The cafeteria was loud, but Cyan barely heard any of it.
His chest felt tight, as if something unseen was pressing down on him. The laughter around him blurred into noise, and a faint ringing filled his ears. His fingers trembled slightly as he rested them on the edge of the table.
Crayson noticed first.
"Cyan," he said quietly, leaning closer. "You good?"
Cyan opened his mouth to answer, but the words wouldn't come. A sharp chill rushed through his body, followed by a wave of dizziness. His vision darkened at the edges.
"I… don't feel—"
Crayson's expression changed instantly. He sensed it—something was wrong. Very wrong.
Before anyone could react, Cyan's body went limp.
He collapsed.
"CYAN!" Mason shouted, jumping up as Cyan hit the floor.
Students nearby gasped. Chairs scraped backward as people turned to look.
Cyan lay still, his breathing shallow. Then it began.
His dark hair slowly shifted in color, strand by strand, fading into a stark, unnatural white. At the same time, his eyelids fluttered open—revealing one glowing blue eye and the other burning crimson.
Quinn froze.
Mason's face drained of color.
"Oh no…" Quinn whispered.
Cyan suddenly coughed, his body jerking. A pale, white substance stained his lips.
White blood.
Quinn and Mason exchanged a look—one of fear, certainty, and understanding.
"It's happening," Mason said under his breath.
"He's the one," Quinn replied softly. "The prophecy wasn't wrong."
Crayson stood frozen, staring in shock. "What—what is he?"
"No time," Quinn said sharply.
She quickly pulled off her jacket and grabbed a nearby hat from an empty chair. Mason knelt beside Cyan, lifting his head just enough as Quinn carefully pulled the hat down over Cyan's now-white hair.
"Cover him," Mason hissed. "Don't let anyone see his eyes."
Crayson snapped out of his shock and stepped in front of them, blocking the view of curious students.
"He just fainted!" Crayson called out. "Someone get a teacher!"
The whispers around them grew, but no one noticed the hidden glow beneath the hat, or the destiny awakening within Cyan.
As Quinn wiped Cyan's lips clean, she leaned close and whispered,
"Stay with us, Cyan… you're not ready yet."
But deep within him, something ancient had already opened its eyes.