The sun was shining brightly over Ashford University, its warmth filtering through the leaves of the towering trees that surrounded the campus. A soft breeze danced through the windows of Class 1-A, ruffling the papers on the desks and carrying with it the fresh scent of spring. The kind of day where everything seemed to fall into place.

Except for Selwyn Carter.

He sat in the back corner, his head propped up by his hand, his eyes half-lidded as the professor, Ms. Amelia Howitzer, lectured on the basics of computer programming. The lecture felt like a blur of words, numbers, and concepts that everyone seemed to be soaking in with excitement. Everyone, except for him.

For most of the students, this was the start of their first semester at Ashford University. The energy was contagious, the future bright with possibilities. But Selwyn? He couldn't care less. It was just another class. Another day. Nothing special. It was becoming increasingly harder for him to get excited about anything. The routine was dull, predictable. And it seemed like nothing was ever going to change.

A gentle breeze swept through the room, stirring the papers on the desks and carrying with it a hint of the outside world. Selwyn inhaled deeply, the cool air creeping up his nose. And then, a sudden sneeze.

"Selwyn Carter!" Ms. Howitzer's voice snapped through the air, sharp and commanding.

His head shot up, his mind still in a haze, as he tried to focus on her. The class had gone silent, all eyes now on him. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Could you kindly pay attention, Mr. Carter?" she asked, her tone laced with mild irritation.

He blinked, trying to shake the sleepiness from his mind. "Yes, Ms. Howitzer?"

She stared at him for a moment, eyes narrowed. "Since you're so alert now, why don't you tell me what a variable is in a programming language?"

Selwyn rubbed his eyes, his vision still blurred from sleep, but the words seemed to come to him without effort. "A variable is a storage location in a program with a symbolic name, which contains some known or unknown value."

A murmur of surprise rippled through the class. A few students exchanged glances, impressed by his ease. His friends—Jason Harris, Sofia Mitchell, and Raven Blake—sneaked a quick glance at one another, smirking in quiet amusement. It was effortless for him. Always had been. But then there were the others. The ones who didn't take too kindly to his effortless brilliance.

Ethan Ford, seated a few rows ahead, muttered under his breath. "Show off."

Ms. Howitzer sighed. "Please, Mr. Carter. We expect more from you. Pay attention or go wash your face. You look like you're about to fall asleep again."

Selwyn didn't argue. He stood up and made his way out of the classroom, the whispers of his classmates echoing in his ears.

The hallways outside were quieter than usual, the air heavy with an eerie stillness. Selwyn shuffled down the corridor, his footsteps echoing off the walls. There was no one around. No voices, no laughter. It was like the whole world had decided to pause, leaving him in a strange, lonely silence.

When he reached the washroom, he splashed cold water on his face, his reflection staring back at him from the mirror. His dark brown eyes looked tired, the bags under them deepening by the day. He wiped his face with a towel, trying to shake off the grogginess that lingered.

What am I doing? he wondered. I need to stay focused in class. I can't keep doing this—drifting off into my own world.

But as the water ran, something shifted in the air, a faint whisper curling around him like a shadow.

"Yn… Wyn… SelWyn…"

He froze, the words creeping into his mind like an unwanted thought. He spun around, but there was no one there. The washroom was empty, the sound of the running water the only thing filling the space. He blinked, confused, and shook his head.

I need to get back to class, he thought, trying to ignore the unsettling feeling gnawing at him. It's nothing. Just my imagination.

He turned and walked back toward the classroom, his footsteps quickening as he tried to shake off the weird sense of dread that clung to him.

After the washroom, the bell rang, signaling the end of the class. Selwyn stepped out into the bustling hallway and spotted his friends waiting near the stairs, chatting animatedly. They were already in the midst of a conversation when he approached.

Jason Harris, with his bold, optimistic grin, was the first to wave him over. "Hey, Wyn! You good? You look like you've been up all night."

Selwyn managed a half-hearted smile as he joined them. "Yeah, just... a rough class. I'm fine."

Sofia Mitchell, ever the sassy princess of the group, raised an eyebrow at him. "You sure? You've been out of it all day."

Selwyn shrugged. "Just tired."

Raven Blake, who always had a bit of a quiet, intellectual vibe to her, looked up from her phone, her bright green eyes locking on him. "You're acting weird today, Selwyn. Everything alright?"

He nodded, though his mind was still racing from the odd experience in the washroom. "I think I'm just overthinking stuff."

Sofia wasn't convinced. "Overthinking? You're always overthinking. If you're so smart, then why are you in engineering? You should be a scientist or something. You'd do great at it."

Selwyn laughed softly, though it lacked any real enthusiasm. "I guess I like the idea of creating things... solving problems. But, y'know, the engineer route seemed like the easiest."

Raven chuckled. "Typical Selwyn. Always downplaying your abilities."

Just then, their conversation was interrupted by the unwelcome presence of Ethan Ford, who swaggered over with a smirk plastered across his face. He was taller than Selwyn, broad-shouldered and built, with an air of arrogance that always seemed to follow him.

"Hey, Carter," Ethan sneered, grabbing Selwyn by the shirt collar. "Don't try to act like you're some big shot in class. I know you're just a poor little idiot who cries when nobody's around."

