## Chapter 1
Kairos woke to the muted silver haze of rain, the city barely stirring beyond his window. He yawned, pushed his hair from his eyes, and trailed the scent of frying eggs to the kitchen—finding his mother, Selene, humming beneath her breath as she deftly spun an omelette. Despite her work clothes and the ever-present tiredness in her gaze, she looked radiant, light catching at the tips of her hair and the curve of her smile.
"Morning, sleepyhead," she greeted, sliding eggs onto a plate and nudging a mug of instant coffee toward him. "You'd better eat. It's going to be one of those days—you can feel the rain in your bones."
Kairos grinned, taking his seat. "I'd trade weather prophecy for passing the next math quiz."
Selene laughed, the sound bright, unforced. "Survive today and you'll live to worry about math tomorrow."
He chewed in companionable silence, watching her gather her bag and coat. "Hey, don't work too hard."
"Only as hard as you do, mister." She kissed his forehead with a mother's practiced affection, and swept from the apartment, leaving Kairos momentarily adrift in the gentle hush that followed.
Packing his things, Kairos tugged on his sneakers, dashed out into the wet morning, and made his way through the jumble of sunless streets toward Stellaris Academy. Every corner of Celestalis glistened with fresh puddles and neon reflections, alive with the shuffle of umbrellas and the drone of morning news over shop radios.
He joined the stream of students, waving to Arielle at the gate, who grinned between sips of oversized latte. "You look like someone who forgot their lunch."
"More like someone who forgot it's Thursday," Kairos replied. He ducked as Elios jogged over, soccer bag bouncing against his back.
"Don't worry, I've got you both covered," Elios declared. "Two sandwiches and half a bag of chips—because I'm the true hero here."
Arielle arched a brow. "Didn't you say you were going to eat healthier this week?"
Elios shrugged. "Heroism takes sacrifice."
Kairos shook his head, laughing along, feeling the edges of his mood start to lift as they dodged ankle-deep puddles and swirling rumors—about new transfer students, last night's thunder, the latest food court drama.
In class, Kairos barely kept focus. His mind wandered between unfinished dreams and the sense that, somehow, he sat at the center of some invisible web. At lunch, they claimed their usual spot in the noisy cafeteria, bickering about what constitutes a "real sandwich" and mock-arguing over whether pineapple could ever belong on pizza.
"Is Lilith joining us?" Arielle nodded, glancing to the far table. The new girl—so composed she seemed almost untouchable—sat alone, picking at her food, eyes distant, unreadable.
Elios wagged his eyebrows. "Bet she's a secret chess champion. Or an alien. Probably both."
Kairos snorted, but couldn't help glancing over. Just for a second, Lilith looked up—her gaze unsettling, sharp as midnight. Their eyes met; Kairos felt a shiver, as if someone had whispered his name in an empty room.
The day blurred onward. In history, talk of forgotten cities; in chemistry, harmless experiments that ended with Elios nearly setting his sleeve on fire. Arielle's wit carried them past boredom, and Kairos—while laughing—felt, for once, almost normal.
By afternoon, the rain had thickened, sparkling against streetlights as clouds drooped low. Friends peeled off, heading for clubs or home. Kairos ignored his usual route, pulled by a vague restlessness, and ducked into a narrow side street—the shortcut he'd used as a kid to shave minutes off the walk home.
The alley was quieter than he remembered, swallowed by shadows and rain. Still, he pressed on, letting memories and the comforting echoes of friends' voices fill the hush.
Out of sight, thunder cracked, and something old and silent waited just beyond the edge of the city's familiar noise.
*End of Chapter 1*
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