The alley was dark, and there was no one in sight. Zeph didn’t understand, he knew exactly where he was, but he couldn’t figure it out. Why was he here? And how.

It didn’t make a single thread of sense. One second he had been at the perils base; the other, in the alley he lived. He could see the door just a couple of meters down. He got the shivers just thinking of the possibilities that power had. Zeph shook off the terrible feeling; he needed to get home. People were waiting for him.

Zeph quietly tried to walk into the apartment without a knock on the door. The light’s were off in the apartment, spreading total darkness. He slowly began walking up the stairs to his room and would need to find some way tomorrow to say why he had arrived so late. But for now, zeph needed sleep. But before he could even get going, the kitchen exploded with light. Santina sitting on a chair at the edge of the table, legs crossed, staring at him with glaring eyes. Fuck. How the hell was he going to get out of this one?

Silence.

Both of them sat at the kitchen table in silence. One stared at the other, waiting for an answer, and the other in dismay as to what to say. This was awkward, Zeph thought, but there was nothing else to do but get it done. He had to work with all his might, not just break down on the spot. Suddenly It downed on him that he could explain what happened and let all of his emotions out. He had never been so emotionally drained in his entire life. But he knew he couldn’t do that. Instead, he lied. Lied to keep them safe.

He didn’t know where to start or what to say. The only thing he knew was what he couldn’t say. So the most obvious thing came to mind, and he yelled it straight out.

“Sorry, Santina, I got far too immersed in my study,” Zeph said, hoping he sold it enough. He was surprised by how calm he was when he said it. The magnitude of the lie seemed to make his mind only calmer. He knew that if she found out, she would likely die. And because of that, his mind decided to stay calm, just like when treating a patient. Life or death. Interesting.

Santina released a long sigh. “I knew this would happen,” she said, “Your mother and I were the same way, with nothing on your minds but studying.”

Zeph grew a soft smile; she had bought it though there was no reason for her not to. He knew he didn’t seems like the individual that could lie, and certainly not one of this magnitude. The thought of his mother working hard also warmed his heart. He didn’t doubt she did exactly that during her time here. “But luckily we had someone to beat that out of us….. If only a little,” Santina said quietly, adding that last part.

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She sighed.

“Alright, listen; I’m neither your mom nor do I want to be. But for your own sake, don’t kill yourself trying to study more and more,” she said, looking him deep in his eyes. He found comfort in them. Sadly, Zeph wouldn’t be able to oblige her request. Well, at least not for a while; he would either die later. Or somehow found a way out of this crazy situation.

“I will try my best,” Zeph said, tired.

The conversation ended with that, both of them barely keeping their heads slouching. Santina quietly took her cup of tea and went upstairs to her bed. The woman had stayed up late into the night waiting for him. Zeph shut the lights in the kitchen and, soon after, slowly walked upstairs to his room. Immediately falling on his bed. There was no other thought on his mind but sleep. Darkness soon followed

The school was a blur. Zeph felt like he was going through the motions, his brain going back and forth from trying to listen to what the teacher was saying. To what was happening inside his mind. The day prior, still not wanting to leave his thoughts. There was something about it and how he would be expecting more. He knew more was coming, and there was nothing he could do about it. However, he didn’t know when and that was what scared him. Would they show up suddenly? Or would they transport him to another place?

At school? And would everyone see him disappear?

They probably weren’t that stupid, but it still scared him. And if they could teleport? He didn’t know what else it could have been than teleportation. Then what the hell else could they do? He needed to figure it out. He had been learning things since childhood, his mother imprinting the importance of knowledge. And the danger of lack thereof. He wanted to know how they did it and if he could figure it out. Well, maybe one day he would be able to do it too. And then he would be able to fight back and survive. Though he knew he wasn’t a fighter, maybe there were things where you didn’t even have to fight, one where you could win instantly. But he tried to cut it all out of his head. Even if he did survive, it would be no good if he didn’t pass his medical school and get atop the class. He needed to thrive here, and for that, he needed to pay attention. Though as much as he tried, Zeph couldn’t get his mind back on the class.

He felt it before anything. Before the school doors opened Before he had even walked out of the classroom. Sitting in his seat, he felt it. He didn’t know how; his body just did. A tingling sensation ran through his fingers tips and his toes. The class ended a second later, and everyone was walking out of class and finding a place to study. It was another day with morning and evening classes.

His body wouldn’t relax it was getting the signal constantly, and when the doors to the school opened, all of the students went outside. He felt the stare, but this time the person stood out. The orange hair drew attention even from across the street. It wasn’t the Aria, but it was….Sofia, if he remembers correctly. He didn’t know if he should be happy or sad if it was her instead of the other woman. But this one drew many more looks, but she didn’t seem to mind. He supposed the other woman hid by being invisible. This woman did the opposite.

Zeph knew what he needed to do, so he resigned to walking toward the woman. They locked eyes; they were huge and innocent. They didn’t look like eyes from a peril, entirely different than Arias. The woman smiled as she saw him and began waving him over. Zeph sighed and ignored the glares he got from the other male students.

Zeph had a bad feeling about this woman.