then, he saw the beggar. Huddled on the sidewalk, the man clutched his stomach, whispering that he hadn't eaten in five days. Raiyan didn't hesitate. He opened his school bag, pulled out his prepared tiffin, and placed the entire meal into the beggar's hands, offering a brief word of encouragement.
They walked to the bus stop and climbed aboard.
Inside the bus, Rose pulled out a second lunch box from her own bag and handed it to him. "I knew your nature would kick in," she said, her expression fond. "This one is yours. Try to eat it yourself this time."
Reaching the school gate, Rose gave him a quick wave and headed inside. Raiyan started toward the main building.
Suddenly, a blur of curly orange hair and frantic movement slammed into him. A boy running full speed hit Raiyan square in the chest. They both collapsed, scattering school supplies.
Raiyan's first words were, "Are you okay?" He immediately offered his hand to the boy.
The orange-haired boy scrambled up. "Timmy Low Light," he introduced himself, breathless.
"Why were you running?" Raiyan asked, picking up a stray book.
Timmy clutched his bag. "Look, I saw this beautiful girl in the hall, got flattened, walked up, and said, 'Be my queen, I'll make you my girlfriend.' She called me a joker. Then her boyfriend showed up—this huge rhino! He grabbed my collar, but I shouted, 'Look, the Principal!' Distraction worked, I ran.
End scene."
Raiyan looked Timmy over. "You should apologize to her, Timmy. Even if you meant well, you caused trouble."
Timmy nodded nervously, already dreading the inevitable apology.
Before he could decide, the giant boyfriend appeared, fists balled. He lunged, aiming a punch straight for Timmy's head.
Raiyan reacted in a flash, catching the giant's hand firmly on the wrist. The punch froze inches from Timmy.
"I think we shouldn't do any violence," Raiyan said, his voice level despite the strain on his arm.
The giant wrenched his arm free. "Stay away from this, or you'll get hit too."
Timmy stepped forward, swallowing hard. "I'm sorry for my behavior," he mumbled.
Raiyan spoke to the giant. "It's our first day of school. Let's forgive each other and start fresh. I'm Raiyan, by the way."
The giant, still seething, introduced himself. "Justin." He dropped his fist. "Fine. I forgive him, but only for now. Next time I spot him near my girlfriend, I'll kill him."
Justin turned and walked away.
Timmy immediately clung to Raiyan's arm, acting like a grateful child. "Raiyan, you saved me, bro!"
"It was nothing," Raiyan replied. "Fights usually happen because of arrogance. If one person stays calm and says sorry, even if it wasn't their mistake, the fight stops."
Timmy stared at Raiyan with genuine awe. "You really are amazing, Raiyan."
The two continued talking, quickly bonding as they entered their classroom. The room had joint benches, and Timmy quickly slid in next to Raiyan. They gave their attendance.
The class settled into a routine. Then, the lights flickered.
One by one, the lights went dead. Thunder boomed outside, rattling the windows. Students jumped. Then, they heard it—slow, heavy footsteps approaching the classroom door.
Every student watched the dark doorway in growing silence. Someone was coming. From the pitch-black shadows of the hall, a figure emerged, stepping inside their classroom.