The morning had started with a gentle, almost buzzing sense of expectation. From the cold autumn dawn to the sun-kissed warmth of the school yard, Alex had sensed that something remarkable hung just beyond the boundaries of his mundane routine. Every corridor, every dented locker, and every flickering poster seemed to whisper secrets yet to be discovered. But even as the typical rhythms of school life beat around him, Alex could not help but feel that the day would not be like any other.
By the time the last bell sounded, that hushed tension had already started to change into something much more palpable. Students scooped up their gear in a familiar rush, backpacks clinking and laughter ringing through the halls. But below the surface, something new was shivering—one that caused even the oldest, most crooked walls of the school to be restless. It began as a slight shiver at his feet, a trembling so mild that most dismissed it. But Alex sensed it right away, the beat vibrating deep within his chest, as if the building itself had breathed in warning.
Then the shaking grew worse. Lockers slammed open and shut in violent spasms; posters ripped loose, floating toward the floor like autumn leaves. Dust and plaster chips whirled through the air. A deep, thunderous growl resounded through the hallways, as if the school's very foundations were protesting. Terror boiled up with hardly any warning. Students shrieked and ducked for cover; others ran toward doors, their fear a palpable thing that pounded against Alex's own determination.
But terror could not take him down—not completely. In the midst of the chaos, Alex was seized by an overwhelming sense of purpose, a laser-like concentration that propelled him ahead. He could not just stand idly by as others were hurt. Each step along the crumbling hallways was a well-reasoned risk, a cautious sidestep from crashing wreckage and the unpredictable mayhem of the quake.
He saw a cluster of younger kids cowering in fear within a classroom close by. Without pause, he ran toward them, his voice heard above the cacophony of the quake as he yelled out orders, dragging them to safety. Every rescue buoyed a weird, inexplicable force driving him forward, as if the building itself were challenging him, molding him, calling him to action.
Then fate turned. A frightened shove sent him rushing towards a lean, curling staircase, one weakened by years of disuse. The wood groaned ominously, dust dancing in expectation of collapse. Time dragged on; Alex's reflexes kicked in. He spread his arms, shouting out in anticipation of the impending landslide of wood and stone.
And yet, disaster did not befall him. The fragile wall of the staircase broke harmlessly apart, powdering dust around him like the dregs of a dying fire. Other students halted, incredulous, a few feet away. "Did you see that?" whispered one, staring. "He. he's fine." Whispers of luck, miracle, and perhaps something more ran through the corridors, each repetition making it seem like more than just random chance Alex's survival.
Even as there were still tremors, yet another part of the staircase collapsed. Students further up hung precariously in mid-air. Alex did not think twice. Instinct took charge over prudence. He stretched out, pulling a fellow student back to safety just as a massive beam fell where they had been seconds before. Every move, every rescue, made him feel more and more alive, connected to an energy beyond human understanding which seemed to move him.
Around him, teachers and administrators scrambled, their voices strained with panic and authority. The building, burdened by decades of neglect and greed, betrayed every promise of safety. Whispers spread among survivors: corners cut, funds diverted, lives endangered. The human cost of corruption hung as heavily in the air as the dust itself.
Before the tremors ceased, the hallways were in shambles—spiderwebbing cracks traversed walls, rubbish covered floors, and the familiar building had transformed into a chaos landscape. Clusters of students stood grasping each other, faces drained of color from shock, as teachers guided them to temporary safe areas. Each creak of the battered building brought them back to reality, to how quickly routine could break.
In the wake of destruction, Alex's thoughts reeled. Why was he spared? Luck, or was it something more—a gift, a calling, a fate he had not seen until these moments of expectation throughout the day? The tragedy had stripped away ease, leaving only the sharp corner of reality. It called for action, called for bravery, and called upon Alex to confront questions he had never had the courage to ask.
As dusk descended and stars started piercing the darkening sky, Alex swore silently. He would reveal the secret of the collapse, the corruption that had placed so many lives at risk, and the unaccountable force that had left him alive. The earthquake had smashed wood and stone but it had shattered the illusion of security, and it had lit a way of peril—but also of purpose. Destiny had stamped him, and he would go where it took him.
The regular day was over. The unusual had started.