Before Marcus could protest further, their homeroom teacher, Cole, entered the classroom. The middle-aged man with graying hair and perpetually kind eyes set his briefcase down and surveyed the class with a warm smile.
"Good morning, everyone. I hope you all had a pleasant evening," Cole began. "Before we start today's lesson, I have an announcement. The results for the National Academic Competition are in."
A ripple of excitement passed through the classroom. Aster had participated in the competition last month—a grueling series of tests covering mathematics, sciences, and critical reasoning. Students from across the country had competed, and only the top performers would advance to the international round.
"I'm pleased to announce that Westwood High had several students place in the top percentiles," Cole continued, his smile widening. "And I'm especially proud to share that one of our own students has achieved a perfect score across all sections."
The class erupted in murmurs. A perfect score was almost unheard of.
"Aster, congratulations. You'll be representing our country in the International Academic Olympics this summer."
Applause filled the classroom—genuine from some, perfunctory from others. Aster felt his cheeks warm as attention focused on him. He nodded appreciatively, trying to appear modest despite the pride swelling in his chest.
"That's incredible, Aster!" Lily turned fully around, her dark eyes shining with genuine happiness. "A perfect score! You've been preparing for months."
"Way to go, man!" Marcus practically shouted, earning a gentle reprimand from Cole about inside voices.
Sophie clapped enthusiastically while Claire offered a thumbs up without pausing her sketching.
Grace smiled warmly. "That's really amazing, Aster. You must have worked so hard."
Blake called out from the back, "Making our school look good! Nice job!"
But from Derek's corner, Aster heard the barely audible scoff. "Of course he did. Probably studies twenty-four-seven because he has no life."
"Unlike some people who have a life but no brain," Owen quipped, loud enough for everyone to hear. A few students snickered, and Derek's face flushed red.
"Owen, that's enough," Cole said, though there was a hint of amusement in his voice. "Let's maintain respect in this classroom."
Aster pretended not to hear any of it, instead focusing on Cole as the teacher launched into the day's lesson on classical literature. The morning progressed smoothly—Aster answered questions when called upon, took meticulous notes, and tried to ignore the occasional bitter glances from Derek's group.
During the lesson, Maya tentatively raised her hand to answer a question. "I-I think the author was t-trying to say that—" She paused, her face reddening as the stutter caught her words.
"Take your time, Maya," Cole encouraged gently.
Before she could continue, Rachel whispered something to Jade, and both girls giggled. Maya's hand dropped, and she sank lower in her seat, her moment of bravery crushed.
Lily shot the two girls a sharp look, while Sophie shook her head in disgust. Even Quinn, usually oblivious to classroom drama, glanced up with a frown before returning his gaze to his desk.
The rest of the school day passed in its usual rhythm. During lunch, the class naturally divided into their social groups. Aster, Marcus, and Lily sat together, soon joined by Sophie and Claire. Blake and Evan occupied a nearby table, discussing upcoming sports events.
Nina ate alone while reading, occasionally glancing at Grace, who was showing pictures of the shelter animals to anyone who would listen.
Derek held court at his table with Jason, Troy, Rachel, and Jade, their conversation punctuated by pointed looks in Aster's direction. Owen bounced between groups, cracking jokes and lifting the mood wherever he went.
Zara was simultaneously eating and reviewing her event planning notes. Maya sat by herself near the window, picking at her food. And Quinn... Quinn was nowhere to be seen, probably eating in some quiet corner away from everyone.
"You know," Marcus said, gesturing with his sandwich, "our class is weird. We're like twenty different people forced into one room, and half of us can barely stand each other."
"That's high school," Claire observed philosophically. "A microcosm of society's divisions and alliances."
"She means it's dramatic," Sophie translated with a grin.
"I wonder what college will be like," Lily mused, her gaze distant. "When we can finally choose who we surround ourselves with."
"I'm going to miss some of this chaos, though," Marcus admitted. "Even Derek's attitude gives life some... flavor."
"That's one way to describe it," Aster said with a slight smile.
The afternoon classes proceeded without incident. Aster excelled as expected in every subject, though he was careful to let others contribute during discussions.
Nina demonstrated her knowledge of historical dates during history class, rattling off facts with impressive precision. Blake dozed off during English, earning himself a detention that he accepted with good-natured resignation.