Selwyn didn't say a word, his gaze dropping to the ground as he tried to ignore the increasing pressure on his chest. But before Ethan could say anything else, Sofia stepped forward, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

"Back off, Ethan," she said firmly. "If you say one more word, I'll get you suspended. You don't want to mess with me."

Ethan's face turned an interesting shade of pale. Sofia's influence was well known around Ashford University—her father was one of the major funders of the college, and no one wanted to risk upsetting her. He let go of Selwyn's collar and took a few steps back, muttering under his breath.

"She saved you this time, Carter," Ethan spat, turning to leave.

As he walked away, Sofia turned to Selwyn with a raised eyebrow. "Wyn, why don't you ever stand up for yourself when he pulls this crap? You could've taught him a lesson."

Selwyn simply shrugged, brushing the situation off with an indifferent smile. "It's not worth it. Let him talk. Doesn't matter."

The group fell silent for a moment, but the air was thick with unspoken words.

With the bell ringing again to signal the end of lunch, the group made their way back to their next class. Selwyn was still lost in thought, his mind replaying the earlier events in the washroom and the unsettling feeling that had settled deep within him.

As they approached the door to Professor Cooper's class, Selwyn suddenly froze, his heart racing in his chest. There it was again—the whisper. His name, trailing off like a sinister echo.

"SelWyn…"

He turned, his eyes scanning the hallway, but all he saw were a few students chatting as they made their way to class. Raven noticed his sudden hesitation.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concern creeping into her voice.

"Did you hear that?" Selwyn asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Hear what?" Raven replied, her eyes narrowing as she looked around. "There's no one here, Selwyn."

Selwyn's mind raced. It must be in my head, he thought. But that didn't stop the sense of unease from settling deeper into his bones as they entered the classroom.

The weather had started to shift again by the time Professor James Cooper's lecture on logic gates began. The wind howled outside, and the sky darkened, as if mirroring Selwyn's growing unease.

As Professor Cooper began speaking, Selwyn's mind drifted. The whispers were back. Louder this time. He could barely concentrate on the lesson, the words becoming a blur as a headache started to throb in his temples. It was all too much. He tried to shake it off, but the voices grew louder, until it felt like they were inside his head, pushing against his skull.

The chalk flew from Professor Cooper's hand, striking Selwyn's forehead. He flinched, his mind struggling to focus.

"Selwyn Carter!" Professor Cooper barked, his voice cutting through the chaos in Selwyn's mind. "Where's your attention now?"

Selwyn's headache intensified, his vision clouding over as he tried to respond, but the voices in his head were deafening. And then, in a moment of pure frustration, he screamed.

"SHUT UP!"

The classroom went silent, the sound of his voice hanging in the air like a strike of thunder. Professor Cooper's face was a mixture of shock and disbelief. Selwyn staggered, his headache so intense that he collapsed to the floor, his vision swimming.

Jason Harris was there in an instant, his hands steady as he helped Selwyn to his feet and guided him out of the classroom. The halls were quiet as they made their way to the medical room, Selwyn's mind spinning, his body heavy with exhaustion.

Dr. Miriam Clark, a kind woman with short gray hair and a no-nonsense attitude, was waiting for him when they arrived. She checked his pulse and temperature, asking him a few questions as he lay on the cot. For a few hours, he drifted in and out of sleep, the constant murmur of the rain outside lulling him into a state of uneasy rest.

When he finally woke, the storm had passed, though the sky remained overcast, the clouds lingering in the distance. He stretched out on the bed, his legs aching, and turned his gaze toward the window. The campus outside seemed peaceful now, the storm a distant memory.

But then something caught his eye—something that made his blood run cold. Across the campus, on the roof of a building, a group of figures stood. They were dressed in long white robes, their hoods obscuring their faces. Selwyn blinked, his heart skipping a beat. The figures were still, motionless, as if waiting for something.

He leaned closer to the window, trying to make out more details, and then one of the figures turned, their eyes locking with his. Selwyn's breath caught in his throat. The chill that ran down his spine was unlike anything he'd ever felt.

No, he thought, his mind racing. I have to be imagining this.

Before he could react, Jason entered the room, looking startled to find him crouched by the window.

"Wyn? What's going on?" Jason asked, his voice laced with concern.

"There—there were people, on the roof…" Selwyn whispered, still shaken.

Jason walked over to the window, his eyes scanning the area. "I don't see anyone, man. Maybe you're just tired. The rain probably got to you."

"No, Jason, there were definitely people! I swear it!" Selwyn's voice trembled as he stood up, his hands gripping the windowsill for support.

Jason sighed, trying to calm him down. "Okay, okay. Let's take it easy. Maybe it's nothing. You're just stressed."

Selwyn shook his head, but Jason's reassuring voice seemed to settle him. As Jason helped him back to the bed, Selwyn tried to shake the feeling of dread that had settled in his chest.

But then, just as Jason sat down beside him, Selwyn heard it again.

The whisper.

"SelWyn..."

He froze, his eyes widening. Jason glanced at him, his expression growing confused.

"Did you hear that?" Selwyn whispered.

But Jason didn't hear it. There was no one else around. Just the two of them.

Selwyn's heart pounded in his chest. Something was happening. And he couldn't shake the feeling that whatever it was, it was just the beginning.