Alaric stepped into the school building, the usual morning buzz of students flowing around him like a river of chatter and laughter. His friends waved as he walked over to their usual spot by the lockers. "Morning!" Alaric greeted them with a calm smile. His aura, often subdued when in public, gave off a gentle but confident energy, making him naturally stand out. As he leaned against the locker, the usual banter and light conversations filled the air.
"Hey, did you finish the assignment for history?" one of his friends asked.
Alaric nodded, chuckling. "Barely. I think I wrote half of it in my sleep."
They all laughed, falling into the comfortable rhythm of friendship. For a moment, Alaric felt a rare sense of normalcy in this chaotic world filled with supernatural secrets and hidden threats. However, that sense of normalcy shattered when his phone vibrated in his pocket. The ringtone was set to something unassuming, but the timing felt oddly off.