As the final bell rang, signaling the end of classes, students began packing up their belongings with the usual end-of-day relief. Aster gathered his materials methodically, already thinking about his tutoring session with Marcus and the homework he needed to complete afterward.
"Aster, wait up!" Lily called as he headed toward the door.
He paused, turning to face her. Sophie and Claire stood nearby, exchanging meaningful glances before making themselves scarce with knowing smiles.
"I was wondering," Lily began, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear, "if maybe you'd want to study together sometime? Not because I need tutoring," she added quickly. "But it might be nice to work with someone who actually enjoys academic challenges. We could push each other."
Aster smiled, genuinely pleased by the suggestion. "I'd like that. How about this Saturday at the downtown library?"
"Perfect," Lily agreed, her face brightening. "It's a date - I mean, a study date. A study session." She laughed nervously at her own stumble over words.
"Saturday it is," Aster confirmed, finding her momentary awkwardness endearing.
They parted ways in the hallway, and Aster made its way to the library where Marcus was already waiting, sprawled across a table with his chemistry textbook open but clearly not reading it.
The tutoring session went well, as they always did. Aster had a gift for breaking down complex concepts into understandable pieces, and Marcus, despite his complaints about difficult subjects, was actually quite intelligent when he applied himself.
By the time they finished, Marcus had a solid grasp on equilibrium reactions and was confident about the upcoming test.
"You're seriously the best tutor ever," Marcus said as they packed up. "I went from completely lost to actually understanding this stuff. You should charge for this."
"Friends don't charge friends," Aster replied. "Besides, explaining things helps me understand them better too."
They exited the library together, stepping into the late afternoon sun. The school grounds were mostly empty now, with only a few students lingering at the sports fields in the distance.
"You heading home?" Marcus asked.
"Yeah, I should get started on..."
Aster never finished his sentence.
The world around him suddenly felt wrong. The air grew thick, almost viscous, making each breath an effort. Colors seemed to bleed and blur at the edges of his vision, as if reality itself was becoming unfocused. A high-pitched ringing filled his ears, drowning out Marcus's concerned voice.
"Aster? Hey, you okay? You look really pale..."
But Marcus's voice sounded distant, muffled, like Aster was hearing him from underwater. His legs weakened, and he stumbled forward, his bag falling from his shoulder.
Then Marcus gasped, his eyes widening in shock. "What the..."
Both of them saw it simultaneously a light. Not the golden afternoon sun, but something else entirely. A brilliant, otherworldly luminescence that seemed to emanate from nowhere and everywhere at once. It pulsed with an intensity that hurt to look at yet was impossible to look away from.
Through his blurring vision, Aster saw figures in the distance—their classmates, still on school grounds. Blake, who had been running laps on the track. Sophie and Claire, who'd been chatting near the entrance. Even Derek's group, who'd been leaving through the main gate.
All of them stopped moving, frozen as the same light began to envelop them.
From one of the upper classroom windows, Aster caught a glimpse of their teacher, Cole, looking out in alarm then the light reached him too.
Geometric patterns swirled within the luminescence, symbols and shapes that his mind couldn't quite process but that felt ancient, fundamental, like glimpsing the underlying code of existence itself.
"Marcus..." Aster managed to gasp, reaching out toward his friend.
Marcus reached back, and their hands clasped together just as the light intensified, wrapping around them like liquid silk, warm and cold simultaneously.
All around the school grounds, Aster could hear distant shouts of confusion and fear from their classmates Lily's voice calling his name, Sophie screaming, Derek cursing, Owen making some joke that ended in a yelp.
The pulling sensation started then, as if invisible hooks had caught in his chest and were dragging him backward—or forward, or sideways into some direction that shouldn't exist. The school, the grounds, the familiar world he'd known his entire life—all of it began to fade like watercolors in the rain.
The last thing Aster saw of his world was the terrified faces of his classmates, all of them caught in the same impossible light. nineteen students and one teacher, all being pulled toward something beyond comprehension.
His final coherent thought before consciousness slipped away was a simple, terrified question:
What's happening to all of us?
Then there was only light, and the sensation of tumbling through infinite darkness, and the distant echo of a female voice speaking in a language he'd never heard but somehow understood:
"Welcome, Chosen Ones. Your true journey begins now."