CHAPTER 2 — The Classroom Without a Teacher
Vaeloria High always looked a little tired in the mornings—like an old building that had seen too many generations of teenagers walk through its halls and had given up trying to impress any of them. Roman stepped through the front entrance, the familiar scent of floor wax and cafeteria pancakes brushing against his sharp senses.
Students milled around in clumps: sports teams stretching near the lockers, gossip circles buzzing near the stairwell, couples pretending they weren't blocking the entire hallway. It was loud, chaotic, and nothing Roman wasn't used to.
He adjusted his hoodie again—habit—and made his way up the second-floor corridor toward Room 2B.
The classroom door creaked slightly as he pushed it open. Inside was silence.
Too much silence.
The rows of desks were empty, the lights still dimmed from the automatic timer, and most strangely...there was no teacher.
No Ms. Vallen.
Roman paused at the doorway. A faint tug of discomfort prickled at his senses—something subtle, something he couldn't name. His crimson eyes swept the room once, but nothing looked out of place.
Probably late, he told himself. Teachers are human too.
He walked to his usual seat near the back window and sank into the chair, letting his backpack drop to the floor with a soft thump.
A minute passed.
Then two.
Then the hall outside erupted with sound as the first wave of students poured in.
A burst of laughter came first—Mira Kesslin weaving through the doorway with her copper ponytail bouncing behind her. Selene Ward followed her, cool expression in place, already rolling her eyes at something Mira said. Aiden Cross entered with his easy, grounded stride, offering a silent chin-lift to a couple of guys near the front.
Then more voices, more shuffling chairs, more conversations blooming across the room.
Roman stayed still, head propped on his hand, watching quietly.
This was normal.
This was familiar.
"Roman!"
A bright voice cracked through the noise, warm and energetic in a way that only one person could manage.
Jordan Reyes slid into the seat beside him with the enthusiasm of someone who had never once woken up in a bad mood. His grin was wide, hazel eyes practically sparkling.
"There he is—the man, the myth, the emotional glacier," Jordan joked, elbowing him lightly. "You sleep okay? You look like you did that thing where you stare at your ceiling until 3 a.m. questioning life."
Roman blinked once. "...I slept fine."
"You always say that."
"Because it's true."
Jordan snorted. "Sure it is."
The seat on Roman's other side shifted quietly as someone sat down with far more grace and far less noise.
"Good morning, Roman."
Rin Yamazaki's soft voice flowed like calm water—gentle, steady. Her messy low bun had a few strands escaping, framing the rim of her glasses. Her golden eyes scanned Roman for a moment, as if checking each detail for subtle signs of a mood he wasn't showing.
Rin had always been like that. She noticed everything.
"Morning," Roman said with a slight nod.
She smiled—small, reserved, but real. "You walked today?"
"Yeah."
"No trouble?"
"No."
Jordan leaned back dramatically. "I swear, you two sound like you're exchanging coded messages. 'No trouble?' 'No.' 'Did you breathe today?' 'Yes.'" He sighed in mock defeat. "One day you'll both speak like normal people."
Roman shrugged. Rin hid a tiny laugh behind her hand.
The classroom kept filling—desks sliding, conversations overlapping, the noise rising into a familiar chaotic hum. Ren Takahiro adjusted his glasses while flipping through a textbook. Lena Hartwell shyly greeted someone near the window. Aiden chatted quietly with two other students. Selene pretended not to listen to Mira's excited rambling but clearly was.
For a moment, it was just an ordinary day.
Then the floor pulsed.
Roman's head snapped up immediately.
A faint blue glow seeped between the tiles beneath their feet—soft at first, then brightening with unnatural intensity. The chatter stopped. Chairs creaked as everyone froze.
"What...is that?" Mira whispered.
No one answered.
The glow sharpened, forming thin lines—curves, angles, symbols—slowly connecting into a circle that expanded outward like a living thing.
Jordan stood halfway up from his chair. "Uh—guys? Is this part of science class? Please tell me this is part of science class."
Rin's hand gripped Roman's sleeve. "Roman—"
The light surged.
The magic circle snapped open, a sudden, forceful vortex erupting from it. Papers flew. Desks rattled. Students screamed as a burst of wind pulled at everything in the room.
Roman braced himself—but the pull was stronger than anything he'd felt before.
The circle grew, swallowing desks, bags, chairs—then feet, legs, bodies.
A student in the front row was yanked forward and vanished into the blue light.
Then another.
Then the entire row.
"ROMAN!" Jordan shouted, voice cracking.
"Stay close!" Roman yelled, grabbing both Jordan's wrist and Rin's arm—but the force tore his grip apart, pulling them in separate directions.
The light swallowed the walls, the ceiling, the windows—
—then Roman.
Everything went weightless.
Everything went silent.
Everything went black.