Chapter 2 - A normal school day

The drive to school was eerily quiet. Usually, Monday mornings were a cacophony of honking horns and impatient drivers, but today, the streets were strangely deserted. The sun, a pale disc struggling to pierce the oppressive cloud cover, cast long, distorted shadows that seemed to writhe and reach for my car as I drove. A knot of unease tightened in my stomach, a cold tendril snaking its way down my spine. I tried to shake it off, blaming it on stress or the lingering fatigue from the late-night gaming, but the feeling persisted, growing heavier with each passing mile.

Pulling into the school parking lot, I was met with a wave of dizziness that made the world tilt. A sharp, stabbing pain erupted in my skull, sending me reeling. I gripped the steering wheel, vision blurring, the familiar sight of the red-brick school distorting into a menacing, shadowy monolith. My stomach churned, the taste of bile rising in my throat. Gasping for breath, I slumped against the seat, fighting the urge to vomit.

Through the haze of pain, a figure flickered at the edge of my vision. A woman, tall and slender, draped in what looked like a flowing black cloak. Her face was hidden in the shadows of a wide-brimmed hat, but I could make out the glint of something metallic, like a necklace or a pendant, catching the weak sunlight. I blinked, trying to focus, but she was gone. Vanished as if she were a figment of my fevered imagination.

Panic clawed at my throat. Was I hallucinating? Was this some kind of stress-induced breakdown? I fumbled for my phone, the screen swimming before my eyes. Maybe I should call my mom, tell her I wasn't feeling well. But what would I say? That I saw a ghost in the parking lot?

The pain subsided as quickly as it had come, leaving me trembling and disoriented. I stumbled out of the car, my legs shaky, my hands clammy. I had to get myself together. I breathed in and out slowly. I stood up and glanced around, thinking it was all in my head. I grabbed my bag out of the car and made my way towards the school.

But as I walked toward the school, the feeling of being watched intensified. Every shadow seemed to hold a hidden observer, every rustle of leaves a whispered threat. The once-familiar building now felt like a trap, its windows like vacant eyes following my every move.

Inside, the hallways were bustling with the usual morning rush, but I felt strangely detached, like I was moving through a dream. The sounds of chattering students and lockers slamming echoed strangely, as if filtered through water. The air itself felt thick and heavy, pressing down on me. When I reached my homeroom, I found Nathe already there, his nose buried in a thick textbook.

"Nathe," I said, my voice a little too loud in the relative quiet of the classroom.

He glanced up, a smirk playing on his lips. "Hey, man. You look like crap. Did you even sleep last night?"

I slumped into the seat next to him, rubbing my temples. "A few hours. Did another raid after you logged off."

He shook his head, his grin widening. "Dude, you're obsessed."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." I tried to focus on the conversation, but the strange encounter in the parking lot kept replaying in my mind. Did I really see someone? Was it all in my mind?

"Oh, by the way," Nathe said, leaning closer, "did you hear? Ibran's dating Kaycee now."

I sat up straighter. "Kaycee? Seriously?"

Nathe nodded, his blue eyes gleaming with amusement. "Yep. The Queen of Drama herself."

I couldn't believe it. Kaycee was everything I wasn't: confident, outgoing, and effortlessly popular. She was also gorgeous, with long blonde hair, hazel eyes, and a smile that could melt glaciers. What did she see in Ibran?

Before I could dwell on it further, the classroom door flew open, and Amy stormed in, her face a mask of fury. "Worick!" Her voice cut through the air like a whip.

I cringed. Here we go again.

"Why didn't you answer my texts?" she demanded, hands on her hips, her eyes blazing. "I've been waiting for you outside! And look at you! Did you even bother to comb your hair?"

Her words washed over me, but I couldn't seem to focus. The world around me started to fade, the sounds of Amy's ranting growing distant and warped, like a record played at the wrong speed. I glanced around, confused. Everyone seemed to be frozen in place, their faces blank, their mouths hanging open mid-sentence. Like statues in a wax museum, their expressions eerily vacant. Even Amy's tirade seemed to be playing out in slow motion, her angry words distorted and drawn out, each syllable echoing unnaturally in the sudden, oppressive silence.. It was as if someone had hit the pause button on reality, except for me, I was still moving. The only sound was the slow, deliberate thump-thump-thump of my own heart, beating like a drum against my ribs.

Then, Ms. Hucks, our homeroom teacher, walked in. She moved with an unnatural stillness, her heels clicking against the floor with a sharp, metallic clang that reverberated through the silent room, like a death knell. Each click was an eternity, the sound echoing in the vacuum of frozen time. The classroom snapped back into focus, the sounds and movements returning to normal speed. Relief washed over me. The distorted echoes faded, replaced by the familiar cacophony of the classroom. Amy's voice, sharp and clear, resumed its assault on my eardrums. Maybe Amy would calm down now that class was starting.

But as Ms. Hucks reached the front of the room, she didn't open her textbook. She didn't say a word. She just stood there, her gaze sweeping over the class, her expression unnervingly blank.

Then, her eyes locked onto mine.

"Mr. Chamnie," she said, her voice devoid of any warmth, flat and cold like a machine.

My heart hammered in my chest. "Y-yes, Ms. Hucks?"

Her eyes shining a golden radiance. "The gods have chosen your fate."

"What?" I asked, confused about what she was talking about.

"Your destiny has been decided, heroes from another world rejoice, as Lautnia, The Goddess of Life has deemed you worthy to save her world."

I stood to run away, but could not move. I was now frozen just like everyone else. The gold light from Ms. Hucks eyes shined brighter, and brighter, till the entire room was filled with its warm glow. The light was blinding, and intoxicating, wiping my mind clear of thought. Was any of this even happening? As the thought drifted across my melting senses, like the snap of a finger, everything went black, and silent.