The walk from the station to Westbrook Academy wasn't a long one. Five minutes if you took your time, maybe three if you were already late.
Judging by the number of students jogging up the hill in freshly ironed uniforms, plenty of people had chosen the second option.
I joined the steady stream heading through the open gates, keeping my hands buried inside my blazer pockets as conversations floated past from every direction.
"...heard they invited heroes this year."
"...my cousin awakened a B-rank Stigma two years ago."
"...what if nothing happens?"
"...shut up, you're making me nervous."
I wasn't the only one pretending not to be nervous. Some laughed louder than usual. Others kept checking their reflections in classroom windows as though a perfectly straight tie somehow improved their chances of awakening. A few looked like they hadn't slept all night.
The courtyard had been decorated far more than usual. Banners congratulating the graduating class hung from the walkways while teachers who normally looked like they'd rather be anywhere else actually smiled as students walked past.
Miracles really did happen.
For one day every year, even teachers became nice.
I made my way toward the main building, nodding at a few familiar faces along the way. Most of them only knew me well enough to recognize my face. A couple waved, and I waved back. That was about the extent of our friendship.
The System remained where it had been all morning. A faint blue shimmer lingered at the edge of my vision, almost disappearing whenever I stopped thinking about it. It wasn't gone. It was waiting.
Which was honestly starting to bother me more than I wanted to admit.
Yesterday I'd killed someone.
That alone should've been enough to occupy my thoughts for a lifetime, yet somehow I'd also woken up with a glowing blue System floating in front of my face. Whatever it was, it hadn't disappeared, and neither had the memory of the alley.
Awakening had somehow fallen all the way to third place.
Funny how quickly your priorities changed after killing someone.
The corridor outside our classroom was unusually crowded. Students leaned against lockers comparing guesses about what they'd awaken or arguing over which hero agency paid the most.
"I heard Vanguard pays first-years over a hundred grand."
"No chance."
"I'm serious."
"My brother said that's only if your Stigma's insane."
"Still counts."
I walked past them without joining in.
Money sounded nice.
Not getting arrested for murder sounded nicer.
My thoughts drifted back to the brick hidden beneath my bed. Detectives had probably already found the body. They were probably going through surveillance footage right now, trying to piece together what had happened in that alley. Maybe they'd already figured out who I was.
Maybe they hadn't.
The uncertainty sat in the back of my mind like a weight I couldn't shake.
"Adrian."
The familiar voice pulled me out of my thoughts before they could spiral any further.
I looked up to find Maria standing a few metres away with two girls from our class. Her chestnut hair was tied back neatly today, and unlike most students frantically adjusting their uniforms, hers somehow looked perfect already. One of the girls beside her whispered something that earned a small smile before Maria noticed me looking.
For a second, I thought she'd walk over.
Instead, she simply gave me a small wave before turning back to the conversation with her friends.
That was...
better than nothing, I guess.
Still strange though.
A month ago she would've walked over without thinking twice. Now it felt like there was an invisible wall between us. She'd started avoiding me a few weeks ago, leaving class before I could catch up or disappearing from Tony's whenever my shift began. I honestly couldn't remember doing anything to upset her, which somehow made the whole thing even more confusing.
Maybe I really had forgotten something.
Wouldn't exactly be the first time.
I pushed the thought aside and headed into the classroom.
Most of the seats were already occupied. Laughter bounced between the walls while someone at the back unsuccessfully tried balancing a pen on their nose. Business as usual.
At least until the ceremony started.
I dropped into my usual seat beside the window and rested my bag against the desk. Outside, more students continued arriving through the front gates while teachers hurried between buildings carrying stacks of paperwork that somehow made graduation look more exhausting for them than it did for us.
Someone behind me groaned dramatically.
"I'm going to fail."
Another student laughed.
"You can't fail graduation."
"I mean awakening."
"Oh."
"...Yeah, you're cooked."
The room erupted into laughter, and even I couldn't stop a small smile from creeping onto my face.
For a moment...
Everything felt normal.
Almost normal enough to forget what had happened yesterday.
Almost.
My fingers absentmindedly tapped against the desk as the faint blue shimmer flickered once at the edge of my vision before settling again. It still hadn't shown me anything besides that welcome message.
No new notifications. Only the existing one which I still hadn't read.
No quests.
Nothing.
I wasn't sure whether that was reassuring or terrifying.
The classroom door slid open before I could think about it any longer.
Our homeroom teacher walked in carrying a clipboard beneath one arm, and the conversations around the room gradually died away as everyone returned to their seats. He looked around the classroom for a few moments, counting heads before giving a satisfied nod.
"Good," he said. "Looks like everyone actually remembered today was graduation."
A few students laughed nervously.
"I'll keep this short. In about twenty minutes we'll be heading to the auditorium for the Awakening Ceremony. Until then, stay in your seats, try not to destroy the classroom, and if anyone suddenly develops cold feet..."
A grin spread across his face.
"...it's a little late for that."
More laughter spread through the room.
I leaned back in my chair and looked out through the window once more. The academy grounds buzzed with excitement. Parents had already begun gathering outside the auditorium while teachers hurried between buildings and staff carried equipment across the courtyard.
Everyone was looking forward to today.
Everyone except me.
Yesterday morning, the only thing I'd been worried about was whether I'd awaken.
Today, that had somehow become my third biggest problem.
The first was the man I'd killed.
The second was the Vigilante System patiently waiting at the edge of my vision.
And somehow...
I had a feeling the second problem wasn't going to let me ignore it for much longer.